Definition: Currently, the national government directly administers the six special municipalities, as well as the counties and cities, which were previously administered by the Taiwan Provincial Government. The “tripoints” referred to in this article are places where the borders of these highest-level divisions intersect; lower-level divisions like townships, county-administered cities, districts, villages and neighborhoods are not considered.
There are currently 15 tripoints in Taiwan. Most of them are on a mountain peak, though there are two in riverbeds on the plains and one on the side of the road. None of them, however, are marked as tripoints by any sort of survey marker, so finding the exact point where the borders meet is problematic. Even when there is a Japanese-era stone triangulation point on a mountain, this point—or the actual highest point of the mountain—never lines up perfectly with the border data in modern electronic maps. When visiting each tripoint, I therefore opted to take photos at some sort of landmark (a summit, a triangulation stone, a sign installed by hikers, etc.), even if I did also walk to the tripoint as displayed on Google Maps. The tripoints of Taiwan, from north to south, are as follows:
| # | Administrative Divisions | Nearby landmark | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hsinchu County | Hsinchu City | Miaoli County | Intersection of Longjing St., Shenjing Rd. and Shenjing 1st Rd. |
| 2 | New Taipei City | Taoyuan City | Yilan County | Babokulu Mountain |
| 3 | Taoyuan City | Yilan County | Hsinchu County | East Qiusi Mountain |
| 4 | Yilan County | Hsinchu County | Taichung City | Meadow between Shilun Mountain and Kalaye Mountain |
| 5 | Hsinchu County | Miaoli County | Taichung City | Buxiulan Mountain |
| 6 | Yilan County | Taichung City | Hualien City | Nanhu Mountain East Peak |
| 7 | Taichung City | Hualien City | Nantou County | North Bilu Mountain |
| 8 | Taichung City | Nantou County | Changhua County | Dadu River, downstream from the Highway 63 bridge |
| 9 | Nantou County | Changhua County | Yunlin County | Zhuoshui River, upstream from the Taiwan Railway bridge |
| 10 | Nantou County | Yunlin County | Chiayi County | Jiananyun Peak |
| 11 | Nantou County | Chiayi County | Kaohsiung City | Jade Mountain (Yushan) |
| 12 | Hualien City | Nantou County | Kaohsiung City | The remains of the cabin below Dafenjian Mountain |
| 13 | Hualien City | Kaohsiung City | Taitung County | Sancha Mountain |
| 14 | Chiayi County | Kaohsiung City | Tainan City | Sanxianjie Mountain |
| 15 | Kaohsiung City | Taitung County | Pingtung County | South Yaobai Mountain |
Tripoint locations
The following map displays the tripoints labeled with their number in the table above. Clicking on a number will take you directly to the detailed information for that tripoint.
Tripoint Details
1: Hsinchu County, Hsinchu City, Miaoli County
- Nearby landmark: Shenjing Road, Shenjing 1st Road, Longding Street
- Date of visit: Feb 28, 2024
- Associated trip: Round-the-island walk
This is the easiest tripoints of all to reach, being located right beside the road. Drive to the end of Longding Street in Miaoli county, Shenjing Road in Hsinchu City, or Shenjing 1st Road in Hsinchu County and you’ll reach the intersection of these three roads. The tripoint is in the weeds on the south side. There used to be a metal fence blocking this area off, but now even that is gone and the tripoint is easily accessible. 【back to the map】
2: New Taipei City, Taoyuan City, Yilan County
- Nearby landmark: Babokulu Mountain (巴博庫魯山)
- Date of visit: Mar 03, 2024
- Associated trip: None
The fastest way up Babokulu Mountain is from Mingchi on the North Cross-Island Highway. There is a trail starting across the road from Mingchi itself (a forest road), and one starting from behind the resort (follow the road to the top then take the trail into the forest). After about 1 km, these trails meet up and continue on Forest Road 110 for another kilometer before arriving at the Babokulu trailhead. There are a few ribbons on the trail and the elevation gain is 950 m. For those who have an offline map in their phone and are physically fit, this trail won’t present much of a challenge and can be done in half a day. 【back to the map】
3: Taoyuan City, Yilan County, Hsinchu County
- Nearby landmark: East Qiusi Mountain (東丘斯山)
- Date of visit: Mar 04, 2024
- Associated trip: None
There are many ways to approach East Qiusi Mountain. One way is to start from Smangus, pass by Xuebai (Snow White) Campsite, summit first West Qiusi Mountain and then East Qiusi Mountain, before finaly returning by the same way or descending to Forest Road 100 and exiting on the North Cross-Island Highway. Another option is to do a loop from Galahe Hot Springs (嘎拉賀溫泉). Both of these options are three-day trips. It is also possible to do East Qiusi in and out in a single day, but it is a very long day. First, there is 16 km along Forest Road 100 to walk. Next is an ascent through thick forest with no visible trail and no ribbons for much of it. The return trip follows the same path back to the North Cross-Island Highway, making for a 37 km day with 1100 meters of elevation gain and loss. As I was alone, I didn’t want to overnight in the mountains and could walk quickly, so this is how I reached Dong Qiusi Mountain.
