Jinshuiying Ancient Trail (Fangliao Section) Introduction
The Jhinshuei Camp Trail starts in Fangliao Township, Pingtung County, passes through the ridge of the Central Mountain Range, and ends in Dawu, Taitung County. The trail is 47 kilometers long, with the highest elevation at 1,300 meters. Along the route, there are three major protected areas: the Jhinshuei Camp Broadleaf Forest Protected Area, the Dawu Taiwan Red Pine Natural Reserve, and the Dawu Taiwan Cypress Natural Protection Area, which hold significant value for plant geography and research, making it ideal for ecological and in-depth tours. During the Qing Dynasty, the plains indigenous peoples of western Taiwan once used this route for collective migration to the Beinan area (Taitung) in the eastern mountains. By the eighth year of the Guangxu era (1882), it was reopened and modified as a road for opening up mountains and pacifying the indigenous peoples, named "Santiolun Road." During the Japanese colonial period, it was transformed into a security road connecting Fangliao in western Pingtung with Dawu in eastern Taiwan and was renamed the "Jhinshuei Camp Ridgeway." Cultural heritage sites that remain along the Jhinshuei Camp Trail include "Guailun Old Settlement," "Chushui Slope Site," "Jhinshuei Camp Qing Dynasty Military Post Site," and "Jhinshuei Camp Japanese Police Station," all of which are precious historical sites. Notably, Hu Shi's father, Hu Tiehua, served as the Taitung magistrate during the 18th year of the Guangxu era and used this ancient trail to travel to Taitung for official duties. Over the centuries, the Jhinshuei Camp Trail has experienced the Dutch, Japanese, and Republic of China eras, becoming the most convenient route across the mountains for the Dutch, Beinan people, Paiwan people, plains indigenous peoples, Han Chinese, and Japanese. It greatly facilitated activities such as patrols, missionary work, trade, immigration, postal delivery, hiking, and academic research, making it the oldest, most representative, and most frequently used footpath in Taiwan's history.
