Lonely Planet Taiwan by Lonely Planet (z-lib.org)

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Taiwan

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Edition 10th Edition
Release Date May 2017
Pages 400

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4 easy-to-use How to use this book
sections
Look for these symbols to quickly identify listings:
PLAN YOUR TRIP
1 Sights 4 Sleeping
Your planning tool kit
Photos & suggestions to help r Beaches 5 Eating
you create the perfect trip.
2 Activities 6 Drinking
ON THE ROAD
C Courses 3 Entertainment
Your complete guide
Expert reviews, easy-to-use T Tours 7 Shopping
maps & insider tips.
z Festivals 8 I&nfTorramnsaptioornt
UNDERSTAND
& Events
Get more from your trip
Learn about the big picture, to All reviews are ordered in our writers’ preference,
make sense of what you see. starting with their most preferred option. Additionally:
Eating and Sleeping reviews are ordered by price
SURVIVAL GUIDE range (budget, midrange, top end) and, within these
ranges, by writer preference.
Your at-a-glance reference
Vital practical information These symbols and abbreviations give vital
for a smooth trip. information for each listing:

Must-visit recommendation

Sustainable or green recommendation

No payment required

% Telephone number f Ferry
h Opening hours j Tram
p Parking d Train
n Nonsmoking apt apartments
a Air-conditioning d double rooms
i Internet access dm dorm beds
W Wi-fi access q quad rooms
s Swimming pool r rooms
v Vegetarian selection s single rooms
E English-language menu ste suites
c Family-friendly tr triple rooms
# Pet-friendly tw twin rooms
g Bus

For symbols used on maps, see the Map Legend.

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

Taiwan

Taiwan's Taipei
Islands p52
p284 _#

Northern
Taiwan
p120

Yushan Taroko
National Park & National Park
Western Taiwan & the East Coast
p166
p198

Southern
Taiwan
p237

THIS EDITION WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY

Piera Chen, Dinah Gardner

PLAN ON THE ROAD
YOUR TRIP

Welcome to Taiwan. . . . . . .6 TAIPEI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Taipei’s Suburbs. . . . . . . 107
Taiwan Map. . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Tamsui. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Taiwan’s Top 15. . . . . . . . . 10 History. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Bali. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Need to Know. . . . . . . . . . 18 Sights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Beitou. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
If You Like… . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Yangmingshan
Month by Month. . . . . . . . 23 Festivals & Events . . . . . . . . 79 National Park . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Itineraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Sleeping. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Maokong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Taiwan Outdoors. . . . . . . . 31 Eating. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Xindian. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Eat & Drink Drinking & Nightlife. . . . . . . 92
Like a Local. . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Entertainment. . . . . . . . . . . 98 NORTHERN
Regions at a Glance. . . . . 48 Shopping. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 TAIWAN. . . . . . . . . . . 120
Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Getting There & Away. . . 104 New Taipei City. . . . . . . . 122
Getting Around. . . . . . . . . . 105 Pinglin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

LOTTIE DAVIES/LONELY PLANET ©

CHIAYI (P214)

