Nantou lies at the heart of Taiwan and is it's only landlocked county. It is known for its rugged natural landscapes and mountains, and includes the highest mountain in East Asia. If you come to Taiwan you should definitely pass through this place and stop by at some of the sights we will mention below.
In this blog we will visit the following places:
Let's get started with the list! Climbing Jade Mountain in one Day (Yushan) 外國人單攻玉山 
Climbing Jade Mountain, the highest peak in East Asia, is a major travel destination for people from all over the world. It takes some fitness to climb and requires 1-2 days. As much as people like to play down how hard it is, the last 2.4 K, 550 meter climb at 3000+ meters （1.5 mile, 2000 foot climb at 10,000 feet) are a tough test for anyone. But, climbing it in one day gives you more flexibility time wise, is easier to get a spot, and takes less time...(read more)
Hours: You must leave for Paiyun lodge before 9 AM. Permits: The mountain permit and park entry permit can both be applied for online. Some special requirements for the day hike though are that you must have experience climbing mountains above 3000 meters in the past 5 years. All you have to do is upload a picture of yourself on top of a mountain above 3000 meters and tell them which mountain it was. Also, you must give the park personal information such as name, age, and ID or passport number. How to get there: Fom Chiayi: Take provincial highway 18 east until the edge of Chiayi, you will see the trail-head on the right going up the mountain. From Xinyi Township: Take provincial highway 21 west up the mountain. Please note this road is only open during daylight hours due to rock falls. The Ultimate Guide to Sun Moon Lake 日月潭極限指南 
Sun Moon Lake is a beautiful scenic area in Taiwan and a popular tourist destination. Besides the lakeside scenery, one can also enjoy boat rides, Taiwanese street food, gift shops, temples, a gondola, aborigine theme park, and more. It is for sure a must-see destination for anyone coming to vacation in Taiwan...(read more)
Background: Sun Moon Lake (aka Zintun in local Thao language) is the largest natural lake in Taiwan and home of the aboriginal Thao tribe. According to legend, a white deer led the tribe to the lake, and is now trapped in a marble stone on Lalu Island, which is sacred ground to them. The name "Sun Moon Lake" comes from the different colors of the water in the lake, some of it being murky and on other parts of the lake, clear. Another account says that the name comes from parts of the lake being round like the sun, and other parts of the lake being curved like the moon. The first hydroelectric plant was built on the lake in 1919 by the Japanese, which was later taken over by the ROC government. The hydroelectric power is part of a system of hdro power plants running from Wushe to Sun Moon Lake down to Shuili Township, and includes at least 8 plants. Sun Moon Lake Scenic area was created in 2000. The lake attracts visitors from around the world from year round for its beauty and surrounding sights, and is also known for the annual Sun Moon Lake Swimming Carnival which thousands of people attend each year. How to Get There: Bus: There are buses (Ubus/Kbus/etc) that leave all day from Taichung Station. By Car: Take National Highway 6 from Taichung up to Puli, and then follow the signs on highway 21 down to Sun Moon Lake. You can also take a car/scooter up highway 21 up from Shuili Township further south. Boat: You can circle the lake via three spots: Shuise Pier, Xuanguang Pier, and Ita Thao Pier. Price: Scenic Area Entrance: Free Parking: Around 100 NT per day for cars Boat Ride: 300 NT per person Gondola Ride (Ropeway): 300 NT per person Formosan Aboriginal Cultural Village: 850 NT per person Hours: Scenic Area: 24/7 Parking: 24/7 Boat Ride: roughly 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM every day Gondola Ride: 10:30 AM - 4:00 PM every day Formosan Aboriginal Cultural Village: 9:30 AM- 5 PM every day Jiuzu Cultural Village 九族文化村 
At the other side of the gondola you will find yourself at Formosan Aboriginal Cultural Village, which is an aborigine themed theme park. It has the tallest roller coaster ride in Taiwan, as well as a full theme park, gardens, aboriginal cultural exhibits, aboriginal parades, and shows...(read more)
Price: 850 NT per person Hours: 9:30 AM to 5 PM How to get there: By gondola: Take the gondola from Sun Moon Lake By Car/Scooter: From Puli, take county road 67 southeast until you reach the park. Xitou 溪頭 
Xitou, officially known as Xitou Nature Education Area (溪頭自然教育園區) is a forested nature park in Nantou County Taiwan. The park includes a forest sky-walk, bamboo forests, forest experiments, over 70 species of bird, and a monster themed village. It is a great day trip for nature lovers and hikers, and a unique way to enjoy Taiwan's ecology....(read more)
