Jinshui Camp Ancient Trail (Fangliao Section) Introduction
The Jinchuiying Old Trail begins in Shuidiliao, Fangliao Township, Pingtung County, and crosses the Central Mountain Range, ending in Dawu, Taitung County. The trail is 47 kilometers long, with the highest elevation reaching 1,300 meters. Along the route, there are three major protected areas: the Jinchuiying Broadleaf Forest Preserve, the Dawu Taiwan Sweetgum Natural Reserve, and the Dawu Taiwan Cypress Nature Reserve, which possess significant botanical geography and research value, making it ideal for ecological and in-depth travel. During the Qing Dynasty, the Plains Indigenous Peoples of western Taiwan used this route to collectively migrate to the eastern mountainous region around Beinan (Taitung). By the 8th year of the Guangxu reign (1882), it was reconstructed as a road for opening mountains and pacifying indigenous peoples, named "Santiaolun Road." During the Japanese Colonial Period, it was modified by the Japanese to serve as a security road connecting Fangliao, Pingtung in the west with Dawu in the east, and was renamed "Jinchuiying Summit Trail." Cultural heritage sites existing along the Jinchuiying Old Trail include "Guailun Old Settlement," "Chushuibao Site," "Jinchuiying Qing Dynasty Barracks Site," and "Jinchuiying Japanese Police Station," all of which are valuable historical monuments. Notably, Hu Shi's father, Hu Tiehua, utilized this old trail in the 18th year of Guangxu while serving as the Taitung Prefect, as he traveled to Taitung for official duties. For centuries, the Jinchuiying Old Trail has experienced use by the Dutch, Japanese, and the Republic of China, becoming the most accessible crossing for the Dutch, the Beinan people, the Paiwan people, the Plains Indigenous peoples, Han Chinese, and Japanese. It significantly aided activities such as inspections, missionary work, trade, immigration, mail delivery, hiking, and academic research, making it the longest-used, most representative, and most frequently used trail in Taiwan's history.
