Taipingshan Forest Recreation Area

Situated in Datong Township of Yilan County, the vast 12,631-hectare Taipingshan National Forest Recreation Area ranges from 500 to 2,000 meters above sea level. Tianguer and Dowan Creeks, two tributaries of Lanyan River, wind through high mountains and rift valleys. With a mean annual temperature of 11-12ºC, pure white snow falls during cold winters, while summers are cool and pleasant, making Taipingshan a vacation destination for all seasons.

The Sanxin, Nanhuda and Snow mountain ranges surround high-altitude southwestern Taipingshan. The northeast monsoon and ocean breeze from the Pacific pass directly through these mountains, which stretch from the northeast to the southwest. As the monsoon and ocean breeze advance, moist wind brings in abundant rainfall and pervasive fog year-round. Unpredictable fog and masses of clouds permeate the area, and light mist spreads throughout the clear sky, producing a sense of poetic beauty, especially in the early evening immediately following rain. Taipingshan has ten major attractions and eight nature trails to sightsee, of which, the most famous are Ciouchihze, Taipingshan, Maosing and Cueifong Lake. Ciouchihze is a valley famous for its calcium carbonate hot springs. The elegance of Ciouchihze allows visitors to have an exceptionally enjoyable time. Since Taipingshan’s Primeval Forest Park is at once magically charming yet surrounded by a bare atmosphere, it is often referred to as “Heaven on Earth.” Together with its surrounding forest and waterfowls in mist, Cueifong Lake, the largest alpine lake in Taiwan, makes for a picturesque landscape. Distinctive natural resources unique to the area can be found along eight trails. Visitors can go down Maosing by following along the 2.7-kilometer “Three-Tier Waterfalls Trail” and visit each of the magnificent waterfall’s three tiers: upper, middle, and lower. A 900- hectare pure Taiwanese beech forest is situated at the end of the 3.8-kilometer “Beech Trail” near Cueifong Lake. The golden hue of early spring and late autumn, the silhouette of bare branches in winter, and the advection frost of this rime landscape are spectacular and world renown wonders.