The institute's open-to-public section has a natural history museum for plant and animal species endemic to Taiwan. Displays are educational and come with full English text. There's also a park with a shelter for injured wild animals. The research institute is about 1km east of the train station on the bike path.
Endemic Species Research Institute
Nantou County
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Alishan Forest Recreation Area
25.02 MILES
Visiting Alishan may almost feel like a cliche, but do not lose heart. There may be equally beautiful and less-visited places in Taiwan, but Alishan, with…
28.32 MILES
This holy structure was renovated in 1936, a high period in Taiwan's temple arts. The woodcarvings are particularly fine in the front hall, and the high…
National Museum of Natural Science
24.13 MILES
A fantastic place for kids and botany fans, this massive museum has over 50 exhibit areas covering space, the environment, rainforests, gems and minerals,…
5.06 MILES
Dedicated to the Earth God, the carnivalesque Zinan Temple celebrates entrepreneurship and is perpetually busy, as is the marketplace that has grown…
23.39 MILES
In the southern foothills of Baguashan is this bizarre temple and haunted house where parents used to take their children to scare them into obedience. It…
8.85 MILES
An operating tea farm that's also a showcase for the reinstatement of tea shrubs to Sun Moon Lake. The speciality here is Assam black tea, introduced by…
23.42 MILES
Located 2km south of Changhua Train Station, this remarkable temple is one of the stops on the Mazu Pilgrimage. The distinctive character of the complex…
15.92 MILES
Don’t miss this superb museum adjacent to the main Chung Tai Chan Temple; it is a fabulous showcase of Buddhist artefacts dated as early as AD 386.
Nearby Nantou County attractions
0.65 MILES
Wuchang Temple became famous after the 1999 earthquake collapsed its lower floors, leaving the roof to stand in ruin. It now lies photogenically crumpled…
4.08 MILES
Exhibition boards and retired logging and railway gear inside a wood A-frame illustrate the history of the logging industry here. It's a popular picnic…
4.15 MILES
This reservoir feeds a power station billed as the largest pumped-storage generating plant in Asia. The system uses surplus electricity at night from the…
5.06 MILES
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5. Xiangshan Visitor Information Centre
6.68 MILES
This visitor centre offers splendid views of Sun Moon Lake from atop a sleek modern structure that fits neatly in with the surroundings. Wood and concrete…
7.26 MILES
The area by Shueishe Pier is a great place to kick back or go for a leisurely stroll. Lakeside walking paths extend from Shueishe village (often referred…
7.38 MILES
A former military police station at the entrance of the Hanbi Trail has been turned into an attractive viewing spot after the 921 earthquake. 'Mei' and …
7.53 MILES
Serene and charming, Xuanzang Temple keeps a tiny piece of the skull of Monk Xuanzang or Tripitaka (AD 600–664), who is fictionalised in the novel Journey…