A wobbly bridge carries visitors across the head of Stone Gate Reservoir. It's a terrifying experience when crowded! 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Shimmering in the foothills of the island's Central Mountain Range lies Shihmen, or Stone Gate Reservoir. Completed in 1964, this multi-purpose dam supplies water to the rice fields of northwest Taiwan, and to Taipei during the dry season. Covering eight square kilometers, this man-made lake also generates 87,400 kilowatts for the island's insatiable electricity demand. For visitors to the lake, a host of activities await, from the heart stopping "Cork Screw" ride, to a gentle potter in a row boat. On arriving at the base of the dam, you buy a NT$50 ticket at the toll booth.

Just past the entrance lies Asia Land, a small theme park with some big rides. For a NT$350 ticket (children get in for NT$250), you can enjoy unlimited access on the 16 thrilling rides. The ferris wheel rotates slowly around, giving you a great view of the park. Or, should you want something more stomach churning, try the "Cork Screw" to get your adrenaline pumping. A new addition to the park is a standing roller coaster, the first in Taiwan. If you're not brave enough for these, then there are the meeker "Octopus" and "Pirate Ship" rides for the faint of heart.

After getting your breath back, head up the road beside Asia Land. At the top of the hill is Shihmen Reservoir. This huge expanse of water winds its way through steep valleys draped in conifers for 16 kilometers. Hundreds of fishermen try their luck along the banks while day-trippers relish in the tranquil, natural beauty of the area.

A nice way of seeing the lake is to take a boat at the floating jetty to the left of the dam. These flat-bottomed tour boats chug around the lake for an hour. Tickets cost NT$100 for adults and NT$65 for children. Alternatively, you can take a narrow-long boat to Fairy Land opposite the dam. Geared towards the tots, Fairy Land has statues of animals and comic characters crawling with children. The ride costs NT$60.

 
 

An amusement park has been built next to Stone Gate Overflow.
 
 

Further down the reservoir is Amuping, a small resort reached by a 15-minute drive along a scenic road that hugs the lake's bank. Amuping is an all-around resort, complete with its own hotel overlooking Shihmen Reservoir. All manners of water sports are available here in summer; jet-ski cycles, water skiing, wind surfing and rowing are just some of the facilities for hire.

If you feel safer on dry land, then Amuping has its own adventure course. For NT$40, you can clamber over the wooden obstacles, or act out your favorite Tarzan movie, swinging through the trees on the rope swings, and then have a barbecue in the roofed picnic area.

From Amuping, you can take a half hour's boat trip up Shihmen to Fushing, a small village at the head of the reservoir. Tickets cost NT$60. This delightful little cruise is Taiwan's version of Mainland China's Guilin river cruises. The boat meanders along the course of the Tahan River that feeds Shihmen, passing through steep gorges carved by the river. On arriving at Fushing jetty, you cross a very precarious hanging bridge to get to Fushing Village. Monitors lead visitors across the bridge 15 at a time for safety reasons. The village itself is a quiet place where visitors can have lunch or relax in the town's park before their tip back to Amuping.

A day is just enough time enjoy Shihmen, but should you want to spend more time in the area, then there are a number of hotels offering accommodation to suit everyone's pocket. There's a campsite next to the hotel that hires out tents. A six-man tent, complete with cooking pots and cutlery costs NT$400 per night. Alternatively, you can drive to Chungli 30 minutes away, which has a host of cheap hotels behind the train station, starting from NT$700 for a comfortable double with bathroom.