3 Key Takeaways
- Since 2016, the Taitung Branch of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency (FANCA) and the Taiwan Thousand Miles Trail Association (TMI Trail) have repaired sections of the Jiaming Lake trail by hand, at an elevation of 2,800 to 3,000 meters.
- The “One Person, One Kilogram” initiative invites hikers to carry construction materials to work sites along the trail. Over the past decade, hikers have made more than 70,000 trips carrying materials, turning trail users into mountain guardians.
- Before heading to Jiaming Lake, you must first apply for a mountain hut reservation and a mountain entry permit. If you’d like to help maintain the trail yourself, you can sign up for an eco-trail volunteer holiday run by FANCA’s Taitung Branch, while adhering to the principles of Leave No Trace throughout your visit.
Before you hike Jiaming Lake
Apply early for your Jiaming Lake trip
Spaces are limited and rules can change, so check the latest official notices before you go. The trail site also reports black bear activity near the huts: carry a bear bell and hike with a group.
A construction site without excavators or the sound of machinery lies in the Central Mountain Range at an elevation of 3,000 meters. Moving rocks, paving the trail, and maintaining drainage—all are accomplished by hand. This is the national trail leading to Jiaming Lake, known as “Angel’s Tears”—and many of those repairing the trail were once simply hikers who came to see the lake.
Why Is the Jiaming Lake Trail Maintained by Hand?
The Jiaming Lake National Trail attracts more than 24,000 visits a year. Constant foot traffic and rain have gradually carved erosion gullies into parts of the trail; if not repaired promptly, these gullies will only deepen.
Because the trail is located at high altitudes, traditional engineering methods are difficult to implement. Since 2016, FANCA’s Taitung Branch has worked with the TMI Trail to maintain the trail sections at elevations of approximately 2,800 to 3,000 meters using manual labor. Branch Director Wu Chang-you noted that this area is also home to Indigenous communities; while the trail serves people, people must in turn care for the environment.
Why Can Only 8 Meters Be Repaired a Day?
Because everything is done by hand, at most about 8 meters can be completed in a day. During this year’s 11th working holiday in October, volunteers spent five days and four nights repairing about 25 meters of trail. The air is thin at high altitudes; volunteer Chen Quan-yuan describes it as having only 70% of the oxygen found at sea level, so every effort achieves only 70% of the result. Trail construction also requires specific techniques:
- Follow the terrain: The work follows the existing landform rather than forcing a new path.
- Use local materials: Stones from landslide areas and fallen timber from the forest are used to avoid introducing external soil that could impact the environment.
- Avoid typhoon season: Work is deliberately scheduled outside the heavy-rain season.
Beyond trail repair, Jiaming Lake implements a cap on the total number of beds in mountain huts to limit the number of visitors, and conducts long-term monitoring of environmental changes to minimize the impact on the alpine ecosystem.
How Can You Join Jiaming Lake’s “One Person, One Kilogram” initiative?
What trail repair needs most is material—and someone has to carry it up the mountain. The “One Person, One Kilogram” initiative asks hikers to carry construction material from the foot of the mountain to work sites along the trail as they climb. The material comes from landslide debris in the Xiangyang area along the Southern Cross-Island Highway.
One kilogram per person may not sound like much, but together it adds up to the fill the trail needs. Lin Yun-zi, executive secretary of TMI Trail’s southern office, says that with stones gathered from riverbeds and fill soil carried up by hikers, one 20-meter stretch has gone from rough and difficult to easy walking over the past two years.
Over ten years, more than 70,000 hikers have carried materials up the mountain, turning from trail users into mountain guardians. TMI Trail instructor Wu Qing-di encourages volunteers by reminding them that even a few finished stone steps will bear tens of thousands of footsteps from future hikers. Earlier this year, a decade of restoration work was brought together in photographs and hand-drawn records for the 10th Anniversary Special Exhibition of Jiaming Lake Eco-trail in Taipei and Taitung, letting people who have never climbed the mountain see the expertise and dedication behind the trail.
Before You Go to Jiaming Lake: 4 Ways to Be a Mountain Guardian
Jiaming Lake lies below Sancha Mountain in the Central Mountain Range. The Bunun people call it Cidanuman Buan, meaning “mirror of the moon,” while hikers know it as “Angel’s Tears.” Its name combines “Jia” and “Ming” from the names of the two survey officers who discovered the lake in 1977, Wan Jia-qing and Shen Ming-you. Since Taiwan opened its mountains to the public, Jiaming Lake has drawn many hikers from home and abroad, and it is a popular destination in Japan as well. The more people come, the more the mountain needs looking after. If you want to see the lake with your own eyes and help protect it, remember these four things before you set out:
- Apply early: The Mountain house, campsite, and mountain entry quotas are limited. Check the latest official rules again before you go.
- Watch for altitude sickness: If a headache keeps getting worse, or you feel nauseous or vomit, slow down or descend.
- Follow Leave No Trace: Pack out all your trash and leave no trace on the trail or by the lake.
- Carry a kilogram, or join a volunteer holiday: Carry a bag of materials on your way up. If you want to repair the trail yourself, sign up for a work holiday run by FANCA’s Taitung Branch.
Next time you walk the Jiaming Lake trail, every stone step beneath your feet may have been carried up by a fellow hiker. Perhaps on this trip, it’s your turn.
Plan your visit
Apply before you go
Hut, campsite, and entry permit quotas are limited. The official English site also has a page on priority reservations for foreigners.
Get to the trailhead
The trail starts from Xiangyang National Forest Recreation Area, at kilometer 154.5 of the Southern Cross-Island Highway (Highway 20). There is no public transport, so drive or rent a car.
Join the trail work
Eco-trail work holidays are announced by FANCA’s Taitung Branch, together with the Taiwan Thousand Miles Trail Association. Questions: call 089-324121, ext. 705 or 713, weekdays 8:30 to 12:00 and 13:30 to 17:30.
FAQ
What is Jiaming Lake’s “One Person, One Kilogram” initiative?
Hikers carry construction materials to work sites along the trail as they climb, helping repair the trail by hand. More than 70,000 hikers have taken part over the past ten years.
How do I volunteer for the Jiaming Lake Eco-trail?
Watch for eco-trail work holidays announced by FANCA’s Taitung Branch and register as instructed in the announcement.
What do I need to apply for to visit Jiaming Lake?
You need to apply in advance for a mountain hut or campsite and a mountain entry permit. Spaces are limited, so check the latest official rules before you go.
