Fuyuan Forest Recreational Area

Eastern Taiwan & Taroko National Park


Fuyuan takes an area of serene natural beauty and tames it just enough to make accessible the abundant birdlife and multitudinous butterflies that flit between lush woodlands, mossy rocks and an attractive riverside. There's also a more manicured garden and butterfly houses for both living and pinned specimens. Several forest trails link up into a 3.5km loop, with shortcut options. The outdoor hot-spring area (extra fee) is far more tempting than Ruisui's public version.

Near the car park is a small area of rare surviving camphor trees, festooned with epiphytes. In the late 19th and early 20th century, Taiwan dominated the world market of camphor production that was used in everything from embalming fluid to medicine to insect repellent.

Inside the park, Butterfly Valley Resort is an upper market hotel whose excellent rooms come with walk-in hot-spring bathtubs (from NT$6300 half board). Non-guests can dine at the restaurant (mains NT$260–320). The reserve is 3.5km west of Fuyuan train station. From the Ruisui hot-spring area, a scenic and delightfully quiet route uses Rte 花55.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Eastern Taiwan & Taroko National Park attractions

1. Danong Dafu Forest Park

4.15 MILES

If you turn east off Hwy 9 at Km254.8, a photogenically die-straight lane fires itself towards a serrated green ridge, crossing through a regenerated…

2. Lintianshan

9.32 MILES

An attractively set 'cultural village' and tour bus magnet, Lintianshan was founded in 1918 as a Japanese-era logging village. At its 1960 peak, it housed…

3. Shihtiping Geopark

11.82 MILES

One of Taiwan's most beautiful areas of unspoilt coastline runs south from Fengbin, culminating at a headland beyond Shitigang fishing harbour, known as…

4. Patarongen Rice Terraces

12.54 MILES

The indigenous Kavalan people migrated to Patarongen (新社; Xīnshè) from Yilan, settling on a nearly flat headland which they converted into terraced rice…

5. Tropic of Cancer Monolith

13.02 MILES

Busloads of visitors stop at Km69.8, where a tall, white monolith marks the Tropic of Cancer, though probably, before seeing it, few had ever stopped to…

6. Fengbin Skywalk

13.41 MILES

This short but memorable seascape experience includes a cliff-ledge walk where a 40m section is along a glass-floored protruding shelf above the Pacific…

7. Baxian Caves

15.34 MILES

Backing a pretty landscaped garden right beside Hwy 11 are a series of rocky cliffs cut into which are at least 30 natural caves and crevices. Within,…

8. Baci Viewpoint

16.18 MILES

On a bend of Hwy 11, this small roadside rest stop has what is arguably the most beautiful panorama of the whole east coast. Leafy branches frame the…