Taiwan, The Heart Of Asia

A small country but enriched with a unique culture, enticing food and advanced technology, Taipei is a city all races are recommended to visit.

In the heart of the city, there is a fusion of modern, contemporary and traditional culture. As you roam around Taipei, it is beset with skyscrapers, historical monuments and religious sites.

One of which is the Longshan temple. This is a temple built to worship Guanyin, the goddess of mercy. All nationalities and religions are open to visit the temple to witness pious natives worshipping the said goddess and tourists roaming around and photographing the renowned historical and religious site. Longshan Temple can be traveled by bus, taxi, train or by foot.

Another famous tourist spot in Taipei is the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall.

If you’re a historian or fond of history, this is the place to be. The museum contains artifacts of Taipei’s history. Tip: Book a Taipei 101 ticket in Klook to get free entrance tickets to this museum.

Adjacent to the museum is the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall which was built to remember Taipei’s former president Chiang Kai Shek, a Chinese politician who led China to modernization and defending the nation against warlords and an anticipated attack from the Japanese.

A tourist spot to have on your itinerary is Taipei 101. You can reach this via bus, train or taxi.

It is a shopping mall where luxury items are sold. You’ll find the food court jam packed with locals and tourists alike at lunch and dinner time. The entrance to Taipei 101 is located in the 5th floor.

Visitors take an elevator to the 89th tower to the observatory. It can give you a 360 view of Taipei city. In it are cafes and shops where you can indulge in as you admire the view. You are also encouraged to ascend to the 101st floor and view Taipei’s city on a sky deck. Brace yourselves, though, for the wind and the cold.

View from the observatory at the 89th floor

View from the sky deck at the 101st floor

If you are a food junkie, the highly recommended restaurant for you is Ay-Chung Flour Rice Noodles. It is located in Emei Street, Wanhua District and can be reached through bus, taxi and train. Their stall always has a long line of customers before and after lunch. No proper tables to eat on so be ready to eat their noodles on benches or standing up. But I assure you that their noodles are worth it.

Taiwan houses beautiful sceneries as well. Places to visit to enjoy nature are Yehliu Geopark and Shifen Waterfall. You may also want to detour to Jiufen Village to shop antiques, local clothes and immerse yourself in Taiwan’s native delicacies.

Yehliu Geopark is located in the outskirts where you can appreciate the sea view, around 2 hours away from Taipei by bus. It is a famous spot where the sea has naturally sculpted rocks to make a masterpiece. The place has then been developed to welcome visitors on a daily basis. The sea view here is spectacular!

The Shifen Waterfall is a hidden gem located in the mountains. You can photograph a waterfall that is more than 20 feet high and embrace the natural cool breeze you can get from being too close.

You might want to visit the Shifen Old Street and light up a lantern. The lantern is believed to make your wishes written on it true. You are given several color patterns to choose from, each having a different meaning like marriage, money, relationship, career, family, etc. These are lighted up and lifted up to the sky and lights up Pingxi sky.

If you are a foodie and shopping addict, do not miss out on Jiufen Village. This strip has restaurants and clothing shops you can not find in the capital. It has stalls where a peanut crepe is made in front of you, a do-it-yourself Chinese tea sold only in the village and clothing items you can not find in department stores in Taipei. It is worth your buck.

But enough of the famous tourist spots, this is a gem to viewers who have grown to love Chinese dramas in the early 2000s. If you are a Meteor Garden fan, you can get a chance to take the bullet train to Chiayi and visit the National Chung Cheng University, Meteor Garden’s filming location.

It is a 2 hour train ride with a 30 minutes to 1 hour bus ride to the venue. It is an actual university but don’t worry if you will be admitted, the students and faculty are used to seeing tourist visit their university.