Nenggao Cross-Ridge Trail

The Nenggao Cross-Ridge Trail (能高越嶺道) is one of the most historically significant Japanese colonial-era mountain trails in Taiwan, crossing the Central Mountain Range between Nantou County in the west and Hualien County in the east. The trail follows ancient paths originally used by the Seediq and Truku indigenous peoples for hunting, trade, and seasonal migration across the mountains.

In 1914, during the Taroko Campaign (太魯閣戰爭), Japanese military forces used these indigenous paths to attack Truku settlements from both the eastern and western sides of the mountain range. Following the suppression of indigenous resistance, the Japanese colonial government began formal construction of the Nenggao Cross-Ridge Trail in 1917 (Taisho 6), building simultaneously from both ends. The western segment was completed on May 8, 1918, and the eastern segment on June 30, 1918. By September 30, 1918, all 16 garrison stations (駐在所) along the route had been completed, and mail service commenced on October 5, designating it a fourth-class postal route (四等郵便線路). The original trail stretched 81.3 kilometers with stations constructed from high-quality hinoki cypress wood.

The luxurious Nenggao Police Station, built at 2,860 meters elevation near Tianchi (Heaven Pool), featured a hinoki cypress banquet hall and public bath capable of accommodating over 100 visitors, reflecting its importance as a key administrative and rest point along the route. In 1925 (Taisho 14), due to heavy snowfall making the original eastern segment impassable in winter, the trail was rerouted through the lower Nenggao Saddle (能高鞍部), reducing the total distance to 76.8 kilometers. The 1930 Wushe Incident (霧社事件), a major indigenous uprising led by Seediq chief Mona Rudao, burned the garrison stations along the western segment, temporarily disrupting the trail's operations.

In the 1940s, the colonial authorities planned to use the trail corridor for an east-west power transmission line carrying surplus power from the Mugua River plants to western Taiwan, but the work was suspended as the war worsened, leaving only tower foundations. After Japan's surrender in 1945, the Taiwan Power Company (台電) revived the plan, using the Mugua River for hydroelectric generation. The first transmission line (甲線) was completed in November 1951, and a second line (乙線) in August 1953, with 127 steel transmission towers erected along the trail. This achievement was celebrated as the 'Great Wall of Electricity' (電力的萬里長城), marking the first time Taiwan's eastern and western power grids were connected.

Today the Nenggao Cross-Ridge Trail is designated a National Historic Trail and is one of Taiwan's most popular high-mountain hiking routes. The western section from Tunyuan Trailhead to Tianchi Mountain Lodge is well-maintained by the Forestry Bureau, while the eastern section remains more rugged. The trail's historical layers -- indigenous pathways, colonial police route, and post-war power transmission corridor -- make it a uniquely significant cultural landscape. The power transmission line operated until 2016, and remnants of Japanese-era garrison stations, suspension bridges, and infrastructure can still be found along the route.