2017 Challenge HengChun Bike Ride 挑戰恆春半島 (Event)

2017 Challenge HengChun Ride Summary:

• Event by: TWBike
• Starting Location: Near Eluanbi Lighthouse (鵝鑾鼻燈塔).
• Length: 130 km. Elevation gain: ~ 700 m.
• Hill profile: Mostly flat. One small hill.
• Good for:
  • Base training.
• Route Highlights:
  • Kenting National Park.
  • West & East State #26 road (台26線).
  • ShouKa Station (壽峠).

(Read on to see Kenting’s Cycling Videos!)

Background

Cycling Kenting has always been one my favorite bike rides in Taiwan. Last year we did a shorter route (~110km) counter-clockwise due to the typhoon’s damage on State #9 (台九線). This year’s Challenge HengChun we did it clock-wise and to the famous highest point on State #9, ShouKa (壽峠).

Read on for more Kenting ride videos!

Lighthouse – West Kenting

This year’s Challenge HengChun (挑戰恆春半島) started at the road next to Taiwan’s south-most lighthouse, the Eluanbi Lighthouse (鵝鑾鼻燈塔). An extra 5 km riding in the dark was required for me to reached the starting point from where I lived.

The starting point.

Eluanbi Park, the park next to the lighthouse.

Beautiful dawn lighthouse view.

As usual, Kenting ride events were always popular.

Far away was Kenting iconic landmark: Big Pointy Peak (大尖山)

A glimpse of the Sail Rock (帆船石)

Kenting Main Street. In the evening the outer two lanes will be full of people.

Big Pointy Peak side shot.

VIDEO : riding on Kenting’s western road.

A monument made by natural coral stone.

Seldom people knew that Kenting also has a nuclear power plant!

Isn’t it a bit weird to see a sand beach next to the power plant?

HengChun onto West State #26

After seeing the nuclear power plant we left Kenting and into HengChun (恆春), the major town at Taiwan’s southern most region. Passing the town we would then ride onto west of State #26, the major near-shore highway to Kenting.

Enter HengChun. HengChun literally means “always spring”.

The main HengChun welcome sign. The sign depicted the old walls surrounding the town in Qing Dynasty.

HengChun Airport, the starting point of last year’s Kenting ride. There was only flight to Taipei.

“Taiwan Beef. Beef noodle soup.”

Quite a few green onion fields here.

Heading into near-shore mountain region. Between HengChun and the next northern city PingTung was a region full of mountains.

Local fruit/veggie stand. Now is the onion season.

In this region there were many aboriginal villages.

Some sort of hotel here at the middle of nowhere.

State #9 to ShouKa

The State #26 soon entered FengGang, a small little fishing town. Here we turned right and connected to State #9, southwestern Taiwan’s only major highway toward eastern Taiwan. (Note: another highway State #20 (南橫公路) will be opened in March 2017 after 10 years of closure. Might do a ride through it in the future.)

Entering FengGang (楓港). The sign on the sky bridge said it was current Taiwan president’s home town??

Beginning of our route toward east!

Onions! Also grilled birds (not sure what kind of birds though).

The river which State #9 followed.

Lion Junior High.

Local community gym.

Mark of the ShihZih County (獅子鄉) Administration Center. ShihZih literally means “lion”, hence the lion statue throughout this region.

A short rest stop at local’s fire station.

Like State #26, there were also a lot of aboriginal villages on State #9.

New unfinished tunnels.

Soon we reached the highest point on State #9: ShouKa 壽卡, the gateway to TaiTung (台東https://flic.kr/p/RYzh9Q)

TaiTung welcome monument.

Having enough of the ShouKa station we began riding south towards Kenting.

Merged sky and the ocean.

Entering ShuHai (旭海), famous for its shore view, grass fields and hot spring.

ShuHai (旭海) to GangZhai (港仔): Great Ocean Shore

At this section we had the great Taiwan east ocean shore views. The road was literally next to the shore, and the cars were few.

There were also quite a few military structure here.

VIDEO : Beautiful East State #26 Shore

Rest stop. The statue was not here last year.

The sandy hill at far right was a famous place for ATV riding.

GangZhai back to the Lighthouse

The last section included a bit inland climbing, and then we took the east State 26 back to the lighthouse.

Port suspension bridge close to Jialeshuei (佳樂水), a popular surfing area in Kenting.

Fengchuisha (風吹砂) area, which literally means “wind blowing the sands.” Many small sand dunes were created.

VIDEO : last descend toward the ending gate!

Uni Resort.

There were quite some interesting hostels near the Sail Rock.

Also Recommended:

[Ocean Power] Bike Fun Kenting 拜訪墾丁

Taiwan Bike Routes Map

Like My Post? Subscribe below and get the latest post email update!