Lingyun County is a county in the northwest of Guangxi, China. It is under the administration of Baise city. Continue reading... From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Mt. Guanyin is the mountain you can see from the town of Tamsui on the other side of Tamsui River. It's a steep climb over hundreds of stone steps, but from the peak you have awesome views.
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From Travel in Taiwan (2016, 3/4) By Richard Saunders
Mt. Guanyin is one of the scenic highlights you’ll see on the way to the port town of Tamsui from central Taipei. Situated on the opposite side of the Tamsui River, the mountain resembles Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy, lying down. There are numerous trails on the mountain, ranging in difficulty from easy but steep to steep and challenging. The views from the peaks are magnificent, and there is also a very special tiny temple in a narrow cave to be explored.
That fine profile is one of the main reasons why Mt. Guanyin is such a popular hiking spot in the Taipei area. There are several ways to the top of the highest of its various summits, known as Yinghan (“Tough Man”) Peak because the Japanese military used the trail for fitness training during the 1895~1945 Japanese occupation period. The most popular route is the relatively easy one from the southwest, beginning at Lingyun Zen Temple, which sits in a beautiful spot, backed by the sheer cliff face of an outlying peak. Below lies the much smaller Lingyun Temple, a pretty and very photogenic place of worship.
After arriving at Lingyun Temple bus stop, walk uphill, following the signs, to the Lingyun Zen Temple complex. After exploring the temple and enjoying the magnificent view, walk past the front of the main prayer hall and through the temple grounds and car park, to reach the adjoining road. The signposted, stepped trail that leaves the road here, on the right, is the path to Mt. Guanyin’s highest summit.
Winding up the wooded hillside, the first section of the climb is quite steep, so proceed slowly. Turn right at a “T” junction reached after about half an hour. From here the gradient becomes a bit more gradual as the trail gains the main ridgeline and follows its rolling curves, and there are views at intervals through the trees over the Taipei Basin and ahead to Yinghan Peak.
After about 20 minutes of hiking from the “T” junction, you come upon a trail crossroads just below the summit. Turn right up the stone steps and walk for a couple of minutes to reach the main Mt. Guanyin summit (616m). The view from the peak is tremendous, and you can see Yangmingshan on the opposite site, the whole of Taipei City laid out far in the distance to the right, and Tamsui and the mouth of the Tamsui River to the left.
To descend the mountain, you have several choices. One is to retrace your steps to the crossroads just below the summit, and then to follow the stepped trail on the right, which descends the eastern side of the mountain. After meeting a narrow lane after about 30 minutes walking, turn left and follow the lane downhill through a cemetery and orange orchards until you reach the highway (No. 15) that follows the west bank of the Tamsui River.
Cross the busy highway with care, and walk to the bicycle path that runs parallel and right beside the river. Turn left and follow the path (north) for about 20 minutes, to the Bali Ferry Pier. For a fare of just NT$23 (get your ticket at the ticket booth behind the pier before joining the queue, or swipe your EasyCard before boarding the ferry), you can take the little ferry across the river to Tamsui. There are services every 15 minutes or so. Don’t forget to look back at the towering bulk of Mt. Guanyin while crossing the river, or, even better, spend an hour or two exploring the promenade at Bali Left Bank before boarding the ferry in time to see the famous Tamsui sunset (weather permitting), which looks especially great from the deck of the boat. The ferry docks right in the heart of old Tamsui, 10 minutes from MRT Tamsui Station.