Established in 2009 with the intention to draw tourists to the area, Xitou’s Monster Village has become an attraction of its own. Located adjacent to Xitou Nature Education Area, the village is a real treat for any weary traveler, both visually and taste-wise. Read this post and find out why you should explore Xitou Monster Village today!
History of Xitou Monster Village
Though Xitou Nature Education Area was officially created in 1970, the area was already recognized as a beauty. During the Japanese occupation of Taiwan, University of Tokyo Agricultural students were sent to Xitou for study during the summer. This perhaps is the reason why Xitou Monster Village is constructed in an old-fashioned Japanese style.
While the forest area is fairly large, Xitou Monster Village is quite small. That being said, it is packed with stuff to explore! Before heading there, we recommend checking this map to plan out your journey.
Monster Village Xitou Attractions
Food
One of the main attractions to Monster Village is its array of food choices. And since the theme of the village is monsters, so is, you guessed it, the food. With egg tarts made to resemble black cauldrons with crackled yellow contents, and cake with monster’s faces imprinted on, the food in Monster Village is certainly made for taking pictures.
Unfortunately, we don’t have any pictures on hand at the moment. So, for an idea of what food choices you should explore in Monster Village, we recommend looking at the website for the Monster Village Hotel here. You can switch the language to English if you want to, just be aware that the translations are not quite up to scratch.
Monsters
As the name suggests, Monster Village is home to monsters. Okay, well, not real monsters. Think more like cute amicable figures. Think more like the image below.
As you can see In the case of this “monster”, it’s really not that threatening. Based on the Taiwanese black bear, as indicated by the white collar, Kumar is the mascot of Monster Village. That’s right, the friendly monster has a name.
So does this one. This is Tengu, the Sky Dog, at the Post Office.
Here it is again, just vibing on a wall.
Escape Room
One of the more unlikely things you would have expected to see in the village, and perhaps are a little disappointed to hear about, is the escape room. Yes, even Xitou’s far out Monster Village cannot avoid the trend. But you can. It’s quite easy, in fact, to waltz past the store without even realizing what it is. Personally, we recommend you do just that.
However, if you really want to explore what the escape room has to offer, there are a few things you should know. First, the opening hours are 10am to 7:30pm. Second, you have two options to choose from:
- Play inside for 40 minutes
- Play outside for 90 minutes
For option 1), players will search for clues within the rooms, ie. inside. Throughout the rooms, the player will learn the story of Yokai Village (妖怪 is yāoguài, romanticized is Yokai) and will be accompanied by friendly monsters along the way. Remember Kumar? That’s right, it’s coming with you (or for you).
For option 2), which we would argue is the cooler option of the two if we found escape rooms cool (we don’t), is played outside in the village. Appropriately called ‘Escape From Monster Village’, the entire village will become your playground. Bookings from 30 people or more are welcome.
Post Office
Remember the Tengu that looked like a British-style postbox? Well, you can actually put mail into it!
Open from 10am to 6pm, Monster Post is an actual working post office to service tourists (and maybe monsters, too). Buy a postcard and send it to your family/friends!
Japanese Dress Experience
For fear of the PC police, we are going to promote this as a Japanese dress experience. For 2 hours and $600, you can wear a kimono (male/female). Ladies can also get their hair styled, but that has an extra fee. For children, this experience costs $500.
In our personal opinion, we think this price is pretty steep and would not push you towards trying it. That being said, it is an experience and, coupled with the Japanese-style architecture and decorations, you are sure to create gorgeous pictures. So, by all means, ignore us and go for it.
Xitou Monster Village Nearby Attractions
Although Xitou Monster Village would make for a pleasant afternoon, you needn’t spend more than a few hours there to know it all. So, to make your trip to the area more satisfying, we’ve listed a few places near the village that you should also explore.
- Xitou Nature Education Area (mentioned in the introduction) (Google Maps)
- Shanlinxi Forest Recreation Area (Google Maps)
- Fenghuanggu Bird and Ecological Park (Google Maps)
- NTU Tropical Botanical Garden (Google Maps)
- Zhushan Tianti (Sky Ladder)
- Xitou Forgotten Forest
How to get to Xitou Monster Village
- By Car
If you’ve chosen to travel by car to Xitou Monster Village, there is parking near the entrance to Xitou Forest Recreation Area. Please be advised that it is paid parking and costs about $40 an hour. There is parking available before reaching the village, but this is limited and may be ticketed. Therefore, if you want to explore the village and are not staying at one of the hotels nearby, your best bet is to take the $40 loss.
Deals for Xitou Attractions
There are many package deals available that include Xitou Monster Village. Click on any of the images and links below to find out more!
Taichung to Xitou Monster Village
- Option One (below)
- Option Two
For $1620, a private shuttle bus will pick you up from Taichung (TRA or HSR) and take you to Sun Link Sea and its nearby Songlong Rock Waterfall, Xitou Monster Village, and Menzong Bamboo Forest.
Interested? Click here to find out more.
3. Option Three (below)
Xitou Monster Village Accommodation
For accommodation options near Xitou Monster Village, we recommend using Agoda. Not only does the platform have super sweet deals, but it also offers the lowest prices. It’s how we found the following places in and near Xitou Monster Village.
1. Monster Village Hotel
Located inside the village, Monster Village Hotel (also known as Mingshan Resort) is significantly more expensive than your average 3 star hotel. That being said, for visitors wanting to spend more than an afternoon in Xitou Monster Village, it offers easy convenience and comfort (and free parking!).
Prices start at $3,400 a night for a double room. Most deals on Agoda include breakfast, with some also including dinner. If you prefer both, we recommend checking out this $4999 deal on Klook for two people. Vacancies are filling up fast for the summer season, so we recommend booking ASAP!
~ NOTE ~ We know what you must be thinking, and yes, this hotel is ridiculously expensive for what it’s worth. You should also be aware that while $3,400 is the lowest going rate for rooms, the average room costs over $4,000 and can even climb to a whopping $6,400 (for just two people!). If you want to avoid the rush and steep prices, we recommend booking for September, since by then the price drops back down to a more acceptable $2,999.
2. Xitou Youth Activity Center Hostel
Though not offering the extreme convenience of the Monster Village Hotel, this 3 star hotel’s room rate is significantly cheaper in comparison. Located just 930m away from the village, a comfortable double room at Xitou Youth Activity Center Hostel can go for $2,600. With breakfast and free cancellation up to a week in advance, why not try the hostel for your next trip. Book here with Agoda for more deals and room options.
3. PlaceOfHeart Hotel
Just 660m from Xitou Monster Village, PlaceOfHeart Hotel offers travelers free breakfast, parking, and comfortable lodging for a starting price of $2,700. As always, Agoda has the best discounts, so we recommend checking for any daily discount before placing your booking. To find out how little you can pay on Agoda for PlaceOfHeart Hotel, click here.
Info Recap
- Open Hours: 10am to 9pm
- Price: Up to you!
