THE ROVER

From fame to downfall and back again, A-Gong’s journey through Taiwan’s mountains is a true story of adventure, resilience, and redemption.

Zhao Guo-gong, known as A-Gong, worked as a high-altitude mountain collaborator.
In the 1970s, when mountaineering tourism was booming in Taiwan,
the young and promising A-Gong served as a mountain guide,
as well as the high-altitude guide for a TV program.
It seemed his life was on a smooth path, ready to ride the wave of Taiwan’s mountaineering craze.
However, a few years later, after earning enough money,
he abandoned his mountaineering career to open a pawnshop in downtown Kaohsiung.
Due to poor management and substantial gambling debts, he was pursued by creditors and wanted by the police.
With nowhere to turn, he went into hiding, eventually seeking refuge on Yushan.
After two months, realizing there was no escape from the law,
he descended the mountain and surrendered, serving a nine-month prison term.
After completing his sentence, he gained a new understanding of life.
He sold his ancestral property and returned to the mountains as a collaborator.
For many years now, he has been working at 99 Mountain Lodge and 369 Mountain Lodge.
A-Gong’s unique personal style has left a lasting