Nantou, Taiwan

Reading Time: 9 minutes

Nantou, Taiwan

Region: Taiwan

---

Geographic Coordinates: 23.916700, 120.683000

Climate: Seasonal climate and weather patterns in Nantou, Taiwan?

Population: 101606

Language: Mandarin Chinese

---

Nantou, Located in the heart of Taiwan, Is a captivating region known for its stunning natural landscapes, Rich cultural heritage, And warm hospitality. This mountainous county is home to the famous Sun Moon Lake, Which is considered one of the most beautiful lakes in Taiwan. Surrounded by lush green mountains and dotted with small islands, This serene freshwater lake offers breathtaking views that attract visitors from all over the world. Besides its natural beauty, Nantou boasts an array of attractions that cater to different interests.

For nature enthusiasts, Hiking trails such as Xitou Nature Education Area and Hehuan Mountain provide opportunities to explore diverse flora and fauna while enjoying panoramic vistas. The area’s unique geography also allows for activities like paragliding and hot air ballooning. Nantou’s cultural heritage can be experienced through its indigenous tribes and traditional customs. The Thao tribe resides near Sun Moon Lake and offers visitors a chance to learn about their ancient traditions through music performances and handicraft demonstrations. Additionally, Nantou is home to several Taoist temples where locals practice religious rituals deeply rooted in Taiwanese culture.

Food lovers will find themselves indulging in Nantou’s culinary delights. Renowned for its tea production, Visitors can enjoy a cup of locally grown tea while exploring picturesque tea plantations nestled within rolling hillsides. The region also boasts delicious street food markets where one can sample local specialties like sun cakes (a sweet pastry) or try regional dishes such as bamboo rice cooked inside fresh bamboo shoots. To delve deeper into Nantou’s history and culture, A visit to Jiji Old Street is highly recommended.

This charming street showcases well-preserved Japanese-era buildings that house quaint cafes, Souvenir shops selling handmade crafts, And nostalgic train stations reminiscent of bygone eras. For those seeking relaxation after exploring Nantou’s wonders or immersing themselves in local culture, Hot springs are abundant throughout the region offering therapeutic benefits. The natural hot springs of Guguan and Dongpu are particularly popular, Providing a rejuvenating experience amidst the tranquil surroundings. Nantou, Taiwan’s hidden gem, Offers a perfect blend of natural beauty, Cultural heritage, And delectable cuisine.

Whether you are an adventure seeker or a culture enthusiast, This enchanting county has something to offer for everyone. From the serene Sun Moon Lake to vibrant street markets and relaxing hot springs – Nantou is sure to leave visitors with unforgettable memories of Taiwan’s diverse landscapes and warm hospitality.

---

---

1. Sun Moon Lake: This is one of Taiwan’s most scenic spots, known for its stunning views of the sun and moon-shaped lake surrounded by lush mountains. Visitors can enjoy boat rides, cycling, hiking, and exploring temples and pagodas.
2. Cingjing Farm: Situated in the highlands of Nantou County, Cingjing Farm offers beautiful landscapes with rolling green hills, grazing sheep, and colorful flowers. It’s a popular spot for families to relax and enjoy nature.
3. Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village: This theme park showcases Taiwanese indigenous culture through traditional performances, exhibitions, and recreations of tribal villages. It also features thrilling rides like roller coasters and a cable car offering panoramic views.
4. Xitou Nature Education Area: Known for its serene forest environment with towering red cypress trees, Xitou Nature Education Area is perfect for nature lovers who want to hike or take leisurely walks along picturesque trails.
5. Zhushan Sky Bridge: Located in Zhushan Township within Nantou County, this suspension bridge offers breathtaking views over the surrounding valleys and mountains. It’s particularly popular during cherry blossom season when the area is adorned with pink flowers.
6. Wenwu Temple: Situated near Sun Moon Lake, Wenwu Temple is dedicated to Confucius as well as two other deities associated with literature and war respectively. The temple features intricate architecture with beautiful lake views.
7. Puli Brewery Factory: Puli Town is famous for its wine production in Taiwan since Japanese colonial times. Visitors can tour the brewery factory to learn about winemaking processes while tasting different varieties of local wines.
8. Taomi Eco-Village: Taomi Village showcases traditional Hakka culture through well-preserved historic buildings such as old residences made from rammed earth techniques called Tulou. Visitors can explore these unique structures while learning about Hakka traditions.
9. Chung Tai Chan Monastery: This grand Buddhist monastery is known for its modern architectural design and impressive interior. It houses various Buddhist artifacts, statues, and offers meditation classes for visitors interested in spiritual pursuits.
10. Hehuan Mountain: Located in the Central Mountain Range, Hehuan Mountain is a popular destination for hiking enthusiasts. With its high altitude, it offers breathtaking views of surrounding peaks and is often covered with snow during winter months.

