I was in an arachnophobes’ hell. I’d never seen so many Nephila pilipes (giant golden orb-weaver spiders) in one place.
None of them seemed to be quite as huge as the impressive specimens I’ve admired in other parts of Taiwan, yet several were undoubtedly large enough to terrify those with a fear of eight-legged creatures. Since my recent expedition to this corner of Chiayi County’s Meishan Township (梅山鄉), I’ve been wondering if competition for food keeps the spiders there relatively small. Just about every bush and tree held up one end of a web. Is there enough prey to go round?
I’d driven up from the lowlands to hike a pair of short trails, Yejianghua Stream Trail (野薑花溪步道) and the Bamboo Green Tunnel (竹林綠色隧道). Both are located between the villages of Rueifeng (瑞峰村) and Rueili (瑞里), in terrain that’s around 1,000m above sea level. I figured they might be ideal for less adventurous types who want to enjoy nature and get some exercise without exhausting themselves. They are, so long as the walkers aren’t afraid of spiders, and they’re wearing shoes with good traction.
Photo: Steven Crook
Leaving my car at Rueitai Visitors Center (瑞太遊客服務中心) — the building is currently closed for renovations, but the observation deck and bathrooms have been left accessible to tourists — I strolled down to the eastern end of Yejianghua Stream Trail, on the opposite side of Road 166.
An information board at the trailhead told me the 1.98-km-long path is named for a tiny creek, which in turn gets its name from the wild ginger-lillies that bloom here between June and October. Like many other hiking trails in Taiwan’s hills, it has a long history. In the days before motor vehicles, it was the quickest and most direct route between settlements.
The weather was murky, and thus ideal for a trail which turned out not to have much shade. The first part skirts several tea plantations. Where the foliage was thicker, I saw not only spiders and their webs, but a dozen or more Warbling white-eyes, alternatively called Japanese white-eyes. These pale green little birds are by no means rare, but they are exceptionally cute.
Photo: Steven Crook
A little further on, I came to a pair of ponds. When Han pioneers began developing the upcountry Meishan, they realized this spot wouldn’t drain well, so they converted the swamp into pools for storing water during the dry season. I’ve read that at least three frog species lurk here. I heard but didn’t see any amphibians.
Continuing downhill, the creek broadens from a meter-wide trickle into something slightly more energetic. There were lots of fish, but few were bigger than fingerlings.
The rows of tea gave way to mixed woodland, and the path became a concrete track wide enough for the short-wheelbase trucks driven by many hill-country residents. Just before I left Yejianghua Stream Trail, I came across an odd sight: The road surface was littered with spiders’ bodies. Most likely collateral damage from when a farmer sprayed herbicide.
Photo: Steven Crook
At its western end, Yejianghua Stream Trail connects with an unnumbered minor road. If maps are to be believed, turning right here would bring you to Rueifeng Elementary School (瑞峰國小), while going left leads to Rueili Elementary School (瑞里國小). On a whim, I turned left and followed the road until it began to rain. I saw lots of trees and a few birds, but not a single person or vehicle.
It’s possible to get from Yejianghua Stream Trail to the Bamboo Green Tunnel without going all the way back to the main road, the turnoff being clearly marked in English as well as Chinese. While Yejianghua Stream Trail is fairly flat — albeit paved with blocks of smooth stone that become frighteningly slippery when wet — tackling the Bamboo Green Tunnel involves some climbing.
The tunnel lives up to its name; bamboo arches over the path, but not so densely I couldn’t catch glimpses of tea plantations across the valley. A stretch of trail through the flatter part of the tunnel had been resurfaced with concrete a day or two before my arrival. Hopefully, it’ll never be as treacherous after rain as the stone sections of Yejianghua Stream Trail.
Photo: Steven Crook
The authorities have added some elegant stone picnic tables and seats. Come here on a dry weekend, and I guarantee you’ll find clusters of Taiwanese sipping oolong tea and chewing watermelon seeds. If they invite you to sit down with them, do take a seat and spend some time here. I can’t imagine a better spot to linger and unwind.
Steven Crook has been writing about travel, culture, and business in Taiwan since 1996. He is the co-author of A Culinary History of Taipei: Beyond Pork and Ponlai, and author of Taiwan: The Bradt Travel Guide, the third edition of which has just been published.
Photo: Steven Crook
Photo: Steven Crook
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