Deep in the mountains of Hsinchu you can find Taiwan’s most remote indigenous village. At 1500 meters elevation, Smangus (司馬庫斯) has had an air of mystery surrounding it for many years. The Atayal village is known as a leader in community based tourism, keeping their authentic culture intact while only opening up to tourists in 1995,when the road to the village was first built. I recently had the chance to return to Smangus’ Ancient Tree Grove, as well as the Zhenxibao (鎮西堡) Ancient Tree Grove with OwlTing Experiences for a weekend of hiking, culture, and relaxation.
Getting to Smangus (司馬庫斯)
The day started early, as we were meeting outside Banqiao Train Station at 7am. This is necessary if you want to hike the Smangus Ancient Tree Grove on the same day as your arrival.
We took a couple vans, with hired drivers, up to the mountain villages. The drive from Taipei is roughly 3.5 to 4 hours, and once in the mountains the roads can get a bit dicey. I did notice that the roads seem to have been paved recently, and have improved greatly from my last trip here a few years ago. Back then I wouldn’t recommend driving yourself, but now it’s definitely possible.
Smangus Ancient Tree Grove
The Hike
Once we arrived, we were able to hike at our own pace, or as the group leader says, we were treated as fellow mountaineers. This was a welcomed surprise, because this was my first time being in a group of strangers where I wasn’t leading. I was worried I would have to follow in a line and not have the freedom to roam, take photos, etc. Thankfully not the case!
Last time I was here it was Autumn, so the vibe of the forest was completely different. This time, in the summer, the greens were so vibrant, the streams were full, and the threat of summer rain was real!
The Smangus Giant Tree Trail begins at the beautifully built restaurant cafe, which overlooks the mountains and valley below. The hike to the ancient tree grove is 5km, along a relatively flat trail. Possibly the most famous aspect of the trail, other than the ancient cypress trees, is the initial bamboo forest you hike through.
The towering bamboo shoots up, converging above to let slivers of sunlight through the creaking stalks. It’s definitely a beautiful experience, and there are ample hand crafted benches to sit down and soak it up.
Continuing down the trail the forest opens up a bit and you’ll have some views of the valley and surrounding mountains. The trail continues through gorgeous broadleaf forests, at a moderate level.
After 5km of hiking you will reach the Ancient Tree Grove! This little pocket of forest meanders in a circle around beautiful streams and thousand year old cypress trees. Due to the summer rains, the forest was beautifully damp, giving the ferns, and other flora a particular vibrance that is just enchanting.
The largest tree in Smangus’ grove is the third largest tree in Taiwan, with a base about 16m in diameter.
After exploring the grove, and taking in the massive thousand year old red cypress trees, I headed back to the village before the thunderstorm arrived.
The Village
We didn’t spend the night in the main Qalang Smangus, but we drove over to the other side of the valley to stay closer to Zhenxibao forest, in Xinguang (新光). The drive from the Smangus tree grove trail takes about an hour over the winding mountains roads.
Before heading to our homestay accommodation for the night, we got to take part in a special indigenous Atayal song and dance, as well as make mochi. An old woman, dressed in traditional clothing sang to us, as we rhythmically clapped along. She, her daughter, son, and grandchildren then all taught us how to dance along to the song. The mood was magical. We all listened to the beautiful singing voices of the grandmother and father, and the little boys try their best to be singing stars.
After the singing and dancing, we all got to pitch in and make mochi together. This involved holding a massive club and pounding the sticky rice while the elder used a stick to flip the sticky rice over in between poundings. We all had a chance to pulverize the sticky rice into that sweet mochi. The club itself isn’t so heavy, but it feels super glued to the rice when you try to pry it free for another round.
After many rounds, we got to taste the delicious, freshly made mochi. Roll it around in a pile of ground up peanuts, and pop it in the mouth!
We spent the night in a shared room homestay, and prepared for the next day’s hike through Zhenxibao forest. Before bed though, I noticed how clear the sky was and decided to go take some photos. Even without the camera, the Milky Way was visible! It was so incredible, I couldn’t remember the last time I saw the Milky Way in the night’s sky like that.
Cinsbus Giant Tree Trail
The Hike
We had a 7:00am breakfast, then we were off to Zhenxibao’s Cinsbus Giant Tree Trail. This hike is more difficult than Smangus’ Ancient Tree Grove, but not by all that much. The trail is a bit longer, roughly 13km round trip, and passes by many more thousand year old red cypress trees. The trees through this forest are a bit more distinct, with the more famous trees known as “Adam,” “Eve,” and “The King.”
The trail begins in the dirt car park and climbs up a gradual incline for a few kilometers, weaving through beautiful mossy trees and over running streams. The early morning sunshine is peaking through the forest, illuminating the leaves in a spectacular way. The birds are active, chirping and jumping from branch to branch, seemingly following us on the trail as we hike.
I went ahead of the group, hiking at a faster pace. I’m always keen to really hear and feel the sounds of the forests, and sometimes that isn’t possible when others are around you.
There’s a junction along the trail, with one route going up to the more strenuous Grove A, and eventually to Poison Dragon Pond (毒龍潭). The most popular is Grove B, because it has far more ancient cypress trees and is a bit more moderate of a trail to hike. We went to Grove B, which allows for a really beautiful hike at a nice pace.
Along the circular trail of Grove B are the famous thousand year old cypress trees. Adam and Eve, named because of their similarities to certain biological features, are each over a thousand years old. The oldest in the grove, and I think the most impressive, is called The King. This tree dates over 2,500 years old!
Overall, the whole forest of Cinsbus is impressive. The ancient cypress trees are abundant, and the hiking is not so strenuous as to take away from the beauty of the area. I truly recommend this trip to explore Smangus and Zhenxibao. It is a fantastic escape to authentic indigenous culture and some of Taiwan’s fairytale-like forests.
