Nangang Mountain Range_Gengliao Historic Trail

The Gengliao Historic Trail is the most well-preserved and still-in-use among the five ancient paths that historically connected Nangang to Shenkeng and Shiding. This ancient path is not only an essential shortcut to ShanZhuku and Tukuye but also a century-old route for exploring ancient house ruins. Currently, granite steps have been laid along the path. However, the narrow conditions at the beginning and end still reveal its old, rugged, primitive charm. Some unpaved gravel sections, dotted with small vinca flowers, make the path appear even more rustic and its ancient essence undiminished. **Laoliao Historic Trail:** The latter part of Gengliao Historic Trail connects to Laoliao Historic Trail, an area that was once a tea mountain dotted with tea houses. Because the ancient path was once an area for transporting and producing camphor, its old name was "Naoliao Historic Trail" (meaning "Brain Dormitory Historic Trail"). About 110 years ago, Naoliao Historic Trail became the busiest and most frequented road for tea merchants and villagers, after which its name was changed to Laoliao (栳寮), a homophonic alteration, and has been used ever since. The Gengliao Historic Trail was renamed during the Qing Dynasty because it was used by night watchmen for patrols. This once-prosperous ancestral path has now shed its former glory, becoming a hiking trail for those seeking tranquility and greenery. **Chunxuan Farm:** Chunxuan Farm, originally named Nangang No. 1 Citizen's Farm, has been transformed into a comprehensive garden with educational and recreational functions. The farm cultivates over a thousand toon trees, daylilies, and osmanthus trees. It also features a treehouse and observation deck for visitors to relax and enjoy the scenery. **Wanggaoliao Lookout:** Wanggaoliao is located at the highest point of Tukuye, offering panoramic views of Greater Taipei. It uniquely served as a military fortress and defensive base. Legend has it that a lookout post was established here during the Qing Dynasty, guarded by armed night watchmen. The currently constructed high platform offers even better and wider views, truly living up to its name "Wanggaoliao" (High-View Lookout). **Pan Family Ancestral Home:** Along the Gengliao Trail, one can occasionally spot the bustling traffic of National Freeway No. 5. Additionally, on the mountainside, there are several century-old ancestral houses, such as the 160-year-old "Pan Family Ancestral Home." This serves as a testament to the pioneering efforts of early settlers. The exterior of the old house still bears traces of gun holes from its days of defensive garrisons. Eight generations of Pan family descendants have lived in this ancestral house, also making it a witness to this history. **Seeking Ancient Charm in the Mountains:** Of the five ancient paths connecting Nangang to Shenkeng and Shiding, only the Gengliao Historic Trail remains the most complete and is still in use. It is not only an essential shortcut to ShanZhuku or for ascending Tukuye but also harbors many "ancient treasures." Even though granite steps have been laid along the ancient path, the starting narrow stone steps, wide enough for only one person, retain a strong sense of old-world charm. Ascending to the mountainside, behind a roadside pavilion, lies the 70-year-old stone house "Huangwang Former Residence," where an old tea-making machine still remains. As the first uphill section approaches, overgrown weeds might make one think they've taken a wrong turn, but soon one steps onto the rustling gravel path. Small flowers like vinca bloom on both sides of the path. This short 300-meter journey is easy to walk and most memorable. **Gengliao Trailhead:** The next ancient house is currently the only century-old house in Nangang that still preserves gun holes and is inhabited: the "Pan Family Gun Hole House." Eight generations of Pan family descendants have lived in the Gun Hole House, making it at least 160 years old, truly "evergreen" like the ancient path. Along the way to Laoliao Historic Trail, the limestone mine cave is a remnant of past pioneering development. Although the ruins of Wei Jingshi's former residence reveal a certain desolation with their broken walls, they were the birthplace of the tea mountain's past prosperity. The rammed earth houses, Zheng family cemetery, and a "mini" Tudigong (Earth God) temple only 30 cm tall along the trail all attest to the ancient path's century-old history. **Rediscovering the Tea Village:** The development history of Tea Mountain can be traced back more than two hundred years to the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty, when it was an important production area for Taiwan's early camphor and tea exports. The "Wenshan-style Pouchong Tea" and "Nangang-style Pouchong Tea" manufacturing methods, developed separately by Wang Shuijin and Wei Jingshi, jointly created the golden age of Nangang tea. Its reputation spread widely, even reaching Southeast Asia, and to this day, old tea shops in Thailand still use the Nangang name to attract customers. 110 years ago, Laoliao Historic Trail was a bustling tea route used by tea merchants and villagers. Tracing back further, it was an ancient path for camphor collection and production, naturally named "Naoliao Historic Trail" (meaning "Brain Dormitory Historic Trail"). "Laoliao" was a later name chosen for its homophony. Gengliao Historic Trail got its name during the Qing Dynasty for being a patrol road for night watchmen. During the Japanese colonial period, it became a transportation route for tea vendors traveling between Shenkeng and Nangang. Today, it has shed its former glory and become a hiking trail for people seeking tranquility and greenery. **Gengliao Checkpoint Pavilion:** After walking along the narrow stone steps at the trail entrance for about five or six minutes, looking to the right, one can see the Beiyi Freeway (National Freeway No. 5) tunneling through the mountainside. This freeway passes beneath Tukuye, Shanzhukujian, and Gengliao Historic Trail, heading towards Shiding and Pinglin. Pausing here, it's quite interesting to observe today's traffic from what was once an ancient communication route. On a clear day, on the way to Shanzhuku, looking back from the stone steps, one can view the Grand Hotel, Songshan Airport, Dazhi, Neihu Incinerator, and Guanyin Mountain, taking in the entire scenery of the Taipei Basin. The closer one gets to the summit, the richer the landscape becomes, with intact mountain forests and plant ecosystems close at hand. Before reaching the summit, there's a whole patch of rare tree fern forests, resembling a tropical rainforest, and the murmuring sound of mountain streams washes away the fatigue from the continuous uphill climb.