Liatou Mountain Trail Introduction
Lidou Mountain is located at the junction of Hsinpu Township, Zhubei City, and Xianglin Township in Hsinchu County. It is named for its terrain resembling the plow head used by ancient farmers. The mountain extends from Neili Village in Hsinpu to the east and reaches the east side of the Zhubei Highway to the west, oriented in an east-west direction. It serves as the watershed between the two main rivers of Hsinchu County, the Touqian River and the Fengshan River. The elevation of the mountain is 156 meters; the southern slope is steep, while the northern side is relatively gentle. Historically, Lidou Mountain was filled with tea gardens tended by farmers, but today, although these areas have fallen into disrepair, many old tea trees can still be seen in the woods. The main trail and various access routes were originally winding pathways used by local residents for tea picking or farming. During the 1980s, with the decline of agriculture, the tea gardens gradually fell into neglect, and most of the tea picking paths became overgrown with weeds. The once-busy Yuetao Valley ancient trail, which was frequented by merchants and travelers crossing Lidou Mountain, is now seldom used, turning Lidou Mountain into a desolate area. Aside from a stretch of over a kilometer near the triangulation point in the western section, where some people come for hiking and leisure, the rest of the mountain is largely deserted.
