Location: Tainan/Chiayi County
Distance: 90km Elevation Gain: 1,600m
In our series, we have covered several reservoirs that tend to be located in remote areas with excellent riding on fairly well-maintained quiet country roads. They also have a respectable amount of climbing guaranteed to give you a good workout. The following route, which we have outlined as a counter-clockwise loop encompasses two reservoirs in south Taiwan, one of which, Zengwen, is the largest in the country, and Nanhua.
The best way to access Nanhua Reservoir is from Provincial Highway No. 20 (South Cross-Island Highway) riding out from Tainan (See #005 in our series for details on this approach). Approx’ 35 kilometers east of Tainan you will reach the town of Yujing where the No. 20 intersects with Provincial Highway No. 3. By car this would be an ideal place to park for a loop ride.
From Yujing you have a nice undulating ride on the No. 20 until you reach the 52km marker for the turn-off to Nanhua Reservoir on County Rd. Nan. 179. Straight away the road starts ascending, but the gradient is moderate. With the reservoirs in proximity, it’s no surprise that this is extremely fertile land, and an abundance of crops and fruit farms line the route.
It’s not that long before you come to the main ascent which takes the rider up to 400m on a few steep gradients and switchbacks. The further you go along this road the more you get a middle-of-nowhere feel to it and this is blissful. Lots of forest and well shaded from the sun.
About halfway up the 179, you cross a bridge which is the county border between Tainan and Chiayi this road becomes County Rd. Chia 149. The rider should be aware that for the 40km or so along these roads, there are only one or two shops to pick up drinks – behind Ruei-Fong Elementary school there is one such shop, so extra drinks and snacks should be carried for this section.
The Chia 149 ends with a nice downhill for a few kilometers. From the turn-off on the No. 20, it’s approx 40km until the road intersects with Provincial Highway No. 3. at the 341km marker. One dilemma for the rider is that the only 7-11/restaurants in the area are in the town of Dapu which is 5km north of where the Chia 149 and Provincial Highway No. 3 intersect.
The last leg of the ride is no less spectacular than the first half. Zengwen Reservoir can be seen off to the right for most of the ride. We previously covered this section of the No. 3 in #025 – Provincial Highway No.3 south to north) in our series. Now the rider has the opportunity to do it in the opposite direction.
This is not a section I ever look forward to regardless of which direction I’m doing it. Over a distance of 20km, there are 4 – 5 humps with a few hundred meters of elevation gain before you reach the town of Nanxi where there are lots of shops and restaurants. From here it’s a gentle downhill until you return to the intersection with the No. 20 and it has to be said that the No. 3 in this area has excellent surface and is popular with the big motorbike crowd on weekends, so be careful.
Take a look at the GPS info: