Tianchi Lodge

Tianchi Lodge
天池山莊
Interactive map of Tianchi Lodge
General information
StatusCompleted
TypeTwo-story steel frame structure
ClassificationAlpine accommodation
LocationNo. 100, Jhongsing Ln., Ren'ai Township, Nantou County 546023, Taiwan, Ren'ai Township, Nantou County, Taiwan
Coordinates24°02′43.15″N 121°16′46.77″E / 24.0453194°N 121.2796583°E / 24.0453194; 121.2796583
Elevation2,860 metres (9,380 ft)
Construction started2011 (2011)
CompletedJune 2012 (2012-06)
Opened2013 (2013)
OwnerNantou Branch, Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, Taiwan
LandlordNantou Branch, Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, Taiwan
Design and construction
Architecture firmWu, Hsia-Hsiung Architect & Associates[1]
Awards and prizes2011-2012 Excellent Agricultural Construction Project Award (Architecture Category)[2]
Known forMountainous "Five-Star" Luxury Lodge[3][4]
Other information
Number of restaurants1
FacilitiesAccommodation capacity 88 people, water supply, public toilets, solar power system, lithium-ion battery energy storage system
ParkingNo
Public transit accessNo
Website
tconline.forest.gov.tw


Tianchi Lodge (traditional Chinese: 天池山莊; simplified Chinese: 天池山庄) is an accommodation mountain lodge in Taiwan, located at an altitude of 2,860 metres (9,380 ft),[5] at kilometer 13.1 of the Nenggao Cross-Ridge Historic Trail. It is situated in a sheltered mountain valley on the west side of the North Peak of Nenggao, under the jurisdiction of the Nantou Branch, Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, Ministry of Agriculture. Its administrative area is located in Ren'ai Township, Nantou County. It has been through several fires and reconstructions.

The current Tianchi Lodge utilizes natural lighting, has solar panels installed on the roof, generates electricity using renewable energy, and is equipped with a lithium-ion battery energy storage system.[1][6] Its electricity can provide hot water and nighttime lighting for the lodge. The specially designed sloping roof allows rain and snow to flow down smoothly. The lodge is near two waterfalls, so there is no shortage of water. It will not be short of water during the dry season. It is a truly environmentally friendly green building. The lodge also features a specially designed viewing platform on the second floor with large, operable glass windows, allowing visitors to enjoy the surrounding mountain scenery. The entrance corridor is spacious and includes a public social space with tea, tables, and chairs, providing hikers with a more comfortable activity space.[7] Due to these architectural designs and infrastructure, Tianchi Lodge has been dubbed a "five-star" luxury lodge in the mountain community by hikers.[3][4]

Currently, Tianchi Lodge offers 3 rooms for twelve people, 4 rooms for eight people, and 5 rooms for four people, which can accommodate a total of 88 people.[8] As for the campsite, there are 26 campsites (23 small campsites and 3 large campsites). A total of 188 people can stay there each day.[9][10]

History

The Nenggao Garrison was the predecessor of the Tianchi Lodge. In September 1918, when the Nenggao Cross-Ridge Historic Trail[11] was completed, the Nenggao Garrison was established for the needs of road maintenance and mail delivery.[12] It was an elegant, well-equipped Japanese-style building made of cypress wood that could accommodate 100 people. During the Japanese occupation, it was called "Nenggao Cypress Palace".[5] At that time, the Japanese deployed police forces here to carry out the duties of the garrison and to receive high-ranking generals who were intensively inspecting the area for political and military purposes.

In 1930, during the Musha Incident initiated by the Seediq people,[13] the garrison was burned down. After the Musha Incident, the Japanese rebuilt the cypress house on the original site in 1931, with the same style as the Onoue Garrison (Yunhai Line Station).[12] In the early postwar period, the Nationalist government came to Taiwan and Taiwan Power Company implemented the "East-to-West Power Transmission" policy.[14] In order to meet the needs of Taiwan Power Company's east-west power transmission lines, the Tianchi Line Station was used. Until it was burned down in 1986, it was the most famous high-altitude luxury accommodation among mountain climbers.[5][12]

The Tianchi Lodge, rebuilt in 1993, was a tin-roofed mountain hut[6] that could accommodate about 60 people. It was managed by the Forestry Bureau (now the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency) and had a kitchen, a gas stove for cooking, and a diesel generator that provided electricity at night.[11] As the number of mountain climbers increased, far exceeding the lodge's capacity and affecting the surrounding environment, and after years of use, the tin-roofed mountain huts had rusted in many places due to the high altitude, low temperature, strong winds, and rainy conditions, affecting structural safety, the Forestry Bureau decided to rebuild it after careful review.[15]

