Mt. Zhugao looks down below the vast surrounding grassy lowlands and is a good vantage point. From the mountaintop fort the whole greater Taipei area can be seen. The trails here form a self-contained, circular system. In addition to enjoying the beautiful hills, whether walk around or sitting visitors will have the feeling of Zen-like meditation.Mt. Zhugao is a cone-shaped volcano. The amount of grassland on the mountain is comparable to Taiyanggu, making it one of the best places for outings.
Qingtiangang Parking
Get on 108 park bus at the Yangmingshan main bus terminal
The backs of these young lizards are black with three to five golden vertical stripes and a vibrantly blue tail. As it matures, its body gradually turns brown and the golden stripes and blue tail fade in color. Adults have a light-brown body with red vertical stripes along the side.
Carnivorous Mustelidae. Coat is gray with a white stripe down from the top of the head to the mid-back area. The forehead and facial area below the eyes are also white or yellowish white. Its head is pointy like a mouse's and has a pink nose. Nocturnal. Hides in self-dug burrows during the day and scavenges at night. When alarmed by the threat of a predator, it will excrete a foul secretion that drives enemies away. This has earned it the nick name 'stinky fox'.
Its body is about fifteen centimeters long. When it ascends into the sky, its silhouette seems to resemble a helicopter taking off, while the clarity of its song reverberates in the ears like music. Hearing the skylark's call without ever catching a glimpse of it is typical of its territorial behavior. Often seen in farming areas of plains, they also appear in wide open areas like river valleys, coastlines, and prairies.
Latin name: Eurya crenatifolia (Yamamoto) Kobuski Crenate-leafed eurya belongs to the family Theaceae. It has tiny, hard, leathery leaves that grow in alternate arrangements in a tight formation. Leaves are 1 to 3 centimeters long with fine teeth and a slightly dimpled tip. The leaf is arched with pinnate veins. Coinciding edges meet to form a mesh. Crenate-leafed eurya has small, hard, leathery leaves, and its flowering season lasts from January to February. The flowers emit a scent reminiscent of cow dung. It is an endemic species found in grasslands in the mid-altitude range from 1,300 to 2,300 meters.
Latin name: Acer kawakamii Koidz. The kawakami maple is a deciduous tree and reaches heights of 20 meters. The bark is green and smooth. Single leaves grow in alternate arrangements and are 6 to 9 centimeters in length. Its leaves have serrated edges with three or five lobes, which often cause it to be mistaken for the Acer morrisonense Hayata. In winter, its leaves turn yellow but not red. Trees grow in mid-altitude mountain areas. Large colonies are found from the Qingtiangang area to Mt. Huangzui. It is a heliophyte pioneer species. Fruits are in the shape of samaras.
Latin name: Itea parviflora Hemsl. Small-flowered sweet spire is a shrub to small-sized tree of the family Saxifragaceae. The sweet spire has single leaves in alternate arrangements along the stem. The leaves, which range from oblong to lance shape, are 5 to 7 centimeters long. The petiole sometimes turns purple with teeth dentated from sparsely to densely-packed. It is a species endemic to Taiwan. The pinnate leaves are arched and grow upwards along the leaf margin to the very tip. The leaves have a distinctive horizontal vein. Flowers are white and raceme form in clusters. Flowering season is in May.