Sitting atop a mountain surrounded by swirling fog and towering bamboo forests, lies Sun Link Sea; another of Taiwan’s natural wonders. I recently had the privilege of visiting the area with a local friend of mine.
There are twelve winding turns along the road up to the main park with each point marked by one of the twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac. Signs warning of elves also make an appearance–and with good reason. It’s not difficult to believe one has left the confines of this world and stumbled over into the realm of faerie while visiting Sun Link Sea.
After passing through a tunnel fringed with clouds, visitors will come to the main entrance of the park where for a small fee they can explore the forest to their heart’s content. In addition to the visitor center, the main entrance provides a few gift shops and restaurants serving traditional Taiwanese cuisine. Tourists can also rent paddle boats to glide along the river and take in more of the natural beauty of the park.
If getting lost is your thing, the forest has many hiking trails to discover. After a sample of some local fare and a frolic out into the unknown, visitors should head on over to one of the main attractions of Sun Link Sea–the Song Long waterfall. The falls flow endlessly against a mountainous cavern where moss-covered stairs and bamboo railings guide tourists to the perfect picture taking location. There’s a pureness about the place, a reminder of how the world must have looked long ago.
If you can manage to tear yourself away from the waterfall’s charms, the next sight worth checking out is “The Eyes of Heaven and Earth,” a natural rock formation resembling two enormous eyes gazing out from the mountainside. The trail to this unique rock formation begins at a cave alongside the waterfall. On the trail sits an ancient hollowed-out tree–the perfect hiding place for elves and mysterious creatures of the Otherworld.
Additional fun activities in the area–suspension bridges, stepping-stone rock pools, and photo ops with whimsical statues like sun bears and mountain mermaids (Taiwan’s weirdness becomes endearing after awhile).
With a sense of sadness I left Sun Link Sea, hoping to return one day.
Yet I know it’s one of those beautiful places often experienced a single time. A place living on in memory and dreams.