Zhiben Forest Road Introduction
The Zhihben Forest Trail was constructed during the Japanese Colonial Period, stretching from Sandimen in Pingtung to Dawu in Taitung, passing through the Dawu Mountain Nature Reserve and Shuanggui Lake, making it an important habitat for wildlife. After Taiwan's retrocession, it briefly became a path for climbing to Little Shuanggui Lake. Nowadays, the latter section of the trail is almost overrun by green vegetation, and few people take this route to reach Shuanggui Lake. The initial part of this trail winds along the bed of the Zhihben Creek on the hillside, offering views of the Zhihben Hot Springs area across the creek through the lush shadows of trees. Due to minimal human interference, the ecological resources along the trail are rich and diverse. The scenery along the way is elegantly varied; during the rainy season, one can enjoy spectacular waterfalls, while in the summer, it is a great location for birdwatching and butterfly observation. After about 3 kilometers along the trail, various colorful butterflies, insects, singing birds, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals such as the Formosan rock macaque and the red-bellied tree squirrel are quite easy to spot.
