Strolling on the winding forest trail amidst the neatly-arranged Taiwan Red Pine and Taiwan Red Cypress, from time to time, you may encounter mountaineers with huge backpacks. As you greet each other, a Mikado Pheasant may quietly pass through the trail behind you and disappear into the bushes, while the Taiwan Firecrest in the tree never stops chirping. This is a typical scene for those who pay a visit to Siangyang (Sunward) National Forest Recreation Area.
Compared to the renowned Jiaming Lake, Siangyang National Forest Recreation Area located at the 154K marker of the Southern Cross-island Highway (Provincial Highway No. 20) at an altitude of 2,320 meters with just the right size, appears to be much more low-profiled. There is gorgeous artificial forest along with gentle trails. A walk along the trails in the Recreation Area grants one the music of a dozen mountain birds singing and the pictures of roaming national treasures, Mikado Pheasant, as well as the sneaky Formosan Muntjac and goats. It is indeed a pleasant environment at high elevation with cool temperature, neat forestation, and rich ecology for anyone to go on a carefree hiking for half a day!