Top choice in Northern Taiwan
This delightfully antique Hakka home has stood here for well over a century, and makes for an atmospheric setting to sample the local staple of léi chá (擂茶, NT$100). Léi chá is more like sweet porridge than tea – it actually comes with a cuppa on the side.
You can also have a try at making your own léi chá (from NT$300), which is cheaper the more people you do it with.
9.19 MILES
First built in 1748, and masterfully restored in 1924, this Hsinchu landmark has the highest rank of all the city god temples in Taiwan, and is a splendid…
5.03 MILES
The only Taoist temple on the mountain, Quanhua Temple (c 1897) is dedicated to the Jade Emperor. The elaborate main hall is built into a recess in the…
24.04 MILES
This 63.9 sq km expanse of mixed forest holds one of the largest stands of ancient red hinoki cypress trees left in Taiwan. The most ancient of the…
25.35 MILES
The centre of religious life in Sansia, the Tzushr Temple honours Qingshui Tsu-Sze, a Song-dynasty general worshipped by the people of Anxi, Fujian, for…
Manyueyuan Forest Recreation Area
25.95 MILES
Once you get past the paved waterfall trails in this scenic park 20km southeast of Sansia, you reach natural hikes that climb for hours through sweet…
28.92 MILES
Wuling Farm, also known as Wuling Forest Recreation Area (武陵國家森林遊樂區), is a relaxing mountain retreat popular with Taiwanese families who come for the…
17.7 MILES
Home to 152 unwanted Chiang Kai-shek statues, this open-air sculpture park is a hoot (surely unintentionally), with promenades of Chiang busts and clumps…
25.3 MILES
This block of tastefully restored merchant houses and residences dates from the end of the Qing dynasty. On weekends there's a lively market atmosphere as…
0.03 MILES
This sumptuous mansion, built in the late 1940s, served as the home and reception hall of wealthy Beipu tea merchant and county councillor, Jiang A-sin…
0.06 MILES
A charming traditional temple (c1835) dedicated to Guanyin. Notable features to look for include the carved stone pillars, both out front and especially…
5.03 MILES
The only Taoist temple on the mountain, Quanhua Temple (c 1897) is dedicated to the Jade Emperor. The elaborate main hall is built into a recess in the…
5.06 MILES
This temple is dedicated to the Ksitigarbha bodhisattva, one of the most beloved divinities in Japan (where he is known as Jizō). One level lower down the…
7.44 MILES
If you're in Hsinchu on a weekend, don't miss this fantastic collection of treasures, which includes a four-poster bed of pure jade, dragon boats made of…
7.91 MILES
The village of Nanzhuang is a low-slung time warp of clapboard houses, shops and tourist stalls that makes for a great couple of hours strolling…
8.21 MILES
On the shore of Xiangtian Lake, this museum is dedicated to the Saisiyat (賽夏族) and their intriguing Festival of the Short People (賽夏族矮靈祭; Sàixiàzú Ǎlíngjì…
8.22 MILES
Often swathed in mist, this small, high-altitude lake (738m) is sacred to the Saisiyat people, of whom you can learn more about in the Folklore Museum on…