Introduction    Taiwan Information    Taiwan Travel Tips     Special Interests     Sightseeing and Attractions

Sightseeing and Attractions

Miaoli Country

HOW TO GET THERE
 

The main attraction in Miaoli is Shihtoushan, or Lion's Head Mountain. This isn't one of the oldest temples on the island, but it is said to be very nice, and an interesting place to spend some restful days and nights. There are actually several temples that provide room and board for foreign visitors, and they are always affordable. However, one must be aware that these are not Holiday Inns. Monks and Nuns expect everyone to abide by the rules of the monastery, though they generally understand the differences foreigners sometimes bring to their situation. Expect to get up early and go to bed equally early. Food is well rationed, but don't be disappointed when dinner isn't rack of lamb. All monasteries are vegetarian, and that said, moderate in their culinary habits. Therefore, it is a given that one must finish everything on his or her plate.


NATIONAL SCENIC AREA

• Tri-Mountion National Scenic Area
  Historical Background : Central Taiwan is perfect for tourism due to its advantages in scenery, culture and transportation. Tsan Shan Tourist District covers the Lion's head Mountain, the Li Moutain and the Bagua Mountain, with a total area of 1,200 hectares. With the clear objectives of local, educational, ecological and sustainable tourism, the government has made great efforts in the development of Tri-Mountion Tourist District.
  Cultural Highlights : The Li Mountain breeds a great variety of birds and butterflies. From June to September, various butterflies can be found in the mountain. In addition, the local Tai Ya Tribe presents their delicate hand-made textile products. A great variety of birds and butterflies can also be found in the Bagua Mountain. The special geography here is also worth visiting.
   

AMUSEMENT PARK

• Shangrila Recreational Park
  Historical Background : Shangri-la is located in Miaoli. It is a large-scale amusement park that combines entertainment and culture. There is a Hakka culture village in the park, presenting the tradicational Hakka buildings and foods. In addition, visitors can camp and barbeque in the park. Thus, schools often hold extracurricular activities in Shangri-la. The night view in Shangri-la is also attractive.
  Cultural Highlights : Shangri-la has a European garden, water fountain and a restaurant that can serve 1000 guests. Tourists can have fun in the amusement park and walk along the forest track. The Hakka village, the wax figures and sculptures have been quite popular among the tourists. It is a place suitable for families.
   

• West Lake Resortopia
  This resort village is easily accessed by the Sanyi Interchange of the Sun Yat-sen Freeway. It offers many recreational facilities for the whole family. There are European-style flower gardens, a miniature golf course, jogging and hiking trails, a barbecue area, a roller coaster, and an amusement area for children.
   

GENERAL

• Miaoli Lion's Head Mountain
  This majestic mountain was given the name Mt. Shihtou or Lion's Head Mountain because of its northern part's resemblance to a lion's head. It is 496 meters high and is part of the foothills of Mt.Luchang. It's abundant vegetation, old trees, and temples make Lion's Head Mountain an attractive and interesting travel destination. The oldest of these temples is ShryandungYuanguang Temple built in 1894. It is a popular destination for worshippers who can also enjoy the mild winter and cool summer weather of the region.
   

• Mt. Huoyan Nature Reserve
  Mt. Huoyan is located to the north of Da-an River. It is known for its special scenery featuring sharp bare hills, and the Mawei Pine Tree Forest . In 1986, the Council of Agriculture designated the area a nature reserves. The Mt. Huoyan Nature Reserve has an interesting geological history. Its geological structure was formed by dramatic tectonic movements and consists mainly of conglomerate and sandstone layers with very weak cohesion. Natural forces such as wind and rain have eroded these mountains, causing large sections to break off, creating jagged peaks and rock strewn slopes and valleys. The best view of the mountains is from the south; they are especially magnificent at sunset, when they appear to be on fire. It is from this that they derive their name, Mt. Huoyan, which means "fire mountain". Every March and April, Mt.Huoyan serves as a stopover for migratory birds coming from the south. The gray-headedvulture, on its way back to the north from its winter retreat in the Philippines, is a frequent visitor, attracted by the mild climate of Mt. Huoyan.
   

