How to get to Cingjing, Hehuanshan (from Taipei or Taichung)
For city dwellers looking to escape the urban landscape and immerse in a relaxed, laid back and remote environment, this is the location of choice. Cingjing is a lovely, scenic and tranquil holiday destination set around the mountainous region of Hehuanshan in Nantou, Central Taiwan. Cingjing is also synonymous with the Cingjing Farm which is a very popular attraction along with the hot springs of Hehuanshan.
On a bright day with clear skies, the views absorbed can be breathtaking. As you make the trip from Taipei or Taichung to Cingjing, a marked contrast begins to set in, from the changing landcsape between urban skyscrapers and dense concrete roadways bustling with life on each side, to the large broad highways taking you towards Taiwan's natural wonders, across mountainous backdrops and finally making the ascend into the hilly regions, where the light plunges into a blanket of tall trees and the fresh aroma of the forest invites you closer and closer to your destination.
But first, we have to get there.
Taipei to Cingjing Road Trip
Google maps estimate the road trip to Cingjing to be 3 Hours and 22 minutes from the Taipei city main train station.
The commute time is 10 hours longer (so says Google) if you take the train from Taipei to Taichung and transfer 2 buses from Taichung to the farm. Imagine a 13 hour commute for travelers without engaging a taxi or renting a car in Taiwan.
However for those interested in public transportation, here is the guide on how to get there.
Taipei Main Station to Cingjing by Bus:
Taiwan Bus departs from the Taipei Main Station direct to Cingjing and it typically costs TWD 780 on weekdays and TWD880 on weekends for a one way ticket and TWD 1,260 and TWD 1,460 for round trips.
The average time is between 4 to 5 hours and that seems pretty bearable.
What is actually pretty unpleasant, is the purchase of the tickets. Try clicking on the website to understand what I am talking about. This picture below is a google translated information on booking and billing, and I suppose it is well understood that you should email ester@emmm.tw to find out a little bit more about getting there.
The rest of the site is equally difficult to navigate, so let's do what most tourists normally do, Google! Chances are, you would end up on a forum like TripAdvisor and have to spend time reading and navigating through forums. Here is a typical example:
Forum thread entitled "Bus from Taipei to Cingjing" yielded some bus service suggestions which mainly suggested taking the same bus services from OK Bus which also does not seem to have a site catered to English speaking travelers.
Taipei to Taichung to Cingjing
To make life simpler, I actually found the most concise and understandable instructions without having to translate the website at the official Cingjing tourist information site FAQ section which simply states:
"Q3: From THSR Taichung Station to Qingjing Farm: Please follow the signs to reach exit 5 and take Nantou Bus to reach Qingjing Farm (approximately 2 hours). Ticket price is NT$262 for each person. Please purchase your ticket after getting on bus."
Follow the queue as the author says in her blog post, to buy the tickets.
The first leg of the journey from Taipei to Taichung can be far easier. Still let's make sure we comprehensively got this worked out. Firstly, I would recommend the faster and more comfortable journey because it is usually safer to start early in case of unforeseen circumstances or you want to explore Taichung city, then there is ample time to do a short stopover and visit. Hence, the High Speed Rail or HSR would be preferred as the mode of transport. Tickets can be ordered from their website here.
The train intervals are pretty regular, within 15 minutes or so, and the duration is about an hour journey. Do firm up your dates early, so you can get discounts for the trip.
Taoyuan International Airport to Taoyuan HSR to Taichung
From the airport, there are shuttle buses between airport and the nearest high speed rail or HSR station (Taoyuan). Each ticket costs TWD30 and takes less than 30 minutes to reach the train station. Look out for U Bus #705 to get you to the HSR station. For more information, check out the airport's website: http://www.taipei-airport.com/transportation.php.
Traveling in Comfort: Taxi or Cab Ride to Cingjing
While a taxi or cab is not exactly a limousine ride, imagine a guide cum driver serving up some commentary along the journey, stopping by to recommend you good food along the way or to just shop like a local and be among locals.
My experience as an example was while in Taipei with family, my dad was craving for a local traditional cake called wa kueh or Taiwanese Minced Meat Steamed Rice Cake which looks pretty much like this (by the way, it is really amazing, but highly starchy so take a light meal if you plan to have a try).
