Admire Golden Needle Flowers and Million-Dollar Night Views: A Two-Day, One-Night Tour of Nantou’s Scenic Beauty

Text by / MOOK Scenic Spots Editorial Team

Nantou is the only county in Taiwan without a coastline, boasting the spectacular landscapes of the central mountain range. Aside from the magnificent Sun Moon Lake, you can also visit the Toushe Basin to admire beautiful golden needle flowers, go canoeing, and explore the world’s rare peat soil basin. Later, follow Provincial Highways 21 and 14 to visit other uniquely charming attractions, and finally head to the Gangliao Ji179 Scenic Farm, where you’ll find camping scenery reminiscent of Hobbiton and enjoy a million-dollar night view bathed in glass-like light.

Toushe Basin → Sun Moon Old Tea Factory, Paper Dome, Presidential Hall → Gangliao Ji179 Scenic Farm (accommodation) (You may freely choose and adjust the attractions that suit you along the way, and distribute them over the two days.)

1. Golden Needle Flower Viewing in Toushe Basin

August and September are the peak blooming seasons for golden needle flowers. Aside from the more famous sites in Hualien such as Liushishi Mountain and Chike Mountain, you can also choose to visit the Toushe Living Basin in Nantou to admire the “dancing sea of golden needle flowers.” This year, the flower fields have expanded compared to previous years, and feature Taiwan’s only aquatic golden needle flowers—an exceptionally rare sight in living basins across the country.

2. Sun Moon Old Tea Factory
The Sun Moon Old Tea Factory has witnessed the rise and fall of the tea industry, and today this half-century-old tea factory has been transformed into a tourist destination that also offers educational value. The old factory preserves the farming wisdom of our ancestors, and the improved Assam “Taiwan Tea No. 8” has now gained widespread fame.