• Sanyi Ruins of Longteng Bridge
  There is an interesting story about the town of Longteng that is revealing of the superstitious beliefs that local people once held. When the first settlers started to cultivate land in the area, they believed that Carp Lake, located nearby, was inhabited by a carp spirit which brought hardship to the people. In order to overcome this evil spirit they planted yuteng (a poisonous plant) in the Longtengshan area. At the same time they gave the mountain in the east the name Guandaushan (lit. Guan Sword Mountain) hoping that the "Sword Mountain" would cut the "Yuteng Rattan". In this way, they hoped to poison the evil carp spirit. The ploy must have been effective, for people no longer believe that the evil carp spirit harms the people of Longteng. In the morning of April 24, 1935 a strong earthquake hit central Taiwan. lts epicenter was near Mt. Guandau, and many buildings in the Sanyi district were destroyed. A reminder of this earthquake remains in the ruins of the arched bridge over Long River . It can be seen from the railway line between Sanyi and Houli.
   

• Sanyi Village / Sanyi Wood Carving Museum
  Sanyi Village is located on the south end of Miaoli County, there are more mountains than the field, and the nature of the soil belongs to high acid clay that is suitable for the growing of tea trees and camphor woods. While the village people in Sanyi were developing lands on the hillside, they found that the whole countryside is filled with camphor dead wood heads of strange shapes and sizes after long time raiding by the wind and the rain, and due to the beauty and strange shapes, these dead wood heads could become nice decorations at home through some modifications. And because of the Japanese paying highly attention to these woodcarvings, and then brought prosperity to the woodcarving industry in Sanyi. Carvings in Sanyi has been inherited for more than a hundred years, nowadays, there are more than half of the village residents in Sanyi still engaging in woodcarving industry; there are many carving stores standing in great numbers within Sanyi Village, if you take a walk down the road, you can still hear the sound of rat-tat and ding-ding from the residents who are working on their compositions. Besides enjoying interesting and strange carving compositions piece after piece, you can also taste the local special Hakka food and snacks.
   

• Siangtian Lake
  Siangtian Lake, located at Donghe Tsuen in Nanjhuang, is home to one of the smaller aborigines tribes in Taiwan, the Saisiat Every second year. the Saisiat people stage a festival called the Sacrifice to the Short People. This festival goes back to legendary times when the Saisiat are said to have shared their land with a tribe of short people. In the beginning, the two peoples lived in harmony and helped each other to prosper. Unfortunately, this harmony was destroyed by a single incident involving a man of the short people and a Saisiat women. The details of what actually happened are unclear, but whatever it was, it was enough to enrage the Saisiat people and to lead to the massacre of the short people. Subsequently, the Saisiat experienced many tragedies, which they attributed to the vengeance of the short people. In order to appease the angry spirits and make amends for the injustice of their ancestors,the Saisiat hold the Sacrifice to the Short People on the 15th day of the 10th lunar month every other year. Every 10 years an especially spectacular festival is held;the next of these big festivals will be in 2006. The Saisiat wear traditional costumes, and the ceremonies take four days and three nights to complete. Visitors are excluded from the more sacred rituals but are allowed to participate in the dancing and singing. Siangtian Lake can be reached by No.124 County Road. Nearby is Triangle Lake ,which has recreational farms where you can pick fruits, camp, or barbecue.
   

• Taian Hot Springs
  Historical Background : Taian Hot Spring was called Takeshima Hot Spring during Japanese occupation and Hushan Hot Spring after World War II. In 1978, late president Chiang Ching Kuo visited the hot spring and renamed it as Taian. Besides Taian Hot Spring, Hushan Hot Spring and Tenglong Hot Spring are also located nearby. The spring water is abundant and the cherry blossoms are graceful during the blossom season.
  Cultural Highlights : Taian Hot Spring is colorless and odorless. It is the best hot spring in Taiwan. The magnificent scenery in the area makes the hot spring even more attractive. Besides the hot spring, visitors can also play with water or fish in the rivers nearby. In autumn and winter, there are grand mountainous views in Hushan and Henglongshan (altitude 1,500 meters). The hot springs here include Hushan, Tengong and Taian and they have the same origin.
   

