After leaving Taipei, we drove south and east toward the center of Taiwan. Our next stop was Sun Moon Lake, Taiwan’s largest body of water. The lake is located in the foothills of the island’s central mountain range, at an elevation of about 2,500 feet. The name arises from the shape of the lake: the western part looks somewhat like a crescent moon, while the eastern part is somewhat rounder, like the sun.
The lake is a popular place for tourists to enjoy boating, kayaking, and just relaxing and taking in the views.Because the lake is so popular, there are lots of hotels and commercial enterprises dotting its landscape. It probably felt a lot more spiritual to the indigenous people when they had it to themselves.We came upon these Tai Chi enthusiasts while hiking the Maolan Mountain Trail near Sun Moon Lake.The Ita Thao street market is another fun place to stroll around in the lake district.The Wenwu Temple in the lake district features many beautiful reliefs.A temple monk doing his thing.
After our time at Sun Moon Lake, we headed further south (and up) to the Alishan National Park. At elevations of 7,500 to 8,000 feet, we were privileged to see some spectacular views while wandering the lush cypress forests that blanket the moutainsides.
Many of the cypress trees in Alishan are hundreds, or in some cases even thousands of years old.A person can feel very small among the giant trees.The forest features many beautiful remnants from the era when it underwent extensive logging.We watched the sunrise (along with a crowd of other tourists) at Mount Ogasawara in Alishan Park.
During our time at the lake and in the mountains, we had some great traditional Taiwanese meals. Family-style dining with a center “lazy Susan” turntable is the norm.
This pork is one of the traditional dishes we enjoyed.The breakfasts at our hotels featured a mix of Western and Taiwanese options. Weird flavor or tasty treat? You have to bite into it to find out.You can also give this thing a try.And who doesn’t love ice cream?When it’s time to return your meal to nature, there’s a seat for every tushy!
The central, mountainous part of Taiwan was a nice change from the big city environs of Taipei. The weather was cooler and refreshing, and the natural beauty of everything around us was a nice change too. Taipei is a great place to visit, but Taiwan has much more to offer.
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What an amazing trip you have! The pictures are fantastic! Besides being a great commentator and writer, you should be a photographer. Enjoy yourselves!
Caryl
8 hours ago
Loved the pictures. The landscaping is just so beautiful
What an amazing trip you have! The pictures are fantastic! Besides being a great commentator and writer, you should be a photographer. Enjoy yourselves!
Loved the pictures. The landscaping is just so beautiful