Alangyi Ancient Trail, Part 1

When the government announced plans to extend Highway 26 through this section of Taiwan's Pacific Coast (the project has since been cancelled), the public suddenly became aware of the Alangyi Ancient Trail (阿朗壹古道). This beachside track has since become a very popular hike, and the road-building project has been shelved. A quota of 300 people per day is imposed and permits (which must be obtained in advance at a cost of NTD150 per person) are carefully checked. We hiked from the southern end, near Xuhai (旭海) in Pingtung County. The first stretch of trail is a regular if narrow road from a small fishing harbor:

 

Two long stretches of the trail (which totals 4.5km) are right on the beach, which is why hikers must take note of tide times, and aren't allowed unless accompanied by guides.

No part of the beach is sandy and in many places it's littered with driftwood.

For more photos, see Part 2 of this post.