Contents

Yingge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 LOTTIE DAVIES/LONELY PLANET ©
Sansia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Wulai. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Wuling Forest CHANGHUA (P220)
Cihu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 Recreation Area . . . . . . . . . 162
Fusing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 Tai’an Hot Springs. . . . . . . 163 Yuli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Baling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132 Walami Trail. . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
TAROKO NATIONAL Loshan Scenic Area. . . . . . 187
Taiwan’s PARK & THE EAST Taitung County. . . . . . . . 187
Northeast Coast. . . . . . . 133 COAST . . . . . . . . . . . . 166 Dulan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Fuguei Cape . . . . . . . . . . . . 134 Luye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
18 Lords Temple. . . . . . . . . 134 Hualien. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168 Taitung. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
New 18 Lords Temple . . . . 134 Niushan Huting. . . . . . . . 175 Guanshan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Yeliu Geopark . . . . . . . . . . . 135 Shihtiping . . . . . . . . . . . . 176 Chihpen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Keelung . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135 Taroko Wulu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Jiufen & Jinguashi. . . . . . . 136 National Park . . . . . . . . . 177 Siangyang Forest
Pingxi District. . . . . . . . . . . 139 East Rift Valley. . . . . . . . 182 Recreation Area . . . . . . . . . 197
Houtong. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 Hualien Sugar Factory. . . . 182
Bitou Cape. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143 Fuyuan Forest YUSHAN NATIONAL
Fulong Beach . . . . . . . . . . . 143 Recreational Area. . . . . . . . 183 PARK & WESTERN
Wai’ao. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144 Matai’an. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184 TAIWAN. . . . . . . . . . . 198
Daxi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 Liyu Lake. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Caoling Historic Trail. . . . . 146 Rueisui. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 Yushan
Jiaoxi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 National Park . . . . . . . . 200

Nanao. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147

Mingchih Forest
Recreation Area . . . . . . . 148

Taipingshan
National Forest
Recreation Area . . . . . . . 149

Hsinchu & Miaoli
Counties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Hsinchu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Beipu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Nanzhuang . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Shitoushan . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Qingquan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Smangus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Sanyi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Shei-pa
National Park . . . . . . . . . . . 158

ON THE ROAD

R.NAGY/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

TAIPEI (P92)

Dongpu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .203 Changhua. . . . . . . . . . . . 220 Sitou & Shanlinhsi. . . . . . 232
Sun Moon Lake. . . . . . . . . 233
Taichung. . . . . . . . . . . . . 203 Lukang. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
SOUTHERN
Dasyueshan Forest Nantou County. . . . . . . . 226 TAIWAN. . . . . . . . . . . 237
Recreation Area . . . . . . . 210 Checheng . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Cingjing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227 Taiwan’s
Alishan National Hehuanshan Forest Southwest Coast . . . . . . 239
Scenic Area. . . . . . . . . . . 211 Recreation Area . . . . . . . . 228 Kaohsiung. . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Alishan Forest Jiji. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229 Foguangshan. . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Recreation Area . . . . . . . . . 211 Ershui. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230 Meinong. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Fenqihu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213 Puli. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Rueili. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213

Chiayi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214

Contents

UNDERSTAND

Maolin TAIWAN’S Taiwan Today. . . . . . . . . . 322
Recreation Area . . . . . . . . 255 ISLANDS. . . . . . . . . . 284 History. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Tainan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256 The People
Houbi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270 Kinmen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286 of Taiwan. . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
Guanziling. . . . . . . . . . . . . 270 Kincheng. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288 Religion in Taiwan . . . . . 343
Around Kincheng. . . . . . . 292 The Temples
Pingtung County . . . . . . 271 Little Kinmen . . . . . . . . . . 295 of Taiwan. . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
Jinshui Ying Old Trail. . . . . 271 The Arts of Taiwan. . . . . 353
Donggang . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273 Matsu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295 The Landscape
Kenting Beigan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297 of Taiwan. . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
National Park . . . . . . . . . . . 273 Nangan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298 Wildlife Guide. . . . . . . . . 360
Little Liuchiu
Island. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278 Penghu Islands. . . . . . . 302 SURVIVAL
Sandimen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281 Makung . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302 GUIDE
Around Penghu
Islands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Outer Islands . . . . . . . . . . . 312

Lanyu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313

Green Island . . . . . . . . . . 317

Directory A–Z. . . . . . . . . 366
Transport. . . . . . . . . . . . . 375
Language. . . . . . . . . . . . . 380
Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389
Map Legend. . . . . . . . . . . 399

SPECIAL FEATURES

Taiwan The Temples
Outdoors Map. . . . . . . . . . 34 of Taiwan. . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
Eat & Drink The Arts of Taiwan. . . . . 353
Like a Local. . . . . . . . . . . . 42 The Landscape
The People of Taiwan. . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
of Taiwan. . . . . . . . . . . . . 339 Wildlife Guide. . . . . . . . . 360
Religion in Taiwan . . . . . 343

6 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

Welcome to
Taiwan

With legacies as varied as its adventure
landscape and spirited traditions

thriving alongside the cream of Asian
sophistication, Taiwan is a continent on

one green island.

