The experience when visiting Taiwan

My family & I visited Taiwan in December 2011 for vacation, and this was our first visit to Taiwan. I would like to record my impression, and also to share with friends with guideline for anyone who plans to travel to Taiwan.

Introduction: This website gives you the overall & idea of Taiwan. Learn and how to prepare before you get in there.

Information of Taipei Rapid Transit Route Map Services: It is low cost & convenient than renting taxi or car, especially when you go shopping or sightseeing within the city.

Shopping Center: Taiwan is the “Paradise of Shopping” and the “The Kingdom of Fruit”. You will enjoy shopping in Taiwan and be preparing for a long walk and “safety your valet” as usual when shopping in other countries.

Here are the samples shopping in Taiwan;

Tea & the Chinese Style Tea House

Taiwan is popular and has long history of Tea, especially “Taiwan Oolong Tea”. It is the tradition, and there are many Chinese Style Tea houses in Taiwan. Here is the information for the best Chinese Tea House in “Taichung”

Chinese Noodle & Food and Dumpling

You may have experience for the Chinese noodle soup and Chinese Food in your country. Let’s us try when visiting in Taiwan. One Dumpling restaurant is very famous. One has to wait in line for a seat. It also has branches in Seattle & California, US as well as in the “Central World Shopping Center in Bangkok, Thailand.” It is also available in Korea, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and Japan etc.

Din Tai Fung Dumpling:

This is my favorite food in Taiwan, that is “Taiwanese Hot-Pot Soup” or we call “Shabu-Shabu”. It is also popular restaurants in Taiwan. The pot will divide in to two soups, one is strong & spicy with Chinese’s herbs and one is regular.

Alcohol & Liquor

I do not have experience about alcohol as much, but there are varieties kind of Alcohol & Liquor stores for drinking and cooking in Taiwan. “TsingTao” -Taiwan beer is fine for me. The taste is the similar as “Heineken”- the beer from Netherlands.

Shopping at Night Market

In Taiwan, there are many places for night markets. “ShihLin Night Market” is the place where we visited. It just moved into a new building and a must visit for tourist. You will enjoy real local food and people over there.

Tourist Attractions

Paper Dome

It locates in Sun Moon Lake area. You will enjoy the Paper Architect Style and its history. Before you leave, you can use your ticket(s) to exchange for the souvenir (gift) at the gift shop, without paying any more money.

History:

Sun Moon Lake and Boat Cruise

Sun Moon Lake is a must for visiting in Taiwan. You will enjoy the nature and the environmental surrounding. They are also Boat Cruise and Cable Car Ride services in Sun Moon Lake. I found that we could have stay longer at least for two nights to cover the Sun Moon Lake area.

Wenwu Temple

Wenwu Temple is in the Sun Moon Lake area. You will enjoy the Chinese Architect style, and here is the history & resource:

Taipei 101(Tower)

Taipei 101 is the second tallest tower in the world (no.1 tallest tower of the world is Dubai Tower). We spent time visiting inside the tower and have lunch in a Chinese restaurant on 85^th floor of the tower. We used the fast elevators. We get to see the top view of the city from the restaurant.

History:

Hot Spring Bathing

Hot Spring Bathing is the one for tourist to get experience. There are also for public area–in door and out door. Our family stayed in the Spring City Resort, where there is hot spring bath inside our resort room. They also have the spring bathing outdoor as well as you can see in the picture above. It is also strong restricting, especially for people have a healthy problem for example; high blood pressure etc.

History:

Martyrs' Shrine

The most tourist attraction is “Ceremonial Changing of Guards” in National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine. All the guards will stay as “live sculpture”, and you do not allow touch them.

History:

CKS Memorial Hall

CKS Memorial Hall was built to memory of the former Taiwan President Chiang Kai-Shek. It is also tourist attraction and a must to see in Taiwan.

Yehliu Geo Park

Yehliu GeoPark locates in the beach side of Taiwan. The rock was formed by many shapes like mushroom, candles, Taiwan map and rabbit, etc. The highlight and the most attraction for tourist is the “Queen’s Head” as you can see in the picture above. We spent half day taking photos, and walking to check the shapes in various rocks. We also enjoy the nature scene as well.

Resource:

Museum:

Here are the lists, where we visited. Mostly, they do not allow take the pictures, and no loud voice.

a) Yingge Ceramics Museum

You will enjoy the exhibit hall of the ceramics. As I observed, it is contemporary art style. There is also individual tour guide, who speaking English for you & your group. It is included in the admission tickets.

a) National Palace Museum

It is also a must to visit in Taiwan for tourist. There are displays the collection of Art Craft or Carving from jade, bronze and ivory, etc. It is amazing to see in the tiny pieces of art crafts, which one can see through provided magnifying -glass for viewing the tiny details. This museum is one of four for best museum in the world.

b) Juming Museum

This museum is the only place, which allows taking the pictures. The art will show both of indoor and outdoor, and it is collection of Ju Ming’s Art. The picture above is out door, and there is space for you to line up next to it, and you can snap shot the photo(s) with his art.

Juming Museum information:

We still miss some places in Taiwan for example; IT Center, Yanmingshan and in the east side of Taiwan, which different scene of nature and local people.

The most impression for this trip is the nature scenic views of high mountains on one side of the road and along with the beaches on the other side. It’s foggy in the morning, together with the art in all the museums. My memory about Taiwan is where the feeling of “the Asian Scene of Nature Art”.