A lake at 748 m, a road pass at 3,275 m, a cedar forest, a monastery of granite and glass, and a branch railway that survived an earthquake. Here is what is worth your time, and how to reach each one.
Nantou divides neatly into four. Sun Moon Lake and its ring of villages and temples sit in the middle. North-east of it the road climbs through Cingjing to the high alpine terrain of Hehuanshan. South, above Lugu, are the cedar and bamboo forests of Xitou and Sun Link Sea. And scattered between them are the county’s cultural set pieces — Chung Tai Chan Monastery near Puli and the Jiji branch line down the river valley.
Sun Moon Lake & around Taiwan’s great mountain lake
The largest body of fresh water in Taiwan, held in a bowl of forested mountains at 748 m. A ropeway, a ring of temples, a famous cycling path and a ferry between three villages make it the country’s most complete lakeside destination.
Sun Moon Lake & around 
Sun Moon Lake & around Dragons above the north shore
A vast three-tiered temple on the northern shore, rebuilt in bold northern-Chinese palace style when the lake was dammed. Two enormous stone lions guard the entrance and the terrace offers the single best free view of the lake.
Sun Moon Lake & around Culture park and theme park in one
A large hillside park combining reconstructed villages of Taiwan’s indigenous peoples, daily song and dance performances, a European garden and a proper amusement park — linked directly to the lake by the ropeway.
High mountains Taiwan’s little Switzerland
Rolling alpine meadows at 1,750 m where hundreds of sheep graze against the wall of the Central Mountain Range. Add the elevated Skywalk, a sea of cloud most mornings and temperatures ten degrees below the plains.
High mountains The peak you can drive to
Taiwan’s most accessible high mountain: a road tops out at 3,275 m, putting genuine alpine terrain, snow in winter and an internationally certified Dark Sky Park within reach of anyone with a car and a warm jacket.
High mountains 
Forests & bamboo Cedar cathedral at 1,150 m
A former National Taiwan University experimental forest turned reserve: towering Japanese cedar, a 180 m walkway suspended through the canopy, a bamboo hall and a sunken pond, all a good ten degrees cooler than the lowlands.
Forests & bamboo Gloriously strange and full of snacks
A Japanese-styled resort street at the gates of Xitou, built around Taiwanese folk monsters and a tall tale about a Japanese forester. Red lanterns, a craft brewery, a famous bakery and cheerfully odd mascots everywhere.
Forests & bamboo Waterfalls, peonies and cloud forest
A high forest resort at 1,600 m in the folds above Xitou, reached by a spectacular mountain road. Famous for its spring peony garden, a 116 m waterfall and boardwalk trails through permanently misty cloud forest.
Temples, towns & railways A cathedral of modern Buddhism
One of the most extraordinary religious buildings in Asia — a 150 m tower of granite, glass and bronze rising out of the fields near Puli, designed by C. Y. Lee, the architect of Taipei 101. The interior is astonishing and free to visit.
Temples, towns & railways Taiwan’s most charming branch line
A 30 km single-track railway from Ershui to Checheng, running through banana groves and river gorge past wooden stations that survived the 1999 earthquake. The end of the line at Checheng is a restored logging village.
Sun Moon Lake, the meadows of Cingjing and a road to 3,275 m — all within two hours of Taichung. Compare tours, tickets and transfers and book in a couple of taps.
