Guides · Cycling in Taiwan

Xianshan KOM Guide｜Racing and Reaching Nanzhuang

Xianshan KOM is the cycling day of the Nanzhuang Run & Ride weekend in Nanzhuang, Miaoli. What makes it unusual is the format. Two days, two road closures. A Saturday run along the Zhonggang River, then a Sunday climb up Miao-124 to Xianshan. The 2025 edition drew more than 6,000 runners and riders from eight countries; 2026 registrations passed 4,900, and the race is now a Category C national-team selection points event sanctioned by the Chinese Taipei Cycling Association. The catch, Nanzhuang sits on no railway line. This guide covers the field size, the course and cut-offs, how to get there from airports and stations, and what to do about your bike along the way.

A Hill Climb Inside a Slow City

Nanzhuang is one of the few townships in Taiwan certified as an international Slow City (Cittaslow), a mountain town on the cultural boundary between Hakka and Saisiyat communities. Xianshan KOM takes place here as day two of the Nanzhuang Run & Ride weekend. Running along the Zhonggang River on day one, then a closed-road climb up Miao-124 toward Xianshan on day two. Same weekend, same venue, two separate closures, a rare setup in Taiwan.

The earliest verifiable edition of the cycling race was in 2024, then called the Xianshan King of the Mountain Race, with an elite 31K, a challenge 31K and a 21K slow-city leisure group. In 2025 it ran as the Xianshan KOM hill climb; in 2026 it was renamed the Slow City Climb (Spectator) Race and a spectator entry was added. The organisers do not publish an edition number, so this guide only states verifiable years.

The status of the race has been rising too. In 2026 it is the Miaoli Xianshan round of the 96 League and is sanctioned by the Chinese Taipei Cycling Association as a Category C national-team selection points event. The criteria being a course under 50 km with less than 500 m of climbing. With points awarded to fifth place. Results by foreign nationals are excluded from selection points, so visiting riders can enter the competitive groups without affecting local selection.

Field Size Across Three Years, 2024 to 2026

2025 was the first year Nanzhuang read as a destination for international riders rather than a local fixture. Over 6,000 people took part across the weekend, with more than 100 foreign entrants from eight countries. Japan, Canada, Bulgaria, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand.

For 2026, registration data shows 4,910 valid entries, of which 340 signed up for both days, and 55 foreign entrants. Note that the two figures are counted differently. The 2025 number is reported attendance across the event, while the 2026 number is valid registrations, and the elite competitive group registers through a separate system not included in the 4,910. The takeaway is the scale, this event now sits reliably in the four-to-six-thousand range, so Nanzhuang fills up on race weekend and travel and lodging should be booked early.

• 2024 (Xianshan King of the Mountain Race): elite 31K, challenge 31K, slow-city leisure 21K
• 2025 (Xianshan KOM hill climb): over 6,000 across the event. Roughly 3,500 runners and 2,500 riders. With more than 100 foreign entrants
• 2026 (Slow City Climb): 4,910 valid registrations, 340 entered both days, 55 foreign entrants

31 km Total, Only 12.93 km Timed

The course starts at the Nanzhuang public car park, heads south on Miao-124, and is released at the Fude Bridge junction where timing begins. It climbs to the township boundary on County Road 124, which is the timing finish, continues to Lingdong Temple for feeding, then returns the same way to the venue on the commissaire's instruction. The racing section totals 31 km out and back, but only the 12.93 km in the middle is timed.

From the start to the release point the field rides as a neutralised group behind the commissaire vehicle; the race only begins when the flag drops at the release point, and jumping early is a violation. Back at the venue you must register at the chip checkpoint in the car park or you are scored as a non-finisher. This format matters if it is your first time. Do not burn matches early, because the real race is only 12.93 km and the pacing logic differs completely from a standard road race.

There is a single feed station, at Lingdong Temple. Rolling feeds are not allowed and support vehicles may not follow riders; team support cars must be up the mountain before 06:20, and coaches are not permitted on the climb. Expect to wait 30 minutes or more at the turnaround before your descent group is called. Descents are released in controlled batches by the commissaires and breaking away on your own is prohibited. The road is narrow with riders in both directions, so this rule is not a formality.

• Three key points: Fish Conservation Trail at 7.7 km (climb begins), Penglai Police Station at 9.0 km (steepest), Bagualì Resort at 11.6 km (1.3 km to go)
• Cut-offs: 09:30 for the timed segment, 11:00 for the full course
• Wave starts: elite group from 06:30 in three waves four minutes apart; citizen challenge group from 06:44 in nine waves through 07:42

Which Finisher Colour You Take Home

Finisher rewards are tiered by colour according to your chip time on the timed segment, not the full course. Collection is three steps, scan the QR code on your number card or helmet sticker at the finish, screenshot the full result screen showing your name and time band, then show it at the matching colour tent. Riders below the standards still receive the commemorative socks and a Xianshan ring if they finish before the cut-off.