The Beautiful Isle Asian Values on Their Terms

Famed for centuries as Ilha Formosa Defying those who said it wasn’t in their
(Beautiful Isle; 美麗島; Měilìdǎo), this is a DNA, the Taiwanese have created Asia’s
land with more sides than the 11-headed most vibrant democracy and liberal society,
Guanyin. Towering sea cliffs, marble-walled with a raucous free press, gender equality,
gorges and tropical forests are just the start and respect for human rights and, increas-
of your journey, which could take you as far ingly, animal rights as well. The ancestors
as Yushan, Taiwan’s 3952m alpine roof. are still worshipped, and mum and dad still
get their dues, but woe betide the politician
In Taiwan you can criss-cross mountains who thinks it’s the people who must pander,
on colonial-era hiking trails or cycle a lone and not him – or her. If you want to catch a
highway with the blue Pacific on one side glimpse of the people’s passion for protest,
and green volcanic arcs on the other. And if check out Taipei Main Station on most
you simply want a classic landscape to en- weekends, or just follow the local news.
joy, you’ll find them around every corner.
The Tao of Today
Have You Eaten?
Taiwan is heir to the entire Chinese tradi-
‘Have you eaten?’ The words are used as tion of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism
a greeting here, and the answer is always and that amorphous collection of deities
‘yes’, as there’s just too much nibbling to and demons worshipped as folk faith. Over
do. Taiwan offers the gamut of Chinese the centuries the people have blended their
cuisines, some of the best Japanese outside way into a unique and tolerant religious
Japan, and a full house of local speciali- culture that’s often as ritual heavy as
ties from Tainan milkfish and Taipei beef C­ atholicism and as wild as Santeria.
noodles to indigenous barbecued wild boar.
Night markets around the island serve Taiwanese temples (all 15,000) combine
endless feasts of snacks including stinky worship hall, festival venue and art house
tofu, steamed dumplings, oyster omelettes, under one roof. Watch a plague boat burn at
shrimp rolls and shaved ice. And when Donglong Temple, go on a pilgrimage with
you’re thirsty you can look forward to juices the Empress of Heaven, study a rooftop
from the freshest local fruits, local craft three-dimensional mosaic, and learn why a
beer, aromatic teas and, in a surprising flag and ball have come to represent prayer.
twist, Asia’s best gourmet coffee.

CRAIG FERGUSON/GETTY IMAGES © 7

Why I Love Taiwan

By Piera Chen, Writer
When I visited Taiwan as a child, the wondrous rocks of Yeliu made an impression. Years
later, a fan of director Hou Hsiao-hsien, I went to Jiufen and Fengkuei to see the settings
that gave rise to the films I enjoyed, and was bewitched. Now Penghu’s windswept islands
m­ esmerise me, as does the taste of musk melons. Taiwan is full of surprises if you know
where to look, like the night I waited for a meteor shower in Kenting. I’d expected a crowd to
show up, but there wasn’t even a hint of a shadow. I was completely alone. Then I looked up –
the whole sky was moving.
For more about our writers, see p400

Above: A performer dressed for a religious ceremony

Taiwan e# 0 50 km
0 25 miles

121ºE 122ºE

Beitou Jiufen
Visit hot springs in this Enjoy fine tea in former
121ºE 122ºE historic village (p112) mining-era salons (p136)
Matsu
26ºN Tamsui

33(Danshui)
0 100 km ExploreTtahipe eNiational #] Yangmingshan Keelung
Palace Museum (p71) National
0 50 miles Park #]
MaMtsaurv&elKaitntmraednitiIosnlaanl ds Beitou \# #÷
#\ Jiufen
33Taoyuan _#TAIPEI \#Pingxi
brick villages (p286) 25ºN 25ºN

