The mirror-like swamp reflects the shadows of trees—Nantou’s Forget-Worry Forest lets you truly forget your worries.

Text and photos by /Miss kitb

Spontaneous itineraries often turn out to be the most memorable.
Because we had a Taiwanese friend leading the trip to Nantou this time, we had no idea where we were headed beforehand (what a stroke of luck, XD). When we set off that morning, no one mentioned Forget-Worry Forest—it was only decided on the spot in the car. On top of that, the previous day had been a typhoon with wild winds and heavy rain, so we weren’t even sure we’d make it there.
When we reached the entrance to the forest, the road was flooded with a small river, with waterfall-like streams rushing down from the mountain.

To get from the highway to Forget-Worry Forest, you have to walk a stretch of rugged mountain path. It’s said you can hike or crawl part of the way, but this time we rode in a cool off-road 4x4 vehicle, like going on an adventure quest.

* This intersection is next to Renyuan Tea Industry Tea Factory (No. 5, Xingchan Road, Neihu Village, Lugu Township, Nantou County, Taiwan) and you’ll need to inquire with them about shuttle services up the mountain. +886-049-2611318 (Brother Li)

Rugged here means slopes as steep as 80 degrees, with twists and turns at every corner, plus bumpy, uneven roads. It was basically like riding a rollercoaster—the whole ride was insanely thrilling.

Along the way, you can also stop to admire mountain stream waterfalls.

The car parked next to a tin-roofed shed in a tea plantation, and then we had to walk into the forest. This multi-layered greenery with a small lake right at the entrance was already so stunningly beautiful.

Since we didn’t know we’d be going on a wilderness adventure before heading out, none of us were properly dressed for it. That included my long skirt and cloth shoes, and some family members in flip-flops. The path wasn’t really a path—you just had to step through mud, leaves, and overgrown grass. The grass around our feet was so tall, who knows what insects were hiding in there? There were also tree roots and water pipes blocking the way, but everyone was so brave anyway XD.

wowowowowowow~！
Because it was the day after the typhoon, there were absolutely no other visitors at Forget-Worry Forest (normally there are lots of tourists and photo-shoot crowds)! With the recent rain, the water supply was abundant, making the scenery incredibly beautiful—it felt a bit lucky, honestly. The only downside was missing out on seeing the dreamy mist-covered view.

It turns out this scenery of towering cedar trees reflected in the swamp is a aftermath of the 921 earthquake. This area was originally a pristine forest, but the earthquake blocked the river, causing water to accumulate into a swamp. The Taiwan red cypress trees living here, having been submerged in water for a long time, had their roots rotted and gradually died—one fell, another barely survived. The death of these giant trees also nurtured new life, making this forest an excellent site for studying ecological changes. From an original high-mountain woodland to a swamp, what will it become in the future?

There were so many baby frogs in the stream!! City folks rarely see wild tadpoles and were freaking out—turns out they really do look just like the pictures in books.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the trees, casting reflections of the mirror-like swamp and towering cedars—some lying down, others standing. This perfect combination of timing, location, and atmosphere created the breathtaking beauty of Forget-Worry Forest. Whoever named it really picked a fitting and lovely word.

So green, so green, so green
Forget-Worry Forest is probably the most memorable spot of this Nantou trip—not just because we went from dressed for breakfast to suddenly hopping into an off-road 4x4 and charging into the forest. Being surrounded by the sheltering forest brought a sense of protected serenity, like breathing in the essence of nature, leaving both body and mind refreshed.
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INFO
Forget-Worry Forest
Address: No. 12, Xingchan Road, Neihu Village, Lugu Township, Nantou County
Opening Hours: Open all day, not recommended at night
Transportation:
(High-speed Rail) Taichung HSR Station → Taiwan Tourist Shuttle (Xitou Scenic Area) → Transfer to the bus to Shanlinxi (get off at Forget-Worry Forest stop)
(Bus) Take a bus to Shanlinxi from Taichung Station, Caotun Station, or Nantou Station (get off at Forget-Worry Forest stop)

"miss kitB

A core member of the Not-So-Serious Association, or call me a “multifunctional cross-media freelance creative.” I worship boredom as the mother of creativity, and happiness as life’s greatest asset. Eat breakfast every day, travel the Earth daily.
Blog:http://kitx.mysinablog.com/index.php"