Cueifong Lake Circular Trail
How this path absorbs the noise
Anyone wanting to hike the Cueifong Lake Circular Trail should be able to keep silent.
© Quiet Parks International, Laila Fan/Soundscape Association of Taiwan
How does silence sound? The answer comes from a path in Taiwan. The Cueifong Lake Circular Trail is unique and full of silent sounds.
Shhh! “Shut up, listen” does not only apply to visitors of classical concerts. Even on a very special hike, nobody speaks. The Cueifong Lake Circular Trail is the world’s first silent trail. On it, people should let nature work its magic on them, mobile phones and chatter are not allowed.
The path winds around a lake on old railway tracks
In search of silence, the path leads us to Taiwan – more precisely 135 kilometers south of Taipei. There, the Cueifong Lake Circular Path meanders on old tracks around the lake of the same name. You walk along the bank over hill and dale and on soft moss cushions through cypress forests. The moss works according to the non-profit organization Quiet Parks International (QPI) like a sound-absorbing layer. Not even 25 decibels were measured here – that’s quieter than an alarm clock ticking.
Chirping birds and croaking frogs
The only thing making a racket here are the chirping birds and croaking frogs, and even those seem reluctant to make themselves heard in the green stillness.
For years, sound researcher Fan Chin-Hui and her team have tried to capture the “sound” of this place. Field research is still ongoing, but in 2018 the trail was finally declared the first “Silent Trail” on the island. Incidentally, suggestions for quiet paths and parks in Germany can also be submitted on the website.
Since then, people from all over the world have been drawn to the green “resting place” – silence has never been louder and more beneficial.