Qiyan Mountain, Mount Qilian, Junjianyan, Taipei City Mall
Before leaving Taipei, I wanted to see the nature around the city. Not up for too much of a challenge, I made my way toward Qiyan Mountain. Somewhat alarmingly, the trail started with some stairs. As they weren’t steep, the climb was easy and manageable, and I quickly emerged at a paved asphalt road. I looked around me and then I looked on both Google Maps and Maps.Me in order to figure out where I am and where I need to go. It only took a few moments before I was climbing yet another staircase, which once again was pretty easy to climb.
After a few minutes the trail seemed to end and I found myself in what looked like a small rest area. I wasn’t sure where to go from there, so I looked at the navigation apps to try and figure it out. I couldn’t find any clear path from my exact location, and after looking around, I climbed over a small fence to another trail that was going up.
It didn’t take long before the stairs disappeared and the apps were not clear on how I should proceed. So I went along what I was hoping was the trail, and eventually I found myself in the west peak of Qiyan Mountain. It was low and there were trees all around it, so there wasn’t much of a view from the spot. However, a few steps up the road there was a gap in the trees and a view of the city was revealed in front of me.
It didn’t take long to get there, and the trail kept going, and so I was on my way to yet another mountain peak. As I walked along the dirt trail I could see slightly different views of the city from the gaps in the forest.
The road splitted at quite a few points, leading to various different trails. One could very easily just get lost in the woods without knowing where to go, which can be a fun adventure to experience. I wasn’t keen on trying that at the time, so I pulled out my smartphone pretty much every time there was a split in the road.
Up, down, and around, the trail changed direction quite a few times and I followed a long, wondering what I will see at the end. And then I encountered a traffic jam. For the first time on that trail, I was not alone. There were other people there, and I had no idea if it was one big group, or several smaller ones. In any case, I found them near a narrow section of the trail, so I had to wait until the passage was clear and I could pass it myself. As soon as the road opened up, the people ahead were nice enough to let me overtake them, and I resumed my hike at a more comfortable pace.
The trail was fairly easy for a few more minutes, and then I came across the only part that I would say posed any challenge. The dirt trail was pretty much over, and in order to keep going I had to climb up a rock at a very steep angle. As far as I could tell, the only way to do it safely was to hold on to the rope, which is exactly what I did.
At the top, the dirt trail went on for a few more minutes, and then, as far as I could understand, I was at the top of Mount Qilian. The natural view was a fun reward for a path which wasn’t too difficult, and I stayed there for a few minutes to look at the view.
At that point, the trail started to go down again, and later connected to a few different roads. Not really sure where to go next, although not keep on going backwards, I went down that trail. At the first split in the road I decided to turn left, and then left again, only to find myself at a dead end. The forest area was pretty much over and the urban roads started, but there was a big fence between them and no way for me to get past it.
So I made my way back and turned right where I previously turned left.
Both of the navigation apps seemed to be a mess at that point, and I could figure out where I am going. If that wasn’t enough, the road was splitting in several different points, but I wasn’t sure I’ll be able to retrace my steps, so I didn’t go into any of them.
At some point I decided I had enough. I had no idea where I’m going, or how long it would take, so I decided to call it a day and go back down. I thought I was getting closer to the end of the trial, and just then I saw a sign and a staircase, going both up and down. According to the sign, the end of the trail was indeed pretty close by. Or I could choose to go up the flight of stairs for about 20 minutes along the Junjianyan trail.
The trails seemed quite shallow and not difficult to climb, and was it was only 20 minutes, I went for it. I didn’t look at the clock to check how long it actually took me, but it didn’t feel difficult. There were barely any trees on the road, so there was no shade and the sun was burning bright. I didn’t really mind it, as I enjoy the hot weather, although I was sweating quite a bit as a result.
The trail itself was uneventful, and I didn’t stop until the stairs ended. The road kept going, built and leveled, although that was over very quickly as well. Beyond that, there was a big rock, which I assumed was one of the peaks along the trail. At the top of that rock, I could see a view of both nature and the city, combined together into a scenic view. I stayed there to rest for a while, feeling quite happy about making it all the way there, even though it didn’t take too much time or effort.
After coming down from the mountain, there was one more thing I wanted to do in Taipei. One of the reasons I wanted to visit Taiwan, and in fact, the very thing that put this place on my radar. A few years back, a video popped up on the recommended section on YouTube, and the title caught me by surprise. I felt confused throughout the entire video, and I was sure that if I ever visit Taiwan, that is one of the things I’ll have to try.
I hopped on the train and made my way to Taipei City Mall, and after walking around for a bit I found what I was looking for- Knife Massage. People getting hit with meat cleavers, and I could not fathom how it can possibly be enjoyable or beneficial. Watching it on YouTube, I simply did not understand it, and I hoped that experiencing it for myself would help me get a better sense of how, and why.
As instructed, I removed everything from my pockets and put it in the designated basket before I got on the bed, face down and hands dangling from the sides. Not really sure what’s going to happen next, I layed there with anticipation, excitement, and a hint of worry. I knew the meat cleavers would not actually cut me, but still, they were meat cleavers.
The masseuse started not with the knives, but with his hands, massaging my hands, back, and legs. This was a brief and gentle start, which was over very quickly. After a moment of not knowing what’s going on, I heard the knives being rubbed against each other, and as the unmistakable sound of clashing metals sent a shiver down my spine, I asked myself what I just signed up for.
Being covered with a blanket, I was perfectly safe, and after the initial shock of “OMG I’M BEING CHOPPED WITH A MEAT CLEAVER!” has passed, I found myself quite amused by the situation.
The masseuse settled into his rhythm, hitting my back, legs, hands, and even the head, which was a bit more sensitive, although he didn’t seem to apply any less pressure. The constant thumping of the knives against my body made me vibrate a little, which was quite fun, while being hit in the ribs in a knife was not the most pleasant experience.
Eventually, the time was up and the massage was over. After one more short session with his hands, the masseuse told me to get up and handed me a cup of hot tea. I drank it quickly, thanked the man, and went on my way.
As I never had a massage before, I can’t really compare it to anything else from my own personal experience. I didn’t leave the place feeling particularly relaxed, although I’m not sure I was supposed to. I’m not sure I’ll repeat that experience if I’ll have the chance, but I certainly don’t regret giving it a go. I still feel a bit confused by it, but slightly less than I was before.