Dulan Mountain Hiking Trail Introduction
From Provincial Highway 11 heading to Taitung Dulan, passing through Shui Wang Shang Liu, Xinlan, and North Junjie, take the rural industrial road between Junjie and North Junjie to connect to the Dulan Mountain Trail. Dulan Mountain is regarded as a sacred mountain by the local Amis and Puyuma people, symbolizing holiness and serving as a place of worship. Although Dulan Mountain has an elevation of only 1,190 meters, its shape is towering and steep, and due to the humidity from the Pacific Ocean to the east, it creates a mysterious atmosphere of clouds and mist year-round, likened to a beauty being surrounded and protected, hence also called "Beauty Mountain." At the base of Dulan Mountain is the Dulan Forest Station; from the summit, one can overlook the Taiyuan Basin, the southern Taitung Valley, and the Taitung Plain; to the east, the Pacific Ocean, Green Island, and Orchid Island are clearly visible, making it a great spot for hiking and enjoying the view. The forest ecology of Dulan Mountain is rich, with many tall and straight pencil trees, smooth-barked nine-layer trees, vining plants, golden orchids, and bamboo orchids, among others. Many plants commonly used by local indigenous people can also be seen, such as the false sour plum used by the Amis for wrapping sticky rice. As the trail continues to ascend, the forest ecology of Dulan Mountain changes with the elevation. Due to the humid environment, there are many vines entwined in the Dulan Mountain forests, reminiscent of scenes from the movie "Tarzan." Before reaching the summit, hikers will pass a "Puyuma" altar, which demarcates the territorial boundary between the Amis and Puyuma. The Amis reside on the coastal side, while the Puyuma dwell on the mountainous side, with mutual non-infringement. To this day, tribe members visit this stone tablet to perform worship, seeking blessings from or expressing gratitude to their ancestors. Due to the influence of prevailing clouds and mist, it tends to rain in the afternoon at Dulan Mountain, making the trails slippery; visitors planning to hike should remember to prepare rain gear and walking sticks.
