Must see attractions in Pingtung County

Cacao orchard, boutique, and hotel in one, Fu Wan makes fabulous, (mostly) tree-to-bar chocolate that's bagged multiple laurels at the International…

One of Taiwan's most iconic landmarks, Vase Rock, close to the pier, is a 9m-tall block of coral-limestone with a large head and a tapering body. It's…

The last section of Hwy 24 is a gorgeous winding highway that leads you deep into the mountains. Not for the fainthearted, some parts of the road run…

This is where Taiwan's first cacao grower, Mr Chiu, and his son run their restaurant and chocolate-making facility. They're the only Taiwanese chocolate…

Located on a hillside 1.6km from the pier, the immense Sanlong Temple, aka 'Wang Yeh Temple', is Little Liuchiu's religious heart. The island's Wang Yeh…

A resplendent monument impossible to miss, Donglong is the centre of Wang Yeh worship in these parts. The original temple was built over a hundred years…

If you manage to enter this Rukai Catholic church (c 1959) – it sometimes closes when there's no mass – you'll see some unusual religious art. Rukai…

Once an undersea coral reef, this forest area is now a quirky landscape of limestone caves, narrow canyons and cliff walls strangled with the roots of…

This well-protected expanse of scrubby hills and open grasslands is a favourite with picnickers, hiking families and ecotourists. A pathway runs through…

The park offers an easy day hike with two trails to some gorgeous waterfalls and wooded hills. The 1500-hectare park is a monsoon forest that was…

Several kilometres of rock platform are distributed along the island's southeastern coast – erosion has sculpted it into fantastic formations that the…

This historic battlefield site is worth the steep 45-minute ascent more for its excellent views than for its historical remains. These include a memorial…

Kenting's best-known landmark – a still-functioning lighthouse built in the 1880s – is at Eluanbi Cape, the southernmost end of Taiwan's Central Mountain…

This no-frills cacao farm and ice-cream maker has a shop, cafe and orchard where you can sample ice cream made from the sweet pulp of the cacao fruit, or…

The admission fee buys you a half-hour tour-bus ride (and back) along a 2.5km-long stretch of coral coastline, as the driver explains to you the monikers…

This historical site is a collective tomb of 54 sailors from Ryuku (today’s Okinawa), killed by indigenous Paiwan in 1871. The incident, which occurred at…

Located in the southwestern corner of the island, this attraction consists of a maze of lava rock formations threaded through by a walkway. It's dark and…

Just so you can say you've been to Taiwan's southernmost point, there's a stone marker showing exactly that. It's about 1.2km southeast of Eluanbi Park…

A series of moderately interesting caves in the northwestern corner of Little Liuchiu Island, some with narrow paths winding through and around them up a …

The park, set in forested mountains, displays true-to-life examples of traditional indigenous houses and communal structures. A museum near the entrance…