Jiaobanshan Sanxing Historic Trail

The slope in the distance was the route leading to Jiaobanshan Shrine during the Japanese occupation. The building on the left side of the slope is the Taoyuan City Fuxing District Library, and on the right is the Fuxing District History and Culture Museum. The Jiaobanshan Shrine was built in Jiaobanshanshe, an indigenous community in Daxi County, Hsinchu Prefecture. It was erected on August 15 in the 13th year of the Showa era (1938), and the deity was dedicated to the God of Harvest and Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa. The original site is located near the intersection of Zhongzheng Road and Renai Road in Zerenli, Fuxing District, Taoyuan City. After the war, the shrine was demolished, and only the "poles" (the long column from the lower part of the stone lantern) of stone lanterns remain, which are now used as decoration beside the stairs. The names of the donors are still visible on the stand.

During the Japanese occupation period, the Jiaobanshan Shrine was built in Jiaobanshanshe, an indigenous community in Daxi County, Hsinchu Prefecture. It was erected on August 15, Showa 13 (1938), and the gods worshiped are the God of Harvest and Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa. The original site is located near the intersection of Zhongzheng Road and Renai Road, Zerenli, Fuxing District, Taoyuan City, near the Fuxing District Library and History and Culture Center. The building structure of the shrine has been demolished after the war, and the only visible remains are the worship path that became the alleyway and four stone lantern poles.

In August of Meiji 42 (1909), Jiaobanshan A-grade Indigenous Children's Education Center was established, which was the predecessor of today’s Jieshou Elementary School. In September 1946, the original national language (Japanese) workshop was merged to establish the Jiaoban National School in Jiaoban Township, Hsinchu County. In October 1949, it was renamed Jiaoban National School, Jiaoban Township, Taoyuan County. In 1954, Jiaoban Township was renamed Fuxing Township, and the school name was also changed to Taoyuan County Fuxing Township Jieshou National School. In 1957, it cooperated with the implementation of nine-year compulsory national education and was renamed Jieshou National Elementary School. Jieshou Elementary School is in a remote area. The design of the campus is based on Atayal culture. Due to the special environment, special attention is paid to the integration of multi-ethnic groups and the implementation of multi-cultural views.

Located next to the Jiaobanshan Residence, the Jiaobanshan Camphor Storehouse was built in Showa 14 (1939). In the period of Japanese rule in the late Qing Dynasty, Taiwan's camphor production accounted for 70% of the world's total production, so it was called the "Camphor Kingdom", and Jiaobanshan was the distribution center for camphor cutting in northern Taiwan. It was to  facilitate smooth transport of the camphor to Daxangkan (now Daxi), then transport it to Taipei by Dahan River, and export it to the rest of the world. In Meiji 34 (1901), the Taiwan Governor's Office Monopoly Bureau was established to include camphor-related affairs. In the 8th year of Taisho (1919), in order to strengthen control and reduce costs, the "Taiwan Camphor Manufacturing Co. Ltd." was established with a government-run and private production method. In the 9th year of the Showa era (1934), the Taiwan Governor's Office disbanded the manufacturing company and changed the manufacture of raw materials and finished products under the control of the Special Sales Bureau. After the Nationalist government moved to Taiwan in 1945, the monopoly system of camphor production was still maintained until 1967.

Xiayunei (Rahu’), also known as Xiao Wulai, is located in Yisheng village, Fuxing District, Taoyuan City. In the early days, it was called rahu-ulay, which means the lower half in the Atayal language. It was named after the pomelo tree at that time. There was a hot spring in the ulay stream, which was later destroyed. The upper half used to be called gramay, but today it is called ulay. In the early days of the Restoration, the place names in the Fuxing District were all translated in Hokkien. In order to identify Taipei Wulai, it was called Xiaowulai, or it was translated as Yunei, because it was located relatively downstream, so it was called Xiayunei. The Atayal language ulay means waterfall, and some people misunderstand it as hot spring. There is Yisheng Elementary School founded in 1950 in the settlement. During the Japanese occupation period, the Japanese came to manage it, and the settlements in the lower half were residents who originally lived in the upper half.

