Puli (埔里; Pùlǐ) is a town in Nantou County at the geographic centre of Taiwan.
Understand
[edit]Puli was severely damaged in the 1999 earthquake, the town is located in a very lush and beautiful valley with many hiking trails, and its central position makes it a logical base for visiting the mountains and lakes in the area.
Puli is famous for its water, and all of its local specialties are closely related to it: mineral water, water bamboo, Shaoxing wine, and paper. Water is Puli’s greatest asset.
Possibly as a result of the mild climate, The town has grown to host several major Buddhist temples. There are large monasteries scattered throughout the valley, while the mountain-sides provide havens for retreat centers and hermitages.
Puli's prosperity is closely related to the near by famous lake:Sun Moon Lake , which you will notice from the modern buildings and cars here.
Get in
[edit]
By bus
[edit]Kuo-Kuang Bus Company (國光客運) operates a route between Taipei and Puli (around 3½ hours; every hour, around NT$300). It goes by 1 Chaoma Station south of Feng Jia (Xitun District) in Taichung (NT$125 as of Nov 2017).
Also, from Taichung main railway station you can take Nantou Bus (南投客運) or Chuan Hang bus (around one hour, every 15-20 minutes, NT$125). Nantou Bus also departs from Kan-Cheng Station at Shuang-Shih Road (干城站, 雙十路), and goes to Sun Moon Lake and the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village resort near Puli.
Buses from Sun Moon Lake depart at least hourly during the day and take half an hour for NT$50.
- 2 Bus Station. It is in the southeast of the centre. Get off earlier while the bus crosses the town if your ho(s)tel is not southeast of the centre.
Get around
[edit]By bus
[edit]- 3 Puli bus transfer station, No. 338 Zhong Zheng Rd.
By scooter
[edit]Around the southeastern bus station, there are many rental shops. However, renting a scooter in Puli seems only possible with an international driving licence.
By taxi
[edit]Taxis are probably the most convenient way to reach your destination, but as few use meters, check the cost to your destination before setting out and negotiate the best deal.
See
[edit]- 1 Baohu Palace, No. 94 Biba Rd, ☏ +886 49 2982873.
- 2 Chung-tai Shan Monastery (Only 4 buses go from Puli, two in the morning, one at noon, and one in the late afternoon.). 33 stories make it possibly the tallest Buddhist monastery in the world, and it is a landmark in the area and quite a sight from a few kilometres apart. Maybe find a hill nearby to fully capture it – it will be hard to put its size onto a picture standing right in front of it. Apparently, locals do not like the monastery too much, because the they demand money/donations for everything. But as a western tourist you should be safe from that. North-east of it can also be found the related Chung Tai World Museum.
- 3 Chung Tai World Museum, No. 8 Chung Rd, ☏ +886 49 2932-999, [email protected]. 09:00~17:00. Buddhist Museum. NT$ 200.
- 4 Carp Lake. A great place to relax and watch clouds melt into green mountains and egrets dance in the cool summer breeze.
- 5 Kuanghsing Paper Factory (Guang Xing Paper Mill), 310 Tiehshan Rd, ☏ +886 49 913037, [email protected]. Following ancient methods of production, this factory turns out a variety of hand made paper favored by calligraphers. This factory has a do-it-yourself lesson and participants can keep their own work as a souvenir.
- 6 Lungnan Natural Lacquerware Museum, No. 211-1, Beiping Street, ☏ +886 049 49 2982076, [email protected]. 09:00~12:00、13:30~17:00 closed on Monday. A memorial to Puli's historical connection with lacquerware. Demonstrations can be arranged.
- 7 Muh sheng museum of emtomology, 6-2 Nantsun Rd, ☏ +886 492913311. daily 09:00-17:00 closed on Wednesdays. Wonderful variety of butterflies. NT$160.
- 8 Taiwan Geographic Center Monument, Heping East Rd, ☏ +886 49 2916060. The geographical center of Taiwan.
Paper Dome
[edit]
Paper Dome is a temporary church building constructed using paper tubes as structural elements. It was designed on a pro-bono basis by Shigeru Ban, internationally known Japanese architect who is renowned for his paper tube structures and buildings. It was built on September 17, 1995 to serve as a temporary church for Takatori Catholic Church after the Great Hanshin Earthquake. Nonetheless, the venue was also used as a place for communal gatherings. However, when the church community planned to build a permanent building, the structure was donated to Taomi Village in Puli Township, Nantou County, Taiwan which had suffered the 921 Earthquake in 1999. The deconstructed structure was shipped in 2006 to Taiwan, reconstructed there and is now one of the top tourist attractions in that area.
9 Paper Dome, No.52-12 Taomi Lane, Taomi li, Puli Township, ☏ +886 49 2914922. daily from 09:00–20:00). NT$70, you can use your ticket to get NT$20 off any purchase inside the park. 
