Jinmianshan Hiking Trail, located at the northwest part of Neihi district, belongs to the Wuchisahan system. The mountain is famous for its tilted scarped ridge, where the northwest side is steeper than the southeast side. When the the quartz sandstone exposed on top of the mountain reflects the sunlight, the whole mountain shines as gold. That’s how the mountain gets its name—“Jin” for “gold”, “mian” for “side”, and “shan” for “mountain.” It also has another name called “Mt. Scissor Rock” for the shape of the rocks on the mountaintop looks like a pair of scissor pointing to the sky when people view the panorama of the mountain from Jinglong Industry Road.            Jinmianshan Hiking Trail is considered to be more challenging than other hiking trails around Taipei. Mountain lovers or those who wants to challenge themselves could enter the trailhead at Lane 136, Section 1, Huanshan Road. The trail is made by local quartz sandstones. Along the trail, visitors will pass a quarry that used to operate during the Qing Dynasty. 120 years ago, the quartz sandstone was used to build the Taipei City Walls, which prevent the citizens from cannibalism. Keelung River flowing past the foot of Jinmianshan was convenient for transporting the stones to the construction sites. Then after the walls were torn down, some of the stones became materials for building the wall of Taipei Prison. Now, the gigantic stones still stand along the trail as a reminder of the past.             Jinmianshan is worth visiting not only for the spectacular stone sight, but also for the diverse flora and fauna. Because of the dry weather here, the plants are able to stand the drought. Those growing at the mountaintop also need to adapt to the strong winds and the quartz sandstones that retain the water poorly. Such plants, like Red Nanmu, Ring-cupped Oak, Hill Gossberry, normally grow low and have thick leaves. Besides the drought-enduring plants, indigenous plants are also commonly seen along the trail, such as Stiff-leaf Meliosma, Morris's Persimmon, and Common Elaeocarpus to name a few.            If you want to visit Jinmianshan Hiking Trail, take bus 214, 247, 256, R31, or BL20 Shuttle, and get off at “Huanshan Road” stop. Or you can take the MRT to Xihu Station. Come and explore the challenging and beautiful Jinmianshan Hiking Trail on a sunny day! You won’t regret sweating all the way up to the mountaintop because the gorgeous view worth the effort.