Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TOP OF CHAPTER
Huisun Forest Reserve
Located 25km from Puli, this forest research station-cum-recreation park offers a range
tp://huisun.nchu.edu.tw/home.php
; admission NT$150;
7am-10pm)
is also a prime site for
spotting endemic bird and butterfly species.
There are pleasant rooms and cabins for rent (from NT$2400; check the website for
details). Meals (breakfast NT$90, lunch or dinner from NT$220) are served in the centre
at the end of the reserve (about 5km from the entrance gate on the lone road).
(NT$137, 40 minutes) leaving from Puli's Zhongzheng Rd at 8.50am and 2.15pm.
JIJI SMALL RAIL LINE
049
Branching off the west-coast trunk line in flat, rural Changhua, the train on this 29km
narrow-gauge railway (Jíjí Xiǎohuǒchē Xiàn) chugs past some lovely stretches of rural
Taiwan before coming to a halt in Checheng, a vehicle yard and former logging village in
the foothills of Nantou County.
While the ride takes just 45 minutes, the list of things to see and do at the seven stops
is long: you can cycle, hike and monkey-watch, as well as visit temples, museums, kilns,
dams and historical buildings. The most visited stations are Ershui, Jiji, Shuili and
Checheng. You can sometimes get a map at the train stations, but they're only in
Chinese.
Most of the towns have 7-Elevens with ATMs.
History
Completed in 1922 under Japanese rule, the Jiji line supported the construction of the
Daguan Power Station downstream from Sun Moon Lake. This was the first hydro-elec-
tric plant in Taiwan; the power it generated was used as far away as Taipei. Tourism
began in earnest in the early 2000s; along with farming, it now forms the core of the loc-
al economy.
Getting There & Around
