Located in the heart of Taiwan, Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village offers a celebration of the island's indigenous culture. Opened in 1986, it has evolved to become a large amusement park with cultural attractions, heritage villages, a steam train and various roller coasters. It is currently the largest open-air museum in Taiwan.
Formosan Aboriginal Cultural Village is divided into three distinctly themed areas. Aboriginal Village Park is the core attraction, composed of nine individual villages that stretch across the green mountainsides. Each celebrates the heritage of a different Taiwanese aboriginal tribe, where members of the tribes are employed and work in the villages. Each village offers a living and hands-on history, allowing visitors to try out weaving, sculpting, cooking, and knitting. Throughout the day, various traditional dances are performed and visited are encouraged to get involved. The cultural village is accessed by cable car from Amusement Isle, where the main entrance to the amusement park is found. Among the rides are Taiwan's highest free fall roller coaster, the 85-meter-high UFO Adventures, and the Mayan Adventure, the country's first suspended roller coaster. The European Garden area has a very different appearance, with features like a Roman fountain, Ritz palace, and Gothic clock tower.
Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village is situated close to Sun Moon Lake, in the lush mountains of Central Taiwan. Many people combine the two attractions on a day trip from Taichung, the closest city. A handful of buses run from Taichung or Taipei to Sun Moon Lake and the town of Puli, where it's possible to transfer onto a local service to Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village. Many visitors choose to hire a taxi for the journey from Taichung as it typically takes an hour to reach the village.
Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, although it looks very different to how it did in 1986. The amusement park was added in 1992, starting with the cable car up the mountain to the nine villages.