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3 October 2026

Taiwan is a relatively small island in East Asia, lying off the south-eastern coast of China, across the Taiwan Strait.

Many people know it for its technology and busy cities.

But there is another Taiwan that begins when the roads leave the cities behind.

Much of the island is mountainous. Forests cover large areas, and some peaks rise more than 3,000 metres above sea level.

In the eastern part of Taiwan, the Taroko area became famous for its enormous marble cliffs, deep valleys and winding roads. The landscape shows how dramatically the mountains can rise from the narrow coastal plains.

But perhaps the more interesting thing about Taiwan is the way people live alongside such difficult terrain.

Rivers have cut deep through the mountains. Roads and tunnels have been built through rock. Small settlements have developed in valleys where the surrounding landscape can feel almost overwhelming.

It is easy to think of Taiwan only through the things it manufactures or the technology it exports.

But stand among its mountains and another picture appears.

An island can be small on a map and still contain an extraordinary world.

Perhaps that is one of the pleasures of travelling—or even simply reading about places.

We discover that the country we thought we knew from headlines is often much larger in character than we imagined.

#Taiwan #EastAsia #TaiwanMountains #RajatChandraSarmah

Rajat Chandra Sarmah, Guwahati, Assam, India, Instagram @rajatchandrasarmah, YouTube: conversewithasmile, email rajatchandrasarmah@gmail.com