|
|
 |
| Shihmen
Reservoir |
Shihmen Reservoir forms the largest lake in northern Taiwan.
The Shihmen Dam, on the Tanshui River, is nestled in the
foothills south-west of Taipei City. Construction of the
dam began in 1955 and was completed in 1964. It is an
attractive area, but becomes crowded with tourists during
the weekends because of its proximity to Taipei City.
Most tourists come to Shihmen Reservoir also try out its
many seafood restaurants. A normal dish will be "three
ways of eating a fish" -- sweet and sour, steamed,
and a soup. Some restaurants even have more than five
or ten ways of cooking a fish. Be sure that you give it
a try.
Swimming is not permitted in the reservoir, but fishing
is ok. If you arrive by a bus, the driver will drop you
off right by the dam, which is the best tourist spot.
From there you can join a boat tour or walk around. The
hiking trails around the lake are quite interesting. There
are also plenty of camping grounds, hotels and amusement
parks around the reservoir, such as the Asia Amusement
Park and the Fairyland.
If you walk far enough upstream along the north shore
of the lake, you will reach Fuhsing Village, an attractive
place famous for its honey peaches and apples. You can
also make a trip from Shihmen Reservoir and continue over
the mountains, via the North Cross-Island Highway to Chilan,
Ilan County.
|
| Window
on China |
The Window on China is a outdoor park that contains 90
exact models of many of China's famous architectural wonders
such as the Great Wall and the Forbidden City (click here
for a view). Some noble buildings in Taiwan are also included,
such as the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial, the San Yat-sen
Freeway (with miniature cars) and the Chiang Kai-shek
International Airport (with miniature planes). A miniature
Shihmen Reservoir even lets out of water from its dam
every 15 or 20 minutes.
Everything here is reduced to 1/25 of normal size. There
are plenty of miniature people around, and occasionally
you may want to peep into windows and doors of some miniature
buildings and check out what those little people are doing.
Here and there you will see tourists taking photographs
with all sorts of buildings, which can be annoying if
you just want a snapshot on the buildings themselves.
When you walk around like Gulliver, be careful not to
damage any of the miniature buildings or people.
Window on China also has a classical Chinese gadren, restaurants,
snack bars, a tea house, souvenir shops and some amusement
park facilities, in case you are eager to return to the
real-size world. The nearby Leofoo Safari Park also offers
close views of real-size animals.
|
| North
Cross-Island Highway |
 Highway
7, also called North Cross-Island Highway, is a beautiful
but little-travelled mountain road. It starts from Taoyuan
County and then heads up into the hills above Shihmen
Reservoir. It is a good route to drive if you have a vehicle.
The highway branches at Chilan. The north branch heads
down to the east coast at Ilan County, while the south
branch heads still higher up into the mountains until
it intersects with the Central Cross-Island Highway at
Lishan.
Along the North Cross-Island Highway, you can find plenty
of hiking trails. One interesting daily hike is to the
north of the town of Paling. The mountain Takuanshan in
the Lalashan Forest Reserve can be reached by walking
13 kilometers along the gravel road. You gain about 1000
meters in elevation along the trail, although Takuanshan
itself reaches 2030 meters above sea level. The area is
known for its giant cypress trees, some of which are more
than 2500 years old.
|
| Tzuhu
|
 Tzuhu,
which in Chinese means "Lake of Kindness", is
where the body of Chiang Kai-shek is entombed. The site
is regarded as temporary; it is intended that the body
will be returned to the mainland after China is reunited.
Most of the Chinese in Taiwan and many westerners have
visited here.
Tourists are not allowed to take photographs inside the
mausoleum. But outside the mausoleum the scenery around
the lake is quite beautiful. Normally tourists can view
the granite case in which the body has been placed. It
is customary to give a respectful bow.
|
|
|
|
|
