Chingshuiyen清水岩, Changhua County

Changhua’s Great Buddha Statue may well be Baguashan’s八卦山 most famous attraction, but by no means could it be counted as the area’s only interesting site. Baguashan, or Mount Bagua, covers an area of around 22,000 hectares and is home to dozens of hiking trails and bike paths.
With the ongoing surge in popularity of hiking in Taiwan, many of these routes have had makeovers recently. Nothing has been drastically altered, but walkways have been tidied up, new signposts and information boards have been added, and car parks and bathroom facilities have been improved. Another change, and one which is especially useful, is that new road signs have been erected. Changhua County Highway 141, which runs from Linnei林內 to Yuanlin員林, has a wealth of these brown signs, all of them directing you towards the hiking trails and scenic spots that would have otherwise remained hidden in the mountains.

One such sign points to Chingshuiyen清水岩. This bustling little hiking destination is home to several short, but highly entertaining walking trails. The first paths you come to after leaving the car park, crisscross their way to and from Wufeng Mountain’s various peaks. Each peak is marked by a pavilion and a great view across the ever-interesting Changhua Plain. Rice fields stretch as far as the eye can see, and it’s not hard to see why some have nicknamed this area, “Taiwan’s granary”. Increasingly though, the fields are punctuated by industrial influences; large towns, busy highways, and the new high speed railway can all now clearly be seen.

Nice as they are, these paths are not very long and even the most occasional of walkers will complete them with little real effort, so when you get to the Third Peak, look out for the sign marking the start of the Central Ridge Trail. This undulating walkway will lead you over and around Chingshuiyen’s valleys and peaks. The route’s many trees, a result of a 1950’s reforestation project, keep the area green and full of life. Pavilions again line the route, and they help give the place a communal and friendly atmosphere.


A steep staircase at the end of the trail leads up to large, tea and pineapple plantations. The heavily cultivated plateau is wide and flat, and serves as a wonderful contrast to the wooded hills you will have just left behind.

From here it is possible to join up with Chingshuiyen’s other major hiking trail, The Ancient Trail of 18 Turns. To do so, turn left at the top of the steps and follow the path to a small seating area. It would appear that a farmer has tried to block the path at this point, but it is still fairly easy to climb over the fence and continue on your way.

The Trail of 18 Turns dates back to the 17th century and, up until the modern era of cars and highways, served as the main trading link between Shetou社頭 Township in Changhua County, and Mingjian名間 Township in Nantou. Salt was the main commodity transported along the route, and it’s fascinating to think that pathways we use today for pleasure and recreation were being used 400 years ago by merchants and workmen hauling huge bags of salt from the coast.

The Big Buddha of Baguashan, Changhua

From the top of Baguashan八卦山, about 30 minutes south of Taichung台中, a huge statue of the Buddha watches over Changhua City彰化巿. The black statue, visible above the many downtown high rise buildings, is truly magnificent.



I first saw it about five years ago, soon after first arriving in Taiwan, and the sight gave me a real thrill. Part of the reason was that magnificence, but it was also because the statue seemed so symbolic, not just of Taiwan, but of the entire Far East. The Buddha is a uniquely Asian figure. More than that though, the juxtaposition of the sprawling, fast-paced city, together with a wholly spiritual image, is very characteristic of the region. In recent years Asian countries have experienced rapid economic growth, and yet they maintain their religious traditions. What better example of this phenomenon than Changhua City’s skyline? Finally, the statue has a grandeur mixed with an unmistakable sense of serenity that cannot fail to impress you.

The exact dimensions of the Buddha are hard to pin down; depending on which guidebook you read it’s either 23 or 30 meters high. Either way, that’s very big, so big in fact that you can actually walk around inside the monument. The interior is separated into various different floors, each one containing a series of life-size statues that tell the story of the Buddha.

The giant statue is seated on top of a huge lotus flower. Interestingly enough, the year after the site was completed Taiwan had the largest levels of rainfall it had known in many years. Locals said that the gods were sending the all the rain to provide enough water for the huge flower.


The Buddha is situated towards the front of a grassy courtyard. In front, steps lead down to two large guardian lions, and in front of them is a semi-circular walkway and vantage point. This is a great place to stand, on one side you have the great statue, and on the other you have an excellent panorama of Changhua City. At he back of the courtyard is a large and rather ornate temple.



After enjoying all this, it’ll be time to take a look at the surrounding area. Baguashan, or Mount Bagua is a actually a series of hills that run almost 30km from Changhua in the north, to Ershueiニ水 in the south. To the rear of the statue is a sort of road-side park. There’s a great variety of people here, from athletically minded seniors getting a bit of exercise, to hand-in-hand romantic couples out for a stroll, to young families just enjoying the day. The atmosphere is warm and relaxed, and it’s a great compliment to the much busier statue area.





The whole site makes for a great afternoon, and it’s one place I will make a point of going back to again and again.