The Dongfong Bicycle Path (東豐自行車綠廊) is by far the longer of the two. It stretches 12 kilometers from the outskirts of Fongyuan City (豐原市) to Dongshih (東勢), a town of 54,000 people that was once a center of Taiwan’s logging industry.

Twelve kilometers may sound daunting if you seldom walk further than the nearest 7-Eleven. It may sound easy, if you drive 50 or 100 kilometers a day. It’s neither. In fact, it’s an excellent length for a recreational bicycle path: Enough to give riders a good workout, but not so long that occasional cyclists are frightened off.

The path follows the route of an old branch railway that used to carry people as well as timber. The trains stopped running in 1991, and nowadays only a few short sections of track remain. You’ll likely cycle past these rusting rails without noticing them, until you come to the temblor-twisted tracks where Shihgang Railway Station (石岡車站) used to stand.

These remains will almost certainly have you stopping for a few minutes and taking photos. They’re an impressive reminder of the power of the earthquake that struck at 1.47 a.m. on September 21, 1999, leveling tens of thousands of buildings and killing more than 2,400 people.

Damage was particularly acute in this part of Taichung County, and cyclists can make a short detour to one landmark that became famous in the days after the quake.

Shihgang Dam (石岡水霸), built in 1974, partly collapsed during the earthquake. TV footage of water pouring through the breach was shown on every channel. It has now been repaired, and visitors are allowed on to the top of the dam between 8 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. However, you can’t take your bicycle, and there really isn’t much to see unless you walk the whole way across to the earthquake memorial.

Near Shihgang Station there’s a tourist service center run by Taichung County Government (台中縣旅客服務中心). They stock free maps and leaflets and answer questions. The center can be contacted at (04) 2572-4511 or 2572 4533.

As you approach Dongshih, you’ll be going uphill. The terminus—the place where Dongshih’s train station once stood—is nearly 400 meters above sea level.

There’s lots of shade along the route, which is very important if it’s a sunny day. Do remember to bring snacks and water with you, because there are surprisingly few (pleasantly few, you might say) vendors along the way.

If you do need something, leave the bike path and find the main road that runs roughly parallel, but out of sight and out of earshot. If you’re heading toward Dongshih, turn right down any of the small lanes that cross the bike path and you’ll hit the road in less than a minute. If you’re returning to Fongyuan, go left. Do take care on this major road because there’s always a lot of traffic.

Dongshih is a Hakka town, and it’s said that because it’s isolated from Taiwan’s other Hakka regions, the Hakka dialect spoken here is quite distinctive.

Where Dongshih’s train station once stood there is now a Hakka Culture Park (客家文化園區) with exhibitions of Hakka arts and handicrafts. The park is not especially interesting, but people don’t cycle the length of this path just to look at farming tools and grass raincoats. Neither should you: Do it for exercise, for the scenery, and for the sense of achievement.

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