Travel

Modernity and Tradition in Taipei, Taiwan’s Capital

International Living
Date: December 6, 2015
By: Ellie Dyer

Wacky and wonderful, polite and pristine, the beautiful island of Taiwan lies off mainland China’s southeastern coast. It’s home to a fascinating culture that celebrates modernism and tradition in equal measures. You can explore the best of this in just a few days in the capital, Taipei.

Taipei’s frenetic night markets are a good place to start. If you only visit one, make it the Raohe Night Market in Songshan district—a gastronomic utopia. It’s held under the stars, near the city’s luminous Rainbow Bridge. Circle the market’s narrow lanes in a counter-clockwise direction and join locals grazing on bowls of fragrant pork-rib soup, indulgent ice-cream pancakes, and mountains of oysters. Most dishes cost under $5. My favorite cheap eats here are the huge pepper-pork buns cooked inside big, steaming pots.

For a spot of shopping and good people-watching opportunities, join the bright young things in the labyrinth of shops and stalls in Ximending, in Wanhua district. Even if you aren’t drawn in by the brightly-colored shoes and psychedelic-neon accessories, it’s a great place to watch the world go by. Ximending is also home to Taiwan’s weirdest restaurant, Modern Toilet. This bizarre eatery is themed around all things bathroom, from toilet-shaped furniture to excrement-inspired food presentation.

Looming above the capital, the Taipei 101 skyscraper is impossible to miss. Rising 1,670 feet, the aqua-colored building is the symbol of modern Taiwan and was once the tallest building in the world. Buy a $17 ticket to take the world’s fastest elevator up to its 360-degree observation deck in an ear-popping 37 seconds. [FULL STORY]

Bureau needs to enhance tourism efforts: legislators

Taipei Times
Date: Oct 22, 2015
By: Shelley Shan / Staff reporter

Lawmakers on the Legislative Yuan’s Transportation Committee yesterday

Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Yeh Yi-jin yesterday questions the Tourism Bureau’s inviting of a Japanese actor to be the endorser of Taiwan’s tourism industry at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee in Taipei. Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times

voiced concern that the nation has been over-reliant on revenue brought by Chinese tourists, saying that the Tourism Bureau needs to improve travel quality for all visitors and enhance its tourism campaigns.

The issue arose as committee members were scheduled to review the bureau’s budget for the next fiscal year at yesterday’s meeting.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lo Shu-lei (羅淑蕾) said that mainland Chinese tourists accounted for 40 percent of total visitor numbers this year, up from 5 percent in 2008, while the percentage of visitors from Hong Kong and Macau dropped from 24 percent to 18 percent.

Japan was once the nation’s largest source of foreign tourists, but that market has declined from 38 percent to 15 percent, she said. [FULL STORY]

Introverted expat: 10 ways to get away in Taipei

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/10/11
By: Rachel McGuffin

Taipei, Oct. 11 (CNA) Although Taipei is full of great tourist destinations,

Sharing a drink with a new friend by Brian Cherry

sometimes all you want is an escape away from the crowds where you can relax without having to pay an arm and a leg to do so. Whether you’re looking for a place to think or a fun activity to do alone, these tips will satisfy all your introverted needs while keeping your budget on track.

1.Relax in a café. Going to a café to work on a project or relax with a cup of coffee may seem like common sense, but cafes here in Taipei are unlike any other in the world. Gone are the days of monopolized coffee culture, now on almost every corner one can find a unique, hole in the wall café with its own cool vibes and dark corners. Try a cat café where you can chill with a feline friend, or try creating your own art at an art café to explore your hidden talents. It’s not just about getting a great cup of coffee, but experiencing a new way to decompress from your day. Check out the plethora of blogs on google for more café info! [FULL STORY]

Tour guide touts Taiwan in Japan

Taipei Times
Date: Oct 12, 2015
By: Huang Hsu-lei and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer

Taiwanese guide Hsieh Ming-huang (謝銘煌) has taken to using the nation’s

Taiwanese tour guide Hsieh Ming-huang’s Republic of China flag flies from a rickshaw in Kyoto, Japan, in an undated photograph provided by Hsieh. Photo copied by Huang Hsu-lei, Taipei Times

flag to guide groups of Taiwanese tourists in Japan, as he says it is a useful way to shepherd his charges and to promote the nation abroad.

A graduate of Okinawa University who lived in Japan prior to becoming a tour guide, Hsieh said that it is unusual to see Taiwan’s national flag in Japan, and he brings at least one with him whenever he leads a tour.

For more than 17 years, Hsieh has led tour groups to many of Japan’s most famous sites — such as Arashiyama in Kyoto, Otarushi in Hokkaido and many places in Tokyo — while waving the national flag.

When people asked him what flag it was and if he had any spares, Hsieh said he does not hesitate to pull one out of his backpack and give it to them saying: “I am from Taiwan and this is our national flag.” [FULL STORY]

Taiwanese make 1.5 overseas trips per year on average: survey

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/09/14
By: Tsai Yi-chu and Lilian Wu

Taipei, Sept. 14 (CNA) Taiwanese people make an average 1.5 overseas trips per year, spending an average of 5.8 days on each trip, according to the results of a survey published Monday by Visa Inc.

