Aowanda Forest Healing, Wanda Power Plant, and Pine Forest Tribe 3-Day Tour

Delve into the Aowanda Forest Recreation Area to enjoy the scenery, waterfalls, and connect with nature, discovering your "little forest within." Experience the therapeutic benefits of phytoncides and negative ions with your five senses, and don't miss the nighttime ecological and stargazing guided tours. This forest tour will take you to the Songlin Tribe along the Zhuoshui River, where you'll savor "Ina Valley Fragrant Glutinous Rice" and listen to the tribe's stories of their past and present. On the final day, explore the century-old Wanda Power Plant and learn about the lives of Taipower employees. The beauty of Aowanda can only be truly appreciated upon arrival. We invite you to make these three days a truly healing and relaxing vacation.

-Attraction Introduction-

▲ Songlin Tribe (Seediq Tribe)
The tribe calls it Pulan, and earlier it was called "Ina Valley." After the restoration, the name was changed to Songlin due to the beautiful pine forests. The pine forest is located at a lower elevation (900 meters), sheltered from the sun and boasting abundant water resources. Morning mist drifts year-round. The tribe planted native rice seeds brought from their homeland along the fertile Zhuoshui River, producing the fragrant and chewy "Ina Valley Glutinous Rice." The tribe's black rice will serve a unique lunch.

▲ Aowanda Forest Recreation Area
Aowanda boasts the largest natural sweetgum forest in the country. The trail follows the Wanda River and river terraces. The first level begins at the visitor center and maple forest area. The second level is a birdwatching platform with artificial bird nesting boxes. The forest park and pine forest area comprise the third and fourth levels. Nature generously adorns the forest with vibrant colors throughout the seasons, presenting a seasonal feast of spring cherry blossoms, summer waterfalls, autumn moons, and winter maple leaves.

▲ Forest Therapy

Aowanda Forest Recreation Area, with its mountains, forests, streams, waterfalls, and pleasant climate, is the perfect place for forest therapy and a forest bathing experience that awakens all five senses!

In this meticulously planned forest setting, guided by a professional guide, you can experience the forest and nature with all five senses, feeling the vitality of the forest and restoring your physical and mental well-being.

[Experience] Led by teachers from the Nature Education Center, using the center's custom-made forest invitation cards, participants will collect corresponding materials from the forest environment based on the patterns and feelings on the cards. This will allow them to learn about the forest's appearance and, through collective creation, express the feeling of spring's rebirth.

▲ Nighttime Exploration of Aowanda

Light-pollution-free and pollution-free, Aowanda boasts rich ecological resources and beautiful natural landscapes. The nights of Aowanda are even more magical and mysterious. In the sweltering heat of summer, visit the night elves—fireflies—and witness nearly 10 species of fireflies, including the black-winged firefly, the large-end black firefly, and the dark-brown-veined firefly, flickering and gracefully darting through the forest during their romantic mating season. Learn the essentials of nighttime ecological observation and delve into the habits of nocturnal creatures, making this trip even more memorable!

▲ Nature Education Center (Green Building)

The Aowanda Nature Education Center is a "Gold-rated" green building constructed from logs and meeting the seven Green Building standards. The main structure emphasizes multifunctional energy-saving features, including wooden wind and rain corridors, column base drainage holes, bolted joints, a wooden platform for the bio-corridor, a pebble blind gutter, a solar power system, long skylights for energy-saving daylighting, and deep eaves on all four sides, allowing the house and the forest to breathe together.

▲ Wanda Power Plant

Located on the Zhuoshui River system, the Wanda Power Plant, built during the Japanese colonial period, was one of the primary sources of electricity in central Taiwan and a key hub connecting the eastern and western halves of the country. With a history spanning nearly a century, it is the first power plant in Taiwan, and the first Taipower plant, to be certified as an Environmental Education Facility by the Environmental Protection Administration. It is also the first environmental education base in Taiwan to promote both green energy and ecology.

▲ Puli Distillery

The landscaping and detailed planning within the complex are ingenious, incorporating wine into the landscape. The exhibition center next to the parking lot sells a variety of wine-related foods and commemorative items. The distillery is divided into two floors, with tiles framing the walls to resemble Shaoxing wine jars. The first floor exhibition center offers high-priced wines, reminiscent of a museum. The second floor houses the "Wine Culture Museum," showcasing Chinese wine vessels from various dynasties, indigenous wine culture, and artifacts from the Puli Distillery's century-old history. It also explains the winemaking process and the history of the public sales office.