Ren-ai Township

Understand

Ren'ai is a mountain indigenous township in Nantou County, Taiwan. It is the second largest township by area in the county after Xinyi Township. The major populations are aboriginal people of the Seediq, Atayal and Bunun ethnicities.

Getting there

By car If traveling from Changhua or Taichung, take Provincial Highway 14. If coming from Hualien, take Provincial Highway 14A.

Getting around

The area of Ren'ai is very mountainous and may be more difficult to navigate than other areas of Taiwan. Travellers who are more physically fit may find the cycling in the area enjoyable. Another option is to hire a scooter. Because of the terrain, it is even more important than usual to check the tread on the tires and other aspects of the vehicles road-worthiness before setting off.

See

Architecture 1 Wujie Dam. A concrete gravity dam which diverts water towards the reservoir in Sun Moon Lake. Construction on the dam began in 1919 and was completed in 1934. (updated Jun 2019) Wushoh Dam. (updated Jun 2019)

Historical sites 2 Chuping Archaeological Site, ☏ +886 4 9297 4749. An archeological site that houses relics of the first prehistoric mountain settlements in Taiwan. (updated May 2020) 3 Wushe Incident Memorial Park. A memorial erected to commemorate members of the Seediq indigenous group who were massacred by the Japanese colonial government in the 1930s. (updated May 2020)

Do

Parks and nature 1 Aowanda National Forest Recreation Area. 08:00-17:00. (updated Jun 2019) 2 Huisun Forest Recreation Area. An area of forest land managed by the Department of Agriculture of National Chung Hsing University. (updated Jun 2019) 4 Hehuan Mountain (Hehuanshan) (minibus 6506 leaves from 3 Qi Xia bus stop in the west end of Puli at 11:00. Puli to Wuling is NT$183; you might tempted to flag it down along Xinyi(n) Road, but there is no official stop, the bus drives on the left lane there all the time, and it is a mini-bus whose number might be hard to read from far away). This mountain has 7 peaks, which you can climb. There are short tracks and longer ones, even connected to each other. The bus ride here is a great and funny scenic drive – sit on the right side of the bus. In case you want to do more than just going up and down the peak, consult OpenStreetMap, which many mobile Apps like OsmAnd or Mapy.cz use. It has comprehensive and reliable tracks around Hehuan Mountain. Locals say one should go up the mountain in the morning, but it more depends on your luck and the season to have a clear view. For accommodation, you have two nearby choices, the Song Syue Lodge (see below) and the Kuan Yun Youth Activity Center 10 km towards Taroko Gorge. Even the latter one is in hiking distance, depending on you level of fitness. But you will ave it easy finding a hitch in this region. (updated Nov 2017) 6 Main Peak (a smaller track starts directly west of the Wuling Bus Stop; behind the carpark; the track is not recommended by local authorities; but it is fine; the more touristy and wide track starts 400 m before the bus stop). It should take no more than 45 min to go up to the top and down again from the road. An alternative to just walking back is the trail that continues northeast towards the same road but further north – the place there is called 5 Song Xue Lou, it is where many tourist make a stop and where also you can

Buy

1 Kiss Market x Seedeq Cullural Village (Near QingJing Guest House), ☏ +886 922202673, [email protected]. 10:00–18:30. Farmers' market (updated Jan 2026)

Eat

1 Yuanxiang, No.196, Renhe Rd, ☏ +886 4 92802330. 10:30–18:00. (updated Jan 2026) 2 MeiFeng Store, No.183, Renhe Rd, ☏ +886 923697903, [email protected]. 10:00–19:30, closed W. Taiwanese clay-roasted chicken restaurant. A set meal for two costs NT$900, with free rice. (updated Jan 2026)

Drink & nightlife

1 Sky Bar, No.28, ☏ +886 4 92801012. 18:00–21:00. (updated Jan 2026)

Sleep

1 The Old England Manor, No.20-3, Shouting Ln, ☏ +886 4 92802166, [email protected]. Check-in: 15:00. NT$ 12000. (updated Jan 2026) 2 Qingjing Yundingdu Resort, No.182-2, Renhe Rd, ☏ +886 4 9280 3788, [email protected]. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 11:00. NT$ 2476. (updated Jan 2026) 3 Xongxue Lodge (Song Syue Lodge), Hehuanshan, ☏ +886 4 92802980. Check-in: 07:00-20:00. At an altitude of 3158 m, one of the highest accommodations in Taiwan. Great for a stopover when coming from Taroko Gorge or Hehuan Mountain. NT$2900/Double Room NT$5400/Quadruple Suite. (updated Nov 2017) Also, near Hehuanshan but in Hualien County the more affordable Kuan Yun Youth Activity Center can be found.

Go next

You can reach Puli via Provincial Highway 14. Or arrive at Taroko National Park via Provincial Highway 14A.