---

1. Tourism: Nantou is known for its beautiful natural landscapes, including Sun Moon Lake, Alishan National Scenic Area, and Cingjing Farm. The tourism industry plays a significant role in the local economy with hotels, resorts, restaurants, and tour operators catering to visitors.
2. Agriculture: Nantou has a thriving agricultural sector due to its fertile soil and favorable climate. Key agricultural products include tea (especially high-quality Oolong tea), fruits such as peaches and plums, vegetables like bamboo shoots and mushrooms, as well as flowers.
3. Manufacturing: Nantou has several manufacturing industries contributing to its economy. These include electronics manufacturing (such as semiconductors), machinery production (e.g., precision tools), textile manufacturing (including fabrics), food processing (such as tea processing facilities), and wood-based industries.
4. Forestry: Due to its mountainous terrain with abundant forests, forestry is an important industry in Nantou. It involves the sustainable management of timber resources for various purposes like construction materials or wood products.
5. Cultural Arts & Crafts: Nantou is known for its traditional arts and crafts industry that includes pottery making (e.g., Jiji Pottery) or woodworking skills passed down through generations.
6. Education: With several universities and colleges located within the region—such as National Chi Nan University—education contributes significantly to the local economy by providing employment opportunities for faculty members/staff and attracting students from other areas.
7. Service Sector: As in most regions of Taiwan, the service sector plays a vital role in Nantou’s economy with retail stores, restaurants/cafes offering local delicacies or international cuisine options catering to both locals and tourists alike.

It’s important to note that while these are some of the major industries/businesses present in Nantou; there might be other smaller-scale industries or businesses operating in the region as well.

---

1. Sun Moon Lake: Nantou is home to the stunning Sun Moon Lake, a natural landmark and one of Taiwan’s most famous tourist attractions. It has been an important site for indigenous tribes in the area for centuries.
2. Japanese Colonial Era: During Japan’s colonial rule over Taiwan (1895-1945), Nantou witnessed significant development and modernization. The Japanese established tea plantations, introduced new agricultural techniques, built infrastructure like railways, roads, schools, and hospitals.
3. 921 Earthquake: On September 21st, 1999, a devastating earthquake struck central Taiwan with its epicenter in Nantou County. The earthquake caused widespread destruction across the region and resulted in significant loss of life.
4. Xitou Nature Education Area: Located in Lugu Township within Nantou County, Xitou Nature Education Area is well-known as an ecological research center and tourist destination due to its abundant biodiversity and beautiful scenery.
5. Aboriginal Tribes: Several indigenous tribes have inhabited the region around Nantou for centuries before Han Chinese settlement began during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). Notable tribes include Thao (Savages) who traditionally lived around Sun Moon Lake area.
6. Chiang Wei-shui Memorial Park: Chiang Wei-shui was a prominent Taiwanese political activist during Japanese colonial rule who fought against discrimination towards Taiwanese citizens by advocating for equal rights under Japanese governance laws. He was born in Puli Township of Nantou County.
7. Taiwanese Tea Culture: Due to its favorable climate conditions for tea cultivation, particularly high mountain oolong tea production; Nantou has become renowned as one of Taiwan’s major tea-producing regions contributing significantly to Taiwanese tea culture.
8. Puli: Puli is a township located in Nantou County and is known for its agricultural produce, especially the renowned Puli rice. It also hosts the annual Puli International Fireworks Festival, attracting visitors from all over Taiwan.
9. National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute: Located in Nantou City, this institute promotes traditional craftsmanship and preserves Taiwanese cultural heritage by supporting artisans and conducting research on various crafts.
10. Shuili Snake Kiln: The Shuili Snake Kiln is a historic kiln site that showcases traditional pottery-making techniques used by indigenous tribes in the region for generations.

