Sun Moon Lake

A cable car from the lakeshore over the ridge to the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village, the lake spreading out behind as you rise. A few cabins have see-through floors. The village ticket includes the return ride, so one ticket covers both.

Rebuilt traditional houses of Taiwan's indigenous tribes share one hillside with an amusement park. The song and dance shows run only at set times, so check the schedule on arrival. From late February through March the hill flowers with cherry blossom.

A temple on a small headland on the south shore, honouring the Tang monk Xuanzang. Lake boats stop at the pier below, and passengers walk straight into the queue at the tea egg stall in front. The stone carved Sun Moon Lake by the temple is the photo spot.

A temple built in the 1960s to house part of the skull relic of the monk Xuanzang. The relic had gone to Japan and came back to Taiwan in 1955, and it is kept on the upper floor of the main hall. From the Xuanguang pier it is about 15 minutes up forest steps.

An octagonal nine-storey pagoda raised in 1971 by Chiang Kai-shek in memory of his mother, its tip set at exactly 1,000m above sea level. About 10 minutes along a forest path from the parking area, then the stairs inside, and the entire lake lies below.

A large temple on the northern slope honouring Confucius and Guan Yu together, formed by merging two older shrines submerged by the dam. A pair of red stone lions guards the gate. From the terrace at the back, the morning sun comes up over the lake.

Once the home of the Thao, among the smallest of Taiwan's indigenous groups, it is now filled with hotels and a food street. In the evening the skewer and millet wine stalls light up along the lanes. The boat pier sits right at its edge.

A visitor centre designed by the Japanese architect Norihiko Dan, two curved bare-concrete wings opening towards the lake. A ramp leads up onto the roof for the view, free of charge. The lakeside bike path runs right past it.

A cycle path round the lake; near Xiangshan one stretch floats on the water, so it feels like riding across the middle. The full loop is close to 30km with climbs, so many rent e-bikes. Rental shops cluster in Shuishe village.

Boats circle the three piers of Shuishe, Xuanguang and Ita Thao, with day tickets for hopping off and on. On the way you pass Lalu, the small island held sacred by the Thao. The last boat leaves in the early evening, so note the time.

Shigeru Ban built this church from paper tubes after the 1995 Kobe earthquake, and in 2008 it moved to Taomi village in Puli. Here it stands for the village's recovery from the 921 quake of 1999. On a clear afternoon the pond mirrors it.

A winery brewing Shaoxing wine from Puli's clear water. When the 921 quake broke its jars, the smell of wine reportedly hung over town for days. The visitor hall is free, with a tunnel stacked with wine jars. Snacks made with Shaoxing wine are on sale.

A temple whose roof came straight down when the 1999 quake struck, left exactly as it fell. A new temple was built just behind it. Nearby Jiji station, rebuilt after the quake in its old wooden form, sits midway along the Jiji branch line.