Alishan National Scenic Area in 250 years ago, a chief of the Tzo tribe went hunting in a mountain and had great gains. In memory of the chief, the Tsou tribe named the Alishan. During the Japanese occupation, the Japanese chopped the forests and shipped the wood back to Japan. However, the deforestation had irritated the tree god that the Japanese set up a tower to worship the tree god.
Alishan is very famous for the sunrise view and the cloud ocean. The clouds are so dense and thick that the mountaintops appear like islands on the cloud ocean. The best time to watch the cloud season is autumn and visitors can go to Ziyun Temple, Alishan Hotel, Alishan Rail Station, Zaoping Park and the first parking lot. In addition, the Alishan Forest Railway is also very famous because it is one of the three mountain rails in the world.
Sun Moon Lake
Sun Moon Lake, situated in Nantou County’s Yuchih Township, in the center of Taiwan, and is the island’s largest lake. It is a beautiful alpine lake, divided by the tiny Lalu Island; the eastern part of the lake is round like the sun and the western side is shaped like a crescent moon, hence the name “Sun Moon Lake”.
Its crystalline, emerald green waters reflect the hills and mountains which rise on all sides. Natural beauty is enhanced by numerous cultural and historical sites. Well-known both at home and abroad, the Sun Moon Lake Scenic Area has exceptional potential for further growth and recognition as a prime tourism destination.
Its beauty is created by the combination of mountain and water scenery, and its 760-meter elevation helps give the impression of a Chinese landscape painting with mist-laden water and clearly defined levels of mountains. The constant changes of mists and moods on the lake make it impossible to comprehend in a single look, and thus, visitors like to linger here.
The beauty of the lake, from dawn to dusk and from spring and summer to autumn and winter, exudes an aura of enchantment regardless of whether it is bathed in sunlight or shrouded in mist. Consequently, viewers never tire of looking at in admiration and amazement.
In the early morning the surface of the lake is covered by a thin veil of mist. When the sun rises over the mountains the obscuring mist lifts slowly to reveal the lake’s true countenance, with its surface reflecting images of mountains and trees as chirping insects and singing birds lend their voices to the enchanted scene. At dusk the colors of the setting sun paint the lake a sparkling gold, transforming it into a crystal fairyland. As the curtain of night falls the lights and reflections ripple with the waves and cooling evening breezes waft in, giving rise to fascinating imaginings of fairy spirits sprinkling fairy dust on the water.
Taipei’s National Palace Museum, located in the Waishuanghsi neighborhood of the Shihlin District, is the pride of Taiwan. It ranks as one of the four best museums in the world, in a class with the Louvre, the British Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The museum holds the world’s largest collection of Chinese artifacts, around 700,000 items in all. Since the museum only has space to display around 15,000 pieces at any given time, the majority of the treasures are kept well protected in air-conditioned vaults buried deep in the mountainside. The displays are rotated once every three months, which means 60,000 pieces can be viewed in a year and it would take nearly 12 years to see them all. Furthermore, the collection continues to grow through donations and purchases. Some of the oldest artifacts in the collection of the museum are pieces of prehistoric pottery over 5,000 years old. The vast majority of these art objects are from the private collection of China’s emperors.
Included in the collection are artifacts made from jade, bronze, porcelain, lacquerware and enamel. There is also tapestry and embroidery, and many priceless documents and books containing excellent examples of ancient Chinese calligraphy. There are good tours in different languages and for the handicapped, starting from the information desk in the main lobby. The tours will run even if only one person shows up. A multimedia slide show is presented daily in both Chinese and English languages. In October, there are also special showings of rare and fragile artifacts — and this is the best time to visit.
During the normal times, the museum provides a handheld audio tour system called INFORM. The system enables visitors to create a personalized guided tour of the museum. You can simply walk through the galleries, choose the highlighted exhibits which interest you and learn about them in your own pace.
The museum’s gift shop near the main entrance is worth visiting. Items on sale include calligraphy brushes, T-shirts, books, postcards and scrolls. You can buy excellent reproductions of rare paintings for the low price of NT$50 each — probably the best buy in Taiwan. Photography is prohibited inside the museum and you are requested to check cameras at the entrance.
Just to the east of the museum steps is the Chihshan Garden, which features fine Sung Dynasty landscaping. The museum has its own restaurant. On its fourth floor is the famous San Hsi Tang where you can enjoy coffee and tea. The National Palace Museum is located in Chihshan Road in Taipei City’s Shihlin District. Visitors can take the Danshui Line of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) network and get off at the Shihlin Station, then take the Red 30 bus to the museum. It is very convenience.
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