Do
[edit]- 1 Tiger Head Mountain (Hutoushan). At night, this little hill northeast of Puli centre gives a wonderful view over Puli and its "lightshow" inside the middle of the surrounding mountains.
Learn
[edit]- National Chi Nan University has a large campus in Puli.
Buy
[edit]- Water bamboo and Sugar caneis a local specialty.
- Mineral water from Central Mountain Range.
- 1 hizukitown, No. 235-8, Section 4, Zhongshan Road, ☏ +886 49-2009296, [email protected]. 9:00-18:00.
- 2 Puli Brewery (埔里酒廠), No. 219, Sec. 3, Zhongshan Rd, ☏ +886 49 2984006. 09:00–17:30, Sa Su 9:00–17:30. Shaoxing wine, Ailan Sorghum Liquor.
Eat
[edit]Vegetarian
[edit]- 1 Sweet mind vegetarian restaurant (田心心蔬食餐坊), No.174, Zhongshan 3rd Rd, ☏ +886 4 92999351, [email protected]. 11:00–14:00 17:00–20:00, colsed W. Taiwanese Italian cuisine, Korean bibimbap and hot pot. Pasta NT$ 238.
Places
[edit]- 2 Su MaMa Rice Ball (蘇媽媽湯圓), No.118, Sec. 3, Jhongshan Rd, ☏ +886 4 92988915, [email protected]. 11:00–20:00, closed W. This place is highly recommended and a name in town. Speciality: meat filled rice balls, sweet rice balls, and ground pork noodles. NT$ 75.
- 3 Weekend Night Market. weekends.
- 4 Shrimp Fishing Court. Take a fishing rod, sit down, have a beer and hunt for shrimps in a large pool. This is great fun in a group.
- 5 Bade Food Market. During the week when there is no night market, you could head for this food market of small stalls preparing food. However, the variety is not too large and you might prefer strolling through the centre of Puli, looking for food there.
- 6 Feeling18 Chocolate Factory (Feeling18巧克力工房), No.20, Cih’en St, ☏ +886 4 92984863. 10:00–18:00.
Drink
[edit]- 1 Mando Chill Bar, No.436 Section 2 Zhong Zheng Rd, ☏ +886 0988-664-331, [email protected]. 18:00-02:00 closed on Monday. NT$ 200-400.
Sleep
[edit]Budget
[edit]- 1 Here Hostel Puli, No. 2, Yingliu Street, ☏ +886 953705080. If you thought the hostels in Taipei are luxurious, think again. This hostel has it all, modern interior, heated toilet seats, clean and modern dorms, and a pleasant living area. It is 500 m from the centre and the nearby primary school starts at 08:00, but it is worth coming here and relaxing off the busy roads in the centre. Dorm bed NT$1200.
- 2 Center x Center Hostel, No.6, Zhongzheng 4th Rd. (Located in centre Puli, walking distance to Nantou Bus Terminal, Puli Winery and Puli General Post Office.), ☏ +886 492993396, [email protected]. Check-in: 16ː00, check-out: 12:00. A hostel delightfully decorated and refurnished from a traditional-style building. They offer 4-bed mixed and female dorms. A variety of Taiwanese cuisines and specialities, convenience stores and supermarkets nearby. NT$600/night.
- 3 Islet Inn, No.50, Datong St, ☏ +886 988917309 (Cory), +886 921787047 (Chloe), [email protected]. Check-in: after 16:00, check-out: before 12:00. They offer toiletries and information. You can carry your bike into your room, and the inn offers a pump for bike wheel inflation and a carwash. There’s a washing machine (NT$20/per time), free dryer, free washing gel, and free hand-washing supplies. Double room: NT$1,400 or 1,600/per night; family room (4 people): NT$2,500/per night; three beds (6 people): NT$3,500/per night.
Mid-range
[edit]- 4 Cheng Pao Hotel, 299 Zhongxiao Rd, ☏ +886 49 2903333, [email protected]. The largest hotel in Nantou County.
Connect
[edit]- The dialling code for Puli is 049. From overseas, dial +886 49 XXXXXX
- The free Wifi .1.Free Wi-Fi can be found in many places around town.
Go next
[edit]- Sun Moon Lake – The main reason why many people come to Puli, a beautiful lake nestled among tall mountains, just a few kilometres south of Puli. It is one of Taiwan's most popular resorts.
- Hehuan Mountain – A beautiful mountain range and decent hiking spot half way towards Taroko Gorge.
- Taroko Gorge – An impressive 19-km-long canyon, and the name, Taroko, means the "magnificent and splendid" in the language of Truku, the aboriginal tribe residing in the area.
- Yushan – The highest mountain of Taiwan, located in Nantou County, but also the name of the related National Park that lies in several other counties.