Lihou Mountain Trail Introduction
Litou Mountain is located at the boundary of Xinfeng Township, Zhubei City, and Xianglin Township in Hsinchu County. It is named for its shape resembling the plow head used by ancient farmers. The mountain extends approximately 1.4 kilometers from Neili Village in Xinfeng to the east side of the Zhubei Expressway, running in an east-west direction. It serves as the watershed for two major rivers in Hsinchu County: the Touwan River and the Fengshan River. The southern side of the mountain belongs to the Touwan River basin, while the northern side is part of the Fengshan River basin. With an elevation of 156 meters, the south slope is steep, while the north slope is gentler. In the past, Litou Mountain was primarily covered by tea gardens managed by local farmers. Although these gardens have now fallen into neglect, many old tea trees can still be seen among the forest. The main hiking trails and various access routes essentially trace the winding paths once used by nearby residents for tea picking and farming. In the 1980s, with the decline of agriculture, the tea gardens on the mountain gradually deteriorated. Most tea-picking paths became overgrown and hidden among the weeds, and even the historical Yuetao Wo ancient trail, which was once busy with travelers crossing Litou Mountain, has seen no foot traffic. As a result, Litou Mountain has transformed into a desolate area. Apart from the section near the triangulation point in the western part, which sees some visitors for recreational hiking, the rest of the mountain remains largely deserted.
