Yangmingshan National Park ???????

Fastest way to get there by bus :

i) - From Shihlin metro station, walk to the main road near a coffee shop
- Take ?5?? Red 5 (may be quite crowded) (about 40min)

Bus Red 5: fr Jiantan MRT Station, 6am-12.15am, 7min (13min off peak); Several mini buses too, leave Zhongzheng Rd (in front of exit 1 at Shiling MRT stnt)

Better alternative :
-Walk a distance further on the right.
-Take Taipei CITY BUS ?? 260 (less crowded so easier to get a seat for a more comfortable ride)

Bus 260 – 5.10am-10.30pm, depart from from Tapei Train Stnt 7-10min (15-20min off peak)
leaves fr Zhengzhou Road (road directly behind Taipei Main Railway Stnt) every 10 min, travel along Zhongshan North Rd, turn right onto Zhongzheng Road in Shilin.

NOTE: Do buy food in case you get hungry. While there are food centre at various stops in the mountain, the choices of food are few. Buns were sold out by the time I reached Lengshuikeng at around 1pm. Only biscuits and titbist were available. You can order a hot beverage to warm yourself in the cold thgh.

ii) Alight at terminal stop ?? to buy one-day pass for park shuttle bus (NT$60)

Alternative: For those who wants to go to Yangmingshan Visitor Centre, alight at 2nd last stop

NOTE: One-day pass for Park Bus 108 (NT$60) only for sale at the terminal stop ??, else pay NT$15 per ride

NOTE : For those keen in Beitou hotsprings, you should take the bus from New Beitou metro station instead.

iii) Take Park Bus 108 to desired places of interest

NOTE : Once you alight, check watch for time. Bus will come once every 30minutes.

Some of the places of Interest visited by me :

1) SIAOYUKENG (???)

Add : 69, Zhuzizhu Rd, Beitou District, Taipei (02) 2861-7024, hot springs & awesome crumbled terrain

Above Datong Bridge along Yangmingshan-Jinshan Highway, best-known recreation area in Yangmingshan National Park, 800m, volcanic fissures spewing steam from bowels of earth, forming clusters of sulfur crystals; volcanically-created fumaroles, sulfur crystals, hot springs, and landslides, sulfur vents noisily spew forth gases, hot springs discharge endless streams of boiling water, bright yellow sulfur crystals, view of Mt. Cising
- geothermally active volcanic area (coils of sulfurous white steam rising from fissures in ground n sulfur deposits colouring rocks, must-see site at Yanmingshan; the most representative volcanic terrain in Yangmingshan, locally on saddle on northwest side of Mt Cising, a crater-like depression filled with post-volcanic action (steaming fumaroles, formations of crystallized sulfur, hot springs), Xiaoyukeng

Siaoyoukeng Visitor Centre - Closed Mon & holidays, FOOD - basement

2) Cintiangang (???)

Add: 246, Lane 101, Jingshan rd, Shilin District; (02) 2861-5404

- terrace formed by lava flowing to north fr Mt.Zhugao, now an undulating grassland surrounded by mt peaks higher than 800m; highland prairie at foothills of Cisingshan, sweeping mountain view, plenty of trails n picnic areas, fresh air, free-roaming cows; vast grassy plains sits on tableland formed of larva, well-developed trials, abt 2h to traverse, access to broad vistas of tableland n water buffalos, European feel, trials lead to Lengsheuikeng, Jyuansih Waterfall, Yulu (fish rd), Historic Trail, Shihtiling, Mt Huangzuei Ecolological Preserve, best time – autumn (see seas of flowering miscanthus grass fill mountainsides)

Cingtiangang Visitor Center 9am-4.30pm

3) Lengshuikeng (Cold Water Pit) (???)

i) Lengshuikeng - Foot-soaking pool (outside public bath house)

- FREE; 24h, 2 hot springs pools, Lengshuikeng Public Baths - 24 hr, abt 40°C ; near Milky lake, Gender separated, no clothings allowed inside the hot spring

ii) Lengshuiku - observation platform

- northeast side; view milky (Niunai) lake; explosion vent of Lengshuikeng; hotspring; sulfurous fumes vented in bed of marshy lake turn water murky, abt 40°C), for better view of milky lake walk down trail from Seven-Star Park to Lengshuikeng

Lengshuikeng visitor centre - 9am-4.30pm; FOOD – basement

My abandoned trail walk due to time constraint : JINBAOLI TRAIL (????) (near Cingtiangang)
- Former fish delivery path fr sea. Start -Jinshan, Passes Payen, Qingtienkang, Zhishanyen,Shilin, Dalongdong, & Dadaocheng (local fish markets), old cultural sites & splendid natural scenery
? walk up to trailhead at top of smooth, prairie-like mountain grasslands ? Beyond the gates (Cheng Men) lies a gorgeous descent through 2m high Japanese silver grass (Silver Grass Season -Nov) into steep forested mountains & roaming wild water buffalo (early weekdays best time to see them)
9) DAYUKENG (more dramatic & shocking than Hisaoyukeng, abandoned sulphur mine spewing out hissing clouds of smoke from fluorescent green fumaroles; striking contrast of moon crater-like area against verdant green hills
10) Walk down steps at main entrance, go down 10min to stream (SHANGHUANGSI)
11) Walk along to some stones, c

Here is what I sent to my partner for the Mini Whimsey Captured Fairy Jar on swap-bot. The jar was 4oz, and it was harder than I thought it was going to be to work in a jar that small. This is my first ever fairy jar.

The inside has glitter and grass and flowers. I painted a little wooden knob like a mushroom, and hung a dragonfly from the top. I like how she turned out. I decided with all the light green that she was a spring fairy.

I also sent some fairy stickers and stamps, along with a corny poem about spring fairies that I found online. ; )