Taiwan travels: 9–5 Peak (九五峰/Jiuwufeng)

An enjoyable return to 9–5 Peak (九五峰/Jiuwufeng) for the first time this year! This is my favourite hike in the Taipei area, and it did not disappoint this morning. The weather was cool and breezy with occasional squalls of wind and rain. In other words, close to perfect, for me at least.

The start of the path up to 9–5 Peak is a ten-minute walk from the Houshanpi (後山埤) MRT station just by the Songshan Cihui Temple (松山慈惠堂). The path consists of well-maintained stone steps that take you through lush and verdant vegetation. The gradient is quite steep in some places, so it provides you with a solid physical workout.

My favourite spot on the ascent is this unassuming Daoist shrine with a veritable cornucopia of deities inside. A little further up is a much larger temple dedicated to the mountain money god. Indeed, the whole area surrounding the peak is dotted with Daoist and Buddhist temples that attract a regular stream of worshippers.

The views of Taipei from the summit of 9–5 Peak are magnificent. From there, you can go further along the ridge to Elephant Mountain (象山) or head back down the way you came.

I chose the latter option, taking a detour half-way down to view another of my favourite spots in the area: this charming bridge spanning a bubbling creek. Usually, groups of women come here to chat or carry our calisthenics together, though today it was deserted.

The climb up 9–5 Peak takes me an average of 35 minutes. If I take the detour, the length of descent is about the same. It is a great place to breathe some fresh air and experience the joys of being out in nature.