New Taipei City Travel

New Taipei City Government Tourism and Travel Department Press Release 2025.1.18

Step into New Taipei’s Smile Trails: Embrace the Landscapes and Daily Life of Mountain Settlements
 

  【New Taipei City News】Today (18th), the New Taipei City Government Tourism and Travel Department held the Smile Trails “Close to Nature, Smile with the Mountains” local collaboration exhibition and seminar at Banqiao Liangshi Academy. The event aims to deepen the connection between citizens, visitors, and New Taipei’s mountain environments. Over the years, the Tourism and Travel Department has been dedicated to promoting the “Smile Trails” tourism brand, launching the “Smile Trails Grand Trekking Route” in 2024. This route spans five major mountain ranges: Dadong, Yanshan, Tianshang, Erge, and Wufen mountain systems, covering a total of 108 kilometers through Shulin, Yingge, Sanxia, Tucheng, Zhonghe, Xindian, Shenkeng, Shiding, and Pingxi districts. In 2025, the initiative will further strengthen the ties between mountains, settlements, and residents’ daily lives, showcasing the city’s rich and diverse natural and cultural landscapes.
 

Director-General Yang Tsung-Min of the Tourism and Travel Department emphasized the importance of uncovering the unique characteristics of mountain trails and settlements. To achieve mutual growth with local communities, five regional collaboration workshops were held in Sanchia, Yingge, Sanxia, Zhonghe, and Xindian. These workshops featured in-depth discussions led by experts and scholars, encouraging public participation to spark diverse ideas and creativity, shaping a blueprint for future development aligned with local features.
 

The collaboration exhibition invited three distinguished guests—Director Michael Mai, Vice Chair of the Taiwan Institute of Landscape Architects Pan Yi-Ju, and Professor Kuo Chiong-Ying from the Department of Landscape Architecture at Chinese Culture University. Under the theme “Landscapes and Daily Life of New Taipei’s Mountain Settlements,” they delivered insightful lectures exploring the harmony between mountain settlements and eco-friendly tourism. Director Mai shared specific cases in New Taipei to illustrate the integration of local culture and mountain development. Vice Chair Pan elaborated on the connections between trails and cultural landscapes in northern Taiwan. Lastly, Professor Kuo provided both domestic and international examples of planning and design challenges for mountain trails, settlements, and hubs.
 

This local collaboration exhibition not only highlights the uniqueness and diversity of New Taipei’s mountain environments but also emphasizes the significance of citizen participation. By engaging residents in a co-creation process, the initiative fosters a sense of belonging and environmental identity, establishing Smile Trails as a green signature of New Taipei’s charm. For more information about the activities, please visit the related links.
 

【This news release has been translated by ChatGPT.】