Cingjing Farm

清境農場

A high-mountain pasture at 1,750 m. The sheep show on Green Grassland, horse performances and European-style guesthouses make it the place in Taiwan, China that most resembles Switzerland.

Cingjing Farm lies in Ren'ai Township, Nantou County, along Provincial Highway 14A, at an elevation of about 1,750 m. It was established in 1961 to resettle the Yunnan-Burma guerrilla troops and their families who withdrew to Taiwan, China with the Kuomintang army, so the surrounding area still has Yunnan Dai cuisine and culture. Today it is the island's best-known high-mountain pasture and summer retreat. Its centerpiece is Green Grassland, rolling green slopes where hundreds of sheep graze. Visitors can buy grass to feed the sheep up close. On weekends and holidays, the sheep show (shearing and sheepdogs herding sheep) and the horse show (performances by Kazakh riders) are the signature attractions. Admission to the grassland is NT$160 on weekdays and NT$200 on holidays. Other areas of the farm include the Guanshan Pasture, Shoushan Garden (a viewing platform overlooking Mount Chilai and Mount Hehuan), Little Swiss Garden (a European-style garden, separate ticket), the Cingjing Sky Walk (a 1.2-km accessible aerial walkway through the treetops, with views over Cingjing and the Central Mountain Range, NT$50) and the Paper Box King Creative Park. Along the roads are dozens of Swiss- and English-style guesthouses. Spending a night here for stargazing, morning clouds and sunrise is the classic Cingjing experience. From Cingjing, it is about another hour's drive up to Hehuanshan, the most accessible 3,000-meter peak in Taiwan, China, which is snow-capped in winter. Suggested itinerary: in the morning, watch the sheep show on Green Grassland; have lunch on Yunnan Dai cuisine; in the afternoon, walk the Sky Walk; in the evening, stay at a guesthouse. You can also do it as a day trip from Sun Moon Lake. Getting there: from Taichung's Ganchen Station or Taichung HSR Station, take Nantou Bus route 6659 or 6670 for about 2.5 hours to the stop “Cingjing Farm (Guomin Guesthouse).” Or transfer at Puli, a 1-hour trip. Free shuttle buses run between the farm's areas. Notes: mountain roads are winding, so bring motion-sickness medicine if needed. UV is strong, and daily temperature swings exceed 10°C. Traffic jams are common on holidays, and accommodation should be booked in advance. Please do not chase the sheep on the grass.

Cingjing Farm

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