Most of these place names stem from a specific and identifiable source, be it from ROC or Chinese history, a similarly named place in China, or a Chinese folk tale or poem.

One of the more evocative names, and one which has intrigued me for many years, is the Shuiliendong (水簾洞), or "water curtain cave." A small handful of waterfalls go by this name in Taiwan, and the appellation is appropriate enough for these scenic wonders, each cascading over a dark, cave-like hollow. For the origin of the name, however, we have to look to classic Chinese literature and one of its most famous and best-loved works: "Journey to the West." In the novel, the Water Curtain Cave is the home of the monkey king, Sun Wukong.

Perhaps the most beautiful -- and certainly the most mysterious -- Water Curtain Cave in Taiwan lies in the hills below the resort of Sitou in the central county of Nantou. Though not far from Sitou, whose famous expanse of bamboo woodland is coveted by honeymooning couples, this waterfall takes some determined traveling to reach.

The mini-expedition there starts at the village of Shuili, just south of Sun Moon Lake. Leave the village by route 21 and follow it south for about ten kilometers to the small village of Hsinyi (信義). Turn right here onto local route 59. Cross the big bridge and at the junction at its far side, turn left. In another couple of hundred meters turn right just after crossing a much smaller bridge, into a lane following the valley of the Ping Lai Stream (坪瀨溪) on which Water Curtain Cave lies.It's a narrow lane, so take great care! In about a kilometer, the road zigzags up a steep hillside, high above the stream, and at the final sharp bend there's a stone sign pointing left, further along the road, to Water Curtain Cave, and right, along a track to a small but fascinating curiosity, the Pinglai Peculiar Rock (坪瀨奇景), where a large boulder lies precariously lodged in the top of a narrow cleft.

Return to the road and, if you have nerves of steel coupled with a scooter or four-wheel drive vehicle, follow it on up the valley. Less daring drivers should park the car in the parking area 500 meters further up the road and walk the remaining three kilometers to the trailhead. At first the tarmac widens and is a relief after the narrow squeeze lower down, but it shortly narrows greatly.

Follow the road ahead up the valley at all junctions (most junctions are signposted) and take extreme care in the later stages: this one-lane track must be one of the hardest public roads to negotiate in all Taiwan; there's hardly enough room for one car to squeeze through and the option to the left is a sheer drop.

A walking trail on the right passes a mapboard and wanders up the valley to the Water Curtain Cave, passing underneath a fine waterfall (a mere prelude to greater wonders a little further on) then climbs to cross a suspension bridge spanning a short but awesome canyon cut through the mountains at the foot of Water Curtain Cave. From here a breathtaking waterfall nearly a hundred meters high can be seen, plunging gracefully over the sheer cliffs off the canyon wall into the main stream below.

Water Curtain Cave is still out of sight, but follow the path over the ridge beyond and down the other side to see the full force of the main stream plunge 60 meters free of the cliff into the canyon. The sight of the spectacular fall and an even higher one plunging down the canyon wall opposite make this a place of rare spectacle. And as it turns out, monkeys DO inhabit the lush jungle that cloaks the sides of the gorge here.