Dragon Phoenix Yue Lao Temple

From Sun Moon Lake, you only need a thirty minutes’ drive or a seven minutes’ ride on the cable car to reach Formosa Aboriginal Culture Village on the other side of the mountain. When it is raining and the surrounding mountains are covered by heavy fog, travelling on the cable car might give you an illusion of walking on a sea of clouds and entering a mysterious land.

Formosa Aboriginal Culture Village was established in 1986. Back at that time, there were only nine officially recognized indigenous groups in Taiwan. However, with the rise of aboriginal self-identification, many indigenous peoples started to ask for rightful recognition. By the end of 2016, sixteen of indigenous groups have been officially recognized by the government. Formosa Aboriginal Culture Village can be divided into three major sections: Aboriginal Village Park, European Garden and Amusement Isle. Upon getting off the ropeway, you will be first greeted by Aboriginal Village Park, where all the disappearing traditional houses are recreated. Here, visitors will gain an insightful look into the indigenous culture of Taiwan through traditional performances and archery lessons. Be sure to ask for a performance schedule as these shows run regularly.

After Aboriginal Village Park, your next stop will be European Garden. If visiting in February, you will be warmly welcomed by an array of cherry blossoms, and the backdrop of the mountain foliage is a true visual delight. During the blooming season, Formosa Aboriginal Culture Village is open until late for visitors to appreciate the lighted water fountains that "dance" to music – photography enthusiasts especially love the scene not to be missed. There is also a mini-train that takes you on a ride around the garden that will be blooming with lavender and tulips in different seasons of the year. To make your hungry stomach happy, head to the Ritz Palace (麗宮), a Chinese restaurant hidden in a Baroque style mansion. While enjoying your meal like a royalty, you will be granted a magnificent view of the vast garden that spreads out right before you. When the night falls, the garden is drenched in in lustrous lights, giving a romantic touch to the experience.

The very last stop of yours will be Amusement Isle, a kids’ paradise for sure. Amusement rides come in a variety of themes. For example, “Caribbean Splash” is for all family members to enjoy, “Maya Adventure” is a suspended roller coaster that swings and sways as it makes its way through a series of twists and turns, and “UFO Freefall” with the height of 85 meters is definitely not for the fainthearted.

The Four Great Inventions are the four most important inventions in the history of China as symbols of ancient China's advanced science and technology, including papermaking, printing, gunpowder and compass. The historical significance of papermaking is especially important for spreading knowledge. Water is an essential element in the production of paper, and the high quality spring water from Ailan Plateau (愛蘭台地) makes the Puli Township of Nantou the “hometown of handmade paper.”

Built in 1969, the historic Guangxing Paper Mill, the one and only manufacturer in Taiwan that still produces completely handmade paper, continues to impress by making innovative paper with local flavor. The traditional papermaking industry might often be overlooked, but this tourism factory will help the general public better understand its history and development. Regular tours led by local guides are available at Guangxing Paper Mill, which will be a unique way to peek into the past of this scenic little town in central Taiwan. Through a series of hands-on activities, visitors will even have a chance to experience how to make paper and hand fans themselves.

If you have never heard of edible papers, try some at Guangxing Paper Mill. These edible papers are made from flowers, fruits and vegetables such as pomelo, rose, scallion, water bamboo, basil, perilla, pineapple and many more! They are incredibly healthy and high in fiber, so why not?

The four major Buddhist organizations based in Taiwan are Dharma Drum Mountain (法鼓山) in Taipei, Tzu Chi (慈濟) in Hualien, Fo Guang Shan (佛光山) in Kaohsiung, and Chung Tai Chan Monastery (中台禪寺) in Nantou. It is believed that Chung Tai Chan Monastery is the most influential in central Taiwan.

Established in 2001, Chung Tai Chan Monastery was designed by C. Y. Lee (李祖原), the prestigious architect behind Taipei 101 and Kaohsiung 85 Sky Tower. Bearing a striking resemblance to a mosque, Chung Tai Chan Monastery is in fact a Buddhist temple with the height of 136 meters, making it the world’s second tallest Buddhist architecture after Tianning Pagoda (天寧寶塔) in China. The whole construction costs were estimated to be around one billion Taiwan dollars.

First off, the gates to the monastery are massive. Each of them is 11.2 meter tall and weighs 5.5 tons. The 1,250 doornails decorated on these gates symbolize the 1,250 disciples of Gautama Buddha (釋迦摩尼佛). As you move forward, you will be greeted by the magnificent hall dedicated to the Four Heavenly Kings (四大天王), whose giant statues are placed at four corners to lead the worshippers. Each heavenly king has fours heads, which allows them to possess the powers of the four. The second floor venerates Gautama Buddha as the primary deity. Normally, sculptors use marble to create timeless art pieces, which is relatively soft and easy to work, refine and polish, but here the statue of Gautama Buddha is carved out of solid granite. The rose-colored granite surprisingly offers a soft glow to the solemn hall.

