Puli sits almost in the middle of Taiwan, in a basin ringed by the mountains of Nantou County, and people often call it the island's geographic heart. At the end of a long climb out of the high mountains, it is a relief: a town of about eighty-six thousand people with flat streets, warm air, and shops that stay open late. The elevation here is modest, so after the cold of the high passes the temperature feels like a gift.
The town is known for its water, which comes off the mountains clean and soft, and for the rice wine brewed with it, including Shaoxing wine that is sold across Taiwan and the sweet, fiery bottled versions that make good presents. The brewery has a visitor centre and an ice cream counter that sells rice wine ice cream, a combination which sounds odd and works well. The basin also produces bamboo shoots, tea, flowers and fruit, and the surrounding hills are dotted with temples and small farms.
The ride you are finishing is the Central Cross-Island Highway, one of the great mountain roads of East Asia. Built by army veterans in the 1950s, it crosses the island's spine from the Pacific coast to the west, passing through Taroko Gorge, where marble cliffs rise hundreds of metres, then climbs to the high ground at Wuling, which at about 3,275 metres is often described as the highest paved pass in East Asia. In that high country the air is thin and cold, with cloud and sudden rain, and the descent toward Puli is a long run of bends through bamboo, betel palms and tea terraces.
Taiwan's mountain roads are fragile, since typhoons and earthquakes regularly trigger landslides, and parts of the highway have been closed for repair after storms. Always check the status before you ride. Fuel is easy in town, with petrol stations along every main road, and convenience stores sell drinks and snacks around the clock. Night markets in the evening offer a dozen kinds of cheap, delicious food, from fried chicken to beef noodle soup, and a short ride to Sun Moon Lake makes a pleasant morning detour before heading home.