Junjianyan is a mountain range that belongs to the southern part of Datunshan system. Although it’s only 192 meters high, the giant white rocks at its peak can be easily viewed from afar. And the shape resembles a warship riding the wind and waves among the trees. The momentum is so great that it earns the mountain the name “Junjianyan,” the rock of warship.            The trailhead is signposted beside National Yang-Ming University. There’re two ways to reach the mountaintop. The first one is to take the trail beside the substation that locates at the back mountain behind Taipei Veterans General Hospital. The second is to enter from the Beitou Zhaomingjing Temple. It only takes 20-30 minutes from each way to reach the mountaintop.           Along the trail, visitors could see special geological landscapes. Junjianyan is composed of Mushan Formation, an ancient sedimentary stratum which exist mostly at Taipei and Keelung. People can observe the structure and beautiful layered colors by hands and eyes. Furthermore, the mountain itself has many stories to tell. For example, the white sandstones are the solid evidence that Junjianyan used to be close to seashore. The local quarry tells that there’re plants buried underground and after a long time carbonized into coals. If visitors reach the mountain ridge, they could see the thick-bedded sandstones that are not easily weathered. The thin earth, thus, prevents most plants from growing. Only some shrub could stand the environment, such as Hill Gossberry, Clammy Hopseedbush, and Tre-awned Minireed to name a few.           If you want to visit Jinmianshan Hiking Trail, take bus 216, 220Sub, 223, 224, 266Sub, 267, 277, 285, 288, 290, 508, 601, or 606. Or you can take the MRT to Shipai Station. Come and explore the challenging and beautiful Junjianyan Hiking Trail on a sunny day!