Extraordinary mountain scenery in central Taiwan beckons hikers, tourists

Due to the way the mountains here were formed in the time before humans, many picturesque and scenic spots dot the island's mountain highways and country roads that run through almost every county, turning parts of Taiwan into one giant postcard collection. Internet bloggers and amateur photographers have already uploaded thousands of splendid photographs of the mountain scenery across Taiwan, and several photo book collections feature this green and grandiose scenery in print.

But there's nothing like driving up into the mountains — or even going by bus or train — to see for yourself with camera in hand. One place well worth visiting, and a bit off the beaten path, is Hohuansan (合歡山) which straddles parts of both Nantou and Hualien counties and can be seen from distant viewing spots in Chiayi County as well.

On clear nights you might even catch a glimpse of a star between Mars and Jupiter named "Chiayi" by the Lulin (Deer Forest) Observatory on Yushan (Jade Mountain) in southwestern Chiayi County. It's the only star named after a city or county in Taiwan, but it's a very small one, according to the observatory, measuring only about 2.4 kilometers in diameter.

Among the most outstanding sights I have witnessed in Taiwan is a roadside view of Hohuansan ("Harmonious Happiness" Mountain) from northern Chiayi County. Get up early enough on a clear morning and you will be greeted with views that turn Taiwan's mountain scenery into glimpses of what might be called "paradise."

And when the wildflowers are blooming across the meadows and valleys, mountain tourist designations in Nantou, Taichung, Hsinchu, Hualian, Yunlin and Chiayi counties are full of vivid colors and plants and flowers that you’ve most likely never heard of or even seen before.

While driving along another mountain road in central Taiwan, I saw the sun casting a long shadow against an alpine house, and it's a view I will never forget. Traveling with photography enthusiast Liu Chan-jin, a friendly man from Chiayi City who runs a small restaurant with his wife during the weekdays and travels around the island on weekends photographing his favorite rural locations, I found the view of that mountain house an image that I longed to return to again and again.

So if you're looking for someplace new to visit this weekend, drive up into the mountains of central Taiwan and feast your eyes on all the glory of Mother Nature. Choose your own routes, follow your own eyes and nose for the good views and the good eats, and do try to take some of the roads less traveled all across Taiwan.

"How does the ordinary become extraordinary?" an advertisement on Taiwan television asks. "All you need is a new way of seeing," is the voice-over answer. The same answer holds true for turning an ordinary Taiwan into an extraordinary Taiwan, and the mountains are a good place to begin.

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