Yihsing (Gihin) is located in Yisheng village, Fuxing District, Taoyuan City, about three kilometers south of Xiaowulai, on the platform or slope on the right bank of the middle reaches of Dahan River, about 400 meters above sea level. It sits opposite Gaopo across the Dahan River, and can be reached by crossing the suspension bridge from Beiheng Highway. Also known as Gihin, which means sunshine in the Atayal language. It is said that in the past, people from the Xuewunao (Sbunaw) community came and saw the sunshine, they believed that their descendants would prosper if they lived here. So, they moved to settle here and named the place Gihin. It is also said that Gihin means hillside land, grass, and leech, but none of them can be tested. Today, there are Yihsing No. 1 and Yihsing No. 2, so there are many rice fields, and bamboo and mushrooms are produced on the hillside. After the completion of the Yihsing sand-blocking dam on the Dahan River, the Yihsing Power Plant was constructed using hydraulic power.

Qehuy is located in Gaoyi village, Fuxing District, Taoyuan City. It is located on the southern slope of Yanshan Ridge in the east of KuihuiMountain, with a height of more than 1,000 meters. Overlooking to the south is Ronhua Creek Valley, and is 3 kilometers eastward of the Northern Cross-island Highway. It is small hamlet with only a dozen households. Qehuy means animal horn in the Atayal language,  and is also called Bnay, meaning orange, and is still the name of the old hamlet. Today, most of the residents have moved north to Kuihui Lame in Fuxing District, and only a few households remain. The people called it Lele. After the completion of the Northern Cross-island Highway, some people moved to Dawan and Kayilan along the highway because Qehuy is located in the deep mountains and the traffic was inconvenient. Currently, there are ten or so households still living there.

Piyaway is located in Gaoyi village, Fuxing District, Taoyuan City, southeast of Kayilan, at the foot of Baoliku Mountain, at an altitude of more than 500 meters. The residents were from Wudaonengan that migrated here in the 7th year of Qianlong (1742) . The original meaning of Piyaway is a kind of bean, and the place was named after this bean because the land is rich in this bean. Another saying is that it was originally named after a leader, because during the Japanese occupation, the leader resisted the brutality of the Japanese police and was killed. The people of the community were punished for their martyrdom, and called the place Piyaway. However, as a fact the name of this community already existed in the Qing Dynasty, and was called Pi Ye Wai, Bai Awai or Bai Yawei.

After the completion of the Northern Cross-island Highway, the people from the local plains gradually moved in. Pastor Song Zhengxi of the Presbyterian Church believes that the name "Piyaway" is indecent, and applied to the government to have the name changed to Li’an in 1976. So, it is also called Li'an.

The Baling Bridge, which spans across the Dahan River, was completed in 2005 and is an important landmark in the Baling area. In the 3rd year of Taisho (1914), the Japanese built the Baling Suspension Bridge here. When the Northern Cross-island Highway was built in the 1960s, the suspension bridge was demolished and rebuilt into the Baling Bridge. Since the Cross-island Highway leads to Jiaobanshan, Lalashan, Qilan, Mingchi and other important tourist and recreational areas, the traffic volume surges every holiday. The original Baling Bridge width is only 4.6 meters, the width of the road is insufficient, and it is easy to cause traffic jams. The new Baling Bridge was built to solve the problem of traffic congestion. After the new Baling Bridge was opened in 2005, the old Baling Bridge was changed to a pedestrian-only landscape bridge.

Baling Bridge is located 47 kilometers away from the Northern Corss-island Highway. The predecessor of the highway was Jiaobanshan Sanxing Historic Trail during the Japanese occupation, and in October of Taisho 3rd year (1914) the Japanese built the Balong Suspension Bridge. When the Northern Cross-island Highway was built in the 1960s, the suspension bridge was demolished and rebuilt into the Baling Bridge. Since the Cross-island Highway leads to Jiaobanshan, Lalashan, Qilan, Mingchi and other important tourist and recreational areas, the traffic volume surges every holiday. The original Baling Bridge width is only 4.6 meters, the width of the road is insufficient, and it is easy to cause traffic jams. The new Baling Bridge was built to solve the problem of traffic congestion and was opened to traffic on July 30, 2005. The old Baling Bridge was changed to a pedestrian-only scenic bridge. The tunnel No.1 and No.2 on both ends of the bridge were also transformed into an Atayal Cultural Exhibit Hall.

