Kaohsiung

Kaohsiung County is a key region in Southern Taiwan. It is famed for its mountains, waters, and spirit. It not only has beautiful peaks and rivers but also simple, kind, and industrious people who across generations have developed and preserved this beautiful region of Taiwan.

Located in Southwestern Taiwan, the Gaoping River originates in the central Mountain Range near Yushan. It flows south through Kaohsiung and Pingtung counties, and eventually joins the Taiwan Straits at Shanwei in Linyuan Township, Kaohsiung County. In the Baolai area of Liouguei the river offers some of the most exciting white water rafting in Southeast Asia.

Foguangshan Monastery

This is commonly known as The light of Buddha Mountain. This is a 52-acre temple complex about 30 minutes drive from Kaohsiung. The Complex serves as a monastery, university and meditation centre.

The most famous feature is the giant Buddha land where a 40m Amitabha Buddha stands over a garden of 480 smaller Buddha statues.

The temple runs ceremonial Buddhist tours of the temple and its grounds for visitors and temple stays can be arranged for those wishing to experience temple life

Puli

Puli is traditionally famous for it's clean water and its reputation for being home to the prettiest girls in Taiwan, which the locals attribute to the water. It lies at the exact geographic centre of the island and is probably the largest city that isn't near the coast. The town sits at 450m and is surrounded by the foothills of the central mountain range, which has its two highest peaks (close to 4,000m) within 60km of Puli. These days, it's well known as being the town closest to the epicentre of the 921 earthquake.