Travel the world in Taiwan: Top 10 local versions of world-famous sights to explore without leaving home during the pandemic

By / Scenic Spots Home compiled report
 
With the recent global spread of the pandemic, during this extraordinary time, avoid non-essential travel abroad. Protect yourself and cherish frontline medical workers, elevate civic responsibility, and unite in fighting the outbreak together. If you’re itching to go out, Taiwan also has plenty of local attractions that resemble world-famous sights, where you can still snap photos with a foreign vibe, temporarily curbing your travel itch while discovering more of Taiwan’s beauty.

1. Sky Mirror
The “Sky Mirror” of Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni in South America is hailed as a must-visit place in a lifetime. The lake surface acts like a mirror reflecting the sky, making it hard to tell whether you’re walking on clouds or water. Taichung’s Gaomei Wetlands is also listed among the world’s top seven sky mirrors. To capture the beauty of a sky mirror, besides Gaomei Wetlands, Duli Beach and Treasure Valley are also popular spots.

2. Heping Wushi Pit Hidden Gem
The recently viral Taiwan version of the Little Pamukkale is located at the junction of Taichung and Miaoli, near the Wushi Branch of Free Elementary School. It’s a recently completed “fish ladder” project designed to help fish and shrimp migrate. With its crisscrossing layers resembling tofu rock, when shot from the right angle using flowing water photography techniques, it instantly transports you to Turkey’s Pamukkale, full of ethereal charm.
※ However, do not swim or fish in dangerous waters, and try not to enter the “fish ladder” to avoid disturbing the fish ecosystem.

3. Xikou Little Switzerland
Just like the “Glory Hole” at Hell’s Gate in Lake Berryessa, USA, Tainan’s Dongshan “Xikou Little Switzerland” also features a mysterious “Sky Well Vortex,” where a giant whirlpool appears on the lake surface, resembling an interdimensional portal. The spectacular view is breathtaking. But in reality, they are both man-made hydraulic projects — one is a flood discharge channel during high tide, and the other is a water diversion channel to prevent reservoir water shortages.

4. Shamai Old Street
The century-old street “Shamai Old Street” in Jinsha Township, Kinmen, is one of the oldest streets in Kinmen. A cluster of dilapidated houses in the area, after being renovated, has taken on a particularly exotic feel. The earth-toned broken walls are remnants of time left after prosperity, resembling a deserted sand city of a desert nation, exuding a Middle Eastern atmosphere. Due to its unique sandy city beauty, it has earned the nickname “Taiwan’s Little Morocco.”