After reaching the Babokulu Mountain tripoint the day before, I spent a very enjoyable night at the nearby Peng Peng Hot Springs, which also made it easier to start the ascent to Dong Qiusi at 5:00 a.m. the next morning. I was back at the forest road entrance by 3:30 p.m. It took me ten and a half hours with one break for lunch. For an average group, I would recommend planning on 12 to 14 hours for a single-day trip. An overnight trip along this route, camping on the forest road, is also a great option.
Forest Road 100 is the road that leads to the Chilan (Qilan) Giant Trees and the Yuanyang Lake Nature Reserve. If you sign up for a guided tour of the Giant Trees through the Chilan Hotel, you can catch a shuttle form Chilan Hotel, Mingchih Resort or Taipei that includes a shuttle ride along Forest Road 100. Apart from this exception and Nature Reserve researchers with official permission, outsiders are not allowed to drive on Forest Road 100. There is a checkpoint right off the North Cross-Island Highway at the beginning of the forest road, so there’s no way to sneak in with a car, either. Anyone wanting to hike East Qiusi Mountain this way has no choice but to walk the 16 km of forest road each way.
There are several small peaks of approximately the same height around East Qiusi Mountain. One of them can be deemed the official peak for hiking as it has a handwritten sign on it, but the tripoint itself on Google Maps is not on any of these peaks; rather, it’s on a random slope in the middle of these peaks. Without official survey markers, the true location of the tripoint isn’t clear. 【back to the map】
4: Yilan County, Hsinchu County, Taichung City
- Nearby landmark: Meadow between Shilun and Kalaye Mountains
- Date of visit: Oct 27, 2020
- Associated trip: Wuling Sixiu
The Wuling Sixiu are a set of four mountains near Wuling Farm in Taichung’s Heping District that are often hiked together. The most remote and frustrating of these is Kalaye Mountain, which takes four to five hours return from the Taoshan Cabin, and is actually lower than the cabin itself, yet is somehow one of the 100 Peaks. If it weren’t on this list, very few people would ever hike it. The trail to Kalaye Mountain is mostly forested, but after passing Shilun Mountain, there is a section of open bamboo meadow, which is where the tripoint is located. The first time I passed by here was as a paying customer on a guided Wuling Sixiu trip and I passed unknowingly right by the tripoint. The second time, I was the guide for a 3-day 2-night trip and I made a point of stopping to take a picture here.
Sixiu trips are usually three days, though if you only want to reach Taoshan and Kalaye Mountain, two days is sufficient. A single-day return trip to Kalaye Mountain is not impossible, but this is an extreme undertaking that is not recommended. Whatever route you choose, if you’re going to Kalaye Mountain via Taoshan, you will definitely pass this tripoint.【back to the map】
5: Hsinchu County, Miaoli County, Taichung City
- Nearby landmark: Buxiulan Mountain (布秀蘭山)
- Date of visit: Dec 31, 2021
- Associated trip: Holy Ridge
This tripoint is also in the high mountains, and requires a two or three day trip to reach it. It’s one of the few tripoints in Taiwan that is nearly unreachable as a single-day trip, even to fit trail runners. The Holy Ridge route captures all the highlights of Shei-Pa National Park, and there are trailheads for it on the north, east, south, and west sides of the park. No matter which route you choose (the I-route, the O-route or the Y-route) you will pass over Buxiulan Mountain, the heart of the Holy Ridge and the nearest landmark for this tripoint. On Google Maps, the tripoint is on the slope to the north-east of this peak, however, so once again, reaching the precise location of the tripoint isn’t that simple. 【back to the map】
6: Yilan County, Taichung City, Hualien County
- Nearby landmark: Nanhu Mountain East Peak (南湖東峰)
- Date of visit: Aug 24, 2016
- Associated trip: North 1st Section
This tripoint sits above the Nanhu Mountain glacial cirque. This summit can be reached as part of a three-day trip to Nanhu Mountain Main Peak and East Peak. With another day or two, you can summit all of the Nanhu Peaks. With a six- or seven-day trip, you can also summit Zhongyangjian Mountain, thus completing North 1st Section. 【back to the map】
7: Taichung City, Hualien County, Nantou County
- Nearby landmark: North Bilu Mountain (北畢祿山)
- Date of visit: Mar 17, 2024
- Associated trip: None
This tripoint’s trailhead is relatively close to the road and it’s possible for fit hikers to reach it as a day trip, but it’s not a simple hike. The section from Main Peak to North Peak is normally walked only by those doing the full Central Mountain Range traverse, so the way is mostly unmarked and difficult to follow; if you’re not used to this kind of route finding in Taiwan, it is easy to get lost or end up walking up to a cliff.
