Hutou Mountain Trail Introduction
Hutoushan is located northwest of Ruisui, extending as a prominent ridge of the Danda Mountain system to the east, with an elevation of 1,747 meters. At the summit, there is a large rock that resembles a tiger perched on the mountain top, hence the name. A service road leads to the site, which offers a broad view of the scenic valley between the Central Mountain Range and the Coastal Mountain Range. Hutoushan is situated at the southernmost part of the Coastal Mountain Range, surrounded by the Liji Formation, thus it is classified as an exotic rock block embedded within the Liji Mixed Formation, composed of augite diorite. In recent years, due to the near absence of hunters entering this area, the small trails in the mountains have entirely overgrown, significantly increasing the difficulty of reaching the summit. According to the older generation in Ruisui, during the Japanese colonial period, the Japanese were afraid that the mountain tiger of Hutoushan would cause trouble (due to the mountain's auspicious energy), leading them to chain the tiger's neck with a heavy iron chain to suppress its spiritual energy and prevent mischief. Subsequent verification by climbers has confirmed that there are currently two mountain peaks secured by chains: the larger Hutoushan (elevation 1,745 meters) and the smaller Hutoushan (Jiangbunanshan, elevation over 600 meters).
