Central l East l Islands l North l Kaohsiung l Tainan l Taipei

Northern

Yangmingshan National Park

Yangmingshan National Park is a well-maintained park that features walkways that wind through colorful gardens of trees, bushes, sweet smelling flowers and grottos. From the middle of February till the end of March, a spring flower festival is held in the park, with the entire mountain covered with cherry blossoms and carpeted with bright flowers.

 

Hsiaoyiokeng Fumarole nature preserve

Another place to visit is the Hsiaoyiokeng Fumarole nature preserve, with its dense stands of bamboo. The park’s volcanic past can be seen in its valley, plateaus and peaks. The highest point is the Chihsing Shah (Seven Stars Mountain), which stands at 1,200 meters in altitude.

 

 

Keelung

Taiwan’s northernmost city and second largest port is Keelung. Its harbor has 40 deep water piers and three mooring buoys that can handle vessels up to 30,000-ton class. The port has excellent facilities for the loading and unloading of container ships- the containers depot are massive. About 80 million tons of freight is handled here yearly. Keelung’s main attraction is a large white statue and temple of Kuan Yin. The 22.5-meter statue is propped up on a 4-meter high foundation that enables the deity to watch over the entire city.

 

Wulai

Wulai, is a place in northern Taiwan where you can witness Atayal traditional culture. Beyond this town, a suspension bridge hangs across a river. From here, a footpath and mini-train take visitors to the Clear Flowing Garden, where there is a waterfall that falls into a deep gorge. Local ethnic minorities perform traditional music and folk dances in the garden.

Visitors can take a cable car across the gorge to a place in the mountains called Dreamland. In addition to ethnic performances, you can find a lake for rowing and fishing. There are also plenty of restaurants to eat and an amusement park for children. Nearby, bathe in soothing hot springs. You can even purchase traditional tribal arts and crafts, wild mountain mushrooms, chinese herbs, spices and souvenirs in the parks and stores in Wulai.

Shihtou Shan

Shihtou Shah or Lion’s Head Mountain that is 20 kilometers east of the North-South Highway of Taiwan is a pleasant tourist attraction. When viewed from the proper angle, the peak does resemble a lion. The mountain is important as a center of Buddhism. Most temples here were built in natural caves during the past 75 years. From the old stone arch at the entrance, 1,500 steps lead up to the lion head. From there, a path leads down to the tail of the lion. The round-trip walk takes about three hours with the last part being an interesting stroll through flower scented forests and patches of bamboo.