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Things to Do in Nantou, Taiwan
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Plan language: EnglishMost popular attractions in Nantou, Taiwan
From the 8 square kilometers of Sun Moon Lake to the 1,748-meter elevation of Qingjing Farm, things to do in Nantou, Taiwan span mountain and water. Cycle the 29-kilometer lake loop, ride the longest ropeway in Taiwan to Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village, or watch clouds roll across Hehuan Mountain's peaks at dawn.
1. Sun Moon Lake
A lake where the water shifts between two colors and mist curls around mountain temples. Cycle the shoreline path, then soak in hot springs as the sun sets.
Quick facts: One side shimmers jade green, the other a deep sapphire blue, a natural division created by the island at the center. More than 2 million visitors cycle the 30-kilometer lakeside path each year, making it one of Asia's most scenic bike routes.
Highlights: Local legend tells of a tribal couple who dove into the lake to retrieve a missing sun, transforming into the Lalu Island that now separates the lake's two distinct colors. The Thao people still hold ceremonies here, believing the lake's mist rises each morning to bless the surrounding mountains.
2. Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village
Explore living tribal villages and ride a cable car over misty mountains to Sun Moon Lake. Watch ceremonial dances, taste traditional millet wine, and try weaving bamboo baskets by hand.
Quick facts: Nine indigenous tribes are recreated across 62 hectares, each with authentic architecture, ceremonies, and hands-on crafts. A 1.8-kilometer cable car links the park to Sun Moon Lake, soaring 40 minutes one way above the rainforest canopy.
Highlights: The park stages a daily ceremonial dance where performers leap across a 3-meter-high bamboo pole, a ritual once used by the Tsou tribe to test young warriors' courage. You can taste millet wine fermented by the Bunun tribe using a 300-year-old recipe passed down through generations.
3. Qingjing Farm
Where else can you watch a border collie herd sheep across a misty mountain meadow at 1,750 meters? Feed fluffy sheep by hand, snap photos of Swiss-style cottages against jagged peaks, and breathe crisp alpine air.
Quick facts: Perched at 1,750 meters above sea level, this alpine meadow spans 760 hectares of rolling green hills in central Taiwan's mountains. Over 1.6 million visitors come each year to wander among free-roaming sheep and take in sweeping views of the Central Mountain Range.
Highlights: A New Zealand shepherd and his border collies flew halfway across the world to perform sheep shearing shows here, turning a former military veterans' dairy farm into an unexpected slice of the Southern Alps in Taiwan. The 40-minute show draws crowds who watch the dogs herd sheep across emerald slopes with precision whistles and hand signals.
4. Xitou Nature Education Area
Wander through a primeval forest where 2,000-year-old cypress trees tower overhead. Walk a suspended Sky Trail through misty canopies and emerge into a serene bamboo grove that feels like another world.
Quick facts: Some of the Taiwanese red cypress trees here have stood for over 2,000 years, predating the Roman Empire. The forest sits at 1,150 meters elevation, which means temperatures stay a cool 16°C on average year-round.
Highlights: When fog rolls in after noon, the bamboo grove transforms into a shifting gallery of light and shadow as sunbeams pierce through the tall stalks. The 2,200-meter-long Sky Trail lifts you 22 meters above ground, letting you walk at eye level with ancient cypress canopies.
5. Cingjing Skywalk
Walk above the clouds on a glass pathway clinging to a mountainside at 1,800 meters elevation. Peer through the transparent floor at forests and valleys below while cool mountain air and panoramic vistas surround you.
Quick facts: Suspended 1,200 meters above sea level, this glass walkway stretches 1.6 kilometers along a mountain ridge with a transparent floor revealing the forest canopy below. Clear days reward visitors with sweeping views of the Central Mountain Range and the winding Wushe River valley.
Highlights: Unlike typical cliffside walks, the floor panels are frosted glass that diffuses light and reduces glare, giving the sensation of walking on mist rather than empty air. On cloudy days, clouds roll directly underfoot through the walkway's steel grating sections, making you feel like you're floating above the landscape.
6. Wenwu Temple
One temple, two gods, and a staircase that represents every single day of the year. Climb the 366 steps for sweeping lake views and a year's worth of good luck.
Quick facts: Perched on a hillside above Sun Moon Lake, this temple honors both the god of literature and the god of war under one roof. A climb up its 366 stone steps, one for each day of the year including leap day, is said to bring good fortune for the entire year ahead.
Highlights: The temple's main hall houses a towering 22-meter bronze statue of Guan Yu, the god of war, with an intensely lifelike expression that feels like he's watching you from every angle. Local couples flock here on weekends to ask the civil god, Confucius, for blessings on their relationships, creating an unexpected blend of martial ferocity and romantic hope in one complex.
7. Ci'en Pagoda
Climb 300 steps for unrivaled views of Sun Moon Lake from above. Each of the 12 floors opens up wider vistas of emerald peaks and shimmering blue water.
Quick facts: Chiang Kai-shek ordered this pagoda built as a tribute to his mother. Climbing its 300-plus steps rewards visitors with a 360-degree panorama of Sun Moon Lake from the top floor.
Highlights: At dawn, the pagoda's 12 distinct levels cast a perfect reflection across the calm lake surface below. Each floor reveals a wider slice of the surrounding mountains, with the top offering the lake's sun and moon shapes in full view simultaneously.
8. Paper Dome
A church made entirely of paper tubes that traveled from Japan to Taiwan after two devastating earthquakes. Stand inside its candlelit hall and feel the surprising strength of humble materials.
Quick facts: Paper tubes are the surprising building material for this entire structure, with 58 hollow columns supporting its weight. The church was dismantled in Japan, shipped across the ocean, and reassembled in Taiwan by a team of volunteers from both countries.
Highlights: The entire building is lit by warm light filtering through its paper-thin walls at sunset, creating a golden glow from within. Volunteers from the 1995 Kobe earthquake and 1999 Taiwan earthquake worked side by side to rebuild it by hand, passing each paper column between them like a human assembly line.
Where to Stay in Nantou, Taiwan
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Most popular day trips
Sun Moon Lake
Scenic alpine lake with cycling paths, temples, and boat cruises
Hehuanshan (Hehuan Mountain)
Popular hiking peak with sunrise views and alpine meadows
Xitou Nature Education Area
Ancient forest reserve with bamboo groves and walking trails
Cingjing Farm
High-altitude farm with rolling green pastures and sheep shows
Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village
Theme park showcasing indigenous cultures and amusement rides
Getting there
Train stations
TRA West Coast Line, connections to Taipei, Kaohsiung, and Hualien
Taiwan High Speed Rail, direct service to Taipei and Kaohsiung
Fly into Taichung Airport (RMQ) for closest access. From Taichung HSR or TRA station, take Nantou Bus or Taiwan Tour Bus to Sun Moon Lake or Nantou City.
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Comments (6)
Honestly found it a bit slow for my taste. Beautiful nature but not much to do after 7pm unless you're into tea houses.
If you're taking the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle, buy the one day pass at the counter not online. Cheaper and they give you a paper map with hidden stops.
Skip the tourist restaurants on Ita Thao pier. Walk 5 minutes to the alley behind the 7-Eleven for half the price and double the flavor.
Weather was perfect in November. Cool mornings, warm afternoons. Pack layers though, it changes fast.
The night markets here blow Taichung's out of the water. Get the grilled squid and thank me later.