History: The Xitou experimental forest was set up during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan under the University of Tokyo. After the ROC took control of Taiwan, the area was changed to a nature reserve. In 2016, the thousand year old pine tree that once sat in the park fell over after heavy rain, and its seeds were used to plant more trees. Hours: 7 AM to 5 PM every day Price: 200 NT per person 100 NT for parking How to get there: By Car/Scooter: Take county road 151 toward Lugu and Xitou. Xitou nature area is at the very end of the road. By Bus: There are many direct busses to Xitou from Taichung (also Caotun and Nantou). Qingjing Farm 清境農場 
Qingjing Farm (aka Cingjing Farm) is a high mountain farm in Renai Township of Nantou County. It features beautful mountain scenery, sheep petting zoo, animal shows, horse riding, and horesmanship shows...(read more)
Price: Full adult ticket: 200 NT on holidays, otherwise 160 NT Student ticket: 130 NT Elderly/disabled/children 6-12: 80 NT Groups over 30 people: 120 NT Hours: 8 AM - 5 PM every day! How to get there: By Bus: From Taichung, take the Kbus, Nantou Bus, or Quanhang bus to the Puli bus station. You can also take Kbus from Taipei Main station straight to the Puli bus station. From there, you can buy entrance tickets to Qingjing and round trip bus tickets all in one via Nantou bus. The bus will leave and come back to Puli Station. Be sure to take the bus all the way to the Qingjing entrance. By Car: Take national Highway 6 to Puli and then continue onto provincial highway 14 all the way to Qingjing farm. There are private parking lots above the entrance for about 200 NT a day, and there are usually extra spots even on a busy day. Hehuanshan - 合歡山 
Hehuan Mountain (aka Hehuanshan or Mt. Hehuan) may be the most popular place to see snow in Taiwan, partly due to the fact that it has the highest public road in the country (located at Wuling (武嶺). Most people in Taiwan live at or near sea level in a tropical/subtropical environment that never has snow. However, it does snow in Taiwan at many places with higher elevations, such as Yangmingshan, Jade Mountain, Alishan, Snow Mountain, etc. If temperatures get low enough between December and February, snow is possible to fall wherever the elevation is high enough in Taiwan. However places like Hehuanshan are special because you can drive a vehicle right to the top...(read more)
Hours: 24/7 unless otherwise closed by the department of transportation When to Go: It snows on Hehuanshan usually December to February. You can check the current weather for Hehuanshan here and live video feed of the mountain and ground conditions here. Price: Free How to Get There: Take provincial highway 14 from Puli, and keep going after your reach Qingjing Farm. Alos you can take Provincial Highway 8 from Taroko Gorge National Park. Stop when you reach the very top of the road, the Wuling parking lot. Traffic Control: Buses and large truck are not allowed. Sometimes chains are required (no one has chains in Taiwan). Jiji Railway Line 集集線 
Another popular destination in Nantou is the historic Jiji Railway Line. It was completed in 1922 to complete waterworks around Sun Moon Lake. Later it was converted into a transportation line. Currently it has seven stations: Ershui. Yuanquan, Zhuoshui, Longquan, Jiji, Shuili, and Checheng. Many of these stops have tourist markets and interesting sites within walking distance.
Price: 44 NT one way Hours: 6 AM to 9 PM How to get there: Trains leave to the Jiji Railway from Zhanghua Station, Yuanlin Station, Tianzhong Station, and Shuili Station. Ershui Songbo Temple Trail 二水松柏廟步道 
The Songbo Temple Trail runs through the forest that goes from Ershui Village in Changhua County up the mountain to Songbo Temple in Nantou County. Along this trail one can spot lots of Formosan Macaques which are indigenous to Taiwan. If you come, you can enjoy a sure sighting of monkeys, but for your safety do not feed them or get close to them...(read more)
Length: 1.4KM one way, about 250 meters of elevation gain. Plan about 3 hours for this hike, or more if you stop for a while to look at Monkeys. Hours: 24/7 Price: Free How to get there: By Car/Scooter: From Ershui, cross to the west side of the tracks and north to Fengbai Raod (豐柏路) until you reach the trail entrance at Fengbo Plaza (豐柏廣場). By Train: Take the TRA to Ershui station. From there, walk (1.5KM, 20 minutes) or take a taxi to the trail entrance at Fengbo Plaza (豐柏廣場). Jiji Wuchang Temple 集集武昌宮 
The Jiji Wuchang Temple (aka 921 Earthquake Museum 九二一地震紀念館) in Jiji Township of Nantou County is a monument to the 921 earthquake that hit Taiwan in 1999, which killed thousands of people. The temple stood near the epicenter of the earthquake, and the first floor of the temple collapsed. Now a new temple has been built but the old one has been left untouched, a testament to the power of the 921 earthquake...(read more).
