More than 700,000 people have cast votes on the top-10 cycling paths in Taiwan since the Sports Administration launched the poll on Aug. 13, and with eight days remaining before voting closes, the Sun Moon Lake (日月潭) path in Nantou County is in the lead.
Cycling is popular in Taiwan and local governments nationwide have developed many cycling paths that are easily accessible and surrounded by magnificent scenery that riders can appreciate along the routes.
The nation’s cycling paths have an estimated combined length of about 4,500km, and a network connecting all these paths is to be completed by the end of this year, according to the Tourism Bureau.
The Sports Administration has selected 32 routes, featuring mountains, lakes, rivers, coastlines, pastoral scenery and urban landscapes. On the event Web site (www.top10cycling.tw), there are introductions to the 32 routes and voters can choose their 10 favorites.
The Sun Moon Lake route has more than 50,000 votes, followed by a green corridor in Taichung’s Fengyuan District (豐原) with more than 46,000 votes, a green shade path in Nantou’s Jiji Township (集集) with more than 43,000 votes, New Taipei City’s Tamsui River left bank route with more than 42,000 votes and the Dahan and Hsintien river bank route in New Taipei City with more than 35,000 votes.
Rounding out the top 10 are New Taipei City’s circular route with more than 33,000 votes, Yilan’s Dongshan River route with more than 32,000, Taitung’s pastoral route with more than 29,000, Chiayi County’s Puzi River route with more than 27,000 and Taitung mountain and sea route with more than 25,000 votes.
Officials have been launching promotional campaigns on social media to help get their regions’ cycling routes into the rankings.
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