A "Maple Viewing Mini-Trip" Without Leaving the Country！Top 5 Popular Maple Viewing Spots Across Taiwan

▲Autumn is the perfect season to admire the maple leaves. (Photo/Provided by netizen Chen Borui. Please do not reproduce without permission to avoid copyright infringement.)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

As the hot summer fades and the cool autumn breeze signals the arrival of the colder months, it also heralds the most vibrant maple leaf viewing season of the year. The annual maple leaf season from November to December has become a prime travel time for Taiwanese, with mountainsides blanketed in crimson foliage creating a stunning landscape. Strolling under the maple trees is nothing short of romantic. To ensure you don’t miss out on this annual spectacle, ETtoday News Cloud has compiled a list of Taiwan’s five most popular maple leaf viewing spots, so you can plan an “autumn leaf getaway” without leaving the country.

Fushoushan Farm

Nestled between Hehuanshan and the Snow Mountain range, Fushoushan Farm is surrounded by peaks and offers a unique charm in each season. Its official website introduces it with a poem: “January brings snowy skies, February praises cherry blossoms, March dances with peach blooms, April laughs with pears, May sees flowers in full bloom, June savors tea fragrance, July shimmers with yellow chrysanthemums, August seeks peach aromas, September tastes sweet pears, October celebrates autumn harvest, November enjoys maple charm and persimmon picking, December welcomes frost.” Like Wuling Farm, Fushoushan Farm attracts large crowds during both cherry blossom and maple leaf seasons.

▲Fushoushan Farm is one of Taiwan’s top maple leaf destinations. (Photo/fromFushoushan Farm Facebook page)

Aowanda National Forest Recreation Area

Located in Ren’ai Township, Nantou County, Aowanda National Forest Recreation Area is known as the “Hometown of Maple Leaves” and is arguably Taiwan’s most popular maple leaf viewing spot, drawing throngs of visitors during peak foliage season. The park features a mix of native coniferous and broadleaf forests, so besides maple and pine trees, you can also find beech, pistacia, and fragrant cypress.

▲The maple foliage at Aowanda is truly captivating. (Photo/fromAowanda Information StationFan page)

Alishan

From December to New Year’s Day, Alishan is graced with some of its most beautiful maple and red maple leaves, found around Alishan Guest House, Ciyun Temple, and Zhapingshan Park. As temperatures drop and the temperature difference widens, the maple hues grow even more vivid, with fallen leaves carpeting the ground like a romantic nature-made red rug. In winter, Alishan is often shrouded in mist, making the red leaves and sea of clouds a breathtaking sight—walking through it feels like stepping into a classic autumn or winter painting.

▲Maple leaves turn Alishan into a red carpet. (Photo/from“Strolling Through the Clouds at Alishan”))

Wuling Farm

Located behind Wuling Guest House and in the campsite area, Wuling Farm’s maple leaves can be admired from late November to early December. Though less famous than its cherry blossoms, Wuling Farm’s maple trees still draw many visitors in autumn. The farm’s campsite area features a number of bald cypress and ginkgo trees, which turn golden yellow in the fall, creating a soothing view against the mountainous backdrop.

▲Wuling Farm’s maple scenery rivals that of Japan. (Photo/fromWuling FarmFan page)

Xizhi Gongbei Temple

Gongbei Temple in Sanxiu Mountain, Xizhi, New Taipei City, is a well-known maple leaf viewing spot in northern Taiwan. With its serene environment and stunning crimson foliage, the autumn scenery here feels like a journey through time. Around December each year, the mountain’s maple leaves gradually turn red. Thanks to its tranquil setting and rich cultural atmosphere, it has long been a favorite spot for photographers.

▲Gongbei Temple is a hidden maple gem in northern Taiwan. (Photo/Provided by netizen Chen Borui. Please do not reproduce without permission to avoid copyright infringement.)