Location: Kaohsiung
Distance: 140km Elevation: 1200m
Regardless of which county in Taiwan you live in, every rider has their go-to loop. For Kaohsiung Duona is arguably one of the best rides to get out of the city for a few hours.
Naturally there are multiple ways to get from the city center, but the most convenient would be to go north on Provincial Highway No. 1 to Nanzi connecting to Provincial Highway No. 22. At the Gaoping River follow Provincial HighwayNo. 29 north to Qishan. This is a bustling town 40km from central Kaohsiung.
At Qishan, the rider gets onto Provincial Highway No. 28, passing the Hakka town of Meinong. Stay on the No. 28 to the end. This is where the ride gets interesting. Now, well outside the city limits, there is some undulating on the road, but not that much ascent. At the end of No. 28, the rider will cross the Laonong River over the spectacular ‘Butterfly Bridge’. Maolin area is probably best known for its Purple Crow Butterfly migration between November and March.
After crossing the bridge there’s a right turn on Provincial Highway No. 27 and after 2km the rider reaches the gates of Maolin National Scenic Area. There is a 7-11 here to pick up supplies. This is the start of the 12km climb up to Duona Village on County Rd. No. 132 (AKA Maolin Forest Rd).
Maolin is a popular spot for waterfalls and on this section of the road, there are two turns off to ‘Lovers Valley’ and ‘Maolin Valley’ falls.
This is a fantastic climb with the road running parallel to the Zhuokou River. After approx’ 6km the rider will come to the settlement of Wanshan Village and the last opportunity to pick up supplies.
Just past this village, there is a left fork in the road leading to the Duonagao Suspension Bridge. I would advise taking this road for amazing views of the river valley. The detour from the main road is only 2 – 3kms. Once you rejoin the No. 132 it’s only 4kms to the village of Duona at an elevation of 500m. Most riders will stop here for some refreshing fig jelly (aiyu) and there are a few shops selling stone-slate barbecue.
For the adventurous, there is a loop around the village that involves a really steep downhill to the river. Before typhoon Morokot in 2009 this was a very popular hot spring destination, but no evidence of that exists today.
This is one of the largest indigenous villages in the area and is home to the Rukai Tribe. The village itself with its stone houses and Aborigine art is a popular tourist attraction and is well worth exploring. There are several modest guest houses making an overnight stay worthwhile.
Getting back to Maolin the rider can cross briefly into Pingtung on the No. 27 Rd. to Gaoshu Township. This connects back to the No. 22 and the No. 29 for the return trip to Kaohsiung.
To make it more interesting I would advise riding south on the No. 29 for an alternative return to the city. This allows the rider to pass Foguangshan, the largest Buddhist monastery in Taiwan.
The three main roads back to the city are the No.s 186, 186A or Provincial Highway No. 1. Take a look at this interactive GPS information:
Looks good. Rolling on to #045.
My to Duona Village was a fantastic mix of challenge and reward. The climb was tough but worth it for the views and the experience of reaching the Rukai Tribe village. I loved exploring the stone houses and soaking in the unique culture. Ending with a scenic return past Foguangshan monastery made the whole journey unforgettable