Emperor Temple Hiking Trail Introduction
The Emperor Hall Trail is located in the Shiding District of New Taipei City. It is part of the Xueshan Mountain Range extending northward, and it is most famous for the rocky ridge trail between the East Peak and the West Peak. The name comes from the Tianwang Temple located below the ridge, with "Emperor Hall" being an alternate name for the temple. The term "Emperor Hall Mountain" generally refers to the entire narrow rocky ridge from the East Peak to the West Peak. The crest of the ridge is so narrow that it only allows one person to pass at a time, with nearly vertical cliffs on one side and a slope parallel to the ground plane on the other side. Most hikers tend to slow down while walking, and some even crawl, leading to the description "ants crossing the threshold" among hikers. Certain steeper sections have chains, ropes, and railing for safety; still, it remains thrilling and is a very popular hiking route. Due to the geology of the area being in a youthful stage, there are many unique landscapes such as cliffs and deep ravines. Among them, the Yongding Stone Bajiann (rock peak) juts toward Shiding, with a straight-line distance of 4 kilometers, making it a rare rock climbing site. The East Peak has an elevation of 593 meters, the West Peak is 560 meters, and the Tianwang Peak (Middle Peak) is 562 meters. The Tianwang Peak is perfectly located in the middle of this ridge, with a yellow flag bearing the words "Tianwang Temple" planted at its summit. Although the heights in this area are not very tall, the northern view is excellent. On clear days, you can see Sifenziwei Mountain to the north and even catch a glimpse of Qixing Mountain and Huangsui Mountain to the northwest.