The Balong Suspension Bridge on the Jiaobanshan Sanxing Historic Trail from the Japanese occupation period is located 47 kilometer away from today's Northern Cross-island Highway, next to the Baling Scenic Bridge. The predecessor of the Northern Cross-island Highway was the Jiaobanshan Sanxing Historic Trail during the Japanese occupation. In October of Taisho 3rd year (1914) the Japanese built the Balong Suspension Bridge. When the Northern Cross-island Highway was built in the 1960s, the Bridge was demolished and rebuilt into the Baling Bridge. Although the suspension bridge no longer exists, the Taoyuan City Government has reproduced a small section of the suspension bridge at the southern end of the bridge, allowing tourists to see the full image of the bridge at that time.

This is a simulation diagram of the Balong Suspesion Bridge, which is located at the southern end of the bridge. It is accessible through the Baling Scenic Bridge that is located at 47 kilometers away from the Northern Cross-island Highway. The predecessor of the Cross-island Highway was the Jiaobanshan Sanxing Historic Trail during the Japanese occupation. In October of Taisho 3rd year (1914) the Japanese built the Balong Suspension Bridge. When the Northern Cross-island Highway was built in the 1960s, the Bridge was demolished and rebuilt into the Baling Bridge. Although the suspension bridge no longer exists, the Taoyuan City Government has reproduced a small section of the suspension bridge at the southern end of the bridge, and set up a simulation diagram there, allowing tourists to see the full image of the bridge at that time.

After entering the tunnel, on the right there is the Balong Tunnel, which was left fom the Japanese occupation period, that leads to the remains of the Balong Suspension Bridge. The Baling No. 2 Tunnel is connected to the Baling Bridge. In October 1914, the Japanese built the "Balong Suspension Bridge" here. In the 1960s, with the construction of the Northern Cross-island Highway, the suspension bridge was demolished and rebuilt into Balin Bridge. Later, due to the increasing traffic and that the road of Baling Bridge was not wide enough, which proned to traffic jams, a new Baling Bridge was built in 2005. The old Baling Bridge was turned into a pedestrian-only scenic bridge. The Baling No. 1 and No. 2 Tunnel that connect at both ends of the bridge are planned as Atayal Humanities Exhibition Hall, displaying Atayal paintings, traditional costumes and agricultural products.

In the Baling No. 2 tunnel at the southern end of the Baling Bridge, there is a section of the Balong Tunnel left from the Japanese occupation period, which leads to the remains of the Balong Suspension Bridge. The Balong Tunnel is about 3 meters high, 2 meters wide, and 30 meters long. Here is a view of the interior of the Balong Tunnel from the Baling No. 2 Tunnel. The light in the tunnel is dim, but the chisel marks can still be seen, and the ground is full of gravel. The railing in the distance is the tunnel exit, which is connected to the Balong Suspension Bridge from the Japanese occupation period. The Taoyuan City Government re-engraved a small section of the suspension bridge at the southern end of the Balong Suspension Bridge, allowing tourists to see how the bridge used to look like at the time. Due to the lack of light in the old tunnel and the danger of falling rocks, for safety reasons, both ends are surrounded by railings, and tourists can only peep inside the tunnel from both ends.

Ehen is located in Sanguang village, Fuxing District, Taoyuan City. Also known as Yiheng, Yeshen, Ehong, etc. In Atayal, Ehen means the sun can only be seen at noon. It is named because it is located in a branch valley of the Malikuowan River, with the Yufeng Mountain Range (also known as Malikuowan Mountains) behind itwith dense forest and lots of rain and fog. There is another saying, which refers to the meaning of Yeheng's platform by the river. Most of the residents moved from Wudaonengan to the area of Sule. The village is located on a semi-circular river step on the left bank of the lower reaches of Malikuowan River, a tributary of Dahan River. The altitude is between 640 and 740 meters. Residents use mountain spring water to irrigate, creating the most tidy terraced landscape in the Fuxing District. Therefore, Yeheng was once known as the "back valley warehouse".

