Antong Mountain Trail West Section Introduction
The Antong Cross-Mountain Trail is located in Yuli Township, Hualien County, on the west side of the southern section of the Central Mountain Range. It is part of the western section of the Antong Cross-Mountain Trail and is the first road that crosses the Central Mountain Range, connecting the eastern coastline with the Huatung Valley. During the Qing Dynasty, due to the "opening up mountains and pacifying the local tribes" policy, General Wu Guangliang led his troops across the Central Mountain Range, opening the route from Pushi Pavilion (Yuli) to Chengguangao (Chenggong), which formed the Cross-Mountain Trail. From the Qing Dynasty to the Japanese occupation period, it served as an important route for intermarriage, missionary work, and transporting goods. After the 1970s, due to the construction of highways, it gradually became a desolate abandoned path. However, given its abundant natural resources and significant cultural and historical value, the Forest Service completed its renovation in 2008. The ancient trail has long been hidden in the mountains and forests, possessing a pristine ecological environment, with misty mountain mists creating a scene akin to a paradise. Today, to explore the ancient path, one can walk from the entrance of Antong Hot Springs in Yuli, passing through the Antong Cross-Mountain Trail to the Cross-Mountain Trail of the Central Mountain Range, which takes about three hours for a round trip and is a somewhat challenging trail.