The Forestry Bureau commissioned Wu, Hsia-Hsiung Architect & Associates in 2003 and 2005 to plan and design the renovation of Tianchi Lodge.[16][17] Tianchi Lodge was demolished and rebuilt on its original site in 2011. The project was constructed by Sinyuan Construction Co., Ltd.[18][19] and supervised by Huangrueiming Architects.[20][2] The concept of green building design was introduced during the reconstruction. It is a two-story steel structure building with a roof facing due south. It is equipped with solar water heating panels (solar water heating system), a solar power generation system, and uses natural materials such as wood and gravel to replace premixed concrete. It is constructed with earthquake-resistant steel structure and fireproof paint.[2] It has rooms, a restaurant, a kitchen, a toilet, and a solar power generation system.[15] It is planned to have five eight-person rooms, twelve three-person rooms, and four six-person rooms, which can accommodate one hundred mountain enthusiasts. It was completed in June 2012.[15] It opened to the public in 2013.[7] The exterior is magnificent and spectacular, with the grandeur of the Nenggao Cypress Palace.[5][12] The Tianchi Lodge construction project won the “2011-2012 Excellent Agricultural Construction Project Award (Architecture Category)”.[2]

Starting in May 2020, the Nantou Branch of the Forestry Agency carried out a renovation project on the Tianchi Lodge for about four months, including exterior renovation, waterproofing, and surrounding facilities, in response to the policy of opening up the mountains and forests.[6][21] The Tianchi Lodge is powered entirely by solar green energy. The lead-acid battery energy storage system used to store electricity was old and not environmentally friendly. During this renovation project, it was also replaced with a more efficient and environmentally friendly lithium-ion battery energy storage system, which can achieve better energy storage effect with a smaller volume.[1][6][22]

Brief building history of Tianchi Lodge
Year Status Building type Accommodation capacity (people) Owner References
1918 Built Wooden garrison ~100 (Official use only) Japanese government [12]
1931 Rebuilt Wooden garrison N/A (Official use only) Japanese government [12]
1993 Rebuilt Tin-roofed mountain hut 60 Nantou Branch, Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, MOA, Taiwan [6][11]
2012 Rebuilt Two-story steel frame structure 88 Nantou Branch, Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, MOA, Taiwan [8][15]

Energy and electric power systems

Due to the difficulty of grid connection, energy supply in high-altitude areas remains a challenging problem. Off-grid solar energy storage systems[23] provide a feasible solution for using renewable energy in high-altitude areas and have been proven.[23]

In the past, lead-acid battery energy storage systems combined with diesel generators were commonly used. However, the environmental damage caused by lead pollution from lead-acid batteries and their harm to human health have created serious problems for their use in high-altitude areas. Furthermore, lead-acid batteries will age and deteriorate after a few years of use, eventually becoming unable to store electricity.

When Tianchi Lodge officially opened in 2013,[7] it introduced facilities such as a solar power generation system.[15] However, the energy storage system at that time was built using lead-acid batteries, which are less environmentally friendly.[1]

At the end of 2019, the Nantou Forest District Office of the Forestry Bureau decided to install an off-grid solar energy storage system to supply energy to the lodge, and commissioned the C. J. Yan Architect & Associate to carry out planning, design and supervision.[1][24] The project was contracted by Lighting Art Co., Ltd..[1][22] Super Double Power Technology Co., Ltd. installed the system and carried out subsequent maintenance.[1]

In 2020, the off-grid solar energy storage system of Tianchi Lodge was installed by Super Double Power Technology Co., Ltd. and began to supply energy to the lodge.[1][25] Its power architecture is generated by solar arrays, which charge the lithium-ion battery energy storage system[26][27] through a hybrid solar inverter, and the inverter supplies power to the lodge's AC load.[1]

Alpine transportation supplement

There are several main ways to transport mountain resources and equipment, such as manual transport, cable cars, and helicopters. The route from the Tunyuan trailhead in Ren'ai Township to the Nenggao Cross-Ridge Historic Trail leading to Tianchi Lodge is quite special, as it is one of the few routes in Taiwan where motorcycles and small four-wheeled transport vehicles can be used for transporting supplies.