To reach North Bilu as a day trip, first summit Bilu Mountain and then continue for about 2 hours along the ridge to the north. Bring protective eyewear, gloves, and a GPX of the trail loaded up on your phone. If you haven’t done any route finding in Taiwan’s high mountains before, go with someone more experienced. If you are doing the Central Mountain Range Traverse or joining North 2nd Section to Bilu Mountain, you will pass this peak along the way. The tripoint as indicated on Google Maps is once again not at the peak itself, but slightly to the east.【back to the map】
8: Taichung City, Nantou County, Changhua County
- Nearby landmark: Dadu River (downstream from the Prov. Highway 63 bridge)
- Date of visit: Feb 23, 2024
- Associated trip: None
The shape of the borders around this tripoint is a bit unusual: Taichung’s southern border is almost a straight line, but makes a tiny jog to the south in line with the Changhua–Nantou border, leaving a little corner jutting out (see picture below). Although the tripoint isn’t far from the road, it wasn’t that easy to get there. I approached from Xinan Road on the south side of the river, crossed the dike and the farmer’s fields on the inside, intending to go directly to the tripoint. To my surprise, there was a second concrete wall between the fields and the riverbed, leaving a four– to five–meter drop obstructing the way. I ended up having to follow this wall to the east until I found a point where the wall had collapsed and I could scramble down to the level below. Once down on the bottom, it was still difficult as I had to push through thick weeds even taller than I am.
Eventually I made it to the tripoint, which was on dry ground, despite Google’s depiction of it in the middle of the river. Not wanting to retrace my difficult route back to my scooter, I decided to walk upstream on the dry riverbed to the Provincial Highway 63 bridge and try my luck there. Under the bridge, there are fewer weeds and there were clear footpaths that took me back out to paved roads. Anyone trying to reach this tripoint should access the riverbed from this more distant but much easier route. 【back to the map】
9: Nantou County, Changhua County, Yunlin County
- Nearby landmark: Zhuoshui River (upstream from the Taiwan Railway bridge)
- Date of visit: Feb 23, 2024
- Associated trip: None
On Google, this tripoint appears to be in the water, but when I visited, it was on dry land, right next to a water channel dug by an excavator. Unlike the previous tripoint, I did have to get my feet wet to reach this one, but the water was only a few centimeters deep. To visit this tripoint, approach from the northern (Changhua) side of the river. There is a new asphalt road along the riverbank that appears to be only open to construction vehicles at this point, but scooters can still easily sneak on. If you come by car, park on any of the empty land nearby and walk across the asphalt road. Make sure to stick around the tripoint for a few minutes and watch the trains going across the bridge. 【back to the map】
10: Nantou County, Yunlin County, Chiayi County
- Nearby landmark: Chiananyun Peak (嘉南雲峰)
- Date of visit: Mar 15, 2015
- Associated trip: Shibi Mountain (Small 100 Peak)
The name of this peak (Chia–nan–yun) refers to the three counties whose borders meet here: Chiayi, Nantou, and Yunlin. Compared to the other tripoints located on a mountain peak, this one is relatively easy as the trail is well maintained and the hike is shorter. The trail winds up from Jiuxionggong Temple through a mystical bamboo forest to the junction on the ridge at the top. To the right is Shibi Mountain, a peak on the Small 100 list, and to the left is Chiananyun Peak. A half-day is enough to do all of this.【back to the map】
11: Nantou County, Chiayi County, Kaohsiung City
- Nearby landmark: Jade Mountain (Yushan 玉山)
- Date of visit: Multiple, photo is from Jan 20, 2020
- Associated trip: Jade Mountain Peaks