Hours: 24/7 Price: Free How to get there: By Car/Scooter: From Mingjian, take provincial highway 16 east toward Jiji. Turn left on Bazhang Street in Jiji and you will see the temple on your left. By Train: Take the Jiji train line from Yuanlin all the way to Jiji Station. The temple is about a 1KM walk northeast from the station. Nantou Houtanjing Sky Bridge 猴探井天空之橋 
Nantou's Houtanjing Sky Bridge (aka just Sky Bridge) is a tourist attraction near Nantou City, which features great views of Yuanlin and Changhua county. If you visit Nantou, this place should definitely be on your list...(read more)
Background: Nantou Sky Bridge was built in 2009 at a price of 20 million NT by the Houtanjing National Scenic area. It is 204 meters long, and sits 70 meters above the valley below. Only 150 people are allowed on the bridge at a time. Hours: 8:30 to 5:30 Price: 50 NT per person How to get there: By Car/Scooter: Take highway 139 from Nantou City up the mountain until you reach the bridge. By bus: From Yuanlin TRA Station, you can take Changhua Bus 6925A to Xiaping, and from there it is about a ten minute walk to the bridge. Chung Tai Shan Monastary 中台山寺廟 
The Chung Tai Shan Monastery in Puli, Nantou County (aka Chung Tai Chan Buddhist Temple) is a large monastery, built by the same architect that built the Taipei 101. The building features a full size wooden pagoda inside the main tower, as well as a Buddhism museum. It is the tallest Buddhist Monastery in the world.
Hours: 8 AM to 5:00 PM every day Price: Free How to get there: Car/Scooter: Take County Road 78 out of Puli (Shoucheng Raod) and continue north until you see the large monastery. It is hard to miss. There is free parking near the monastery. Bus: Take an intercity bus from Taichung to Puli Bus Station. From there, take Nantou Bus 6651C to Chung Tai Monestary Station. 99 Peaks Forest Trail 九九峰森林步道 
The 99 Peaks Trail (aka Jiujiufeng Forest Trail or 九十九峰) in Caotun Township of Nantou County is one of the most unique and beautiful places in Taiwan. It features extremely steep grassy hills that look like they are from a cartoon. This is due to the easily eroding sediment that they are made out of. Taiwan's torrential rains and earthquakes have sped up the erosion on these hills, making them especially steep and pointy, and creating what looks like 99 peaks on the horizon. From the trail one clearly see the jagged 99 peaks as well as beautiful views of Caotun and Nantou.
Hours: 24/7 Price: Free Length: 1 KM one way About 1 hour total About 200 meters of elevation gain. Difficulty: Easy How to get there: By Car: Take National Freeway 6 toward Puli and get off at the east Caotun interchange. Then drive east on provincial highway 14 until you reach Jianxing Rad intersection on the other side of the river. Turn left and keep going until you reach the trail head. By Scooter: Ride east on provincial highway 14 until you reach Jianxing Rad intersection on the other side of the river. Turn left and keep going until you reach the trail head. By Bus: Take bus 6268A east out of Caotun and get off at Pinglin Station. From there it is about a 20 minute walk to the trailhead. Places we missed:
Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for more of our guides to Taiwan, or check out our blog index or blog map on this site.
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Author 作家We are US Expats that have extensive experience living, working, and travelling in Taiwan. In our day, we had to learn many things about Taiwan the hard way. But we have come to learn that Taiwan is one of the best places in the world for Foreigners to live. Our blog does not represent the opinions of every foreigner in Taiwan. We are just trying to help others learn more about this beautiful country. Archives 檔案
June 2023
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