Taiwan Travel Information, Attraction and Sights
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Mt. Ali
is not a single mountain, but a cluster consisting of 18 great mountains.
Mt. Ali is located 72 kilometers east of the city of Chiayi. This area is
called Mt. Ali Scenic Area. This whole area is densely forested with a total
forest area of 30,000 hectares. The highest peak in this mountain range is
Mt. Tower which is more than 2600 meters high.
 Mt.Ali has three wonders which are its forests, legend of clouds and the
sunrise view. Some world-wide peculiar timbers are produced in this area.
When spring arrives, the cherry trees blossom everywhere of the mountains
and plains. This beautiful scenery attracts a great many tourists every
year. On the mountain there is an alpine plant park. In this park, a lot of
fantastic and strange trees are on display.
In the summer, the temperature of the Mt.Ali area is very comfortable. So
it is the most wonderful place to avoid sunstroke in Taiwan.
Mt. Yangming National Park
 is famous for its wealth of unusual volcanic features and topography.
Being so accessible and close to Taipei City, the park attracts a large
number of visitors despite its small size compared to Taiwan's other
national parks. To most people, Mt. Yangming in the spring means flowers
blooming everywhere as wonderful as a picture. In the summer, it's the
perfect place to go to escape from the heat and in the autumn the hillsides
are covered in flowering silver grass and the occasional tree with red
leaves bringing a touch of wistfulness to the land. Amid the sharp winds and
pelting rain of winter, a rare glimpse of pale sunshine or a sudden snowfall
will bring special delight. These changing aspects show the freshness of Mt.
Yangming's scenery at every season of the year. Mt. Yangming is a magic
place for butterflies, of which the park has over 150 species. August is the
peak season for butterflies in Mt. Yangming Nation Park. The area from Mt.
Tatun to Mt. Mientien is most heavily populated with butterflies,
particularly the mid-belt of the mountain where an abundance of
nectar-bearing wild flowers form a natural sanctuary for the
insects--Butterfly Corridor.
Mt. Yushan (Jade Mountain)
 Mt.Yushan is situated in the Yushan National Park with an elevation of
3952 meters. It has 11 peaks, of which the highest are the Main Peak and the
North Peak. The North Peak is the site of the highest building in Taiwan,
the Central Weather Station.
Mt. Yushan is steep and rocky. Rockfalls and crumbling cliff faces can be
seen in a lot of places. With its precipitous peaks, it is the
must-conquered place for the mountain climbers. The rainy season last from
May to August with an annual rainfall of 3,000 to 4,700 mm. Therefore, the
best time to climb the mountain is from October to December during the dry
season. From January to March, deep snows at the upper reaches of the
mountain make climbing without experience and proper equipment difficult and
dangerous at times.
The mountain's very height results in a range of climate from subtropical
at the lowest levels through a warm and humid belt and then a cold and damp
belt, and finally a cold high altitude.
Due to the various climates in the mountain, many species of mammal, such
as black bear, wild boar, water deer, longhaired mountain goat, flying
squirrel, monkey, and rare plants of different climatic zones live there.
About 151 species of birds and 228 types of butterflies, as well as several
kinds of snakes, can also be seen on the mountain.
As you begin to climb the mountain, the Tatachia Visitors' Center is the
entrance to the Yushan trail. From north to south, there is a long narrow
meadow and crest line. To the east is Yushan and to the west is the Alishan
Mountain Range and watershed.
The walk from Tatachia to Paiyun Hostel takes about five hours and is
arduous, but not dangerous. On the way here, visitors will pass through the
"white forest," a grove of trees weathered white. With about 100 beds, the
hostel becomes much crowed during the peak tour period.
In order to see sunrise, climbers generally get up at about 3 a.m. and,
with flashlights, start the final climb to the summit. The slopes become
much steeper than those on the walk up from Tatachia, and this climb will
take 2 hours. Because winds are particularly strong at a certain spot near
the peak (it is aptly named" Wind Mouth"), a chain fence was built to
protect climbers.
After viewing the magnificent sunrise, some people retrace the route down
to Paiyun Hostel and Tatachia, while some continue down the other side of
the mountain to the hot-spring town of Tungpu. This route involves a walk of
about 1 hour along the Patung-kuan Trail which was built in 1875 during the
Qing Dynasty. Leaving the peak, climbers follow a branch of the Patung-kuan
Trail that leads 6.5km down the east face of the mountain to where it joins
the main trail. On the trail leading all the way down to Tungpu, climbers
will discover many spectacular scenes including several waterfalls, one of
which cascades down the mountain in seven steps and is known as Seven
Threads Waterfall.