25ºN TAIPEI ]# #\ Maokong
Taoyuan ]# _#
Chungli \# #\ Pinglin

119ºE Hsinchu ]# ]# Ilan #\ Wulai #\ Wai'ao

TAIWAN Hsinchu ]# Shimen Ilan]#
STRAIT Reservoir
Kinmen

24ºN Changhua \#12#]0TºaEichung

Matsu & Kinmen Islands #] Hualien 333\#Nanzhuang
Syueshan
Hike aWnduslwaiim in a Miaoli ]# (Snow Lanyang River \# Suao
lush jungle setting (p127)
(Mountain; Check oPuitntghxeimagical
3886m) Lantern Festival (p140)
R
Sheipa
TAIWAN Fengyuan ]# National Central Mountain Range Taroko
STRAIT National
Changhua ]# Taichung Park
Take inLuthkeabnegautiful Park
Longshan Temple (p223) 33333#÷
Closed ÷#
R
\#
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L\#ukang
33333(3605m)
24ºN Taroko æ#
Gorge
3333\#
Don’TtamroisksothGisomrgaerble-
Caotun walled top draw (p177)
DSoutnhMe loakoencLirackueit \# Puli R ]#
on a bike (p234)
Sun Moon Nenggaoshan Hualien
Lake (3349m)

Choshui River Shuili \#

]# CyclEe athsteCboluaestcoCaysctlliinnegand
green Rift Valley (p182)
Douliu
Tropic of Cancer
Makung \# 33333Alishan Chushan
Yushan National Park
Penghu National (2489m) Climb Taiwan’s highest
Scenic Area R
Chiayi ]# Ruisui \# peak (p200)
4 33333Baihe \# Yuli \# Shitiping
\#
Sinying ]#
Tropic of Cancer R Yushan
National
ien Chi Yushan
(3952m) P#÷ark
Closed
4 Reservoir Nan-tzu-hs
Tsengwen
33333Wushantou
R
Central Mountain Range
Temple tToauirniannTaiwan's Guanshan Peinan RiverWalami #æ R
old southern capital (p256) (3666m)
Trail
Sixty Stone
\# Mountain

Litao (952m)

23ºN o nun g River

]# Tainan 23ºN

La \#Dulan

Ka oping River]# Pingtung ]# Taitung Green
\# Chihpen Island

Kaohsiung
]# ]#
Fengshan

ELEVATION Donggang \# KenBteiancgh-Nhoapti,obnicaylcPleark
and birdwatch (p273)
3000m \# Tawu PACIFIC
2500m Fangliao \# OCEAN
2000m Little Liuchiu
1500m
1000m Island
500m
200m 33Fengkang \# Learn aLbaonutyuTaiwan's
100m aboriginal sea culture (p313)
0

22ºN Kenting Lanyu
National
22ºN
33Park
SOUTH CHINA #÷
SEA Kenting \#
\# Eluanbi

10 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

Taiwan’s

Top 15

11

Cycling the East Coast Temple Treasures

1 Cycling fever has taken over the ­island, 2 There are 15,000 official temples in
and the unspoiled and sparsely popu- Taiwan, three times as many as there
lated east coast has emerged as the top were 30 years ago. Still the focus of local
destination for multiday trips. Like the culture, temples play the role of commu-
sea? Then ride Highway 11 (p173), with nity centre as much as house of worship.
its stunning coastline, beaches, fishing Both Tainan and Lukang boast a wealth of
harbours and funky art villages. Love the old buildings, from understated Confucius
mountains? Try the Rift Valley (p182), temples to Matsu temples rich in examples
bounded on each side by lush green of southern folk decorative arts. But if
ranges. On both routes there are enough you can only visit one temple in Taiwan,
roadside cafes, campgrounds, homestays head to Bao’an Temple (p65) in Taipei, a
and hot springs to ensure your cycling trip showcase of traditional design, rites and
won’t be an exercise in logistics. Below left: ­festivities. Below: Bao’an Temple (p65)
Highway 11 (p173)

