Taiwan 臺灣
- Lotch
- May 18, 2020
- 6 min read
What a beautiful island Taiwan is! Wherever you wonder, you're exposed to an amazing culture, incredible food, and generous people.
Although known as a part of the Republic of China, Taiwan is seen as an independent, self-governing country in East Asia.
Essential to the world's economy, the dynamic island still influences many of its neighbor countries all the way to the western parts of the globe through its technological advancements and culinary achievements. It was actually one of the first countries in the world to offer free Wi-Fi on a mass scale to its citizens and international visitors.
With China to the west, Japan to the northeast, and the Philippines to the south, Taiwan is mainly shaped by traditional Chinese and Japanese cultures. Take karaoke for example, it's now the most popular night entertainment in Taiwan, but was actually started in Japan back in 1971. Families, groups of friends, and even businessmen genuinely enjoy KTV (Karaoke TV).
What was surprising to me is how cheap dinning out is. It's so popular that some apartments in Taipei don't even have kitchens!
Taipei 臺北市
Speaking of Taipei! Capital of Taiwan, it's one of the world's leading cities in researching and producing electronics. It's located in the northern tip of the island and is home to roughly 2.6M people.
Let's explore a few of its districts!
Songshan District
松山區
Tapei is well known for its buzzing night life and street food. There is no better way to discover this city than a night market experience at the electric Raohe Street Night Market 饒河夜市. I'm all about tasting new flavors and ways of cooking, which is exactly what you can find here.
I tried the infamous "sticky tofu" and, well, no comment. It's infamous for a reason!
With one of the best transportation systems in the world, the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) can take you anywhere in the city. To easily access Raohe Street Market, get on the green line 3 and get off at the Songshan Station 松山站. The best time to walk around would be between 6/7ish when shops are all set up with various local delicacies, clothes, and crafts.
Fun fact: MRT lights up your gloomy days with their free courtesy umbrellas for rainy weather.
Da'an District
大安區
Taipei has hundreds of kilometers of cycling roads and that's what makes it the best metropolitan area in Asia for biking. It adds a positive image as a green city environment by helping to reduce motor vehicle emissions.
YouBike 公共自行車 is the bike sharing company you want to use in the city. It's user friendly, affordable, and stations can be found in many areas. The cost is only NT$30 (New Taiwan dollar) per 30 minutes of use, which is a bit over $1 per half hour. So cheap!
One of my favorite stops was Wisteria Tea House, a historical tea house around Daan Forest Park 大安森林公園, where I tried some green and black teas cultivated in the mountains of Taiwan.
Here, you are introduced to the process of serving and tasting tea. How long it must be infused, how to transfer it from one pot to another, how to smell and taste the flavors. It's such a delicate and precise art of patience.
The essence of the Wistaria Way of Tea is nourished by the spirit of Taoism and oriental aesthetics. The principles of right, quiet, and purity emphasize that through tea, we can cultivate ourselves in body and mind.
No. 1, Lane 16, Xinsheng South Road Section 3
Daan District, Taipei
Taiwan
Located on Linjiang Street, the crowded Tonghua Night Market 臨江街夜市 is open every day from 6pm until 2am. There are many stands on the street serving delicious small bites, soups, fashion accessories, clothes, and more. It's loud and it smells like a bunch of suspicious things — it's wonderful! What you have here is a local Taiwanese experience and it feels amazing~
I love scouring around night markets for useful little gadgets and cool pair of socks while drinking bubbe teas. Originally from Taiwan, bubble tea, also known as boba or pearl tea, is a traditional milk tea with tapioca balls. You can find it everywhere in Asia, but also back home as it has spread even to western countries.
Zhongshan District
中山區
I could spend a lot of time watching the chaotic roads and intersections of this city. I stayed at the Hsuanmei Boutique Hotel 宣美精品飯店, a conveniently located hotel in the middle of a buzzy downtown area. I mean, "downtown" is kind of everywhere in Taipei!
