Taiwan. It’s not the first place that comes to mind when you think about eco-tourism, but the Taiwanese government is busy trying to change that perception, especially since they are hosting the 2009 World Games.
Many Silicon Valley high-tech employees have made a quick visit to Taiwan, which is considered one of Asia’s economic tigers thanks to computer chip manufacturing. With six million people living in the metropolitan area of Taipei, it’s crowded, the buses and trains are packed, and 15 million motorcycles and scooters clog the streets. Despite that, Taiwan is an up-and-coming destination for eco-tourists.
If you haven’t been to Taiwan recently, you’re in for a surprise. In the past decade, the government has been working hard to restore this country of nearly 23 million people to its nickname, “Beautiful Island.”
Taiwan, about the size of Vermont, has seven national parks covering 8.5 percent of the country, a larger percentage than the U.S. Getting around the island without a car is easy. In 2007, the government installed a bullet train that travels from the northernmost city of Taipei to the southernmost port city of Kaohsiung with five stops along the way, and numerous other buses and trains take you to outer provinces. So, grab a seat next to me on the bullet train as we experience what Portuguese sailors discovered nearly 500 years ago.
First Stop: Sun Moon Lake
Just one hour away from the capital city of Taipei, this tranquil body of water is called the Lake Tahoe of Taiwan. Located in the middle of the island, it’s the lake locals think looks like a round sun and a crescent moon attached in the middle—thus the name Sun Moon Lake.
A man-made lake, it was originally constructed to provide electricity, but it was so scenic that it quickly became a destination spot. The lake has 27 different kinds of fish, and many visitors come just to taste the rare “President’s fish,” named for former President Chiang Kai-shek. In 1999, a 7.6-magnitude earthquake, the biggest in 50 years, devastated the area, but it has since been rebuilt with several new five-star hotels.
