Lion's Head Mountain Scenic Area

The Lion's Head Mountain Scenic Area (獅頭山風景區) is located in five townships: Sanwan and Nanzhuang in Miaoli, Zhudong in Hsinchu, and Beipu and Emei in Hsinchu. It is part of the Tri-Mountain National Scenic Area and is famous for its resemblance to a lion's head. The area boasts rich tourism resources including natural landscapes, cultural heritage, ecology, and local cuisine. It is also a renowned Buddhist sacred site with numerous temples along its trails.

Lion's Head Mountain is well-known in northern Taiwan for its hiking trails. It used to be an important route between Hsinchu and Miaoli, mainly through the Lion Mountain Ancient Trail spanning Nanzhuang in Miaoli and Emei in Hsinchu. There are two main entrances for hiking, one in Lion's Head Village in Nanzhuang and the other at Sheliaokeng Bridge in She-liao, Hsinchu, connecting several hiking trails. Four ancient trails are particularly worth visiting, including the Lion Mountain Ancient Trail, Shuilian Cave Trail, Tengping Trail, and Liuliao Trail, with the ancient temple settlement along the Lion Mountain Ancient Trail being especially famous and attracting many visitors.

In addition to hiking, the area also attracts many believers to its temples and palaces, such as Tiangong, Quanhua Hall, Kaishan Temple, and Lion Rock Cave (Yuanguang Temple), which are built in harmony with the mountain terrain and exude a solemn and serene atmosphere. The Beipu Old Street area is full of Hakka flavor, while the indigenous culture in the Nanzhuang area adds to the diverse cultural landscape of Miaoli.