Travel and Tourism in Taiwan

Outdoor Activities and Nature

Taiwan's extraordinary topography, from coral reefs and tropical beaches in the south to high alpine peaks in the center and dramatic Pacific coast cliffs in the east, creates exceptional conditions for an enormous range of outdoor activities, and the island has developed an enthusiastic outdoor recreation culture that takes full advantage of these natural riches.

Cycling around the entire island of Taiwan has become one of the defining cycling achievements for enthusiasts in Asia and increasingly around the world. The standard route follows the coastal roads for most of its approximately 960-kilometer circuit, taking about nine days for most cyclists, and passes through an extraordinary variety of scenery from the industrial north to the dramatic east coast cliffs to the tropical south. The route is well-serviced by cycle-friendly accommodation, convenience stores with fresh food and cycling supplies, and repair services. The East Coast Scenic Area from Hualien to Taitung, where the road hugs the base of the Coastal Mountain Range with the Pacific Ocean on one side and rice paddies on the other, is consistently rated the most beautiful section of the island circumnavigation.

Yushan, or Jade Mountain, at 3,952 meters is the highest peak in Northeast Asia and a serious mountaineering objective that requires a permit from the Yushan National Park and booking at the Paiyun Lodge, the mountain hut at 3,402 meters where most summit aspirants spend the night before their pre-dawn summit push. The trail from the trailhead at Tataka is approximately 8.5 kilometers one way with about 1,200 meters of elevation gain, passing through temperate forest into high alpine scrub before the final rocky scramble to the summit. The views from the top on clear days extend across much of Taiwan and to the ocean in multiple directions. The permit system is necessary because Yushan is enormously popular and unconstrained access would damage the fragile alpine ecosystem.

Hiking in Taroko National Park beyond the main gorge road offers some of the most spectacular high mountain trails in Asia, including the Zhuilu Old Trail, a traditional indigenous route that traverses a nearly vertical cliff face above the gorge on a path barely wide enough for two people to pass, and the Baiyang Trail, which passes through tunnels and along cliff edges to reach the Baiyang Waterfall and a behind-the-falls water curtain cave.

Surfing has grown rapidly in popularity in Taiwan, with the Pacific-facing coasts of the east and southeast providing consistent swells and warm water. The best surf spots include Jinzun and Shanyuan near Taitung, where long sandy beaches receive clean Pacific swells, and the rocky points around Jialeshui in Kenting, which produce hollow, fast waves suitable for more experienced surfers. The surf culture around Taitung has developed significantly, with numerous surf schools, board rental shops, and surf-focused guesthouses catering to the growing community of Taiwanese and international surfers.

Hot spring bathing is one of the most beloved outdoor leisure activities in Taiwan, with thermal spring sources distributed across the island providing everything from radioactive green sulfur springs in Beitou to sodium bicarbonate springs in Wulai, Ruisui, and Zhiben, to iron-rich red springs in Jiaoxi in Yilan County. The tradition of soaking in hot springs, inherited partly from Japanese colonial-era bathing culture, is deeply embedded in Taiwanese leisure life, and hot spring resorts of every price point are found across the island. Jiaoxi in Yilan County, accessible in about 40 minutes from Taipei by high-speed rail, has developed into the most accessible and popular hot spring resort area near the capital, with dozens of hotels offering private in-room spring baths as well as large communal facilities.

Whale watching out of Hualien from April to October offers excellent chances of seeing sperm whales, which are resident in the deep water beyond the continental shelf off the east coast, along with multiple dolphin species including spinner dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, and the striking Risso's dolphin. The Hualien whale watching boats operate under guidelines designed to minimize disturbance to the animals, and the combination of the spectacular coastal scenery of the Qingshui Cliffs and the opportunity to observe these magnificent marine mammals in their natural environment makes this one of the most memorable experiences Taiwan has to offer.

Birdwatching in Taiwan is rewarding year-round due to the island's position on major migration flyways and its extraordinary biodiversity, which includes a number of endemic species found nowhere else on earth. The Mikado pheasant, endemic to Taiwan and featuring on the reverse of the one-thousand-dollar bill, inhabits the high mountain forests and is a prize sighting for birdwatchers. The Taiwan Blue Magpie, another national icon, is more commonly encountered and is one of the most visually spectacular birds in Asia. The annual Purple Martin migration, in which thousands of these swallows roost on buildings and bridges in Taitung and other eastern Taiwan cities, is one of the most spectacular wildlife events in Taiwan.

