David and bike at the entrance to Manyue Yuan
Setting out early in the morning from my home in Panchiao (板橋) the traffic and pollution wasn't too bad. I cruised along through the industrial areas of Tucheng (土城) and Sanhsia (三峽) until I finally reached the turn-off to Manyue Yuan (滿月圓). Just after the turn-off I stopped for breakfast. A twelve year-old boy sitting opposite me attempted to strike up a conversation. He asked me how I was and my name, but his English ability quickly reached its limits. After a few moments of embarrassing silence he worked out that I could speak Chinese and continued the conversation. He asked me where I was from and I told him Australia. "But you really look like an American," he replied.
Starting off again the trucks and noise of the main road soon gave way to peace and calm. There was hardly a car to be seen and I was surrounded by mountains. It is no wonder that that the Portuguese called this place Ilha Formosa (The Beautiful Isle). I was grateful that some of that beauty had still escaped destruction and I could reach it in little more than an hour's bike ride from my home in the midst of the city.
The road followed a river and wasn't too steep allowing me to enjoy the beautiful scenery. I stopped on a small bridge across the river to admire the view. The water looked so clean and pure. A stark contrast to the dirty and polluted waterways of Taipei.
Finally, just two hours after leaving home I reached my destination, Manyue Yuan (Full Moon Park). The men at the gate invited me into their hut to drink tea and chat. They were friendly and spoke some English. After about twenty minutes chatting and drinking tea I left my bike at the gate and walked into the Park. I wandered along the path enjoying the fresh air and beautiful surroundings. It was easy to forget Taipei was just a short distance away. It could just have easily been a million miles away.
I walked up to a stunning waterfall surrounded by steep cliffs. I stopped for a while to enjoy the beautiful surroundings before heading down again. Jumping on my bike again it was easy rolling back down the hill. About halfway back to Sanhsia I took an alternative route which involved a fair bit of climbing. I was exhausted by the time I reached the top, but then I had a long, long downhill run. I only saw about two cars on this road and the entire valley seemed barely inhabited.
When I got back to Sanhsia I once again had to cope with the traffic and pollution. The places I had left behind seemed like another world, the contrast was so strong. I was thankful for my bike, the perfect vehicle to travel to another world.
If you can read Chinese the route is well signed and easy to follow. Take Zhongyang Road through Tucheng (經土城市中央路) toward Sanhsia (Sanxia 三峽). In Sanhsia follow the signs that say south in Chinese until you get to the turn-off where there is a brown sign with white writing in Chinese that says Manyue Yuan (滿月圓 Full Moon Park) and Lele Gu (樂樂谷 Happy Valley). The route number is 114. Traffic is heavy through Tucheng and Sanhsia. Look out for the big trucks. Once you turn off the main road onto route 114 the traffic is light.
Keep travelling along route 114. The road follows a river and the gradient is gentle. I rode the whole way in the middle chain ring. Manyue Yuan is at the end of the road, although there are a number of branch roads so try to ask somebody if you are not sure exactly where you are going.
The return journey is a gentle downhill roll. No need to pedal! I took an alternative route on the way back. I turned onto route 109. (Turn right just before the Da Bangen Forest Spa Resort 大板根森林溫泉度假村). This road involves a long climb though. I needed the small chain ring here! There is almost no traffic on this road. Once you get to the top it is a very long winding downhill run. Great fun! Eventually you will come out on the road between Sanhsia and Hsintien (新店 Xindian) and the going is flat all the way home.
The table below shows the approximate distances from Sanhsia to Manyue Yuan. It took me about two hours to get from Panchiao (Banqiao) to Manyue Yuan. I rode at an average speed and made two short stops on the way. Depending on your fitness level it could take anywhere from one and half to four hours. Also it will take a bit longer from Taipei than from Panchiao. There are also many side roads that could be explored by those who have the time or the inclination for adventure.
Distance Table Sanhsia 0.0 km Route 114 start 3.0 km Da Bangen Forest Spa Resort 7.0 km Manyue Yuan 21.0 km1 October, 2002
I did the ride again in July 2006. Details and some more photos can be found in this article on my blog.
