some things to do in Taiwan

I was a postdoc in Taiwan for 3 years and found some fun things to do. Here are some highlights. Some information might not be up to date.

Day Hiking
Mt. Tao and Mt. Chiyou
桃山池有山
Steep day hike from Wuling Farms 武陵農場 to gain views of the Holy Ridge. Permits needed.
Hehuan North and West
合歡北西
Full day hike, out-and-back.
Mianyue Line Hike
眠月線步道
Walk along a defunct railway line, through tunnels and over bridges. Need permits. Easy walk, need to scramble with some exposure for one short collapsed section.
Stegosaurus Ridge
尖龍稜
Lots of scrambling. There are ropes but none of them are required. Trailhead and route.
Mt. Lilong
里龍山
Highest peak near Kenting. Ascend up the gully from south trailhead and descend via stairs to north trailhead. Day trip from Hengchun 恆春 which has the best-kept old city walls in Taiwan.
Taoyuan Valley
桃源谷
Coastal ridge and some water buffalo.
Siaocukeng Trail
小粗坑古道
Footpath from mountain town Jiufen to former-mining now-cat town Houtong, passing through an abandoned village. Jiufen is a popular tourist spot, Houtong has a cool mining museum.
Taipei Triple King Crags
台北三尖之王
Wuliaojian 五寮尖 , Huangdidian 皇帝殿 and Bijia Ridge 筆架峰. Three day hikes from Taipei involving some ropes or scrambling.
Yangmingshan Traverse
陽明山縱走
Ten peaks from east to west: 頂山, 石梯嶺, 雞心崙, 七星山東峰, 七星山主峰, 大屯山, 大屯山南峰, 大屯山西峰, 面天山, 向天山. Can be a long day or broken up.
Backpacking / Very Long Day Hiking (all need permits)
Holy Ridge
聖稜線
Three nights in tent and cabins, one-way from the west to east.
North Crest One
北一段
Three night loop.
Western Batongguan Traverse
八通關越嶺古道西段
Three nights in cabins, out and back.
Cidanumas Buan
嘉明湖
Two night loop.
Snowy Mt. Syue
雪山雪
A very long day hike or two-night backpacking trip, out-and-back. Second highest peak in Taiwan, often gets snow in the winter. Rent ice axe and crampons. You can glissade down.
Walami Trail to Baoyai
瓦拉米步道至抱崖
Two night out-and-back traverse. Lots of suspension bridges and wildlife.
Yushan
玉山
One night. Highest peak in Taiwan.
Mt. Kavulungan
北大武山
Very long day hike or one night out-and-back. Most accessible high mountain, but the views at the top are obstructed. Can reserve a very good meal at the hut.
Biking
East Rift Valley
花東縱谷
Leisurely three nights. Start in Hualien and end in Taitung, using point-to-point rental. Follows the train line, you can use it to bail if rain. Can also rent at major train stations, good for day trips but the bikes lower quality.
Ruifang to Yilan Tunnels
瑞芳宜蘭隧道
A viable single-day route from station to station, but you have to make reservations to enter the Sandiaoling Tunnel 三貂嶺隧道 which is a cool attraction on its own. The other Tsaoling Tunnel 草嶺隧道 does not.
Cultural
Alishan Forest Railway
阿里山林業鐵路
Mountain line from Chiayi 嘉義 to Alishan 阿里山 built by the Japanese. Slated to fully re-open in 2024. Need advance tickets, can be hard to get.
Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute
國家電影及視聽文化中心
Theater which sometimes has programs featuring rare restorations of Taiwanese cinema.
Generalissimo Garden
慈湖蔣公銅像公園
Discarded statues of a former dictator.
Fanaw
法淖
A course on Amis culture.
Green Island White Terror Memorial Park
白色恐怖綠島紀念園區
Island that used to be the site of a political prison.
National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts in Taichung
國立臺灣美術館
Free entry.
Tainan Art Museum
臺南市美術館
Two buildings, one is a former police station built by the Japanese, the other is a new construction.
Ju Ming Museum
朱銘美術館
In the mountains, sculptures.

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