Baihe Dist.

At 1,241 meters above sea level, Dadong Mountain(大凍山) is Tainan's highest peak, and is one of Taiwan's top hundred small peaks. The climb usually starts from Ziyun Hall at Xianzu Temple(紫雲殿仙祖廟), and the trail takes around 3 to 5 hours in total. It is a great training ground for mountaineers, and is a favorite among the hikers of Tainan. The trail lies among a dense low-altitude broad-leaved forest landscape, at times entirely surrounded by either trees or bamboo.

Avid mountain hikers in the Tainan area are probably familiar with Xianzu Temple(仙祖廟). It is located not far from the trailhead for Tainan’s highest mountain, Mt. Dadong. Enshrining Lu Dong-bin, one of the Eight Immortals, and the founder of Taosim, Li Lao-jun (老子;Laozi), Xianzu Temple covers a large area. The grounds are tranquil and filled with greenery. In the garden, trees grown luxuriantly and flowers bloom and, in the Nine Dragon Pond, nine life-like golden dragons can be seen. The atmosphere in the temple can be described as “A mountain does not have to be high.