This lake, nestled in the mountains at the center of Taiwan , is the island's largest lake and one of its most beloved scenic spots. Viewed from the top of Chih -en Pgoda , the eastern part of the lake resembles the disk of the sun while the west side looks like the crescent moon. The lake's famous scenery can be enjoyed from its surface, by boat, or from the highway that circles it.

Official Site: http://www.sunmoonlake.gov.tw/sun.aspx?Lang=EN

The subject of a well-known song, Alishan is one of Taiwan 's top tourist resorts and well worth a visit. The area is famous among residents and visitors as one of Taiwan 's best places to watch the sunrise. The views are impressive in practically every direction. Craggy mountain peaks jut out of a sea of fluffy white clouds, which gradually turn a fiery mass of purples, reds, and oranges in a magnificent light show created by the first rays of dawn as the sun rises above the peaks.

The area was first discovered during the early years of the Japanese occupation (1895-1945) for its abundant cypress forests. There are five things at Alishan that the tourist cannot miss: the railway, the beautiful cypress forests, the "sea of clouds," the sunrise, and the sunset.

Official Site: http://ali-nsa.net/
Other Introduction: http://www.sinica.edu.tw/tit/scenery/0497_Alishan.html

This wild and wonderful gorge is Taiwan 's best known National Park and premier tourist attraction. A broad marble gorge with precipitous cliffs framing a wild white water river, Taroko is a great spot for hiking and trekking, in addition to visiting natural hot springs , remote shrines and temples and Ami Aboriginal villages. There are numerous hiking trails through the gorge, with options ranging from short walks to longer multi-day hikes, with campsites and bungalows along the way.

Official Site: http://www.taroko.gov.tw/TarokoPortalEng/0_0_0/default.aspx
Grand Formosa Hotel: http://www.grandformosa-taroko.com.tw/home/english/index.htm

The beautiful beaches and forests of Kenting were Taiwan 's first National Park, gazetted in 1984. This tropical region makes for an excellent escape from winter in the mountains, but the heat is always eased by a constant, refreshing sea breeze. The verdant forests of Sheting meet the sea in a long line of beaches, each one more beautiful than the next. The coastline is dotted with a wide range of hotels and resorts.

Kenting is a great place to relax, but there's also plenty to keep you active; Water skiing, sailing, windsurfing, SCUBA diving on the coast, as well as forest trails and bird watching inland. As soon as the sun goes down, the bars, clubs and pubs liven up the nights.

Official Site: http://www.ktnp.gov.tw/eng/index.aspx

The National Palace Museum contains the world's largest and most valuable collection of Chinese art and artifacts covering 5,000 years of history, from Neolithic times down to the end of the Cing Dynasty in the early 20the century. The treasures here include porcelains, bronzes, jades, sculptures, paintings, and calligraphy—almost 650,000 items in all. It is listed among the world's four top museums.

The exterior of the museum mimics that of the original in Beijing , and the displays in its main exhibition building are categorized into bronzes, ceramics, painting and calligraphy, and jades. Here visitors can observe how the Chinese are evolved throughout history. There is also a modern gallery that displays modern and contemporary works. The Jhihsan Garden that graces the approach to the museum was designed according to a description by the famous ancient calligrapher Wang Si-jhih and is a complete manifestation of the beauty of classic Chinese gardens.

Official Site: http://www.npm.gov.tw/main/fmain_en.htm

This impressive monument in central Taipei has a roof, designed one the Altar of Heaven in Beijing , topping a pyramidal body. The vast surrounding gardens, which contain a variety of plants and carp ponds, have become a favorite leisure venue for the city's residents. The large plaza that fronts the memorial hall is flanked by the classical Chinese-style National Theater on one side and the National Concert Hall on the other, two institutions that present a regular program of domestic and international art performances.

Official Site: http://www.cksmh.gov.tw/english/

This is one of the few national parks in the world that are located so close to a major metropolis. The Yangminsha area is comprised mainly of the Datun volcanic group, one of Taiwan 's biggest volcanic distributions, where you will find unique geological features such as thermal vents craters, and crater lakes. Hot springs and geothermal activity are among Yanmingsha National Park 's most important scenic resources. In the autumn the landscape is dominated by miscanthus blooms and embellished by red maple leaves. This is also a favored place for bird-watching in the spring and autumn seasons.

Official Site: http://www.ymsnp.gov.tw/HTML/ENG/INDEX.ASP

Night markets are among Taipei 's most popular tourist spots. These markets get under way around dusk, with vendors offering everything from jewelry and clothing to snacks and carnival games. If you want to try the special delicacies of different areas, a night market is the place to do it. The biggest of the lost is the Shihlin Night Market ( 士林夜市 ), and an additional attraction is the its proximity to the night scenes and hot springs of Yangmingshan ( 陽明山 ).

Yingge is a pottery town, known as the “ Jingdejhen of Taiwan.” The town has several hundred pottery plants, and equal numbers of pottery shops that sell their products. ? Jianshanpu Road is the origin of the local ceramics industry, and even today it has an old square coal-fired kiln chimney that serves as its landmark. If you want to learn about the development of ceramics in Taiwan , the place to go is the Yingge Ceramics Museum .

Yingge Ceramics Museum: http://www.ceramics.tpc.gov.tw/en-us/Home.aspx

Wulai is a mountain township bounded by the Nanshih and Tonghou rivers. It has abundant hot-spring resources, which are especially popular with visitors in the fall and winter. Visitors who come to enjoy the hot springs can also savor the traditional cuisine of the Atayal tribe in restaurants that line the town's streets, and they can buy Atayal handicrafts in numerous shops here as well.

Spring Park Hotel: http://www.springparkhotel.com.tw/english/main.html

Danshuei is an intensely historic town. Its role as a busy seaport has long since receded into the past, but on Danshuei Old Streets ( 淡水老街 ) you can still see remnants of those prosperous day. On the old streets you can also savor such local delicacies as fish balls, “iron” eggs, and sour plum drink, and restaurants offer fresh, inexpensive seafood.

Fisherman ' s Wharf ( 漁人碼頭 ) is located on the right side of the mouth of the Danshuei River. This relatively new attraction features a system of wooden walkways, riverbank coffee shops, and a large harbor park. The mouth of the harbor is spanned by a white “Lovers' Bridge,” offering a new lace from which to watch the famous sunset of Danshuei .

Tamshui's Heritage Trail Tour: http://www.cca.gov.tw/tamshui_www/index.htm

This rustic little town was once a bustling copper- and gold-min settlement, and it still retains a number of cultural sites along with alluring scenery--the old mines, the twin-color sea formed by runoff from mine sediments, a winding mountain road, a Gold Ecological Park, and old Japanese-style houses. The gold park and abandoned mines, along with surrounding residential areas, form Taiwan's first "living museum."

Official Site: http://www.goldens.com.tw/en/news_all.htm

Located amongst trees and hills, Juming Museum houses all the creative works by Ju Ming. From the construction phase of the museum, Mr. Ju insisted that the museum had to be funded by him only and that he would be responsible for all the details and construction himself. Originally, the building and area were intended to only house all his works, but he found that the unique setting of the natural surrounding could enhance the artistic perception and appreciation of his sculptures. Therefore, he decided to turn the area into a museum. After 12 years of effort, the whole area has been transformed into a museum. On September 19, 1999, JUMING MUSEUM, which has been received in the Taiwan arts history, opened to the public.

Official Site: http://www.juming.org.tw/opencms/juming_en/main_en.jsp