Japan (70.1 percent), South Korea (24.5 percent) and Singapore (14.6 percent) are the top three favorite destinations that Taiwanese travelers are likely to visit in the coming year, the survey found.

In addition, the survey shows that 88.7 percent of Taiwanese will carry a credit card or debit card during their travels.

The top three reasons for Taiwanese using cards to pay for goods and services abroad are shortage of cash, payment for big-ticket items and taking advantage of card benefits. [FULL STORY]

Alishan forest railway to receive 10 new locomotives

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-08-02
By: Ko Lin, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

The Alishan Forest Railway announced that it has acquired 10 new locomotives this year,

Alishan railway to receive 10 new locomotives. Central News Agency

reports said Sunday.

The new trains are equipped with updated bogies, a modular subassembly of wheels and axles that greatly helps to improve stability, comfort and safety.

The Alishan railway system is currently operated using diesel locomotives, where the majority of them are over three decades old, reports said. However, there are occasionally special public runs using old steam-powered Shay locomotives, which are hugely popular amongst tourists.

In addition to the 10 new locomotives, the Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) is also open tendering on August 11 for five additional trains, where it welcomes both local and foreign bidders to join in on the public procurement. [FULL STORY]

Taiwan: A Delicious Pictorial of Kenting Street Night Market

Yahoo News
Date: Jul 30, 2015
By: Catherine Ling @ Makansutra

Kenting in Pingtung, Taiwan, is well-loved for its sunny beaches and mild weather. In the evenings, its main thoroughfare, Kenting Street turns into a fascinating night market that’s one of the largest in southern Taiwan. The 2km stretch of food, game and trinket stalls offer some exotic and creative foods.

The night we visited, a typhoon had just passed, so the market had less stalls than usual but there were enough interesting things to see.

For starters, seafood is a huge item here compared to the night markets in the cities up

Here you have clams flash-cooked to perfection in various ways. The natural flavours are intensified by a dash of wine and some basil.

north. The coastal bounty ensures fresh supplies, and you get your food prepared on the spot.

Here you have clams flash-cooked to perfection in various ways. The natural flavours are intensified by a dash of wine and some basil. [FULL STORY]

Taiwan tourism bureau makes precautionary inspections of theme park

Asia One
Date: Jul 7, 2015

TAIPEI, Taiwan – In preparation for large attendance during the summer months to

Photo: Taiwan Tourism

major attractions around the island, the Tourism Bureau inspected Leofoo Village Theme Park in Hsinchu City yesterday in order to prevent the tragedy of the dust explosion at Formosa Fun Coast from happening again.

The bureau decided to implement the routine inspection ahead of schedule, giving special emphasis to measures concerning emergency rescue and exit passageways, as the dust explosion caused hundreds of people to be injured due to the absence of adequate emergency response measures.

“Life is a priority, and security is the basis of quality.” said Chang Shi-chung, the deputy head of the bureau. [FULL STORY]

FEATURE: ‘Hidden Taipei’ tours give unique perspective

Taipei Times
Date: Jun 23, 2015
By: Chen Wei-han / CNA, with staff writer

A London-inspired guided tour led by homeless people to explore secret spots in Taipei’s Wanhua

Tour guide A-ho shares stories of life on the streets in Taipei’s Wanhua District during a Hidden Taipei tour on May 30. Photo: CNA

District (萬華) has transformed the lives of many, including a contingent of homeless people and an information-technology engineer-turned social worker.

Tour founder Tseng Wen-chin (曾文勤) said she modeled the Taipei program on an unorthodox tour she took in London in 2013 — one of the “Unseen Tours” organized by a grassroots volunteer network — and that gave a view of the metropolis through the eyes of homeless people, who took participants into the city’s hidden corners to share their life stories and engage with local residents.

She said she was impressed and motivated by the experience and decided to reproduce it in Taiwan. [FULL STORY]

Looking for Taiwan

”Made in Taiwan” summarises what many Kiwis know about the subtropical island state which calls itself the Republic of China. Former Otago Daily Times reporter Joe Dodgshun got a flying taste of its rich and evolving culture in the capital, Taipei, on a stopover enroute from New Zealand.

Otago Daily Times
19 May 2015

As Nele and I entered the underground convenience store, we gagged on a mysterious scent, both savoury and sickly-sweet.

We quickly traced this odour to an open cabinet where small vats bubbled merrily away, filled with black eggs, yam, sausages and a cornucopia of unnaturally shaped objects of indeterminable origin.

After a long train journey, a nap on the benches of Frankfurt International Airport and the 13-hour flight to Taipei, this 6am assault on the nostrils was too much. Fleeing the 7/11, the only food store open so early, we jumped on to the first bus headed downtown.

From behind the frilly lace curtains of the airport express, we watched Taiwan awaken, while drinking odd but refreshing apple milk.

The bus threaded its way along the top of a tightly woven array of highways, three levels high, providing an outlook over the rapidly brightening landscape of apartment buildings and futuristic industrial complexes which fill the hollows between forested mountains of the country formerly known as Formosa.

Instead of being stranded in airport purgatory during our 18-hour stopover on the way to New Zealand, we were one hour later surrounded by rush hour traffic in the national capital, Taipei City. [FULL STORY]

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