Xiding's Er Yanping Trail: A Place to Watch the Clouds

Xiding is a new attraction on the Alishan Highway, located just about a 40-minute drive from Chiayi City, making it easily accessible. Xiding is known for three treasures: tea garden trails, cloud waterfalls and seas of clouds, and the Er Yanping sunset. To enjoy the stunning sunset views, you need to walk to the highest point along the Er Yanping Trail. The entrance to the Er Yanping Trail has a viewing platform. The trail is about 1,150 meters long and takes about 60 minutes to complete. The path was originally created by mountain residents during early land development. Along the trail, you can see bamboo forests, unique rocks, tea gardens, and other diverse sceneries. With its wide-open views, you can enjoy not only the sunset but also seas of clouds, cloud waterfalls, sunrises, and starry skies. At noon, I visited a hidden cultural and creative vegetarian restaurant in Xiding. The theme was mountain tribal cuisine, and the drinks included rare millet wine and indigenous Alishan coffee. The restaurant was elegantly decorated, and the presentation of the dishes was very thoughtful.