TAIWAN TOP 20

• Tri-Mountion National Scenic Area
  Historical Background : Central Taiwan is perfect for tourism due to its advantages in scenery, culture and transportation. Tsan Shan Tourist District covers the Lion's head Mountain, the Li Moutain and the Bagua Mountain, with a total area of 1,200 hectares. With the clear objectives of local, educational, ecological and sustainable tourism, the government has made great efforts in the development of Tri-Mountion Tourist District.
  Cultural Highlights : The Li Mountain breeds a great variety of birds and butterflies. From June to September, various butterflies can be found in the mountain. In addition, the local Tai Ya Tribe presents their delicate hand-made textile products. A great variety of birds and butterflies can also be found in the Bagua Mountain. The special geography here is also worth visiting.
   

FARMS

• Flying Cow Ranch
  Historical Background : The ample Pao An woodlands inner Hu Lin Pan was locate in Nei Ho neighborhood in Tongsiau with 110 hectares in 1980 A.D. Afterward the ample Pao An woodlands were reclaimed to be Taiwan Youth Dairy Villagewhich is now the predecessor of Flying Cow Range. In this topography, against Fire Hill, you can overlook Taiwan Strait from the ascent of the hill. And there is a historical denotation of Salt Ku path behind the mountain; this Salt Ku path was established by cobbles. In 1985, dland Youth Dairy Village has turned to be the leisure range type. Howbeit the process of turning types the ideals of the design was combining the advantage of the Japanese hacienda and the American view designing company. With ten years of layout time makes the vision today. The primary natural biome resources in the range are milk cows and butterflies. The sign of the flying Cow were designed according to these. Also with the colors of the sky, veldt, and the milk layout the peculiar sign of Flying Cow Range. In June the year of 1995 year, the range become dairy plant demonstrates area, and is opening to the outside world. Under the guidance of the council of agriculture, Flying Cow Range is developing to become Leisure range with the community type of hacienda. Providing the commonwealth a place with the natural country wild.
  Cultural Highlights : Because of raising cattle, Flying Cow Range has a great amount of manure resources. The range uses these excretions of the cattle to amend the soil, making it organic change for planting organic greenstuffs. In three-hectare organic garden area with the condition of no water and air pollutions, the range planting general family uses of greenstuffs, Supplying the uses of the restaurant in the range. And the range is heading toward to develop organic farming. The professional management on raising cattle has present multiple sight view with educational and knowledgeable. The finished layout in the range are: the butterfly garden, veldt activity area, organic plantation area, children area, and the hacienda area; And the wedding piazza, playing park, restaurant, camping area, musical piazza, blockhouse and climber footway are planning now. In here, you can have the experience of dairy lives and understand the biome of the bovine. The demonstration of the cow house is also shown here, you can see the daily life of the milk cow and experience the cow galactic production line.

BEACHES / ISLANDS

• Chihding Beach
  Historical Background : Chi Ting Bathing Beach is 3.8 kilometers away from the city. It stretches 220 meters from east to west, 420 meters from north to south, 12 hectares in area. It is a natural beach suitable for swimming. The bathing beach was developed during the Japanese occupation. However, during World War II, all the facilities were removed. In September 1959, the government opened the beach again for the development of tourism. The construction completed in July 1961 and the beach was reopened.
  Cultural Highlights : There are camping site, barbeque site, Kuan Hai Lo, hotel, restaurant, conference center and recreational area near the beach. The golden beach and the blue water are cheerful and beautiful. The Bathing Beach has developed to be a multi-functional recreational site.
   

• Tongsiao Coastal Ocean Park
  Historical Background : Tongsiao Marine Life Park is a place suitable for family visit. It is 32 hectares in area, 500 meters west from Tongsiao Railway Station. There is bathing beach, mangroves, artificial lake and windbreak forest. The bathing beach is closed in winter, but the six theme exhibition rooms are open. Tongsiao Bathing Beach is the largest bathing beach in central Taiwan. The beach and the ocean are very beautiful. The bathing beach was established in 1922. Every summer, there are many tourists coming here for a swim or barbeque. The new swimming pool is about to complete soon with artificial white sand.
  Cultural Highlights : The exhibitions rooms have coral reefs and various fishes. In the mangrove conservation zone, visitors can see birds, tides and crabs. There is even a small pasture with cows, horses and sheep. The beefwood zone occupies the largest area in the park and it is suitable to take a walk in summer and winter. You can camp in the park or stay in one of the log cabins.

Back to the Top 

Information provided by Tourism Bureau, Rep. of China.

Copyright © 2002 Orasia co.,ltd. (Asia-planet.net) All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission prohibited.