No need to go up the mountain to admire the Milky Way — your ultimate lazy guide to Taitung’s stargazing spots

By the MOOK Scenic Spots Editorial Team

As summer arrives, the daytime sky is clear and blue, while the night is filled with a brilliant river of stars. With Taitung’s vast open spaces, sparse population, and light-pollution-free environment, you can easily gaze at the starry heavens even from flatland — making it perfect for enjoying the beauty of the night sky.

To boost tourism, the Taitung County Government launched Taiwan’s first-ever “Taitung’s Most Beautiful Starry Sky Selection,” transforming the twinkling beauty of the night sky into a viable tourism resource. Through a professional selection process, the best stargazing locations were identified, also helping to ignite a stargazing craze.

This stargazing selection nominated stargazing spots from various townships and cities, including observation or viewing locations such as Jialulan, King Kong Boulevard, Dapo Pond in Chihshang, Guanshan Water Park, Dulan Ocean View Park, Sanxiantai, and the Luoyeh Viewing Platform, among 14 total sites.

Additionally, a professional jury of astronomy experts was specially invited to conduct on-site evaluations. The competition format combined elements from Japan’s Ministry of the Environment observation standards and the U.S. Dark Sky Park certification, incorporating on-site measurements and historical meteorological averages to determine Taitung’s most stunning starry skies.