SU_PEI/GETTY IMAGES ©
ROETTING/POLLEX/LOOK-FOTO/GETTY IMAGES ©

12 PL A N YO U R TRI P TA I WA N ’ S T O P 1 5 JACK HONG/SHUTTERSTOCK ©
3

4

ROGER WESSON/500PX ©

National Palace Museum Taroko Gorge

3 Taiwan houses the greatest collec- 4 Taiwan’s top tourist draw is a walk-in
tion of Chinese art in the world. With Chinese painting. Rising above the
ancient pottery, bronzes and jade, Ming froth of the blue-green Liwu River, the mar-
vases, Song landscape paintings and cal- ble walls (yes, marble!) of Taroko Gorge
ligraphy even those who are not art lovers (p177) swirl with the colours of a master’s
can appreciate, Taipei’s National Palace palette. Add grey mist, lush vegetation
Museum (p71) isn’t merely a must-visit, and waterfalls seemingly tumbling down
it’s a must-repeat-visit. Why? Out of the from heaven, and you have a truly classic
nearly 700,000 pieces in the museum’s landscape. Walk along the Swallow Grotto
collection – spanning every Chinese to see the gorge at its most sublime or
d­ ynasty – only a tiny fraction is ever on brave the Jhuilu Old Trail (p179), a vertigo-
display at the one time. inducing path 500m above the canyon
floor. Above: Jhuilu Old Trail (p179)

YEVGEN BELICH/SHUTTERSTOCK © 13 PL A N YO U R TRI P TA I WA N ’ S T O P 1 5
5

6

SEAN HSU/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

A Stationary Feast: The Cold War Frontier:
Night Markets Matsu & Kinmen Islands

5 Taiwan’s night markets are as numer- 6 Close enough to see China from, even
ous as they are varied. Fulfilling the on a hazy day, the islands of Matsu
need for both food and entertainment, the (p295) and Kinmen (p286) were long the
markets bring happy crowds almost every front lines in the propaganda (and occasion-
night of the week to gorge on a bewildering ally real) wars between the nationalists and
array of snacks and dishes. Check out the communists. These days, with the military
Miaokou Night Market (p136) in Keelung, in presence scaling down, travellers are dis-
many ways the grandaddy of them all, for covering islands whose rich history is not
the quintessential experience of eating and limited to recent times – Matsu and Kinmen
people-watching. The night market snacks are treasure troves of preserved old villages.
in Tainan are copied everywhere, but are still Visitors will also find some fine cycling and
best enjoyed on their home turf. Top: Miaokou birdwatching among the varied landscapes.
Night Market (p136) Above: Traditional architecture, Kinmen (p286)

14

The Matsu Pilgrimage Jungle Hikes & River Swims

7 This mother of all walks across Taiwan 8 Taiwan is 50% forested, and the urban
is, appropriately enough, dedicated to jungle gives way to the real thing aston-
Matsu (old granny), the maternal p­ atron ishingly quickly. In the Wulai (p127) town-
deity of the island. For nine days and ship, 30 minutes from Taipei, old indigenous
350km, hundreds of thousands of the hunting trails cut through intensely green
faithful follow a revered statue of Matsu tropical forests. Monkeys chatter in the
across Taiwan (p214), while several million trees, lizards peek out from the underbrush
more participate in local events. This is and a host of native birds and butterflies
Taiwan’s folk culture at its most exuberant flutter about. Take a break from your trek to
and festive, with crowds, wild displays of enjoy crystal-clear streams and deep swim-
devotion, theatrical performances and a ming pools. Paradise? You bet, and you can
whole lot of fireworks. Below: Matsu ­Pilgrimage rinse (don’t lather, you’ll spoil the water) and
celebrations in Tainan (p256) repeat this experience all over the island.
TWOSPEEDS/SHUTTERSTOCK ©
7
PL A N YO U R TRI P Taiwan ’ s T op 1 5

