Danlan National-level Green Hiking Trail

The Taipei Danlan Cultural Trail is the starting point of the Danlan centennial mountain trail in Taipei. The trail is different from other mountaineering and recreational routes as it is imbued with the spirit of an old and cultural trail, connecting blue and green belt resources, natural landscapes, cultural and historical relics, through linear space, inviting the public into the historical atmosphere of Danlan Old Trail.

The Northern Path is the oldest of the Danlan Old Trail System. In many historical documents, descriptions about the Northern Path can be found. It was first built for hunting and transport purposes for the common people, and with time, it became a path for warfare, inspection, and coastal patrol for the government. To ensure the safety of patrolling officers and to yield access to the general public again, more shortcuts were built later on, and these paths were soon utilized by travellers, merchants, settlers, and construction workers. Now, the government and private groups further divide the Northern Path into Tsanguangliao Old Path, Yangtingli Old Path, and Rulan Central Path, based on the area’s past.

There are not as many official documents about the Central Path, since it was mostly used by ordinary people for everyday purposes. According to the existing documents, there used to be two subpaths, Lanrushan and Huanzong Daping, for early settlement, farming, and goods-transport purposes. Today, the Central Path is divided into Nuandong Old Path and Lanrushan Path.

The Southern Path served as a tea path during the Qing Dynasty. It was constructed by early tea farmers for transporting their tea, as the ruling Qing emperor failed to build a road for them. Later on, international port trade began in Taiwan, and tea became the most important export goods. The emperor thus entrusted governor Liu Ming-chuan to build a main road along the farmers’ path, which leads to Yilan. Today, the Southern Path is also known as the Danlan Shortcut.

Through experts and scholars familiar with Yilan and local symposiums, including the County History Museum, Lanyang Museum, local people and village chiefs, local stories and historical scenes are showcased. The Yilan Plain route has been made more meaningful and now better represents the "folk customs" of Yilan County. The intention is to introduce visitors to the historical stories, natural ecology and culture of Yilan.