Taipingshan

Taipingshan sits in mountain area with average altitude of 2,000 meters in Yilan and is away from city in around 2 hours driving distance. Here you could find the largest alpine lake in Taiwan: Cuifeng Lake (翠峰湖). Throughout the whole year, countless visitors are attracted to here for different landscapes: in summer and autumn, the view is contrasting with varying water level; during winter, sometimes thin-coating snow would cover the lake, which is quite rare scene in Taiwan. If you are going to spend a night in recreation area and willing to get up early, you should take chance to see the brief moment Cuifeng Lake veiled by mist. When the sun rise and shed its light on Taipingshan, the heaven does so. If you are lucky enough, you might watch sea of cloud as well. Although the lake is only about 4 kilometers in circumference, it still takes about two hours to detour around, as rough mountain road and muddy walkway would cause hindrance to inexperienced tourists. However, it is still worthwhile to give it a go, as you would be surrounded by forest and able to overlook the lake on your way. Moreover, many trails are available for hiking in the area, ranging from an hour to a half day in length. Some of them are ideal for bird watching or admiring the scene of dawn. In fine nights, the place also suits for star-gazing. The forest consists of many trees, though some are withered, but their pale boles and leafless branches do enrich the atmosphere.

Taking the Provincial Highway No.7 (台7線) to enter the mountain area from Yilan, any convenient store or B&B but one natural outdoor hot spring could be found by the way. The only legal registered accommodation here is Taipingshan Villa (太平山莊) in the recreation area. Due to its room availability, early booking is necessary in holidays and peak seasons. For tourists used to wide variety of shops and restaurants, it is recommended to buy some snacks, instant noodles, breads, etc. as a fail-safe if the meal provided here does not suits their preference.