Location: Tainan
Distance: 75km Ascent 1,000m
As part of our Top 100 series of the best bicycle routes in Taiwan we aim to include at least one loop from each county in the country. For Tainan, the first we have selected is the ‘Guanziling Loop’. Although located in the north of the county it has been chosen on account of the fact that it has several tourist sites along the route and of course, it is spectacular riding on a hilly course.
If from central Tainan it’s a 40km approach, so on this excursion the nearest train station at Xinying was chosen as the starting point. This would also be a convenient place to park if traveling by car.
From the station, it’s an 8km ride south on Provincial Highway No. 1 to the 299km marker. Here, a left turn onto County Rd. No. 174 to get into the hills. The first 15km of the ride is flat, so it’s a good warm-up. This route was done anti-clockwise which is the better option, the 174 is a less maintained road and has a few rough patches.
There are several small villages along this road and supplies can be picked up here.
There are no really steep sections on the ride and the gradient average would be 5 – 6%, there are only a few short pitches where it goes over 10%. The 174 has a lot of undulation before you reach the intersection with County Road No. 175. This is also known as the ‘Dongshan Coffee Road’, it is a major coffee and orange growing area in the south and an abundance of small cafes can be found along it.
The 175 is a dream road for cyclists and takes the rider through the heart of the Siraya National Scenic Area.
As such it does have perfect surface and the highlight is the views over the local hills down to Tainan city. A very popular cycling location for the locals and you are guaranteed to see a lot of riders out on the weekend. Unfortunately, it is also popular with the scooter and motorbike crowd.
After 50km into the ride you come to the hot spring area of Guanziling, this is a bustling town that gets a lot of traffic in winter. Accommodation and restaurant options are abundant here. It is not unusual for Tainan residents to pop up on the weekend to have lunch at one of the many wood-roast chicken restaurants.
After Guanziling you descend for 2 to 3km before you come to the turn-off for County Road No. 172. It’s a rocket descent for 10 to 12km. Slow down for views of Baihe Reservoir off to the right. The 172 is the primary road to Guanziling and as such it’s wider and has a much better surface than the No. 174. Here is an excellent opportunity to test your time trial skills.
After 70 km, County Road No. 172 intersects with Provincial Highway No. 1. Turn left at this junction for a 5 km flat ride back to Xinying Train Station.