Taitung

A broad grassy plateau above Luye, home every summer to the Taiwan International Balloon Festival. Balloons go up only in the calm of early morning, so arrive before sunrise. Outside the festival, paragliders still launch from the slope.

A footbridge of eight arches, rising and falling like waves, crosses to a rocky islet just offshore. On the east coast where Taiwan sees the sun early, people gather before dawn for sunrise. The rocks on the islet loop are sharp; wear trainers.

A straight road through the Chishang rice fields, its power lines buried so nothing blocks the view. The tree from a 2013 airline advert with Takeshi Kaneshiro stands beside it, and people queue to photograph it. Most visitors pedal it on rented bicycles.

A small station hung on a cliff right above the sea, often called the most beautiful in Taiwan. Passenger service ended in 2006, so trains run straight through without stopping. From the deck above, people wait for one to pass along the shoreline for the shot.

A spa village of hot spring hotels along the Zhiben valley, south of downtown, its water clear and nearly odourless bicarbonate. Public pools need a swimsuit and cap. Walk the forest trails of the Zhiben recreation area up the valley, then come down to soak.

Close to an hour's sail from Fugang harbour, with Zhaori, a saltwater hot spring rising among the shore rocks. The martial-law political prison survives as a human rights park. The crossing is rough, so many take seasickness pills; scooters are hired there.

A volcanic island of the Tao, who still fish for flying fish from boats of joined planks. The boats belong to their villages; do not touch or board them uninvited. Ferries from Taitung take 2 to 3 hours; small planes have few seats and fill early, so book.

A stage and market on the site of old railway staff housing, where indigenous singers play live in the evenings. Lanterns shaped like hot air balloons hang in the trees and light up at night. On weekend evenings a handicraft market sets up too.

A museum of Taiwan's prehistory built around the slab coffins and jades of the Beinan site, uncovered on a large scale during railway works. It reopened in 2023 after years of renovation. The excavation site itself is in Beinan Cultural Park, nearer the city.

A shore about 15 minutes north of the city by car, where wave-worn sandstone has split into squares like sliced tofu. Other rocks are pitted like honeycomb. Wet rock is slippery, so on days of high surf keep back.

A broad casuarina wood by the sea just east of downtown, holding two lakes, Pipa and Huoshui. The ground is flat, so people rent bikes to loop the forest tracks and the coastal cycle path. Entry is free, and sunset glows on the lakes.

A coastal rise north of town scattered with installations made from driftwood and discarded timber. Green Island shows across the sea from the far edge of the lawn. The road out front heads north as the coast highway to Donghe and Sanxiantai.

Sea caves cut in tiers into the Changbin cliffs, where finds of the Changbin culture, Taiwan's oldest known prehistoric culture, were dug up. Stairs to the upper caves are steep, so wear trainers. A few of the caves hold small shrines.

A roadside ditch in Donghe where water seems to flow uphill. The slope of the surrounding land fools the eye, and setting a ball beside the ditch shows which way is really down. It is a quick stop off the coast highway.