Taiwan’s highest peak is also where the borders of Nantou, Kaohsiung and Chiayi meet. From the Tatajia trailhead to the peak, the trail is entirely within Chiayi County. The route to North Peak enters Nantou County, while the trail over to the Back Four Peaks is in Kaohsiung City. Once again, the tripoint on Google Maps is not actually at the peak, but on an adjacent cliff in this case. Without climbing gear and the necessary skills, no one is getting to this point. I still don’t know if the true tripoint is on this cliff or at the top of Jade Mountain. It would be nice to get an official perspective on this.【back to the map】
12: Hualien County, Nantou County, Kaohsiung City
- Nearby landmark: Old cabin below Dafenjian Mountain
- Date of visit: Feb 18, 2021
- Associated trip: South 2nd Section
This is the second most remote tripoint in Taiwan. Following a standard itinerary, it takes three days just to get here. Anyone who has walked the South 2nd Section has passed the tripoint, but its location is not obvious and unless you were looking for it, you wouldn’t know it was there. Hardly anybody stops here now, but in the past, it was an important overnight stop on this route, as there was a cabin in the meadow adjacent to the tripoint. Today, only the building’s collapsed metal frame remains. Nowadays, the nearest cabins are Dashuiku Cabin to the northeast, and Tafen Valley Cabin to the southeast on the other side of Dafenjian Mountain. The last time I walked South 2nd Section, I took a few minutes to walk to the far side of the meadow and look for the tripoint. While searching, I came across a small metal plate nailed into a tree near the tripoint, with the words “Tainan City Hiking Association” in Chinese on it. It’s hard to say why this random tree tucked away in the forest would be tagged like this; could it be that some other hikers were trying to commemorate reaching the tripoint?【back to the map】
13: Hualien County, Kaohsiung City, Taitung County
- Nearby landmark: Sancha Mountain (三叉山)
- Date of visit: Dec 19, 2010
- Associated trip: Jiaming Lake
That this peak is also a tripoint is evident from the name itself: Sancha Mountain, which means “three-way intersection mountain” in Chinese. Anyone hiking South 2nd Section or Jiaming Lake will see it, though it is a side trip so not everyone will choose to hike up it, as there is a trail that lets you go around Sancha Mountain. The view on the peak is fantastic, with South 1st Section, South 2nd Section, and the Jade Mountain peaks all visible. The tripoint on Google Maps isn’t right at the summit, but the top of this mountain is very flat so it’s easy to walk over to check it out.【back to the map】
14: Chiayi County, Kaohsiung City, Tainan City
- Nearby landmark: Sanxianjie (三縣界山 Three-County-Boundary) Mountain
- Date of visit: Jan 21, 2017
- Associated trip: None
This tripoint is easy to reach, as it’s only a 5-minute walk from a farm road. The markings near the peak are a bit confusing: there are four stone markers on the peak, but only two are official, with the other having been made by a local hiker, and none lining up exactly with the tripoint on Google Maps.【back to the map】
15: Kaohsiung City, Taitung County, Pingtung County
- Nearby landmark: South Yaobai Mountain (南遙拜山)
- Date of visit: Jan 04, 2024
- Associated trip: Twin Ghost Lakes, Chuyun and Neibenlu Mountains, Wanshan Petroglyphs
The southernmost tripoint in Taiwan is also without question the most difficult to reach, with the walk in taking three or four days one way. It’s highly unlikely anyone has ever done a return trip to South Yaobai Mountain as a standalone hike; only people walking between Big Ghost Lake and Small Ghost Lake, or perhaps some hunters, would ever pass by here. There are several small peaks of approximately the same height close together, with the tripoint on Google Maps located somewhere in the middle of these. The current homemade sign marking South Yaobai Mountain is nailed to a tree on one of these peaks, somewhat to the south of the tripoint on Google Maps. I didn’t do the Ghost Lakes hike just for the sake of this tripoint, but once I knew I would be hiking by the Ghost Lakes, I did start doing my research to make sure I wouldn’t pass by the tripoint without getting a photo. I will probably only ever walk the Ghost Lakes trek once, so if I missed it during this hike, I might not ever have the chance to reach it again.【back to the map】
tylercottenie 