The Essential Taiwan
Things to See and Do
by Kelly McGuire
The Far East has always held
a certain exoticism for travellers. It is the home of the mythical
Shangri-La, the realm of Dragon Kings and the land of the samurai
and ninja warriors. Taiwan is by no means an exception with
its charming blend of Chinese tradition and modern-day technology,
where you can find incense-scented Confucian temples hidden
away in small alleys in bustling metropolises.
Every
year, thousands of visitors come to Taiwan to explore its natural
beauty, shop at any of the countless malls and shopping streets
in its bigger cities, take a course in Chinese and some even
decide to set up house here. Whatever your reason for visiting
Taiwan, there is bound to be something to suit everyone’s taste. If you’re
thinking of visiting Taiwan or are thinking of stopping by
during a whirlwind tour of Asia, this guide lists some of those
things you should try not leave Taiwan without seeing or doing.
In
Taipai
Source: Ashley Platell
|
Visit Taipei 101
No
visit to Taiwan would be complete without a visit to one
of the capital’s star attractions, Taipei 101. Known
officially as the Taipei International Financial Centre 101,
the building currently holds the position of the world’s
tallest at 508 metres and was completed in 2003. Its unique
design is said to resemble a bamboo stalk and endure earthquakes.
Inside, you can find a wide range of brand-name stores, including
the renowned Page One bookstore and a Toys’R’Us for the kids, as well as one of the best food courts you
will ever find on the island, ranging from Western fast food
outlets to a Japanese sushi bar. Those who do not have a
head for heights may want to pass on a visit to the observation
deck on the 89th floor, but those brave enough to venture
our on to the deck will be treated with a spectacular view
of Taipei City. Visitors should note that low-lying cloud
cover may detract from the experience so try to plan your
visit accordingly if you’re spending some time in Taiwan.
Source:
Ashley Platell |
|
Pay Homage to the Founding Fathers
Taipei is home to the memorials of the island nation’s ‘founding
fathers’, Dr. Sun Yatsen and General Chiang Kai-Shek, which
can be found on Zhongxiao East Road and Zhongshan Road respectively.
Sun Yatsen is credited as being the father of ‘modern China’ while
Chiang Kai-Shek had been the island nation’s leader from
1949 until his death in 1975. Anyone wishing to get a history
lesson on either of the men can visit the museums dedicated to
their lives in their respective memorials. Unlike Mao’s
Mausoleum in Beijing, visitors are free to take photographs within
the memorial grounds and will often have a chance to watch free
Tai-Chi displays and kite flying as the grounds are highly popular
recreation areas with Taiwanese of all ages.
Take
a Trip Down ‘Snake Alley’
Not something for the faint-hearted, the sinister sounding Snake
Alley in Taipei’s Wanhua District makes for an exciting
night out and is the site of one of Taiwan’s largest
night markets. Here visitors can shop for a range of souvenirs,
catch a show by street acrobats, pay a visit to a massage parlour
and see skilled snake-handlers at work. Adventurous travellers
can even feast on snake meat, a highly-valued delicacy which,
the Chinese believe, will invigorate you and cure a number
of ailments. While not for everyone, a night in Snake Alley
will be an evening to remember.
Off
the Beaten Track
Trek in Taroko Gorge
Not far from Hualien, located on the eastern side of the island,
is the Taroko National Park. Here visitors can escape from
the hustle and bustle of the cities and explore some of Taiwan’s
best-kept natural scenery. A trek in Taroko’s towering
mountains and along the spectacular gorges is highly recommended.
Nature lovers will also love the chance to see some of Taiwan’s
native flora and fauna while amateur anthropologists will welcome
the opportunity to learn about the Atayal people, one of the
island’s aboriginal tribes who are known for their distinctive
facial tattoos and remarkable weaving skills. Visitors can
reach Hualien from Taipei in 3 hours by express train or even
by a 30 minute flight from Taipei’s Sung Shan Airport.
