Qixing Mountain (Seven Star Mountain) is the highest peak in Taipei City, at 1,120 m, and it sits inside Yangmingshan National Park. It is a volcano, and the summit has a 360-degree view: the Taipei Basin, the Tamsui River, Guanyin Mountain and the north coast, all at once on a clear day.
The trail is not hard, but it is not a stroll either. From Xiaoyoukeng to the Main Peak is 1.6 km of stone steps all the way, climbing a little over 300 m. There is no hazardous terrain, but the climb is a real test of your legs. No permit is needed, a city bus takes you to the trailhead, and there is no reason to leave before dawn.
On a clear Sunday in March 2022, my son and I climbed from Xiaoyoukeng to the Main Peak, walked over to the East Peak, and came down to Lengshuikeng. This is the record of that day, plus what a visitor from abroad needs to know to plan it.
What Qixing Mountain Is: Taipei’s Highest Volcano
Qixing Mountain was built by volcanic activity. Around it, at Xiaoyoukeng, Dayoukeng, Menghuan Pond and Lengshuikeng, the volcanic landforms are obvious, and on the trail itself there are vents right beside the path, steaming without a break.
The northern half of the trail faces straight into the northeast monsoon. The wind keeps trees from growing, so the slopes carry only low plants such as dwarf bamboo and silvergrass. That is why a mountain of just over a thousand meters has open views in almost every direction along the way.
Route and Difficulty: Can Kids Do It?
The Qixing Mountain Main and East Peak Trail links two trailheads, Xiaoyoukeng and Lengshuikeng, and is about 3.6 km long. The routes up from the two trailheads are similar in length and difficulty, and both trailheads have car parks and buses. Most people who drive go up from one end and return the same way. If you come by bus, you can do what we did: go up one side, come down the other, and walk the whole trail.
Xiaoyoukeng → Main Peak: 1.6 km, a little over 300 m of climbing, just over an hour, steps the whole way.
Main Peak → East Peak: about 300 m, 10 minutes.
East Peak → Lengshuikeng: about 1.8 km, 360 m down, steep steps; it took us about an hour.
For people who do not exercise regularly, the gradient will feel like work, but anyone can finish it at a slow pace. My son has climbed many mountains harder than this, yet in the last 200 m before the summit he was tired enough to cry — which surprised me too. With a little encouragement he still reached the top in just over an hour. So my verdict: kids can do it, but do not underestimate an unbroken staircase just because this is “only a hill on the edge of Taipei.”
If you hike regularly, Qixing Mountain on its own may leave you wanting more. One option is the eastern half of the Yangmingshan traverse: from Fengguikou up to Qingtiangang, then from Lengshuikeng up Qixing Mountain. Or carry on west over the Datun peaks and down to Guandu, completing the full Yangmingshan east-west traverse.
How to Get to Qixing Mountain: Buses and the Two Trailheads
We slept in that day, then took the 10:30 am Bus 1717 (Taipei–Yangmingshan–Jinshan) from the stop at the Gongbao Building next to Taipei Main Station. The ride took about an hour, and we got off at Xiaoyoukeng Visitor Center. Even starting the climb around noon, we had plenty of time.
Watch the stop names. Bus 1717 has two stops called “Xiaoyoukeng” (小油坑) and “Xiaoyoukeng Visitor Center” (小油坑服務站), and they are different places. The first is on Yangjin Highway, another 650 m from the visitor center. The trailhead is right next to the Xiaoyoukeng Visitor Center stop.
Weekend crowds. Lengshuikeng is one of the busiest spots on Yangmingshan, packed on weekends and public holidays, and traffic controls may apply. When we came down, we waited and waited for a bus, and every one that came was full.
The departure time and travel time above are from our trip in 2022. Check the current timetable before you go.
Xiaoyoukeng: A Look at a Live Volcano First
Xiaoyoukeng sits on the northwest flank of Qixing Mountain, at the highest point of Yangjin Highway. It is a post-volcanic landscape with one large fumarole, a vent where volcanic gas escapes. The visitor center has information displays, drinking water, a shop and toilets, and the car park has about 50 spaces. The fumarole is just 20 m from the visitor center.
We restocked at the visitor center, then went to look at the fumarole. It was the first time my son had seen volcanic landforms like this with his own eyes — for families with kids, Xiaoyoukeng is a very good outdoor lesson in itself.
Xiaoyoukeng to Qixing Main Peak: Look Back as You Climb
As you climb, remember to turn around. Directly across from Qixing Mountain is the Xiaoguanyin Mountain ridge, one unbroken green slope of grass. To the southwest are Zhuzihu (Bamboo Lake) and Datun Mountain, and farther out the Tamsui River, the Guandu plain and Guanyin Mountain. On a clear day there is something striking in every direction on this trail.
The vents are right beside the trail, with hot steam rising at your feet. You rarely experience this on hikes near other cities.
Qixing Mountain Main Peak: Taipei’s High Point, and the Queue
The Main Peak stands at 1,120 m and has a first-order triangulation point. The Taipei Basin and the north coast are laid out below.
But what stayed with me from the summit was not the view; it was the crowd. We had spent just over an hour climbing up, and then another 40 minutes simply queuing for a photo with the summit marker post that reads “Qixing Mountain Main Peak — 1120 m, Taipei’s highest peak.” If you come on a clear weekend or public holiday, build that time into your plan.
Qixing East Peak: The Qingtiangang View the Main Peak Misses
The East Peak stands at 1,107 m and has a third-order triangulation point. It is 300 m south of the Main Peak, about 10 minutes on foot. The two summits are so close that you can clearly see the people standing on the other one. On the way you pass the junction for the Miaopu trailhead.
The views from the two peaks are very similar, but the East Peak has one thing the Main Peak cannot show you: the whole of the Qingtiangang grassland.
Down to Lengshuikeng
From the East Peak down to Lengshuikeng is about 1.8 km of steep steps, which took us about an hour. The plants and landforms on the southern half differ a little from the Xiaoyoukeng side, but the views are just as good, and on the way down you look across the whole of Qingtiangang.
Lengshuikeng, at 750 m, is the lowest point of the trail. It was once a lake, formed when lava from Qixing Mountain and Qigu Mountain dammed the valley; later the water drained away and the lake bed was left as a basin. Nearby are Menghuan Pond, Qixing Park, Qingtiangang and the Lengshuikeng public hot spring bathhouse, along with a visitor center and two large car parks. If you still have the time and energy, take a detour to Menghuan Pond or Qixing Park.
A Moment on the Way Down
We took about three to four hours to walk the whole trail. But what I remember most from that day was a mother and daughter we passed on the way down.
The girl was about my son’s age, seven or eight, and seemed to have some difficulty walking; she could not go fast. From their gear and the way they moved, you could tell the two of them hiked regularly. The mother walked a little ahead and did not reach out to help her. Instead, every two steps she turned around and quietly watched her daughter. None of the girl’s steps came easily, yet every one of them was determined.
Anyone who hikes often would see the care in what that mother was doing, and how hard that child was working. All I could do was remind my son not to bump into them, and walk quietly past, with real respect for both of them. I hope they stay safe and happy for many years to come.