Under to Tungpu is Dragon Cloud Waterfall, which drops 50 meters over a
stone cliff, runs under a wooden bridge, and then drops another 70 meters.
The final stop of the trail is carved into the vertical face of Father
and Son Precipice', after which the trail crosses the Chenyulan River and
leads into the town of Tungpu.
Sun and Moon Lake
 is situated to the north of Mt. Yushan (Jade Mountain) and to the south
of Mt. Nenggao, Nantou County in Taiwan province. It is due to the physical
features of the lake near Guanghau Island that it is named Sun and Moon
Lake. To the northeast of the island the lake resembles the round shape of
the sun while to the southwest the lake resembles a crescent moon, hence the
name, Sun and Moon Lake. The sun and moon portions of the lake are linked by
an islet. Originally named Zhuzi, this islet was renamed "Guang Hua
(brilliance) Islet" in celebration of recovering Taiwan after victory in the
Japanese war.
Originally, Sun and Moon Lake was only a small natural lake. However,
during the Japanese occupation a dam was built to raise the lake's water
level and generate hydroelectric power. It is now the largest natural lake
in Taiwan drawing water from the Juoshuei River, which has its source on Mt.
Hehuan. With an elevation of 760 meters above sea level, the lake's
perimeter is 35 kilometers, the depth of the water is 30 meters on average
and the lake area is over 900 hectares.
Sun and Moon Lake is the best known of Taiwan's scenic reservoirs,
attracting a large number of honeymooners and domestic tourists. It is
easily Taiwan's most beautiful lake -- the clear, sparkling blue water set
against the magnificent mountain backdrop is a wonderful sight to behold.
The constant flow of water through Sun and Moon Lake inhibits the growth of
lichen, keeping the waters clear and bright and allowing the rearing of
delicious fish and shrimp. Mountain peaks rise one upon another along with
range upon range of hills are green and luxuriant. The calm mirror-like
surface of the azure lake water reflects the islet in the lake and
surrounding mountains. The play of light upon the waves and the shadows of
mists offer different morning and evening scenery all year round making this
a truly poetic and picturesque place to visit.
There are many things to see around the lake and it takes at least a full
day to have a good look at this place. Wenwu Temple, Peacock Garden, Temple
of Butterfly, Xuanguang Temple, Hsuan Chuang Temple, Hanbi (noble jade)
Tower, Dehuashe Aboriginal Village, Shuantsang Buddhist Temple, and the
nine-story Tsuen Pagoda are just a few of the many places you will want to
visit. In addition to tours of the lake and bird watching, visitors should
not miss the aboriginal Shao tribe's annual harvest festival. Pavilions,
terraces and towers are wonderful places in which to enjoy the sights.
Set among the natural scenery the temples and ancient pagodas are dotted
hither and thither, adding an air of great antiquity and serenity, full of
the traditional culture of the Chinese nation. The more attractive ones are
the Hsuan Chuang Temple at the foot of Blue Dragon Mountain and the Tannan
and Wen Wu Temples half way up the mountain, Taipei.
Inside the Hsuan Chuang Temple a statue of the eminent monk Hsuan Chuang
of Tang Dynasty is enshrined. The horizontal inscribed board "National
Master of Law" is hung inside the temple. At the back part of the temple,
there is a staircase of stone of 1300 odd steps leading upwards to the Hsuan
Chuang Hall. The Temple, standing tall and imposing, brilliant and grand, is
full of national characteristics.
The Wen Wu Temple is constructed alongside the mountain and projects an
air of power and grandeur. The building is magnificent indeed, with red
eaves gutter and green tiles, high towers and superb pavilions. A statue of
Confucius is enshrined in the Wen Temple while in the Wu Temple a statue of
Guan Yu (a famous General in Han Dynasty) is enshrined. Statues of Holy
Farmer King, Wen Chang King and the Jade Emperor are also worshipped here.
The Taipei National Palace Museum
 and the famous Forbidden City in
Beijing are derived from the same
institution, which was split into two as a result of the Chinese Civil War.