Anyway, the stall which is popular is at No. 216, Section 1, Xiyuan Rd, Wanhua District, Taipei City, Taiwan 108 and it is called Tainan Wa Kueh which is about 5 to 10 minutes by bus from the Taipei Main Station and is near a temple which is also a popular food destination and landmark called Lungshan Temple. Here's the shop's website for easy identification.
I digressed, but on the way back to Taipei after visiting some places of interest, the taxi driver dropped by this stall to let us have a taste. A pleasant surprise to top off an enjoyable day trip!
Just to recap, we are actually speaking of traveling up Cingjing from either Taipei or Taichung. In terms of cost, a quote from taxi companies can be difficult to obtain, because most of the websites are in Chinese. More often than not, travelers rely on forum sites and reading up reviews and comments before emailing or whatsapp calling a driver to make the arrangement.
Ownrides.com has an itinerary planned with drivers who can communicate in English (additional TWD600) from Taipei direct to Cingjing Farm and Hehuanshan for TWD7,200 (English speaking driver would cost TWD7,800). Depending on the number of people traveling together, the bus ride on weekends would cost about TWD1,460 per person or TWD2,920. However, it would take additional costs to take the sunrise tour from Cingjing to Hehuanshan.
As a comparison, this blog recommends taking a taxi ride from Taichung to Cingjing at a cost of TWD7,000.
Example of driver details:
Mr Liu 劉錦鐘
Whatsapp +886 927 888 032
Email: liu0927888032@yahoo.com.tw
http://liusir-travel.blogspot.tw/
Quotation received in October 2015: TWD 7,000 for 2 days (12 hours each)
The driver booking starts with a booking conversation on Whatsapp in mandarin but it would not work for English speaking tourists.
Yet again I digress, the Cingjing to Hehuanshan sunrise tour costs about TWD400 per person so for a couple of 2, that's a total of TWD3,720. Note that the Hehuanshan sunrise tour happens way before sunrise, and tourists are packed in a bus that picks up from hotel to hotel before heading up star gazing and then catching the sunrise. The tour takes about 3 hours but the challenging part of the tour is everything is conducted in Chinese, and booking should be made at the hotel (but subject to availability) because the E-Go bus tour operator's website is in Chinese as well.
Considering the convenience of traveling according to your time, and without stress of missing a transit, or reading up a wrong or misleading information, booking a taxi guide to Cingjing would have its merits.
Taichung to Cingjing/Sun Moon Lake by Taxi
Ownrides.com also has a TWD4,000 (English driver would cost TWD4,300) itinerary from Taichung to Cingjing and Sun Moon Lake in a day trip.
This tour doesn't include a trip up to catch the sunrise, but is ideal for travelers who are keen to pack in the day, to visit 2 places of interest.
Cingjing Places of Interest
The Cingjing website is reasonably easy to understand to foreign visitors after an attempt at Google Translate.
Thankfully, there is enough information on the worldwide web to sort and string all the tourist resources into a decent travel to Cingjing itinerary. I've compiled a list with some links to blogs writing about these places for those interested.
List of Things to Do in Cingjing
While I hope to have a comprehensive blog post detailing the fun activities to do in Cingjing, I shall start like a typical tourist planning my journey. Here's firstly a list from the common travel sites Tripadvisor and Lonely Planet.
Cingjing Farm (清境農場)
The Cingjing Farm is probably the main attraction going to Cingjing especially for families. There are shows happening at various parts of the day so it is important to get the schedule and venue brochures before planning a visit at the farm. Visitors may obtain a day pass ticket which retails at TWD160 on weekdays and TWD200 on weekends. The full fare schedule is found here.
Do note that opening hours are from 8AM to 5PM which may not be a lot of time for visitors who arrive at mid day or later.
Sheep shearing and sheepdog (shepherd dog) herding shows happen daily for 30 minutes per show, but is available on Summer days. The Horse Riding Show happens once in the morning at 10:15AM and 3:15PM in the afternoon. This is at a different location at the Guanshan Ranch.
Reviews on Cingjing Farm can be found on Tripadvisor here.
Cingjing Farm Trails
Aside from visiting the farm, a fun and potentially strenuous activity is to simply soak in mother nature and walk through one of the eight trails in and around the Cingjing Farm area.
The Jade Lake Trail is particularly spectacular, and it takes about an hour to complete the trail. The view is incredible.
Photos from Jeff's Vacation and Travel Journal
Old England Manor for High Tea
Despite the name permanently ascribed with the word "Old" before England, this boutique hotel was actually opened in 2009. Nestled in a mountainous and grand backdrop of the Hehuanshan mountain, the Old England Manor is a luxurious castle-themed hotel and is costs roughly about USD350 depending on seasonality and availability.
