Where Silver Grass Whispers: Hiking up Mt. Qixing, Taipei's Tallest Mountain

TEXT　Ami Barnes

PHOTOS　Vision

Yangmingshan National Park's ever-changing beauty is the gift that keeps on giving. Each passing season brings cause for a return visit, and as the summer heat retreats, the silver grass on Mt. Qixing's slopes dons its annual shimmering gown of feathery plumes – time to lace up those hiking boots and take on Taipei's tallest peak.

A triumvirate of trails converge at the summit of Mt. Qixing. One strikes out from Lengshuikeng, another from Xiaoyoukeng, while a third climbs the southern slopes star ting from outside the Yangmingshan Scout Center. There are some who – whether training for high-mountain climbs or masochistically chasing that next-day thigh burn – choose to traverse all three in a route known as the Mt. Qixing Three In, Three Out (about 11.3km and nearly 1,200m of elevation gain). However, the most popular route is a steep 4.8km, 2.5hr climb beginning at Xiaoyoukeng and descending via the even steeper trail ending at Lengshuikeng – handily served by bus stops at either end.

Loosely translated, Xiaoyoukeng means "little oil pit." The "pit" in question is located behind the Xiaoyoukeng Visitor Center and is, in truth, a fumarole – a smoking crater belching out a continuous stream of steam – while "oil" holds memories of sulfur extraction and processing when the yellow mineral would be treated with heat until it melted into a viscous oil-like substance. Leaving the visitor center, the trail climbs gently at first, passing close to several smaller fumaroles. Peer closely at the sulfur deposits clustered around each smoke-spewing cavity, and you'll see the feather-fine structure of the yellow crystals.

Part-way up, a viewing deck offers a great place to rest and rehydrate, and beyond that, the remainder of the climb is spent in a corridor of arrow bamboo so dense you'd strain to see someone standing even two meters off the trail. Here and there, a smeuse breaks up the wall of stems. A couple are entry points to significantly more adventurous trails, and some are likely paths beaten by locals equipped with bamboo harvesting licenses.

And speaking of bamboo, if you're lucky, you might meet some of the resident bamboo partridges. These rust-and-ash-hued birds are generally shy, but the ones living here have become so inured to the passage of hikers that – if you stand still – they'll come right up to you without fear.

A pole engraved with the peak's name and elevation (1,120m) marks the summit of Mt. Qixing, and from up here, there are grand, sweeping views in all directions. To the west, you can see Mt. Guanyin standing behind the lazy sine wave sweep of the Tamsui River. To the northeast, rice and sweet potato fields reach the coast around the town of Jinshan, and southward, almost the whole city lies cupped within the Taipei Basin.

Moving on, the trail briefly dips before climbing again to Mt. Qixing East Peak. From this peak all the way down to Lengshuikeng, the trailside slopes are cloaked in silver grass (also known as pampas grass or miscanthus). The tall plant is rather plain for much of the year, but come autumn, it erupts into a showy display. Atop each culm, an elegantly arched plume of downy seeds bobs and waves in the breeze – lit up by oblique fingers of the afternoon sun, it is as if the whole mountain has been given a peach-fuzz halo.

The silver grass bloom begins in September, intensifies in October, and is at its peak in November with large parts of the mountain slopes covered in silvery white. The best spot to view this natural phenomenon and take memorable photos is a winding stretch of the trail, between the 0.3km and 0.6km markers, close to Lengshuikeng. Thanks to Yangmingshan's volcanic soil, some of the silver grass, ma inly in the Qingtiangang and Xiaoyoukeng areas, also has a distinct red hue not seen elsewhere.

To cap off your adventure, there's no better way than by swinging by the public hot-spring facilities at Lengshuikeng and easing those weary feet with a soak in the footbaths. You can get there either by following the road up from the Lengshuikeng trailhead, or by detouring past the dark charming scenery of Menghuan Pond.

In terms of practicalities, this is a straightforward hike. You'll want about a liter of water and a snack for energy. The visitor centers at the Xiaoyoukeng and Lengshuikeng trailheads both have a water dispenser for topping up bottles. Aside from food and water, another matter to be aware of is that the weather is unpredictable up here, and the trails are exposed, so sun protection and a light raincoat are sensible additions to your kit. Other than this, if your knees are prone to grumbling on descents, you might want to consider a hiking stick.