Things to see and do Central

The Hsitou Bamboo Forest is one of three experimental forests in Taiwan - the other two being in Hueisun (惠蓀) and Alishan (阿里山). It is by far the most impressive of the island, producing 40% of the national reserve. The National Taiwan University, in charge of the project, grows one million shoots there every year. It is possible to walk around the site, one of the most used paths (only 1.5 km) leads to the sacred tree, then to the university pond which can be crossed by a bridge, made of bamboo of course.

Situated at 2,489 m above sea level, Chushan (meaning Celebration Mountain) is a great place to enjoy the sunrise over Jade Mountain. The best time to try the experience is in autumn, when the snow-covered peaks overlook a sea of clouds that becomes purple as soon as the sun comes out. Of course, depending on the climatic conditions, the phenomenon is not systematic and sometimes the sun does not show up for more than ten days. Ask your hotel about the chances of seeing him, the reception will then take care of waking you up depending on when he gets up, around three or four o'clock in the morning. The easiest way to get to the top is by train, but it doesn't work every day. In this case, minibuses load the tourists for a few hundred dollars. For the more sporty, it is also possible to get there on foot: the hike is not too difficult. Upstairs there are stalls offering hot drinks and breakfast. If the scene lacks authenticity, it does not lack flavour: hundreds of Taiwanese tourists, bundled up in their coats, their eyes pointing towards the horizon, listen to the noisy comments of a presenter equipped with a megaphone. Then when the time approaches, they put on the tip of their noses infrared glasses and take out their mobile phones and cameras, hoping to capture the colours of this magical moment. Unmistakable.

For information on sources.

These sources are not the best known or most beautiful in Taiwan, but they have the merit of being poorly visited.

Baguashan Mountain, literally the eight trigrams, is one of the most visited sites in Taiwan because of the large 30-metre high Buddha statue, peacefully seated on a 5-metre high lotus-shaped pedestal. The Buddha is hollow and has six floors with life-size dioramas of Sakyamuni Buddha. From the orbits and auditory orifices one can contemplate the view of the Buddhist-inspired park with its pavilions and pagodas. The mountain name of the Eight Trigrams comes from the code used by traditional diviners.