Xitou Nature Education Area

Xitou is part of a university experimental forest, which is why it is more orderly than a wild mountain and more interesting than a park: the cedar and cypress here were planted in ranks a century ago and have grown into tall, straight stands with a clean floor of needles. The paths are graded and largely level, so it suits people who want forest without a climb. The set pieces are the University Pond, crossed by an arched bamboo bridge and usually reflecting the trees around it, and the Sky Walk, a curving steel walkway that lifts you into the canopy at around twenty metres. At over a thousand metres the air is noticeably cooler than the plain, which is much of the appeal in summer.

What you actually see

• The cedar plantations - ranks of tall straight conifers planted a century ago as an experimental forest.
• The University Pond - a still pond with an arched bamboo bridge, reflecting the trees.
• The Sky Walk - a curving steel walkway carrying you through the canopy well above the ground.
• The bamboo groves - dense stands of moso bamboo on the slopes at the edge of the area.

When to go

Summer is when Xitou earns its reputation, because the plain below is unbearable and here it is ten degrees cooler; that also makes July and August the busiest months. Mornings bring mist through the trunks, which is the reason to arrive early. Weekdays are much quieter. Rain is frequent all year, so take a jacket.

Honest expectations

It is popular with tour groups and school parties, and the main paths near the entrance can feel like a promenade rather than a forest. The site is large and the walk from the gate to the Sky Walk is long and uphill. Entry, parking and the neighbouring monster-themed village are all separate costs. Rain and mist are constant, and leeches turn up on wet days.

Nearby

The Lugu tea slopes are just below and Sun Moon Lake is an hour north.