These events and people have contributed to shaping the history, culture, and identity of Nantou, making it a fascinating place to explore in Taiwan.

---

1. Sun Moon Lake: A famous lake in Nantou, surrounded by mountains and beautiful scenery. Visitors can take a boat ride, hike around the lake, or visit the nearby Wenwu Temple.
2. Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village: A theme park that showcases Taiwanese aboriginal culture with traditional performances, exhibitions, and amusement park rides.
3. Chung Tai Chan Monastery: One of Taiwan’s largest Buddhist temples known for its magnificent architecture and serene atmosphere.
4. Xitou Nature Education Area: A forest recreation area with lush greenery, hiking trails, suspension bridges, and a beautiful bamboo forest.
5. Paper Dome (Taomi Ecological Village): A unique structure made entirely from recycled paper tubes that serves as an exhibition space for art and cultural events.
6. National Taiwan Craft Research Institute: An institution dedicated to preserving traditional Taiwanese crafts through exhibitions and workshops showcasing pottery, weaving, wood carving, metalworking, and more.
7. Jiji Railway Station: A historical train station renowned for its charming wooden structure built during the Japanese colonial era in 1933.
8. Puli Brewery Factory Visitor Center: Learn about Taiwan’s brewing traditions at this interactive museum where you can witness the beer-making process firsthand and sample local brews.
9. Zhongxing New Village Cultural Park: Once a military dependents’ village during Taiwan’s martial law period; now transformed into an open-air museum displaying cultural relics from different eras of Taiwanese history.
10. Formosan Aboriginal Culture Center (Museum of Traditional Indigenous Cultures): Located within the campus of National Chi Nan University in Puli Township; it exhibits artifacts related to indigenous cultures in Taiwan along with educational programs on their customs and traditions.

---

---

1. Nantou County Baseball Team: Baseball is a popular sport in Taiwan, and Nantou has its own baseball team that competes in local leagues and tournaments.
2. Nantou County Basketball Team: Basketball is another widely followed sport in Taiwan, and Nantou may have basketball teams participating at various levels of competition.
3. Sun Moon Lake Marathon: Sun Moon Lake, located in Nantou County, hosts an annual marathon event that attracts both professional athletes and amateur runners from around the world.
4. Cycling Events: Due to its picturesque landscapes and mountainous terrain, Nantou has become a popular destination for cycling enthusiasts. The county organizes cycling events such as the Nan-Yu Cycling Festival to promote tourism and sports.

While these examples provide an overview of sports activities in Nantou, it’s important to note that specific team histories or detailed information about their accomplishments might be limited or difficult to find online due to the region’s focus on tourism rather than professional sports development.

---

---

1. Sun Moon Lake Swimming Carnival: Held annually in September, this event attracts both locals and tourists to participate in a swimming competition at the picturesque Sun Moon Lake.
2. Puli International Film Festival: Celebrated in October, this festival showcases local and international films, bringing together filmmakers, industry professionals, and film enthusiasts.
3. Nantou Global Tea Expo: As Nantou is famous for its tea production, this expo takes place every spring to promote the region’s tea culture through exhibitions, workshops, and tea tasting sessions.
4. Taiwan Lantern Festival: One of the most significant festivals in Taiwan celebrated during the Lunar New Year period (usually February), it features large-scale lantern displays that illuminate various locations across Nantou.
5. Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village Music Festival: This annual music festival celebrates indigenous Taiwanese culture by featuring traditional music performances by aboriginal artists from different tribes.
6. Xitou Nature Education Area Cherry Blossom Festival: Taking place between January and March when cherry blossoms are in full bloom, visitors can enjoy a stunning display of pink flowers alongside cultural performances and local food stalls.
7. Zhongxing New Village Wine & Art Festival: Held annually during autumn (October-November), this festival showcases local wines produced in the region while combining art exhibitions and live performances.
8. Jiji Military Cultural Festival: Commemorating historical events related to Jiji town’s military past during Japanese occupation (1895-1945), this festival includes parades with reenactments of military drills as well as traditional music performances.
9. Nantou County Hot Air Balloon Fiesta: This event takes place every summer (July-August) at Lihpao Land theme park where visitors can experience hot air balloon rides while enjoying live concerts and entertainment shows.
10. Yuchih Hand Puppetry Cultural Festival: Celebrating the traditional art form of hand puppetry that originated in Yuchih Township, this festival includes puppet shows, workshops, and competitions to preserve and promote this cultural heritage.