Before leaving, make sure you spend some time visiting the Chung Tai World Museum (中台世界博物館) and the Wood Sculpture Gallery (木雕分館) right next to the monastery. The vast collections of religious relics are beyond imagination, mostly preserved from ancient China of up to 1,500 years ago. With an admission fee of TWD200, visitors will have access to both venues and get a deep insight into the holy world of Buddhism and what it has to offer.

There is even a garden hidden behind the museum, where hundreds of Buddhist statues are dominated by a touch of zen. If you need to escape from the stress of city life, noise and technology – take a nice stroll around the garden, which will make for one very zen afternoon for all. Don’t miss out!

Sitting on the mountaintop at an altitude of 954 meters, Cien Pagoda was built in 1971 and dedicated to the loving mother of then-President Chiang Kai-shek. The pagoda itself is 46 meters high, making it 1,000 meters above sea level and the most obvious landmark in Sun Moon Lake. Besides, the south-facing Cien Pagoda is a proof that Chiang was a follower of feng shui, possibly a superstitious one. Many visitors reach this highest point of Sun Moon Lake to admire a panoramic view of its surroundings, especially at sunset. On top of the pagoda, they could even ring the bell to pray for blessings and mercy towards their loved ones.

With a total length of more than 700 meters, the scenic trail leading to Cien Pagoda is quite smooth and shady, making a very pleasant and refreshing hike. In April and May, the number of fireflies will reach its peak. These little dancing fireflies create a magical illusion in a completely natural setting of enchanted forests, which will surely be the experience of a lifetime in early spring. An abundance of plum trees can also be found all around Cien Pagoda. At the end of the year, myriads of visitors flood here to appreciate the wonder of plum blossoms and to experience how to make pickled plums themselves.

A trip to the Puli Township of Nantou may not be complete without a visit to Puli Winery, but a quick break at Feeling 18 will make all the difference. Together with Sunny Hill (微熱山丘) and Monster Village (妖怪村), this chocolate shop is known to be one of the three must-visit spots in Nantou. Before opening up Feeling 18°C, the owner Master Mao had had already more ten years of experience in making chocolate. Master Mao even flew to Japan to hone and perfect his chocolate making skills.

His pair of children, both chocolate connoisseurs, encouraged him to start his own business. So finally at the age of forty, Master Mao opened up Feeling 18°C. In order to save on rent and cost of living, Master Mao returned to where he grew up: the Puli Township of Nantou. Don’t underestimate such a small shop as it is always teeming with eager tourists on weekends. The owner even had to bought an extra land nearby, serving as a parking lot to accommodate crowds of customers. To make sure that the temperature of the chocolate is maintained at the perfect 18°C, customers must queue up in line, and each time, only one group of people could get in. While waiting, you will be treated to free samples, so that makes the wait more tolerable. On a side note, their ice cream comes in many different flavors and will make a summer staple of many.

Master Mao even created a foundation to encourage reading among local schoolkids: forty books read can exchange for a box of chocolate at Feeling 18°C. Some might think that Master Mao is more like offering charities than doing business, but for him, it is the smile of children that matters the most.

What’s worth noting is that the pastry shop across the road offers free cold high mountain tea that has a smooth aroma going from the tip of your tongue, down the throat and all the way to your stomach. Have a sip if you happen to be around.

From Shuishe Pier, visitors could go a lovely lake cruise to Ita Thao Pier on the other side of the lake. Ita Thao is the origin of Thao people and continues to convey the history of this aboriginal tribe in Taiwan. Legend has it that their ancestors were originally from Alishan and chased a white deer all the way to a faraway lake, where they found an abundance of fish. They returned to their homeland, brought the whole tribe here and decided to settle down at Sun Moon Lake, as we call it today.

Tribal life is almost extinct now as there are fewer than 800 Thao people around Sun Moon Lake. But a visit to Ita Thao allows you to join a real aboriginal cultural experience combined with yummy aboriginal goodies. On the side note, the famous tea egg stall in front of the Xuanguang Temple (玄光寺) that has a super-yummilicious smell is also worth a try. When the sun starts to sink towards the horizon, the shops and hotels will be lit up with the surroundings soaked in soft ambient lights. If visiting in February, you will be warmly welcomed by an array of cherry blossoms as you walk along the trail encircling Sun Moon Lake.