The Cilan Forest Recreation Area is located about 38 kilometers up the Northern Cross-Island Highway, at the intersection with the highway's Li Mountain (Lishan) Branch. There is a terraced nursery here for cryptomeria trees, a cottage once used by the late President Chiang Kai-shek, a forest foot-path, and a little Tarzan forest playground. Cilan Villa provides accommodation in hotel rooms as well as wood cottages. In its restaurant, the specialty of the house is the locally grown monkey-head mushroom.
This area, surrounded by primeval forest at the 12-kilometer mark of the Cilan Forestry Road, features 51 huge red cypress and Japan cypress trees thousands of years old. Each of the 51 is named after a famous personage from Chinese history, chosen because its age approximates the time when the historical figure lived. One, of course, is named for Confucius, who lived over 2,000 years ago. This linkage with history makes a visit to the Chinese Historic Men Arboretum educational as well as fun.
A Tour of the Ancient Forest
Tours are arranged by, and depart from, the Cilan and Mingchi Forest Recreation Areas and go to the Chinese Historic Men Arboretum, the natural cypress forest renewal area, and the Forestry By-Products Center.