Make
a Trip to the Matsu Islands
If
visiting during the summer months and have some time on your
hands, a visit to the Matsu Islands makes for a nice day trip.
Directly off the coast of south-west China, the Matsu Islands have been of political and strategic importance but are nowadays
also a popular destination for those wishing to get away from
hectic city living. While the islands are developing their
tourist industry to accommodate modern-day travellers, the
islands still hold on to their unique identity and their picturesque
fishing villages. Those looking for a taste of tradition can
still find it here and should not miss the chance to visit
the Matsu Temple in the Nankan Township, dedicated to the goddess
of the sea of the same name. Matsu is perhaps Taiwan’s
most loved figure from popular folk religion and it is believed
that her body was washed up on these shores when she drowned
while looking for her father, who had been lost at sea. For
those with an interest in military history, Nankan has several
military installations, mostly tunnels, which will fuel their
imagination. The Matsu Islands can be reached via air or via
ferry from Kaohsiung.
Sail
on Sun Moon Lake
Taiwan’s most famous lake is the Sun Moon Lake in the centre
of the island. Highly popular with honeymooners and tourists
alike, Sun Moon Lake’s dazzling blue water and towering
mountains provide some of the island’s most beautiful natural
panoramic views. Boat tours around the lake are on offer and
there is even the possibility to hire a rowing boat. A number
of scenic spots and attractions are dotted around the lake, including
the Formosan Aboriginal Cultural Village, an interesting combination
of aboriginal tradition and modern-day theme park. Hopeless romantics
can end their day by climbing up a mountain to be treated to
a magical sun set. Sun Moon Lake can be reached in 2 hours via
bus from Taichung or within 30 minutes from the smaller towns
of Puli and Shuili.
Take
a Hot Spring Break
Taiwan lies along the fault-line between two continental plates
so hot springs can be found dotted all over the island. Hot
spring bathing was popularised by the Japanese during their
occupation but has since become highly popular with the Taiwanese
people. If visiting during Taiwan’s cooler months, a
trip to one of the hundreds of hot springs will make for a
relaxing and soothing experience, although visitors should
keep in mind that autumn and winter are the peak season for
hot spring bathing and are advised to visit one of the less
popular ones if they want some peace and quiet. If you don’t
mind a bit of noise or crowding, then you can try out Taiwan’s
most popular springs : Beitou, Yangmingshan, Wulai (all in
Taipei County), the Tainan Springs (in Miaoli County) and Chihpen
(near Taitung). It is believed that the springs have certain
health benefits, helping to cure or treat ailments such as
arthritis, gastrointestinal problems and skin diseases as well
as stimulate blood circulation. Anyone feeling under the weather
would benefit from the mental and physical invigoration that
Taiwan’s hot springs can provide.
Arts
& Culture
A Night at the Opera
Visitors looking for some traditional entertainment can always
catch a Taiwanese opera. Similar to the Beijing variety, Taiwanese
operas can be loud both in terms of volume and colour and often
feature shrill-sounding singers and actors, something which
may not to be everyone’s liking. Nevertheless, theatregoers
will enjoy the chance to watch a colourful show full of beautiful
costume and make-up design, traditional folk stories and skilful
acrobatic displays. The best places to catch a performance
are the Taipei Eye in Taipei where visitors can also watch
performances of puppet theatre, acrobatics displays and even
aboriginal dances.
Marvel
at the Treasures at the National Palace Museum
If you must choose only one museum to visit while in Taiwan,
it should be this one. Museum lovers and Sinophiles should
not pass up the opportunity to visit the National Palace Museum,
home to one of the world’s largest collections of Chinese
art. Here visitors will find a host of treasures from different
eras of Chinese dynastic history, including a large number
of items appropriated from the Forbidden City by the Nationalist
Party (Kuomingtang) when they fled from the mainland to the
island in 1949. Due to the large amount of artefacts, over
600,000 pieces, only a few thousand are on display at any one
time and the exhibits are rotated regularly. If you plan on
staying in Taiwan on a long-term basis, be sure to revisit
the museum to see the new displays.
