Top 6 Maple Viewing Spots in Northern Taiwan – Yangmingshan & Aowanda Feel Like a Castle Wonderland

ReporterYan Xintong/ Comprehensive Report

Autumn is when maple leaves start to turn red, and the cool weather is perfect for going out.Top 6 Maple Viewing Spots in Northern TaiwanThese spots are perfect for a visit—this romantic and serene autumn shouldn’t be spent at home. Get your bags ready and hit the road now！

1. Yangmingshan National Park – Taipei Aowanda
Taipei Aowanda Lohas Manor is an idyllic retreat very close to Taipei. Here you can enjoy leisure facilities such as dining, family activities, and maple leaf viewing. It has been developed over the years through constant innovation by the farm owner, Zheng Cinan, and his son Zheng Zhengguo, who holds a master’s degree from the U.S. There are not only maple trees here, but also pine, cherry, cypress, and camellia trees. The park also features a cozy café where you can sip coffee while admiring the maple leaves.Taipei Aowanda’s official Facebook page also noted that the maple leaves haven’t turned red yet—it depends on the weather. They usually change color after a cold front, typically around late November to December.

▲ Taipei Aowanda Lohas Manor (Photo / From Taipei Aowanda Lohas Manor’s official Facebook page)

2. Shimen Reservoir
Shimen Reservoir is a famous maple viewing destination in Taiwan. Every year in autumn, it becomes a prime spot for viewing maple leaves, which stay red until December. Visitors can also enjoy the local “three ways to eat fresh fish.” For transportation, it's recommended to take the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle’s Cihu Line to enjoy the beautiful scenery around the reservoir.

▲ Maple leaves at Shimen Reservoir. (Photo / From the Ministry of Economic Affairs Water Resources Agency)

3. Guanwu National Forest Recreation Area
Located at the border between Wufeng Township in Hsinchu County and Tai’an Township in Miaoli County, this area is often covered in sea of clouds and mist, earning it the nickname “Hometown of Clouds.” Around December each year is when the maple leaves are at their most vibrant.

▲ Guanwu National Forest Recreation Area (Photo / From Guanwu National Forest Recreation Area’s official Facebook page)

4. Taoyuan Fairy Valley
Taoyuan Fairy Valley is a 200-hectare mysterious flower valley located at the border of Fuxing in Taoyuan and Guanxi in Hsinchu. It isthe largest valley garden in Taiwanand a private scenic area. The area is planted with gleaming golden maples, which differ from the typical red-leaf varieties and shine brilliantly under the sunlight, glittering like gold. To get there, you can take a train to Guanxi Station in Hsinchu and then transfer to a taxi to reach the mountain.

▲ Golden maples at Taoyuan Fairy Valley (Photo / From Taoyuan Fairy Valley’s official Facebook page)

5. Mount Monbon
Also known as “Mount Manbang,” Mount Monbon is located at the border between Tai’an Township and Dahu Township in Miaoli County.Famous across Taiwan for its “red maples,” Mount Monbang is hailed as one of the island’s premier maple viewing spots, along with Aowanda, and is referred to as the “Southern Aowanda” and “Northern Monbang.” Starting roughly from Dongxing Elementary School, follow the industrial road past the first parking lot, where the trail splits into north and south routes. The northern route is steeper but offers the most scenic highlights of the Mount Monbang hiking trail, including ridgelines, the Anti-Japanese Memorial Monument, ancient battlefields, the Shimen Pass, and maple forests. The southern route is gentler and features natural lakes and rock walls, offering a tranquil and classic atmosphere along the way.6. Lalashan Nature Reserve

Lalashan Nature Reserve is one of the renowned state-owned ecotourism destinations in northern Taiwan, also known as Daguan Mountain. “Lala” means “beautiful” in the Atayal language. The nature reserve is home to
a forest of red cypresses, Hinoki cypresses, green maples, beech trees, mixed broadleaf forests, and natural woodlands.Formosan cypress groves, hinoki cypress, maple, beech, broad-leaved mixed forests, and natural forestsincluding various tree species. The area is also famous for its internationally renowned Lala Mountain peaches, which I believe many of you are no stranger to.

▲ Lala Mountain Nature Reserve (Photo / Reposted from the Lala Mountain Nature Reserve fan page)