A pristine landscape of rock and water at Beishi Stream Old Trail

On the way, the stream tumbles over several low, natural outcrops of rock which dam the water above into a series of deep, still and very lovely 'pools' (a bewitching feature of several streams in the Pinglin area). Especially after heavy rain, these pools are easily deep enough for swimming in, and make a tempting destination on a hot summer day, although be discreet, as the Beishi Stream is one of the main suppliers of Feitsui Reservoir, which supplies much of Taipei County with its drinking water.

About ninety minutes after leaving the road, the trail veers away from the river, climbing high above it, and joins a narrow road. Walking along a road might seem rather an anticlimax after the gentle beauty of the trail beside the river, but it's worth tramping the tarmac for twenty minutes to take a look at Hoping Bridge (和平喬), an attractive and historic structure which spans a fast-moving stretch of the Beishi Stream close to the large Shoushan Temple.

Even better, another twenty minutes' walk along the road, a footpath leaving the road follows the stream a little further to the beautiful Tiger Panther Pool (虎豹潭), a large and idyllic expanse of pure, emerald water cradled by the wooded hills.

From here it's a three-hour hike back to the trailhead at Sanshui Tan and the waiting car, while trails continue upstream from Tiger Panther Pool and run all the way to Dasi, on the coast in neighboring Ilan County, for those who like really long walks.

HOW TO GET THERE:

Leave Pinglin village by local route 42, signposted to Shuangsi (雙溪). Half an hour or so out of Pinglin, turn right at a fork just before the settlement of Kuolai (闊瀨), and follow the signs along the road (now a narrow lane) to Heilongtan ('black dragon pond') Camping Ground (黑龍潭露營地), beside a wide, deep pool in the river.

Keep right at the campsite, along a rough, partly paved road, following the river bank for another kilometer, cross the river, and leave the car at the trailhead, beside a colorful shrine (there's room for four or five cars to park here).

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