Relaxation 101

Nantou, a mountainous district in the centre of Taiwan,offers a soothing remedy for the soul, says Lim Chee Wah

Nantou district, in the centre of Taiwan, is about as far from Beijing as it gets. A cool, mountainous area marked with soaring peaks, sweeping valleys and natural springs, it’s one of Taiwan’s most stunning natural areas.

A good place to start a tour of the area is by sampling its trademark Dong Ding Oolong tea, which is sweeter than most varieties and higher quality (a premium variety will set you back 5,400RMB for just 600g).

Head to the Tea Culture Museum (231, Section 1, Jhongjheng Lu, Lugu town; +886 49275 1962/ www.lugufa.org.tw) in Lugu, a quaint town set 900 metres above sea level, for a tour and, most importantly, a tasting.

First, a tea master pours the golden tea into a ‘whiffing’ cup, then transfers it into a drinking cup; at this point, you lift the empty whiffing cup to your nose to appreciate the lingering aroma, like sniffing a good wine.

The tea itself is medium-bodied and has an aromatic after-taste that is slightly sweet but still refreshing.

According to the tea master, each cup of tea should be enjoyed in three small sips, as expressed by the Chinese character pin, which forms the first part of pinchang (‘to taste’), and is made up of three kou (‘mouth’) components.

But really, Nantou is just about unwinding and getting closer to nature. A must-see is the Sitou Forest Recreation Area, an experimental forest at 1,200 metres above sea level. It has several walking trails meandering through an expansive and diverse landscape, including a sevenstorey high walkway nestled among the forest canopy.

There’s a beautiful bamboo forest reminiscent of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and Taiwan’s only ginkgo forest, which changes its appearance drastically from season to season.

Further up the mountain, at 1,600 metres, theSun Link Sea Forest Recreation Area provides a dramatic, almost primeval landscape, with huge firs and a passageway carved by the elements into the side of a cliff, forming a tunnel that leads to the Cingyun Waterfall.

But perhaps the highlight of Nantou is Sun Moon Lake, Taiwan’s highest alpine lake at 748 metres above sea level. In the morning, the mist-shrouded lake is ethereally blue, still and calm, with a pagoda silhouetted on a distant mountaintop.

The aboriginal tribe of Ita-Thao, the world’s smallest tribe with a population of roughly 200, considers this lake to be sacred, and the Lalu Island in the middle is their holy land.

There are many ways to explore the lake – on a cruise with a stopover at Lalu Island (beware: you’llencounter loud Mainland tourists); by taking on one of the 14 walking trails; or from one of the surrounding mountain temples, where you’ll get a stunning aerial view.

There are many chic hotels around the lake, including the Fleur de Chine and The Lalu, which is now worldfamous – when we sat in a sunken spring bath at the Fleur de Chine Hotel, looking out over the serene lake and sipping a glass of wine, Beijing felt like another world.

The details

■ Where to stay

Ming Ging Farm is a cottagelike guesthouse perched some 1,700 metres above sea level. The guesthouse is surrounded by a panorama of mountains and plunging valleys – head onto the veranda early in the morning to experience the stunning sight of the valleys blanketed in clouds (+886 49280 3881; www.mg.com.tw. Rooms from 524RMB/night).

At Sun Moon Lake, the contemporary Fleur de Chine Hotel has sunken spring water baths in its elegant rooms. Enjoy with a cup of freshly brewed tea in hand no less (+886 49285 5500; www.fenisiahotel.com. Rooms from 1,600RMB/night).

To really splash out on Sun Moon Lake, The Lalu is Chiang Kai-shek’s former presidential villa and was renovated by the renowned Kerry Hill Architects.

The ultra-chic hotel claims to be Taiwan’s only six-star hotel and has a very cool 60-metre eternity pool (+886 49285 6888; www.thelalu.com.tw . Rooms from 2,877RMB/night).

■ Where to eat Besides tea, Nantou is also known for its delicious yimian, which is a white springy noodle. Traditionally, it is tossed with a thick braised mincemeat sauce.

But you can also find it cooked in a clear seafood broth at Rou Zha Fu Traditional Eatery (255 Futhin Lu, Nantou town, +886 49220 5538).

■ Getting there

Air China flies direct to Taipei International Airport, with prices normally around 3,000RMB (see www.elong.net).

From there, you can get on the high-speed rail to Taichung (97 minutes), and the main town of Nantou is less than 40 minutes’ drive away.

■ Getting around

The best method is to either rent a car or get your hotel to pick you up. The hotel should be able to arrange a car and driver.