However, due to the risk of accidents such as falling into valleys when using motor vehicles,[28] the Nantou Forest District Office announced through the Tianchi Lodge booking website in August 2013 that, for safety reasons and to avoid accidents that could harm people, all personnel entering the Nenggao Cross-Ridge Historic Trail and Tianchi Lodge are strictly prohibited from using vehicles and bicycles except for official business that requires application and approval.[29]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Chung, Hsien-Ching (2025). "Off-grid solar energy storage system with lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries in high mountains: a case report of Tianchi Lodge in Taiwan". arXiv:2512.02679 [eess.SY].
  2. ^ a b c d "天池山莊新建工程 - 100-101年度優良農業建設工程獎建築類 - 得獎" [Tianchi Lodge New Construction Project - 2011-2012 Excellent Agricultural Construction Project Award (Architecture Category) - Award Winner]. nantou.forest.gov.tw (in Chinese). 農業部林業及自然保育署南投分署 (Nantou Branch, Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, Taiwan). Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  3. ^ a b "奇萊山★登山記(2) ~ 住在五星級山屋「天池山莊 」" [Dgiyaq Klbiyun Mountain Hiking Trip (2) ~ Staying at the five-star mountain lodge "Tianchi Lodge"] (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 健行筆記 (Hiking Note). 7 January 2016.
  4. ^ a b "天池山莊｜台灣豪華山屋首席代表｜抽籤申請、訂餐訂位 1 篇看懂" [Tianchi Lodge｜Taiwan's Premier Luxury Mountain Lodge Representative｜Understand the Lottery Application and Reservation Process in One Article]. 勇氣酵母 ❉ 一點酵母讓勇氣充滿生活｜戶外｜旅行｜生活｜學習 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 勇氣酵母. 11 April 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d "許登山者一個家" [May the mountain climbers have a home]. tconline.forest.gov.tw (in Chinese). 林業及自然保育署南投分署 (Nantou Branch, Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, Taiwan). Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  6. ^ a b c d e 王, 一訢 (28 August 2020). "【獨家採訪天池山莊】2020年山岳最夯時事！最暖豪華山屋整建完成再立標竿" [(Exclusive Interview with Tianchi Lodge) The Hottest Mountain News of 2020! The Warmest Luxury Mountain Lodge Completes Renovation, Setting a New Benchmark]. OurTrails 山岳報導者 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  7. ^ a b c d "南投天池山莊重新開張 綠建築、觀景平台美景超動人" [Nantou Tianchi Lodge reopens with stunning green buildings and a beautiful viewing platform.]. ETtoday (in Chinese). 19 August 2013. Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  8. ^ a b "天池山莊 - 山莊與平面圖" [Tianchi Lodge - Lodge and Floor Plan]. tconline.forest.gov.tw (in Chinese). 林業及自然保育署南投分署 (Nantou Branch, Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, Taiwan). Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  9. ^ "【新聞】天池山莊前營位即將開放線上申請及收費" [(News) Tianchi Lodge's front campsites will soon be open for online application and payment.] (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 健行筆記 (Hiking Note). 27 November 2018.
  10. ^ "天池山莊 - 山屋及營地申請" [Tianchi Lodge - Mountain Hut and Campsite Application]. 林業及自然保育署南投分署 (Nantou Branch, Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, Taiwan). Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  11. ^ a b c 徐, 如林; 楊, 南郡 (2011). 能高越嶺道穿越時空之旅 [Nenggao Cross-Ridge Historic Trail: A Journey Through Time] (in Traditional Chinese). 農業部林業及自然保育署 (Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, Taiwan). ISBN 9789860278880.
  12. ^ a b c d e f 楊, 飛容. "天池山莊" [Tianchi Lodge]. cmsdb.culture.tw (in Chinese). 國家文化記憶庫收存系統 (Taiwan Cultural Memory Bank). Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  13. ^ "霧社事件──歷史研究與轉型正義" [Musha Incident - Historical Research and Transitional Justice] (in Chinese). 中央研究院 (Academia Sinica, Taiwan). Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  14. ^ 楊, 飛容. "能高越嶺道東段" [Nenggao Cross-Ridge Historic Trail - East Section]. cmsdb.culture.tw (in Chinese). 國家文化記憶庫收存系統 (Taiwan Cultural Memory Bank). Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  15. ^ a b c d e 佟, 振國. "新天池山莊 綠建築完工 山友期待開放" [The new Tianchi Lodge's green building project is completed, and hikers eagerly await its opening.] (in Chinese). 自由時報 (The Liberty Times). Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  16. ^ "天池山莊整建工程委託規劃設計監造案 (契約編號: 92嘉育管字第013號)" [Planning, Design and Supervision of Tianchi Lodge Reconstruction Project (Contract No.: 92嘉育管字第013號)] (in Chinese). 