The most Westernized of the Chinese provinces have the third tallest building and world’s fastest elevator. Prodigal in national parks, beauty and curiosities, yet keeps one of the Malay tribes that inhabited the island for the first time. Women plant tea and men teach classes in tai-chi. At the heart of the mountain. Dozens of tunnels and bridges built without the aid of machinery crossing the main mountain range of Taiwan. Taiwan is where Chiang Kai-shek and his nationalist followers fled in 1949 after fleeing Mao Tse Tung and his army. His sovereignty is still disputed. It is a major player in the world of high technology. Its capital, Taipei, with a population of 22.7 million, claims the world’s tallest building. Rest in plate tectonics, and is regularly hit by earthquakes. A short drive brings us to the Democracy Monument in Taiwan was built in honor of Chiang Kai-shek.

The next item on our itinerary is the world’s tallest building, Taipei. Designed to resemble a bamboo stalk, the structure combines strength with flexibility: a good thing considering that is built on this land prone to tremors. We hopped on the world’s fastest elevator, rising from the ground floor to the 89th floor in 37 seconds. Practically we do not feel the speed.

Taroko National Park:

We headed for the most famous national park of Taiwan, Taroko, a few hours’ drive from Taipei. The park is along the Taroko Gorge. A constant work in progress still geological tectonic plate formed, creating Taiwan’s central mountains, cut by the river Liwu in dramatic cliffs. We entered into an intricate Chinese landscape, a land vertically with layers of trees and rocks. The way the park is a marvel of engineering that involves a procession 38 tunnels and bridges. «At that time there was no heavy machinery available,» says, «so much of the road had to be built with the sweat of the workers.» We are en route to Shakadang trail, which runs through a ravine which flanks the Bridge of the Hundred Lions. Its railings are decorated with statues of these cats. «Shakadang is an Aboriginal word that means the molar tooth,» says Weiling. Refers to the rocks that are in the creek. «They quickly get, milky white, many the sizes of small elephants. And the creek! A beauty, a deep aquamarine.

We head for the Eastern Rift Valley, heading for the Bunun village. During the past decade this Aboriginal settlement has become a tourist site. The members of the Bunun tribe descended from some of the original inhabitants of Taiwan, which found their way to the island for over 5,000 years, many from the Malay Archipelago. The Bunun are one of the original 13 tribes recognized by the government.

Kenting Holiday:

In four hours of Bunun have traveled to the modern resort of Kenting. Come to the Hotel California, which is like a youth hostel, located on Main Street. The hotel has a certain charm. The lobby is a playful combination of bar, business selling beach items, and cafe. Kenting is a gully. The main street becomes a pedestrian zone when it develops the festive night market. Dozens of vendors sell roasted duck heads, chicken feet, tiny sea shells cooked with animals inside, as well as clothes, souvenirs and other things.

One of the reasons why tourists come here is to visit the Kenting National Park, the first of Taiwan. It is a mixture of coastal areas with reefs, caves and rock outcrops. In the park visitors center, we see a video of the regional geology, including rapid decline unusual cliffs and river sand, and on wildlife, led by an amazing variety of birds (about 310 species) that share the crowded airspace about 216 kinds of butterflies.

Alishan, a land of giants:

Alishan is one of the highest mountains in Taiwan and came to the center of the National Park where you will find after a long journey through rolling hills, terraced with tea fields. There the women, who are protected from the sun using bamboo hats, gather the leaves of tea plants. The oolong tea, grown in this cool mountain climate and humid, is considered the best in Taiwan.

Also walk the path of one of the highest mountains in the world and find some of the oldest inhabitants of the Earth: the giant cypress trees, venerable trees that have withstood centuries and sometimes millennia, from typhoons, earthquakes, landslides and forestry. The first glimpse giant that is 25 meters high. With 1,500 years old, is relatively young. The oldest tree here germinated around the time of Christ. It reaches 45 meters high and its circumference is 12 meters.

Good luck!