---

1. Sun Moon Lake Black Tea: Nantou is famous for its tea production, and the Sun Moon Lake region produces high-quality black tea. You can visit tea houses or shops around the lake to try this specialty.
2. Puli Braised Pork Rice (卜肉飯): Puli Township in Nantou is renowned for its braised pork rice dish. It consists of tender braised pork served on top of a bowl of steamed rice, often accompanied by pickled vegetables.
3. Shanlinxi Oolong Tea: Another famous tea variety from Nantou is Shanlinxi Oolong Tea, which has a floral aroma and smooth taste. Many teahouses in the area offer tasting sessions where you can appreciate this premium tea.
4. Aboriginal Cuisine: The indigenous tribes of Nantou have their own unique culinary traditions that you can explore at local restaurants or night markets. Some popular dishes include millet wine chicken (小米酒雞) and wild boar stew (山豬肉燉湯).
5. Xitou Monster Village (溪頭妖怪村): This themed restaurant offers a fun dining experience with monster-themed decorations and monster-shaped food items like burgers, pizzas, desserts, etc.
6. Zhongxing New Village Night Market (中興新村夜市): This vibrant night market in Nantou City offers a wide range of street food options such as stinky tofu, grilled squid skewers, oyster omelets, bubble milk tea etc.
7. Ming Yue Tang Baozi Restaurant (明月湯包店): Located near Sun Moon Lake, this restaurant specializes in tang baozi, a type of soup-filled dumplings. Their signature dish is the Three-Cup Chicken Tang Baozi (三杯雞湯包), which combines the flavors of the famous Three-Cup Chicken with the dumpling.
8. Lihpao Land Food Street (麗寶樂園美食街): Situated in Lihpao Land Theme Park, this food street offers a variety of local snacks and international cuisines. It’s a great place to try different dishes while enjoying amusement park attractions.

These are just a few examples of popular local cuisine and restaurants in Nantou, Taiwan. Exploring local markets, tea houses, and specialty restaurants will provide you with even more delightful culinary experiences in this region.

---

1. Sun Moon Lake: This is the largest freshwater lake in Taiwan and a popular tourist destination. Visitors can take a boat tour, cycle around the lake, or hike in the surrounding hills.
2. Xitou Nature Education Area: Known for its beautiful forests and walking trails, this area offers opportunities for hiking, bird-watching, and exploring various ecological exhibits.
3. Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village: A theme park that combines amusement rides with indigenous Taiwanese culture. Visitors can enjoy roller coasters, traditional performances, and cultural exhibitions.
4. Qingjing Farm: A scenic mountain resort known for its picturesque landscapes and sheep grazing fields. Visitors can feed sheep, stroll through flower gardens or hike on nearby trails.
5. Zhongxing New Village: The administrative center of Nantou County is home to Zhongxing Park – a tranquil public park with walking paths surrounded by lush greenery.
6. Cingjing Farm: Another popular farm in Nantou where visitors can experience rural life by participating in farming activities such as picking fruits or vegetables while enjoying fresh air and beautiful scenery.
7. Shuishe Pier Recreation Area: Located near Sun Moon Lake, this area offers bike rentals allowing visitors to cycle along the lakeside path while enjoying stunning views of the water.
8. Taomi Eco-village: A community-based eco-tourism destination that promotes sustainable living practices through various educational programs like organic farming workshops and nature exploration tours.

---

---