行政院農業委員會林務局嘉義林區管理處 (Chiayi Branch, Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, Taiwan). 2003. Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  17. ^ "天池山莊新建工程委託規劃設計監造案 (契約編號: tfb-9437)" [Planning, Design and Supervision of Tianchi Lodge New Construction Project (Contract No.: tfb-9437)] (in Chinese). 行政院農業委員會林務局 (Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, Taiwan). 2005. Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  18. ^ "天池山莊新建工程 (契約編號: (99)投育字第17號)" [Tianchi Lodge New Construction Project (Contract No.: (99)投育字第17號)] (in Chinese). 行政院農業委員會林務局南投林區管理處 (Nantou Branch, Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, Taiwan). 2010. Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  19. ^ "天池山莊新建工程第2次變更設計 (契約編號: (100) 投育字第38號)" [Second design change for the new construction project of Tianchi Lodge (Contract No.: (100) 投育字第38號)] (in Chinese). 行政院農業委員會林務局南投林區管理處 (Nantou Branch, Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, Taiwan). 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  20. ^ "天池山莊新建工程委託監造 (契約編號: (97)投育字第A24)" [The commissioned construction supervision of the new Tianchi Lodge project (Contract No.: (97)投育字第A24).] (in Chinese). 行政院農業委員會林務局南投林區管理處 (Nantou Branch, Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, Taiwan). 1998. Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  21. ^ "天池山莊裝修及防水等周邊設施改善工程 (契約編號: 109407A14)" [Tianchi Lodge renovation and waterproofing and surrounding facility improvement projects (Contract No.: 109407A14)] (in Chinese). 行政院農業委員會林務局南投林區管理處 (Nantou Branch, Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, Taiwan). 2020. Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  22. ^ a b "天池山莊綠能等設施改善工程 (契約編號: 10840738)" [Tianchi Lodge Green Energy and Other Facilities Improvement Project (Contract No.: 10840738)] (in Chinese). 行政院農業委員會林務局南投林區管理處 (Nantou Branch, Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, Taiwan). 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  23. ^ a b Chung, Hsien-Ching (2024-06-13). "The Long-Term Usage of an Off-Grid Photovoltaic System with a Lithium-Ion Battery-Based Energy Storage System on High Mountains: A Case Study in Paiyun Lodge on Mt. Jade in Taiwan". Batteries. 10 (6): 202. arXiv:2405.04225. doi:10.3390/batteries10060202.
  24. ^ "天池山莊綠能及防水等設施改善工程委託規劃設計及監造技術服務 (契約編號: 108投育字第31號)" [The Tianchi Lodge Green Energy and Waterproofing Facilities Improvement Project - commissioned planning, design, and construction supervision technical services (Contract No.: 108投育字第31號).] (in Chinese). 行政院農業委員會林務局南投林區管理處 (Nantou Branch, Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, Taiwan). 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  25. ^ "2020天池山莊太陽能發電自用-鋰電池儲能系統更新完工！" [The upgrade of the solar power generation and lithium-ion battery energy storage system for Tianchi Lodge for self-use in 2020 is now complete!]. 超倍能科技 (Super Double Power Technology) (in Chinese). 2020-03-30. Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  26. ^ Chung, Hsien-Ching (2021-07-02). "Charge and discharge profiles of repurposed LiFePO4 batteries based on the UL 1974 standard". Scientific Data. 8 (1) 165. doi:10.1038/s41597-021-00954-3. PMC 8253776. PMID 34215731.
  27. ^ Chung, Hsien-Ching; Nguyen, Thi Dieu Hien; Lin, Shih-Yang; Li, Wei-Bang; Tran, Ngoc Thanh Thuy; Thi Han, Nguyen; Liu, Hsin-Yi; Pham, Hai Duong; Lin, Ming-Fa (December 2021). "Chapter 16 - Engineering integrations, potential applications, and outlooks of Li-ion battery industry". First-Principles Calculations for Cathode, Electrolyte and Anode Battery Materials. IOP Publishing. doi:10.1088/978-0-7503-4685-6ch16. ISBN 978-0-7503-4685-6.
  28. ^ "奔馳能高越嶺道上的機車運補 機車墜谷意外背後的協作甘苦談" [Locomotive supply on Nenggao Cross-Ridge Historic Trail. A story of collaboration and hardship behind the locomotive accident that plunged into the valley.]. OurTrails 山岳報導者 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). OurTrails. 11 December 2020. Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  29. ^ "機車擅闖能高越嶺道 騎士載食材墜谷傷重不治" [A motorcycle recklessly trespassed onto Nenggao Cross-Ridge Historic Trail. The rider, carrying food supplies, fell into a ravine and died from his injuries.]. 中央社 CNA (in Chinese). 中央社 (CNA). 10 December 2020. Retrieved 14 November 2025.
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