Xuewunao (Sbunaw) is located in the northeast of Gaoyi village, Fuxing District, Taoyuan City, on the south bank of the confluence of Dahan River and Xuewunao River, between 500 and 600 meters above sea level, facing Ronghua. The steep and bronze-colored mountain wall is the famous Ronghua Cliff. The transliterations include Zuo Xibuluo, Sewuhao, Xibuqiao, Shi Fulao, etc. In Atayal language, the name has the meaning of a tree that has fruits, bunaw means tree fruit, and Si means to have. Therefore, there was a fruit that monkeys liked in the past, and it was named after it. Another saying is that Sbunaw refers to groundnuts. The residents originally lived in Wudaonengan who moved here in the 7th year of Qianlong (1742). At the end of the Japanese occupation, about twenty households were led by Umin-Pitai and moved to Shangwulai. After the liberation, there were eight households who moved from Haga Bay under the leadership of Tali-Hayan.

Jiaobanshan (Mount Jiaoban) is located in the Fuxing District of Taoyuan City. With an altitude of 480 to 600 meters, it sits on the south-facing slope on the right bank of the Dahan River. From the southern side, Jiaobanshan faces the Raho Hamlet across the Dahan River. The traditional Atayal name for Jiaobanshan is Ketesiya. Due to the lack of flat land, it is also known as Mount Bija, which means barren land. In the past, the Atayal hamlet in the Jiaobanshan area had 4 hunting grounds, mainly on the slopes north from the present public office in the Fuxing District.

Today, Jiaobanshan is the administrative, education and economic center in the Fuxing District. The people living here are mostly Han, and there are many historic heritage buildings from the Japanese occupation period such as shrines, camphor storage houses, dormitories, and Sakuma Monument.

The Fuxing Youth Activity Center in Fuxing District, Taoyuan City is located in Jiaobanshan Park. It was originally built during the Japanese occupation as Jiaobanshan Guesthouse and Guards’ Residence (Xunfenge). The main purpose was to entertain Japan's Prince Hirohito (Emperor Showa) who visited Taiwan in 1923. At that time, the then Governor of Taiwan, Sakuma Samata chose high-grade cypress trees to build an expensive guesthouse on the south side of the current Jiaobanshan Park. There was also a guard residence, called Xunfenge, built next to the guest house. However, Prince Hirohito did not stay over; instead, the guest house was used to entertain VIPs. In 1992, the guest house was burnt down by a fire, and in the following year, the original site was rebuilt as the current Fuxing Youth Activity Center. The Xunfenge, however, still maintains the original Japanese style.

The Governor Sakuma Memorial Memorial in the Fuxing District of Taoyuan City is located in Jiaobanshan Park. The current Fuxing Pavilion is where the original monument used to stand. Sakuma Samata, who served as the Governor of Taiwan for 9 years, used strong military means to attack the indigenous peoples. Jiaobanshan was the place where the Lifan project (regulating Indigenes) began during the Japanese occupation. Therefore, a stone monument was erected there to celebrate his achievements. The Monument was completed in 1930, and is made of granite, with a circular base, a spiral staircase and a low stone wall. In the post-war period, the Nationalist Government demolished the monument and rebuilt it into the current Fuxing Pavilion. Nowadays, there are still parts of the monument lying beside the Fuxing Pavilion.

Xikoutai is located on the river terrace at the Dahan River mouth, opposite Jiaobanshan in Fuxing District, Taoyuan City. It is 400 to 500 meters above sea level and is divided into two terraces. The traditional Atayal name for the place is Rahaw or Takan, which means extended stairs. According to legend, there are two origins of how the name Xikoutai came from. The first one is literally the terrace at the mouth of Dahan River (Xikou means river mouth, Tai means terrace). The other saying is that when Chiang Kai-shek visited this place, he looked at Xikoutai from Jiaobanshan and marveled at the river mouth that looked like Xikou Town, his hometown in Fenghua County.