Paragliding from the hills above the Xiuguluan River valley near Fuxing in Hualien County offers spectacular aerial views over the East Rift Valley and is available at several commercial operators who provide tandem flights with qualified instructors for those who lack experience. Rock climbing has developed a dedicated following, with areas including the limestone crags of Longdong on the northeast coast, which offer some of the best sea cliff climbing in Asia, and various inland sport climbing areas near Taipei and in Nantou County.

Festivals and Events

Taiwan's festival calendar is among the richest and most spectacular in Asia, with a year-round program of traditional religious celebrations, seasonal events, indigenous ceremonies, and contemporary cultural festivals that provides visitors with an almost unending series of opportunities to witness the living cultural traditions of the island.

Lunar New Year, known in Taiwan as the Spring Festival, is the most important holiday in the Taiwanese calendar, a period of family reunions, religious observances, feasting, and celebration that begins in the days leading up to the new moon in late January or early February and extends for approximately two weeks. The period is marked by the exchange of red envelopes containing money gifts, the preparation of elaborate family feasts featuring symbolic foods, the lighting of fireworks and firecrackers, and visits to temples to pray for blessings in the new year. Cities and towns are decorated with red lanterns and New Year symbols, and the festive atmosphere is infectious, though visitors should note that many businesses close and transportation becomes extremely crowded during the peak days.

The Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, two weeks after New Year, is one of Taiwan's most visually spectacular events, celebrated in two particularly memorable ways. In Pingxi in New Taipei City, thousands of sky lanterns are released simultaneously into the night sky, each carrying handwritten wishes and prayers, creating a mesmerizing river of floating lights that rises slowly into the darkness above the mountain valley. In Yanshui in Tainan, the Beehive Fireworks Festival involves participants deliberately standing in the path of thousands of rockets launched from elaborate beehive-shaped structures, a dangerous and exhilarating tradition said to ward off evil and bring good fortune.

The Dragon Boat Festival on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, typically in June, commemorates the ancient Chinese poet Qu Yuan and is celebrated throughout Taiwan with dragon boat racing competitions on rivers and harbors. The races, involving long narrow boats crewed by teams of paddlers and steered by a helmsman while a drummer beats a rhythm at the bow, are fiercely competitive and draw large crowds of spectators. The festival is also associated with the consumption of zongzi, sticky rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves and filled with various savory or sweet fillings.

Ghost Month, the seventh lunar month, is one of the most distinctive features of the Taiwanese religious calendar, a period when the gates of the underworld are believed to open and the spirits of the dead roam the earth, requiring appeasement through offerings of food, paper money, and incense at altars set up on roadsides and in front of homes and businesses throughout the island. The atmosphere during Ghost Month is one of cautious reverence, with many traditional Taiwanese avoiding activities considered dangerous during this period. The final ceremony at the end of Ghost Month, when the wandering spirits are sent back to the underworld with farewell offerings, is marked by large-scale religious events in many communities.

The Alishan Spring Cherry Blossom season from late February through mid-April draws enormous crowds to the Alishan area, with the combination of cherry and plum blossoms against the backdrop of ancient cypress forests and sea-of-clouds views being one of Taiwan's most celebrated annual spectacles. The Alishan Forest Railway runs special services during peak bloom season, and guesthouses in the area book out months in advance.

The Sun Moon Lake Swimming Carnival held in September is one of Taiwan's most popular sporting events, a 3.3-kilometer open-water swim across Sun Moon Lake that attracts thousands of participants of all ability levels from across Taiwan and overseas. The event is notable for the extraordinary setting, with the forested mountains reflected in the glassy lake surface and the festival atmosphere of the surrounding camps and support areas.

The Amis Harvest Festival in July and August is the highlight of the Amis indigenous cultural calendar, a multi-day celebration of song, dance, and ceremony that takes place in Amis communities along the east coast. The traditional songs and dances performed at the harvest festival, particularly the polyphonic circle dances in which men and women of different age grades perform together in the community square, are among the most beautiful expressions of indigenous Taiwanese culture.

The Penghu International Fireworks Festival from April through June has become one of Taiwan's premier summer events, transforming the main harbor of Penghu into a nightly pyrotechnic extravaganza visible from throughout the main island. The combination of fireworks reflected in the harbor waters and the Penghu night sky, with none of the light pollution of the main island, creates a spectacular visual experience.