"Breathe in Taiwan: Taipei & Nantou Nature Escape"

About the destination: Taipei is the largest city and capital of Taiwan. Surrounded by the Xueshan Range and the Datun Mountains, it offers everything from beautiful scenery and rich culture to excellent food. Taipei is a cosmopolitan, vibrant city that blends Chinese and Western influences. Temples, parks, memorials, and modern buildings fill the city and invite endless exploration. There is a lot to see in Taipei. Highlights include the Shilin Night Market, the National Palace Museum, Da’an Forest Park, Yangmingshan (Mt. Yang-ming), the hot springs in Beitou, Taipei 101, Chiang Kai-shek (CKS) Memorial Hall, Longshan Temple, and the remaining historic city gates. Taipei is exciting and full of energy, with plenty to offer on its own, and it’s also an ideal base for exploring the rest of Taiwan—a country of dramatic mountains, deep gorges, white-sand beaches, lush forests, national parks, ornate temples, and scenic offshore islands.

About the destination: Nantou County is located in central Taiwan, bordered by Taichung, Changhua, Yunlin, Chiayi, Kaohsiung, and Hualien County. It is the second-largest county in Taiwan and the only one that does not border the sea. Rich in natural resources, wildlife, and plant life, Nantou is known as the “Mother Earth of Taiwan.” The county comprises 1 city, 4 towns, and 8 townships. With an annual average temperature of about 23°C in the plains and 20°C in the mountains, Nantou offers a pleasantly cool climate throughout both the rainy season (April–September) and the dry season (October–March). Popular attractions in Nantou include Sun Moon Lake, Yushan (Jade Mountain), Lushan Hot Springs, Xitou Forest Recreation Area, Cingjing Farm, Aowanda, Tungpu Hot Springs, and the cable car at the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village, all of which are must-visit sights during your trip to Nantou.