Swiss Garden is a beautiful high mountain garden near Qingjing Farm in Nantou. Here you can find flowers, fountains, statues, restaurants, and camping accommodations. If you come to Qingjing Farm, you should definitely check this place out.
🛥️ Planning your trip to Nantou? ⛰️
Here are some top travel tips for you:
- Best time to visit: Winter or Autumn when it is less rainy
- How to get there: Taiwan Railway and Inter-City Bus
- Best place to stay: Kirin Villa or Jenq Yang Hotspring Hotel
- Book tours and activities in Nantou on Klook
- Stay connected with a local SIM
- Rent a car to explore distant sights
Historical Background:
During Japanese rule, the area around Qingjing farm was originally pasture for the cattle of the Seediq aboriginal tribe. This is the same tribe that caused the Mushe Incident, the biggest rebellion against the Japanese during that era, involving mass killings of Japanese and even more Aboriginals in return. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you should watch the film Warriors of the Rainow: Seediq Bale. The Mushe incident memorial can be found a little further down the road in Wushe as the Mona Rudo Resistance Monument.
Later in 1959 the ROC government made the area a relocation area for a few military families to plant tropical fruits. In 1967 Chiang Chin-kuo (Chiang Kai-shek’s son) visited the area and remarked: 「清新空氣任君取，境地優雅是仙居」meaning “There is fresh air for one to breathe, and the area is elegant like the dwelling place of a fairy.” From then on, the farm changed its name from Rongmin Farm (榮民農場meaning honorary citizens’ farm) to Qingjing Farm, meaning “Fresh Landscape.”
By 1985 the farms around Qingjing were all making losses. But then the first hotel was built in the area, the income of which was greater than that of the farm itself. From then on, the tourist sector of Qingjing Farm began. Nowadays, the farm is purely a tourist attraction, and many hotels and hostels have been built in the area.
Cingjing’s Small Swiss Garden, often called “Taiwan’s Little Switzerland” or “Paradise above the Clouds,” is famous for its Northern European charm and misty mountain scenery. At dawn, the clouds and fog create a breathtaking watercolor-like landscape, blending with the distant mountains in a scene of pure natural beauty. Camping options are also available, ranging from NT$1,000–3,500 depending on the area and type of accommodation, with shower fees at NT$150 per person.
Price:
Full adult ticket: 270 NT
Groups over 30 people: 210 NT
Swiss Garden: 150 NT
Skywalk: 50 NT
You can buy tickets at a discount on Klook here.
Hours:
8 AM – 5 PM every day!
Cherry Blossom Season:
Cherry Blossoms can be seen in the park from February to late March. Check out our full guide to Cherry Blossom Season in Taiwan here.
How to get to Swiss Garden:
By Bus:
From Taichung, take the Kbus, Nantou Bus, or Quanhang bus to the Puli bus station. You can also take Kbus from Taipei Main Station straight to the Puli bus station. From there, you can buy entrance tickets to Qingjing and round-trip bus tickets all in one via Nantou bus. The bus will leave and come back to Puli Station. Be sure to take the bus all the way to the Qingjing entrance.
You can book tickets to travel to Nantou via inter-city bus on Klook here.
You can book tickets to Taichung via high-speed rail (HSR) on Klook here or KKDay here, or book tickets via the normal train (TRA) on Klook here, then switch to a bus to Nantou.
By Car/Scooter:
Take National Highway 6 to Puli and then continue onto Provincial Highway 14 all the way to Qingjing Farm. There are private parking lots above the entrance for about 200 NT a day, and there are usually extra spots even on a busy day.
Looking for scooter rental in Nantou? Search Klook here or KKday here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here.
If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here.
Bicycle Rental: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan’s landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can search on KKday here and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here.
Tours:
There are many tours and activities available in Nantou such as river Tracing, paragliding, Shanlinxi Forest Recreation Area 杉林溪, Cona’s Chocolate Castle, Shuiyuan Suspension Bridge, JOJOZOO Park, and Aowanda Forest Recreation Area.
You can find more tours of Nantou on Klook here or KKday here.
Where to Stay:
We have stayed at and recommend Maple Leaf Holiday Villa (you can book on Agoda here, Booking.com here, Hotels.com here, Expedia.com here, Trip.com here, or Klook here), a lodge with a great view and within walking distance of Cingjing Farm.
Looking for a hotel? Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here. We recommend booking through Agoda here, which provides the best quality accommodation on the islands.
Map:
Check out the map above.
Our Journey:
I have been to Swiss Garden Twice. There are also lots of stores and restaurants near Swiss Garden 瑞士花園, but they are about an hour walk from the sky bridge and Qingjing Farm. You can also take a taxi or bus. I do not recommend walking because the road is quite dangerous.
Aerial view from the Swiss Garden parking lot. The Swiss Garden itself is covered in trees and you can’t really see it well from this angle, sorry.
There is a giant butterfly windmill thing at the front of the parking lot.
The parking lot here also has some amazing views.
Clouds rolling over Nantou.
European style house in the clouds.
Closeup on the house.
Another view of the mist over Nantou.
Last view before it completley fogged over.
There is also a huge 7-11 here. It seems 7-11 is also a mascot or sponsor of the garden.
Alternatively, you can also enter the garden via this trail from the main road on the north side. You can see part of the Swiss Garden campground from here.
From 7-11, you have to walk through a tunnel here to get to the Swiss Garden.
Blue lights inside the tunnel.
There are also some parking spots closer to the entrance here.
You can camp here for 1500-3000 NT per night, depending on the plan you choose.
Tickets here are 150 NT on weekends or 120 NT on weekdays. You can buy tickets at a discount on Klook here.
The main attraction here is the fountain and windmill.
There are also plenty of places to relax and enjoy food.
You can see a lot of 7-11 mascots in the garden.
There are also plenty of places to take selfies, like this love statue.
Another 7-11 statue.
Cinderella’s coach.
More 7-11 statues.
A sheep statue.
Greek statue.
If you have time, you should also check out Qingjing Skywalk. Qingjing Skywalk is an amazing feast for the eyes, with breathtaking views of Qingjing Farm, the central mountain range, and Ren’ai District’s sweeping valleys. For a small fee, you can enjoy some of the best views of Nantou on this raised walkway. It is definitely an experience you shouldn’t miss. Check out our full blog on the Skywalk here.
After touring Swiss Garden, I can tell you the views at Qingjing Farm are better. If you are wondering whether you should stay at Qingjing Farm or try to go to Swiss Garden, just stay at Qingjing Farm. Traffic can be a nightmare, and it’s like an hour walk both ways. I would only suggest you go if you want to camp there or if you are bored with Qingjing Farm and don’t know what else to do. I don’t want to say the garden is a tourist trap, but I think it should be part of the farm, closer to the farm, and not need an extra ticket to get in. Other than that, it’s an okay place to visit.
You can buy tickets to Swiss Garden for a discount here.
Check out our full guide to Qingjing Farm here.
Check out our full guide to Nantou County here.
Check out our guide to Taiwan here.