LEREN LU/GETTY IMAGES © 15ALEX_LEE_PHOTOGRAPHER/GETTY IMAGES © PL A N YO U R TRI P Taiwan ’ s T op 1 5
89

10

MIREK NOWACZYK/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Indigenous Taiwan Hot Springs Wild & Tamed

9 Though long suppressed, tribal culture 10 Formed by the collision of two
and pride has made a remarkable major tectonic plates, Taiwan’s
turnaround in the past decade. Begin your s­ urface has plenty of fissures, and the
understanding at the Shung Ye Museum abundance of spring sources is hard to
of Formosan Aborigines (p72) in Taipei, match anywhere else in the world. The
and then check into a homestay run by waters boil and bubble but cause no
Yami islanders on Lanyu (p313) during trouble; they are effective for everything
the flying fish season. Or consider a visit from soothing muscles to conceiving
to the communally run Smangus (p157), a male offspring (we can only vouch for
high-mountain centre of Atayal culture and the former). Nature ­lovers heading to hot
language. In the summer, head to the east springs in Beitou (p114) and Tai’an (p163)
coast around Taitung (p187) for exuberant will find them a double happiness: stone,
festivals celebrating harvests, coming of wood and marble are in these days, as are
age and a deep love of live music. Top right: mountain views. Above right: Beitou (p114)
Tao canoes, Lanyu (p313)

16 12
11 13

PL A N YO U R TRI P Taiwan ’ s T op 1 5 WENILIOU/SHUTTERSTOCK © LITABIT/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

LOTTIE DAVIES/LONELY PLANET ©

Hiking the High Sun Moon The Teas of
Mountains Lake National Taiwan
Scenic Area
11 Don’t forget your 13 Endowed with
boots because two- 12 Sun Moon Lake good soil, humid
thirds of Taiwan’s terrain (p233) is the conditions and sunny
is mountainous. Hundreds largest body of water in weather, Taiwan is a prime
soar above 3000m, and Taiwan and has a water­ tea-g­ rowing area. High-­
well-established hiking colour background, mountain oolongs will blow
routes run everywhere. ever-changing with the your taste buds away with
These are the real deal (no season. Although the area their creamy texture and
shops, no restaurants) and is packed with tour groups honey flavour (and that’s
on remote trails you might these days, it’s still easy to without milk or sugar, of
just find yourself alone for get away from the crowds course). The ruby colour
several days. Everyone on the trails and cycling and fruity aroma of Oriental
wants to tackle Yushan paths. For diverse fun, Beauty might just convince
(p200), the highest peak loop down to the old train you to make it your new
in Northeast Asia, but the depot at Checheng or visit morning ‘coffee’. Whether
second highest, Snow the Chung Tai monastery like your tea brewed
Mountain (p159), is a more in nearby Pul. No mat- old-man style or in Song
scenic climb and leads ter what, don’t miss the dynasty bowls, you’ll find
to the aptly named Holy region’s high-mountain a teahouse to your tastes
Ridge, a five-day walk on oolong tea: it’s some of the in scenic areas such as
an exposed ridgeline that world’s finest. Taipei’s Maokong (p116) or
never drops below 3000m. the old gold-mining town of
Above left: Yushan (p200) Jiufen.

