Wulai
Wulai (meaning hot springs) is a mountainous
area 11 miles south of Taipei known for its
spectacular scenery, cool fresh air, stunning
waterfalls and the beautiful gorges of the
Nanshih River. The river is an amazing colour
of blue-green
The hot springs, effective in healing dermatitis,
are carbonic acid with a minor base. They
are clear, transparent, colorless, and odorless.
The famous Wulai Waterfall is about 80 meters
high. There is a cable car to the top of
the Wulai falls which provides breath-taking
views of both the falls and the surrounding
area. The old lumber trail trains are now
used to take tourists up the trail to the
base of the cable car.
At the top of the cable car you find yourself
in the Yun Hsien Resort – a hotel,
rainforest of trails, streams, spas and adventure
park, which was rather a surprise. The cable
car ticket includes access to the park. The
exit to return to the cable car is through
a museum.
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Wander down the main street and you cannot
fail to wonder at the incredibly neat displays
of food - probably the best selection and
displays that we saw in Taiwan. As an Atayal
aboriginal town, Wulai has all kinds of interesting
Aboriginal food, like wild boar meat, millet
wine, Bamboo Tube Rice and a lot of food
are seasoned with the Aboriginal spice maqaw.
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In the area there are several small Aboriginal
villages and a series of hot springs, all
of which have been developed into fully fledged
health resorts. Fushan, reached by a twisting
mountainous road, is a typical rural aboriginal
village. The Taiwanese aborigines (Tai Ya
Tribes) in Wulai are the original people
of Taiwan who are related to the people from
the South Pacific (which confuses the whole
issue as to whether Taiwan is a part of China).
The Wulai Atayal Museum shows the history and culture, including
the harvest and religious festivities, of
the Atayal indigenous people who live in
the Wulai area and the mountains of Northern
Taiwan. Everything is clearly labelled in
Chinese and English. There are models of
the traditional bamboo buildings that the
Atayal lived in, although sadly, there are
no longer any of these buildings in existence.
Atayal includes the Atayal and Sejiq, whose
population is second to Amis and the second
largest in Taiwan. Their face tattoos are
well known and the people believe they are
a symbol of beauty.
The Neidong Forest Recreation Area is about 5km beyond Wulai. You can get there
by taxi. There is an entry fee payable at
the gate where you enter. Shortly after entering
you pass by the Luohao Dam which diverts
water via a tunnel to the hydro-electric
power station in Wulai. It’s about
a 1km walk along a flat path to reach the
Neidong Waterfall where you can appreciate
the beauty of the waterfall and the fantastic
view. You can hike up the Green Shower Trail
to the top of the waterfall.
Take the MRT to Xindian station and then
take a bus to Wulai for NT$40.Then take a
taxi to Neidong Forest Recreation Area (entry
NT$80)