During the Japanese occupation, Taiwan’s Government-General once set up a fort on the opposite side of Xikoutai. Later, the Atayal tribe was collectively moved to the hamlet here. The Xikoutai paddy field that we see today was cultivated then.

The Xiayunping Hamlet is located on the river terrace on the north bank of the Dahan River in the Fuxing District of Taoyuan City, with an elevation of 280 meters above sea level. The traditional Atayal name for the place is Habun, which means to shoot, because the water flows fast like an arrow into Dahan River. There is another saying that Habun means the confluence of rivers as the hamlet was surrounded by streams on three sides and a mountain on the other. The location seemed dangerous but in favor of defense. Thus, in the early days of the Japanese occupation, Atayal people chose to defend against the Japanese here. Later, the Government-General in Taiwan used the Xiayunping Terrace as the location for the group’s relocation policy, and the Atayal tribe began growing rice here. After the Wushe incident in 1931, the Kayouhabunshe was forced to move to this place, also known as the Habunshe.

The Kaopo Hamlet is located opposite the Yixing Hamlet, on the northern bank of the hillside terrace where Kaopo River and Dahan River converge in the Fuxing District of Taoyuan City,  It is 450 meters above sea level, and the traditional Atayal name for the place is Kaubo, which means fishing gear. It was named after the tool used by the tribesmen to fish in the early years. Kaopo is also known as Kaopuo and Kewupu. In the middle of the Japanese occupation, the people from Lahao hamlet that originally lived in Jianshi Township, Hsinchu County, moved to settle here. Due to the irrigation of the Kaopo canal, it was possible to reclaim the land for growing rice.

Today, due to the declining residents, Kaopo Elementary School merged with Luofu Elementary School in 2013. The original school building is now the headquarters of the Indigenous Peoples Tribal University, a place for people to learn together.

The Balong Memorial stele is located on the north side of Baling Bridge, in the bushes outside the entrance of Baling No. 1 Tunnel in Fuxing District, Taoyuan City. When the Balong Railway Bridge was completed in 1914, the Civil Engineering Bureau of the Government-General in Taiwan built a commemorative column to commemorate the completion of the bridge. The Baling Railway Bridge is 90 meters long. After the Northern Cross-island Highway was built in the 1960s, the Baling Railway Bridge was demolished and rebuilt into Baling Bridge for car traffic. Later, due to increased traffic, and that the original Baling Bridge was not wide enough, a bigger Baling Bridge was built next to it. The big Baling Bridge was completed and opened to traffic in 2005.

The original Baling Bridge is now a scenic bridge for pedestrians only. The Baling No. 1 and No. 2 tunnels that are at both ends of the bridge are planned to be Atayal Humanities Exhibition Halls.

The Taman River Police Post is located on the mountain opposite the southern side of the Dahan Bridge parking lot in Fuxing District of Taoyuan City. When the construction of the Northern Cross-island Highway began in 1963, many railway bridges that were built during the Japanese occupation were demolished and reconstructed because most of the routes overlapped with the Jiaobanshan Sanxing Historic Trail. The Taman River Suspension Bridge, that was next to Taman River Police Post, was also rebuilt into the Dahan Bridge, which overlooks the narrow valley of Taman River and the Baling area.

Today, in the woods on the mountain opposite the parking lot, the remains of the stacked stones from Taman River Police Post can still be found. 

The Sileng Police Post is located opposite the Dahan Guard Station of the Veterans Forest Conservation Management Office in Fuxing District, Taoyuan City. It has been converted into a house, and the remains of the stone staircase slope can still be seen on the nearby road. The Jiaobanshan Sanxing Historic Trail, which traverses the Fuxing District of Taoyuan City and Sanxing Township of Yilan County, was built in 1911 and has a total length of about 125 kilometers. It was the earliest trail to be excavated for Lifan (regulating Indigenes) purposes during the Japanese occupation. A total of 14 police posts were set up along the way and Sileng Police Post was one of them.

