Welcome to Top Movie Picks, the show plunging into fascinating topics, cutting through the noise for crucial insights. Today, we venture into Taiwan's untamed mountains*, where folklore and cold reality often blur. Drawing from a YouTube video featuring a film producer and a mountain guide, we'll unveil legends, chilling encounters, and unwritten rules.

Surprisingly, most mountain accidents in Taiwan occur on mid-level mountains, not the highest peaks. This is due to environmental factors like sudden, dense fog and labyrinthine old logging routes, which cause profound disorientation and lead to hikers getting lost. The most dangerous mountains often trick your senses.

We explore the distinct legend of the Yellow Flying Man, separate from the Red-Clad. Its origins trace to Jade Mountain's Paume Lodge, from its first or second manager's alleged sighting. The yellow nylon raincoat, a luxury item then, is its iconic attire. This figure has a profound duality: sometimes causing disorientation, but often viewed by indigenous perspectives as a benevolent helper, guiding the lost to safety. Cultural beliefs profoundly shape these interactions.



Prepare for chilling, personal accounts. The "Kingshaw incident" at Kika Mountain Lodge details a guide waking to find his head inexplicably turned 180 degrees in a specific bunk, leading him to always swap bunks there. Jade Mountain Lodge staff exhibit remarkable composure with strange late-night knocks by checking for "feet" under the door; if none, they calmly refuse entry, protected by their purpose. They also use the stark but effective method for finding lost hikers: "where there are people, there is trash".

Experts strongly caution against trusting unknown figures in the mountains. These could be mountain spirits/gods, or dangerous "mountain rats" (bandits/poachers), blurring real and supernatural threats. A Kilai East Peak hiking club experienced this ambiguity, hearing unidentifiable voices and seeing an impossibly fast light.

Mountains have their own code, blending physical dangers and spiritual boundaries. We'll discuss crucial unwritten rules of the wilderness. For example, cutting a rare tree without informing its spirit led herbal medicine students to get lost until they discarded the wood. Relieving oneself also has sacred rules: avoid historical sites, areas associated with immortals, and never ancient indigenous slab houses (Mu); a team got lost after a member confessed to this disrespect. A vital safety tip: never shout for help if you see distant lights at night, as they might belong to armed "mountain rats".



The line between reality and "something else" intensely blurs in personal encounters. A guide recounts a harrowing sunrise hike where a team member walked steadily towards a cliff, convinced an apparition of the guide was leading him to his death. Lastly, a night hike to the Golden Shrine included feeling followed by unseen rustles, seeing a non-existent white stone pillar, a gas lamp inexplicably extinguishing and relighting as a white-robed figure appeared, causing terror and the lamp to go out again.

This journey profoundly challenges our perception of what's real under duress. It emphasizes respecting nature on multiple levels: its physical challenges, ancient unseen aspects, and the sheer power of the human mind. These unwritten rules represent ancient, practical wisdom for navigating a powerful, unpredictable environment. The next time you're in nature, consider what might be real, legend, or a trick of your mind, and prepare for all possibilities.

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