{Taiwan Fall/Winter 2017} Qingjing Farm

I have never been to Switzerland, but it’s pretty clear that Qingjing Farm (清境農場) draws much inspiration from the Central European country. It is an incredibly beautiful place to appreciate the autumn colors, with trees in orange and red hues contrasting against the rolling green pastures. We didn’t even do anything when we got here; we neither watched the animal shows nor fed the sheep. And yet I left this place with a very satisfied feeling.

I am not going to write much about this place because I would prefer the visuals do the talking. But I do want to say that if you are a fan of beautiful sceneries and nature, this place comes highly highly recommended. Don’t take my word for it though; watch the video and scroll through my photos to get a peek.

Qingjing Farm is without a doubt one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to in Taiwan. It’s also among my favorite places because of the way the view makes me feel as I look upon it. It is soul-soothing. It is the type of place that imparts so much serenity you forget for the few precious hours you are here that you have so many life-things you need to be thinking about.

Located at the Ren’ai Township in Central Taiwan’s Nantou County, you can get to Qingjing Farm by bus from Taipei, Taichung, or Kaohsiung. But since it is 260 kilometers from Taipei, it is quite a ways away, so what we did was spend the night in a nearby villa. It is totally worth the trip though, especially during the fall/winter season. Because we spent such a short time in this 760-hectare farm, I only have a few treasured snapshots.

Qingjing Farm has several attractions, including a Small Swiss Garden. It was so foggy when we tried to visit there that we decided to turn back. The large expanse of grasslands where the sheep graze is called the Green Green Grasslands (see ticket prices here). All the knowledge and skills beings used to tend to the sheep were learned from Australian ranchers. The farm also features sheep-shearing shows, sheep-dog shows, and horse-riding shows. But let’s not kid ourselves, I’m sure most of us will be doing photoshoot after photoshoot at every corner of this gorgeous place!

Opposite the farm is the Qingjing Skywalk. It almost looked like a mirage through the fog, or a setting for a horror movie lol. We walked across this bridge to get to our bus, which was waiting for us at the other end. I honestly don’t think a visit to this place is necessary since its fees are separate from the Qingjing Farm’s. If you want to walk across for the heck of it, be my guest. Just know that it is quite literally just a skywalk where you can appreciate the view. I think it would be more fun to spend time exploring Qingjing Farm instead.

Depending on the season, it can get incredibly cold in this area once the sun sets and the fog rolls in fully. We were here in the fall/winter season and I found myself shivering during the early morning. I had crept out of my room in the villa we were staying in to snap the photograph below. I would very much like to spend more time in this area when I next return to Taiwan, just drinking in all the peace and quiet and gorgeous scenery.