One night after meeting some friends in the neighborhood, we walked into a cool sketchy local bar called LiPu BAR 離譜. I noticed it was now permanently closed, but you can check out this other bar run by the same owner 難得糊塗bar. I haven't been there yet, but I'm sure you'll find some good music, fun games, and great company~
Zhongshan's captures:
The vibrant area of Yitong Park 美好關係公園 is surrounded by a bunch of tiny shops, delicious small kitchens, and interesting narrow side streets. I really loved eating at Ding Wang Hotpot 鼎王麻辣鍋.
The concept of "hotpot" is simple: hot boiling broth where you can add as much food as you want — veggies, meat, fish, noddles, rice, aromatics, etc. The cabbage was by far my favorite addition to the broth.
Yilan County 宜蘭縣
Let's visit a bit of Yilan County now! Located in northeast Taiwan, it's known for its imposing mountains, rocky beaches, and heavy rains. The name Yilan is derived from the aboriginal tribes of Kavalan who arrived and settled on the land in the 17th century.
Yilan
宜蘭市
Yilan City 宜蘭市 is located by the Lanyang River 蘭陽溪, in the northeastern part of Taiwan. There was this compelling blend between older dull buildings and more modern colorful ones.
This fun mix combined with the view of the mountains was so unique — especially from your window when you wake up in the morning.
The best time to visit the city is between June and August to avoid the rain, which can be relentless. If you have a chance, you may want to walk around the biggest and most crowded night market of Taiwan, the Luodong Night Market 羅東夜市 located in Loudong, Township 羅東鎮 in Yilan County.
I also had my first experience in a Taiwanese 7/11. Clean, spacious, and welcoming, you can enjoy lunches and snacks in their saloon areas. Yeah, very unlike an experience in the US.
Su'ao Township
蘇澳鎭
Su'ao's captures:
My friends and I decided to stop by the Nan-fang-ao Fishing Harbor - 南方澳漁港 on our way back from Yilan to our next adventure on the map. It was interesting because it looked and felt like the town was sort of stuck in time.
We hung out around the harbor and bought fresh fish from the market that we took to a very unique type of restaurant...
You buy the freshest seafood at the market and bring it to a restaurant where they'll cook it for you. We got fresh clams, calamari, oysters, shrimps, and fish. You basically just have to say spicy or not.
This concept is fantastic!
I wasn't sure if I did, but I'm so glad I saved this spot on my Google Maps. It's actually so local that there's no English name for it.
No. 5, Nanning Road
Su'ao Township, Yilan County
Taiwan 270
Hsinchu County 新竹縣
Last stop of the island tour, Hsinchu County! It's located in the northwestern part of Taiwan and is mainly mountains and plateaus. One of the biggest attraction of the area is Hsinchu City. This cool and innovate city is home to almost 400 high tech companies and has the highest income level of the island. It's also the most focused educational center in Taiwan.
Hsinchu City
新竹市
I got the chance to stay with good friends who took me for walks by some rice patties among the Touqian River 頭前溪, bike rides by the Haibin Road, as well as unexpected small downtown temple visits and fun scooter runs at night.
Although it was November, the weather was warm and humid, so watch out for mosquitoes.
That same day, one of our friends, Lisa, cooked some serious traditional dishes for us. So yummy~ You don't need to cook fancy, you just need to have fresh ingredients and good company to share a meal with.
Fun fact: this symbol ~ is very common in Taiwan. Placing it at the end of a sentence is a way of showing your excitement and the change of your voice in a casual way. That's so cool~~
Hsinchu City's Captures:
Hsinchu has a 17 kilometer long coastal scenic area 新竹17公里海岸風景區 that we enjoyed exploring with our awesome electric bikes. We paused a couple of times to grab savory snacks, watch some fishermen, or take pictures of snakes we spotted on a tree.
We appreciated the ride even more with the whiskey our friend brought along. Yup, that's when electric bikes come in handy.
Last but not least, located at the top of a hill is the Baozhong Temple 褒忠亭義民廟 where you have an impressive view of Zhubei City 竹北市. You can spend time walking around the sacred temples, peaceful paths, and charming ponds, where you can also feed the fish.
Ilha Formosa was the official name of the island of Taiwan. The Portuguese named it that way back in the 16th century, when they discovered this beautiful island.
Slightly larger than Belgium, Taiwan is an energetic and surprising part of our planet that welcomes you to go explore it.
What are you waiting for?
