Caoling (Tsaoling) Mount

Along the trail, you can expect to find dozens of water buffalo-which I had originally mistaken as small elephants from a distance- grazing in the Taoyuan Valley and various birds and wild life. On my hike, I encountered four spiders bigger than my hand (not poisonous, the Taiwanese call them "people spiders" for the eye like spots on their back), water buffalo, a snake that stretched from finger tip to finger tip, and a cloud of bees. Taiwan has several species of poisonous snakes, but unless you go out of your way to bother them, they will not bother you. Bees are a different story, however. A angry bee hive will sting you and it could be potentially fatal. Luckily, signs are posted in areas where the bees are offering advice on what to do, should you anger a hive.

Part of the Tsaoling Historic trail gives it it's name. From Fulong to Dali is what had been the original portion of the two hundred year old trail. Close to where it diverts to go up the mountain is a stone inscription of a tiger character left by a general who frustrated with the wind and unable to wait for it to die down, inscribed the tiger upon the rock saying the old Chinese saying "Clouds obey the dragon, winds obey the tiger."