Covering a total area of 1200 mu (about 198 acres), the National Palace
Museum is located in the outskirts of Taipei City, Taiwan. Construction
started in 1962 and the museum was inaugurated on November 12, 1965, the
100th anniversary of the birth of Sun Yat-sen (1866-1925), the great Chinese
revolutionary and founder of the Republic of China. Thus, the museum is also
named as Yat-sen Museum. The splendid architecture of the structure is
modeled on the Forbidden City in Beijing and incorporates elements of
traditional Chinese royal design in feudal society. The museum itself has
four floors. The first, second and third floors are used for exhibitions,
while the fourth floor is a lounge where visitors can rest.
The Taipei National Palace Museum houses the largest collection of
priceless Chinese artifacts and artwork in the world, including ancient
bronze castings, calligraphy, scroll paintings, porcelain, jade, and rare
books, many of which were possessions of the former imperial family. The
full collection, which consists of some 650,000 pieces, spans many
dynasties. Each exhibit, however, puts on display only about 1,700 pieces at
a time. At this rate, assuming a duration of three months for each exhibit,
it will take 100 years to cycle through the entire collection! Incredible!
On the left side of the museum hall is Chih-shan Garden, which showcases
many of the elements of traditional Chinese gardening art. Inside the
garden, pavilions, little bridges, flowing water, winding paths and green
trees combine to create an atmosphere of simplicity and serenity. On the
pillars of the pavilion, verses of well-known calligraphers are carved,
increasing the beauty of the area and the pleasure of visitors-even those
who cannot read the graceful characters.
On the right side of the museum hall is Chih-te Garden. Strolling through
it, you will marvel at the beauty of the pavilions, bridges and ponds that
grace this garden, especially in autumn, when the cool wind carries the
fragrance of the lotus and sweet-scented osmanthus.
Also part of the Taipei National Palace Museum is the Chang Dai-ch'ien
Memorial Residence, which was the home of the celebrated painter Chang Dai-ch'ien
(1901-1984).
One of the treasures of this museum is a jade cabbage, which was part of
the dowry of Concubine Jin in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). What's amazing
about this jade cabbage is that it is carved from a single piece of jade
that is half grey and half emerald green. The artist carved the leaves from
the green part and used the grey part as the outside of the cabbage. Two red
katydids posed on the cabbage make this work of art so realistic that if you
nipped it with your fingernails you would expect to see juice drip from the
wound. When it was carved, cabbage stood for the purity of a family, while
the katydids were the symbol of many children-obviously good symbolism for
an object that was part of a dowry.
It is said that originally the jade cabbage was the dowry of Concubine
Zhen. So why was it found in the room of Concubine Jin? The answer is that
Concubine Jin and Concubine Zhen were sisters. When Emperor Guangxu chose
them as concubines, their father prepared munificent dowries for them.
Concubine Jin loved jewelry, so she was given a huge amount of money and
valuables; while her little sister Concubine Zhen was fond of books, so her
father gave the priceless jade cabbage to her. When Concubine Jin discovered
that there was no jade cabbage in her box, she became angry and cried. In
order to comfortable her elder sister, Concubine Zhen gave the treasure to
Concubine Jin, thus making it part of her sister's dowry.
Taipei 101
 in the Hsinyi dist., Taipei, Taiwan; also known as the Taipei Financial Center. With 101 stories and reaching 1,671 ft (509 m) high, Taipei 101
became the world's tallest building when it was topped out in 2003,
surpassing the Petronas Towers; construction, which began in 1999, was
completed in 2004. Designed by C. Y. Lee & Partners, the multiuse
steel-and-glass skyscraper echoes a traditional Chinese pagoda with its
soaring podium base, eight tiers of eight stories (a number that is a
homophone for prosperous growth in Chinese), and narrow pinnacle tower and
spire. A 18-ft (5.5-m), 882-ton (800-metric-ton), ball-shaped damper located
near the top counteracts swaying during earthquakes and typhoons.
Kenting
Sunny skies, pristine white beaches and the deep blue waters of the
Pacific have made Taiwan’s Kenting a surfing Mecca for beach lovers from
around the globe. Along with some of the most beautiful beaches in the
world, Kenting offers a wealth of fascinating tourist activities from
spectacular mountain trails to first class restaurants and excellent
shopping.
Situated in the southern tip of Taiwan on the Hengchun Peninsula, Kenting
covers an area of more than 17,700 hectares boasting a coastline literally
dotted with surf and bathing beaches. The area’s natural wonders and the
idyllic tropical climate attract both local and overseas visitors, who come
to marvel at this extraordinary landscape where the mountains meet the sea.
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