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Stepping into this treasure-trove of nature feels like entering a hidden paradise! Birdsong and floral scents mingle with the chirping of insects, a heartfelt ode from Mother Earth—blissful and beautiful! NTU Tropical Botanical Garden, also known as Siaping Arboretum, was established during the Japanese colonial period. After World War II it was taken over by the NTU Experimental Forest Management Office and is now one of the University’s five major plant specimen gardens. The grounds are planted with a variety of tropical, subtropical, and warm-temperate tree species rarely seen elsewhere in Taiwan. Visit in summer and you’ll find the garden teeming with stag beetles, scarabs, and countless other insects; the air is thick with phytoncides, accompanied by the chorus of cicadas—breathtaking sights at every turn. Golden sunlight filters through the treetops, and the rustle of leaves in the wind performs the most harmonious and moving sonata. Allow half a day for your visit; there are currently no hotels or tourist facilities on site. When you’re done, continue to the much-sought-after summer retreat of Xitou Nature Education Area. Spending the night in Xitou, watching fireflies and listening to the symphony of frogs and insects, is an experience not to be missed.