Taitung anchors the southern end of the East Rift Valley where the Philippine and Eurasian Plates meet. This city is a great place to discover Taiwan’s more ancient past – we love spending the afternoon at the National Museum of Prehistory. Many of the best pieces in this museum were uncovered at the Beinan Site, which dates back almost five thousand years and is one of the most important and intact prehistoric sites in the country.

The rural roads, paths and parks of Taitung are also a wonderful place to get a little cycling in. For an easy trip around central Taitung, the Taitung Mountain and Ocean Bicycle loop will take you through the city, along the seashore and alongside the Beinan River estuary on a flat 22 kilometer route.

Traveling a little bit further afield in the East Rift Valley will bring you to acres and acres of yellow-green rice paddies backed by the steep and verdant slopes of the surrounding mountain ranges. Along the coast you’ll want to stop at Sanxiantai, a dragon-shaped bridge of eight arches stretching across the sea to small volcanic islet. Looking back towards the mainland you’ll see the vast wall of coastal mountains extend in each direction to the horizon.