Xitou Monster Village

Xitou Monster Village sits at the entrance of the Xitou Forest Recreation Area in Nantou. The whole village follows the architectural style of “Songlin-cho” (Pine Forest Town). Throughout the village you'll find monster statues in all sorts of quirky shapes, as well as villagers dressed in Japanese-style outfits. At night, the red lanterns light up, as if painting a streak of red across the dim, green forest moonlight, letting overnight guests seek out the mysterious Japanese mood of the mountains beneath the big red lanterns.

Here, a dazzling array of quirkily creative souvenir shops, gift stores and snack stalls leaves you spoilt for choice. Though the products are full of monster-themed charm, they are also rather cute. When you're tired of browsing, head to the famous Qingshan Canteen for a meal, or simply pick any snack stall. You might well discover some unexpectedly “monstrous” delicacies.