Shishi Footsteps Road is a famous historic trail and ancient trail to transport tea, it linked to Dragon, ZhiNan school and SanXuanGong temple (Tea ancient trail), is an important road to transport tea previously. There is the entrance of the trail beside the ZhangShan Temple with a visible indicator, it is a big piece of wooden wall, to write ShiShi Footsteps trail on the round board which is very easy to find. Down along the trail, you can enjoy tea plantation, bamboo forest, ancient house built by earth cube and a small waterfall, there are lion footprint on the stone stairs, a lovely guidelines. If you are driving up, you'll see a large teapot, U-turn in front ShiShi footstep trail entrance, installed by Public Works Department, teapot with tea cups, very cute.
According to the ZhiNan Community Development Association description card, previously when the inhabitants outside of Zhanghu area to cut woods, they looked at this mountain from far away, the mountain looks like a rock lion lying posture, the place of lion head is the TuDiGong temple, the place of lion belly is ZhangShan Temple, from the foothill to ZhiNan River side is called ShiShiJiao (lion feet). At side of the industry road of ShiShi Footsteps road, there is a Lion feet pavilion, in the bottom of the pavilion post will find the lion foot sculpture, it’s very funny. On the pavilion, the wall are drawing with lions and introduction of lion footsteps, providing the knowledge to the visitors. On the stone lion sculpture, it painted with Lion Ball ridge, we are surprise if it is the same as the famous Lion Ball ridge at Keelung? We can’t find the exact answer after searching information related to Taipei Lion ridge, the Lion Ball ridge of Keelung Mountain did not mention the stone lion in the Erg mountain, it’s also too far from Keelung, it should not any relation between these 2, we doubt about it and will try to research of any evidence.
In addition to this stone wall of the stone lion, there are excerpts from the Tang Dynasty poet Liu Mi "YuQingXing" poem: "Lion is prestige & the Phoenix dancing happily, thought it is just a moment, however it’s been for thousand years." This poem is very close to this scenairo, although ShiShi Footstep road if not thousands of years, to lookout from the trail, it feels the time flies.
Although the Shishi Footstep is not long, even some feel the landscape is quite monotonous, actually it is a good place to observe the ecology along the road, there are many lovely insects, observe carefully, you will find inchworm is hiding in the bushes, the butterfly moth, pupae & cocoons are everywhere, I believe that the frogs must be in the waterfall.
Beside the ShiShi Footsteps, there is a large Tieguanyin tea plantation, once come here, do not miss to take a look at tea plantation, to experience the Maokong tea style, however do not enter the tea plantation for pictures to bother the farmers.
Transportation:
To go down from the mountain, near the ZhangShan Temple you can find a round sign on the wooden wall to indicate ShiShi Footsteps Trail, down from here, you can reach the lions footsteps road, the end is the industry road which near by ZhiNan school, if go from bottom to uphill, you can drive to reach the Lion foot pavilion, the entrance of Lion footsteps trail. Further to the industrial road nearby the Climbing trails, it is an entrance of the trail, too.
Distance cat cable: ★★★ (about 1.5 km about 25 minutes by walk)
Degree of difficulty: ☆☆☆★★
Culture Index: ☆☆★★★ (ancient tea culture)
View index: ☆☆★★★ (tea)
Eco Index: ☆☆★★★
Reference material
Advisory: Taipei City Government Works Earth Works Agency Yehan Ren Chief
Books:
Maokong for treasure 2015.8 Taipei City Government Works Geotechnical Engineering Office
Brochure:
Maokong cable Green trip propagation 2014.8 Taipei City Government Tourism Office
website:
Taipei leisure agriculture THEMANET http://www.recreational-agriculture.taipei//mp.asp?mp=10500K
Taipei Mountain Hiking Trail Network - two grid Mountains
http://www.geo.gov.taipei/np.asp?ctNode=56598&mp=106051
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