Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
breakfast from NT$3600, 30% discount weekdays)
, which looks out onto the canyon. Guests
and nonguests can also cross the chasm on the highest suspension bridge in the east. Just
up the road from the hotel on the left is a
sichuan restaurant
with OK food and an Eng-
lish menu.
Wulu is well known to birdwatchers, and organised tours frequently stop there. En-
demic species to watch include the Taiwan partridge, mikado pheasant and rusty laugh-
ing thrush.
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Lisong Hot Spring
Arguably the most beautiful natural hot spring in Taiwan, Lisong (Lìsōng Wēnquán) is a
must-visit for any lover of the sublime in nature who's also up for a challenging hike. For
here, at the base of a deep river valley, aeons of mineral deposits have painted a small
limestone grotto shades of deep green, white, red and black. Steam rises from the rocks,
and hot-spring water bubbles and spits and streams from fissures and cracks in the
canyon walls. Stand in the right place and you're in a hot-spring shower. It's as good as it
sounds.
To get to the springs, exit the highway around Km168 (about 8km to 9km up from
Litao) onto a narrow marked farm road in the village of
Motian
(
Mótiān
). Follow the road
for a kilometre or so to the trailhead and then head down. The way is exceptionally steep;
be careful not to impale yourself on the 'trail improvements'. When you reach the river,
the springs are to the left, and require a couple of crossings. It's best to save this for the
dry winter months.
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Siangyang Forest Recreation Area & Jiaming Lake Na-
tional Trail
Another 12km along from Lisong Hot Spring, this forest recreation area (Xiàngyáng
Sēnlíng Yóulè Qū; elevation 2300m) was at the end of the drivable road at the time of
writing. Not a bad end, all things considered, as Siangyang offers prime birdwatching in
the old cypress and pine forests, and a three-day national trail to
Jiaming Lake
(
Jiāmíng
Hú
). The elliptical alpine lake (elevation 3310m), gem-like on a sunny day, attracts a
great deal of wildlife and your chances of spotting endemic yellow-throated martens and
