Wai Niaozui Mountain

If you spread out a map of Hsinchu County, it's not hard to discover three Niaozui Mountains within its borders. To distinguish them, hikers refer to the Niaozui Mountain in Guansi Township as "Wai Niaozui Mountain" (Outer Niaozui Mountain), the one in Jianshi Township as "Nei Niaozui Mountain" (Inner Niaozui Mountain), and the Niaozui Mountain in Wufeng Township retains its original name. Compared to its namesakes, Wai Niaozui Mountain, located in Guansi Township, is relatively lower, with an elevation of only 1,350 meters. Its ridgeline has gentle undulations, and the paths are relatively gradual, making it more accessible and a mountain secret suitable for all ages. Wai Niaozui Mountain has multiple trailheads. You can start from the Shuitian Forest Road, but this route is longer, adding an extra hour to the hike. If you enter by purchasing a ticket from "Mawudu Explorer Forest", the hike can be completed in approximately just over 4 hours, not only saving time but also offering more beautiful scenery along the way. Starting from Mawudu, upon reaching the ridgeline fork, turning right leads to Mawudu Mountain and Shuitian Forest Road, while turning left leads to Wai Niaozui Mountain and Najie Mountain. Along the way, you'll pass Rainbow Bridge Waterfall and Mawudu Waterfall. The gentle, delicate cascades of these two waterfalls bring a refreshing and cooling sensation to summer hikes. From the small path next to Mawudu Waterfall, the trail transitions from a park trail to a traditional mountain path. Upon reaching the cliffside ridgeline, there's an open platform offering panoramic views of Guansi's mountainous beauty. At the summit of Wai Niaozui Mountain, you'll find a large rock face, with no triangulation station or flat area, yet it boasts excellent 360-degree panoramic views. Not only can you take in the full scenery of Shimen Reservoir and the beautiful peaks of the Mawu mountain range, but on clear days, even Taipei 101 can be seen.