Today, most sections of the Jiaobanshan Sanxing Historic Trail have been replaced by the Northern Cross-island Highway, and only the section from Mingchi to Yingshi Village remains, although it has not been used for many years.

Chiduan Police Post is located opposite the Mingchi Forest Recreation Area in Datong Township, Yilan County. It is about 200 meters away from the 110-Line Forest Road entrance. It has been converted into a house, but the remains of the ramps and stairs can still be seen. In fact, the Jiaobanshan Sanxing Historic Trail, which traverses the Fuxing District of Taoyuan City and Sanxing Township of Yilan County, was built in 1911 and has a total length of about 125 km. It was the earliest road excavated for Lifan (managing Indigene) during the Japanese occupation. A total of 14 police posts were set up along the way, and Chiduan Police Post was one of them.

Today, most sections of the Jiaobanshan Sanxing Historic Trail have been replaced by the Northern Cross-island Highway, and only the section from Mingchi to Yingshi Village still remains.

The benchmarking point No. 59 at Dazheng Police Post in Datong Township, Yilan County is located near the Mingchi Forest Recreation Area. To get there, go from the Northern Cross-island Highway, cut eastward to Fanfan Creek, then up the Sanxing Historic Trail in Jiaobanshan, and follow the road to arrive at Dazheng Police Post and Dazheng Bridge. The Jiaobanshan Sanxing Historic Trail, which traverses the Fuxing District of Taoyuan City and Sanxing Township in Yilan County, was built in 1911 and has a total length of about 125 km. It is the earliest road excavated for Lifan (regulating Indigenes) purposes during the Japanese occupation. A total of 14 police posts were set up along the way, and Dazheng Police Post was one of them.

Today, most sections of the Jiaobanshan Sanxing Historic Trail have been replaced by the Northern Cross-island Highway.

The former Dazheng Bridge, located in Datong Township, Yilan County, stood between Dazheng Police Post and Takinoue Police Post. It is an iron cable suspension bridge on the Jiaobanshan Sanxing Historic Trail that was built in 1916.

Today the bridge has been completely destroyed, leaving only the east and the west bridge tower. The end of the bridge is about 20 meters away from the valley. If you want to go to the east end of Dazheng Bridge site, you can cut eastward from the Northern Cross-island Highway near the Mingchi Forest Recreation Area to Fanfan Creek, then head up to the Sanxing Historic Trail of Jiaobanshan and follow the road to reach the Dazheng Police Post and Dazheng Bridge. 

The former Dazheng Bridge, located in Datong Township, Yilan County, stood between Dazheng Police Post and Takinoue Police Post. It is an iron cable suspension bridge on the Jiaobanshan Sanxing Historic Trail that was built in 1916.

Today the bridge has been completely destroyed, leaving only the east and the west bridge tower. The end of the bridge is about 20 meters away from the valley. If you want to go to the west end of Dazheng Bridge site, you can cut eastward from the Northern Cross-island Highway near the Mingchi Forest Recreation Area to Fanfan Creek, then head up to the Sanxing Historic Trail of Jiaobanshan and follow the road to reach the Dazheng Police Post and Dazheng Bridge.

The Dazheng Police Post in Datong Township, Yilan County is located near the Mingchi Forest Recreation Area. To get there, go from the Northern Cross-island Highway, cut eastward to Fanfan Creek, then head up the Sanxing Historic Trail in Jiaobanshan, and follow the road to arrive at Dazheng Police Post and Dazheng Bridge. In fact, the Jiaobanshan Sanxing Historic Trail, which traverses the Fuxing District of Taoyuan City and Sanxing Township in Yilan County, was built in 1911 and has a total length of about 125 km. It is the earliest road excavated for Lifan (regulating Indigenes) purposes during the Japanese occupation. A total of 14 police posts were set up along the way, and Dazheng Police Post was one of them.

Today, most sections of the Jiaobanshan Sanxing Historic Trail have been replaced by the Northern Cross-island Highway.