This is a stunning youtube video introducing the boutique hotel.
While the room rates at The Old England Manor may be out of reach for the budget conscious, a high tea may be adequate to simply take it all in.
The afternoon tea session costs about TWD450 per person and it grants visitors access to take in the views off the mountain view.
Tripadvisor has a bunch of amazing photos that can be found, just click on the photos here!
The Old England Manor sets itself apart from all other hotels or inns (also called minsu in Chinese) because of its architecture. This is a set of extremely well taken photos from darrenbloggie.com in his trip in December 2016.
Carton King (https://www.cartonking.com.tw/)
Next on the list is a truly unique and also pretty tasty suggestion. Ranked #4 out of 466 restaurants in Nantou on Tripadvisor, this restaurant is a sharp contrast from The Old England Manor.
Modern and fun, the decor is predominantly made from carton boxes or corrugated paper to be more precise.
Down to the chairs you sit on, almost everything is made from carton boxes. Although unique in experience, Carton King has quite a number of outlets across Taiwan and an online store, so you need not rush to buy souvenirs if Cingjing isn't your last destination in Taiwan!
Off the Beaten Path (Taxi or Other Arrangements Necessary)
Travelers who engaged taxi guides or have access to transportation arrangements through their hotels may decide to visit the areas near Cingjing. For those willing to make the journey, it probably would be worth the effort.
Ask the taxi driver to take you on a ride down to the Jade Lake (especially after admiring the view from the top). The Jade Lake also known as Bi Pond is a drive away from the usual tourist locations. Alternatively the hot springs at Lushan is worth going for.
30 minutes journey by cab takes you for Cingjing Farm to Lushan hot springs, and in case you'd like to stopover, there are hotels available nearby in the town of Ren'ai. Here is a link to reviews and pictures available on Tripadvisor.com.
A day trip to the hot spring would set you probably 3 hours including the commute. An option would be to stay over at the Lu Shan Garden Resort or sign up for a spa at the resort.
The website is in English but perhaps the simplest way to book a room would be through online hotel booking portals. If you'd like to enquire on the room reservation directly or to check on spa availability or opening hours, here are the contact details: +886-49-2802369 or email emily830717xd@yahoo.com.tw
Address: No. 12, Rong Hwa Alley, Jing Ying Village, Ren Ai Township, Nantou County, Taiwan
There are many more places to visit with a too little time to do so! Especially since from point to point, the commute can be rather time consuming. Hence here's my suggestion to end of this post.
1 Day (day trip)
Ill advised because i think it is too rushed, but if you are keen to do so, stay in Taichung if you plan to head back to Taichung and move on to another city via the HSR.
Book a taxi or take a bus early in the morning to Cingjing. You may wish to just take lunch at Carton King before taking a trail to walk around the area. I have rather deliberately not picked the Little Swiss Garden because I don't find it very entertaining even for children to run around.
If you are in time, visit the Old England Manor for some photo taking. Try not to pack too much into a day.
If you are on transit either to the hot spring or the Sun Moon Lake, and have transport covered, then there probably won't be much time for afternoon tea at the Old England Manor.
2 Days
Think this is adequate while 3 is more restful. Start the day early if you can, because the sunrise tour is a must see, but do hope for the clouds to clear or you will miss the beautiful picturesque scene with the sun rising above the clouds. Early morning rise starts with star gazing which is very enjoyable as well.
Take your time as you settle down after an early start, take your breakfast and with a full day, it would be enough time to purchase a ticket for the Cingjing Farm.
Hope that you have found this a useful resource to start planning your upcoming trip to Taiwan and to Cingjing! For other places to visit, do check out the rest of my site.
Related articles:
Cingjing to Hehuanshan Sunrise Tour (link)
I added an article solely on the Hehuanshan Sunrise Tour because the breathtaking sight is not to be missed! Covering information and more importantly, pictures of the sunrise tour and other useful sites and blogs, do check it out.
Hehuan Mountain (Hehuanshan) Trails and Trekking (link)
This is another detailed guide for nature lovers and the adventurous who would spend more time there! Probably suitable for those who are driving through cingjing to hehuanshan and then to other places like Taroko Gorge (National Park) or Sun Moon Lake.
Enjoy your visit to Taiwan and safe travels on your tour!