Buy Some Taiwanese Handicrafts
Visitors looking to bring back something traditionally Taiwanese
will find a great variety of arts and crafts on offer in any
large market. Most cities and towns in Taiwan specialise in the
production of certain crafts: Hsinchu is known for its glass-
and kite-making, Yingge (Taipei County) is the place to go for
ceramics and Sanyi is renowned for woodcrafts. Those who do not
have the time to travel around so much can find pretty much any
type of Taiwanese handicraft at the Chinese Handicraft Market
in Taipei. A range of aboriginal woven cloths and woodwork can
also be found at national parks such as the Taroko National Park.
Whether you’re looking for a jade bracelet for a friend
or a traditional Chinese scroll-painting for your home, you should
be able to find it in Taiwan.
Food
& Drink
Sample Some Seafood
As an island nation, good quality seafood
can be found almost anywhere in Taiwan. From oysters to squid
to uncountable varieties of fish, Taiwan will a Mecca for seafood
lovers. The best places for seafood in Taiwan are the port cities
of Keelung (in the north-east) and Kaohsiung (in the south-west),
where visitors can find a sizeable selection of seafood dishes
and snacks at the cities’ night markets. Here you will
find hundreds of dishes, ranging from delicious fish soups to
clams fried in spicy sauces. Seafood is, on the whole, safe to
eat in Taiwan but always check before eating. Remember that shellfish
that does not open after cooking is likely to be bad so do not
try to eat these and always check that the food has been well-cooked
to avoid the threat of food poisoning.
Source: Niche
IMC |
Try Some Taiwanese Beef Noodles
The Taiwanese really love their beef noodles (niu rou mian).
So much so that there’s even a Beef Noodle Festival,
where restaurants compete to win the prize for the best beef
noodle dishes in Taiwan. While it is believed to have originated
from western China, it is Taiwan which has made the dish a
national delicacy and beef noodles can be found everywhere,
from small food stalls in the streets to the ‘instant’ varieties
found in supermarkets. Many variations of the dish exist although
most of these are served as noodle soups, sometimes seasoned
with spices to give it some extra flavour. No matter where
you get your noodles, you will find that nobody does beef noodles
like the Taiwanese.
Sip
some ‘Bubble Tea’
Taiwanese delicacies are not all about eating snake, pig intestines
and other unsavoury items. The quirkily-named ‘Bubble
Tea’ (sometimes known as ‘Pearl Tea’) is
one exception and no visit to Taiwan will be complete without
it. ‘Bubble Tea’, or zhenzhu nai cha in Mandarin,
was created by an entrepreneurial tea shop in Taichung back
in the 1980s and has since become a favourite drink among young
Taiwanese. Made from a mixture of iced sweet tea, milk and
balls of tapioca pudding, ‘Bubble Tea’ is often
served in a sealed plastic cup with a wide straw so that you
can chew on the tapioca balls if you so wish. Chains of ‘bubble
tea’ vendors, such as CoCo’s, can be found virtually
anywhere in Taiwan. In recent years, forms of ‘bubble
tea’ have appeared in coffee and tea shops all around
the world but visitors should not miss the chance to try some
in its country of origin. While it is certainly not to everyone’s
taste, ‘bubble tea’ is as Taiwanese a drink as
you can get.
More
to See & Do...
This
list has only given a brief idea of what visitors to Taiwan
can see or do and is by no means comprehensive. Depending on
the time of year you wish to travel, you may have the chance
to see the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) celebrations
in early Spring or attend the Dragon Boat Festival in June.
To find out much more about tourist attractions and sightseeing
in Taiwan, feel free to ask your travel agent or check out
any of the books or websites listed to the right.