• Professional Red: under 32 min (men) / under 38 min (women)
• Elite Blue: 32–35 min (men) / 38–50 min (women)
• Expert Pink: 35–38 min (men) / 50–60 min (women)
• Progress Orange: 38–45 min (men) / 60–70 min (women)
• Challenger Grey: any finish before the cut-off

If You Also Run, Race Day One Has Three Groups

The running day has seven feed stations; stations 1/7, 2/6 and 3/5 are the same points used on the way out and back, and station 4 sits at the Nanzhuang Farmers Market about 200 m before the half-marathon turnaround. Starts are staggered, 06:30 for the half, 06:45 for the 10K, 07:00 for the 4K. Starting early, or more than 20 minutes after your gun time, voids your result. In 2026, 340 people entered both days. Running the 10K on Saturday and climbing on Sunday is a popular combination, but note the climb's team managers meeting is at 16:00 on Saturday, which makes for a tight schedule.

• 4K leisure: car park → Miao-124 north → Wusezui (out and back), cut-off 10:00
• 10K easy: car park → Miao-124 north → left onto Miao-124B → Tianmei Weir (out and back), cut-off 10:00
• Half marathon 21.1 km: car park → Miao-124 north → left onto Miao-124B → the Nanzhuang field-side 7-Eleven (out and back), cut-off 10:00

Three Ways In to Nanzhuang

Nanzhuang sits on no railway line, and that is the first problem to solve when planning. Driving is the simplest option. Take National Freeway 1 to the Toufen interchange, then Route 124B toward Nanzhuang, roughly 25 minutes.

By public transport, take the TRA to Zhunan Station and transfer to a Miaoli Bus service bound for Nanzhuang. About 45 to 60 minutes, alighting at Nanzhuang Station within walking distance of the venue. The three routes differ slightly. 5804 runs via Shangshun and Changlong Plaza, 5805 via Toufen and Shitoushan, 5806 via Toufen and Dananpu. There is also the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Nanzhuang Line 5805A, which terminates at the Nanzhuang Visitor Center. Note that these routes carry reservation-only departures, so some services only run if booked in advance, and frequency is low. There may be no early service that gets you there for the 05:00 check-in on race day.

If you are travelling with a bike, there is a second practical problem. Rail and coach services each limit how bikes may be carried, and squeezing a fully built race bike onto a bus the day before is both risky and crowded, since everyone else has a bike too. This is what support transfers are for. Carrying riders, bikes and luggage together from the airport or the city straight to the Nanzhuang venue, with no need to strip the bike or bag it.

24EZGO already runs Taoyuan Airport to Nanzhuang, Miaoli as a fixed route, with bike racks and luggage space on board; the booking page locks the route so you only enter rider and bike counts. For riders flying in, stepping off the plane and straight into the van is the least troublesome way into the mountains.

• Driving: National Freeway 1 → Toufen interchange → Route 124B toward Nanzhuang, about 25 minutes
• Rail plus bus: TRA Zhunan Station → Miaoli Bus 5804 / 5805 / 5806 (or Tourist Shuttle 5805A), about 45–60 minutes, alight at Nanzhuang Station
• Support transfer: Taoyuan Airport → the Nanzhuang venue, riders, bikes and luggage in one trip, no stripping or bagging required

Road Control Means You Cannot Park at the Venue

The easiest mistake to make. On race day and the day before, the public car park. Which is the event venue, is closed to parking and to cars entirely. Setting your navigation to the venue and driving in will get you turned around by marshals.

Check-in opens at 05:00, which means finding a space in the dark. At an event of four thousand people and up, spaces fill fast, so budget time for parking and the walk in. Mornings in the hills are cold; if you end up parking far out, bring an extra layer.

• A, Nanzhuang public car park (the venue): closed to parking on race day
• B, Shengtian Temple and Old Street car park, near Xicun Bridge
• C, roadside parking between Xicun Bridge and Fude Bridge
• D, private car parks around the Miaoli Bus station
• E, Nanzhuang Visitor Center car park
• F, private car park on Datong Road
• G, Guihuayuan private car park: more spaces, paid
• H, private car park at Nanjiang Waterfront
• K, roadside parking on Miao-124: open only on climb race day

Pre-Race Practical Checklist

Registration typically opens in April and closes at the end of August, with early-bird extras. Race packs are either posted to you or collected in person at one of 11 pick-up points around Taiwan, each with its own collection window. Always check the official site. Below are the details most often overlooked.

• Chip deposit: NT$1,000 for the elite and citizen challenge groups on the climb, refunded when you return the chip
• Gearing: 12.93 km of sustained climbing inside a 31 km course, bring climbing gears
• Warm layers: cold mountain mornings and a long fast descent; do not skip a wind jacket
• Carry your own nutrition: there is a single feed station at Lingdong Temple and no rolling feeds
• Descent discipline: descend in the controlled groups released by commissaires, never break away alone
• Book early: with four thousand-plus participants, lodging and parking in Nanzhuang are tight on race weekend

Sources

• 南庄山水悠遊行官方網站
• 南庄山水悠遊行大會秩序冊
• 墨新聞：2025 南庄山水悠遊行報導
• 伊貝特報名網：2024 南庄山水悠遊行
• 苗栗客運路線時刻查詢
• 公路客運即時動態資訊網（5805 竹南─南庄）
• 台灣好行南庄線時刻與票價

Rules and road conditions change — always check the official announcements before you travel.

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• When to Ride Wuling Month by Month, and What 3,275 m Means Where You Come From
• Wuling Hehuanshan Cycling｜Taiwan's Highest Road, 3,275m
• What to Eat After Wuling: Qingjing Urn-Roasted Chicken

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