17

The Magic Lights of the The Birds & the Butterflies PL A N YO U R TRI P Taiwan ’ s T op 1 5
Lantern Festival
15 Taiwan is a special place for the
14 One of the oldest of the lunar winged creatures of the world. More
events, the Lantern Festival cele­ than 500 species of bird and an almost equal
brates the end of the New Year’s fes- number of butterflies (p363) can be seen
tivities. The focus of course is light, and here, with a high percentage found nowhere
­everywhere streets and riversides are lined else. Habitats are well preserved and you
with glowing lanterns, while giant neon and don’t need to trek into the jungle for a fleet-
laser displays fill public squares. Making ing glimpse. Indigenous species like the Blue
the mundane surreal and the common- Magpie can be spotted on the edge of Taipei;
place magical, the little village of Pingxi raptor migrations can be enjoyed from the
(p140) takes simple paper lanterns and edge of parking lots in Kenting National Park
releases them en masse into the night sky. (p273); and in this Kingdom of Butterflies,
There are few sights more mesmerising. the lepidoptera will probably find you first.

14

KECL/GETTY IMAGES ©

15

ELFRED TSENG/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

1 8 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

Need to Know

For more information, see Survival Guide (p365)

Currency When to Go # Taipei
GO Year-round
New Taiwanese dollar Taichung
(NT$) GO Oct–Jun # Hualien
# GO Sep–Jan, Mar–May
Language
Tainan Hot summers (warm
Mandarin, Taiwanese # GO Oct–Mar to cool at elevations),
cold to mild winters
Visas Kaohsiung
# GO Apr–May, Oct–Jan
Tourists from most
European countries, High Season Shoulder (Sep & Low Season
Canada, the US, Australia (Jul & Aug) Oct, Apr–Jun) (Nov–Mar)
(until December 2017;
see Taiwan’s Ministry of ¨¨Accommodation ¨¨Good discounts ¨¨Few crowds except
Foreign Affairs website costs increase 30% on accommodation during January and
for updates), New Zea- to 50% in tourist midweek. Chinese New Year.
land and Japan are given areas. ¨¨Best time to visit ¨¨Best discounts on
visa-free entry for stays ¨¨Saturday nights outer islands. accommodation at
of up to 90 days. (year-round) and ¨¨Peak time for major tourist sights
Chinese New Year Chinese tour groups (up to 50%).
Money also see increases. is from March to May. ¨¨Saturday night
¨¨Typhoon season ¨¨Typhoon season rates may still be
ATMs are widely avail- from June could until October can high-season prices.
able (except in villages), mean disruptions to disrupt flights and ¨¨High season for
while credit cards are ac- traffic and access to sailings. hot-spring hotels.
cepted at most midrange remote areas.
and top-end hotels and
at top-end restaurants.

Mobile Phones

Most foreign mobile
phones can use local
SIM cards with prepaid
plans, which you can
purchase at airport
arrival terminals and top
up at telecom outlets or
convenience stores.

Time

National Standard Time
(GMT/UTC plus eight
hours)

19

Useful Websites Daily Costs Arriving in PL A N YO U R TRI P N eed to K now
Taiwan
Forumosa (www.forumosa.com) Budget:
Expat community site. NT$1800–NT$2500 Taiwan Taoyuan International
¨¨Dorm bed: NT$550–800 Airport (p375) Buses run every
Information For Foreigners ¨¨MRT: NT$30 15 minutes to the city centre
(iff.immigration.gov.tw) Visa reg- ¨¨Noodles and side dish: (NT$115 to NT$150) from
ulations and daily life matters. NT$80–120 4.30am to 12.20am. A taxi (40
Lonely Planet (www.lonely ¨¨Convenience store beer: to 60 minutes) to the city costs
planet.com) Destination informa- NT$40 NT$1200 to NT$1400. When the
tion, hotel bookings, traveller ¨¨Temple admission: free MRT (rapid transit) line running
forum and more. between the airport and Taipei
Taiwanease (www.taiwanease. Midrange: opens (scheduled for late 2016),
com) Expat community site NT$2500–NT$5000 it will make travel between the
covering family-related matters, ¨¨Double room in a hotel: two faster and more convenient.
restaurants and nightlife. NT$1400–2600 Kaohsiung International
¨¨Lunch or dinner at a decent Airport (www.kia.gov.tw)
The View From Taiwan restaurant: NT$250–500 KMRT trains leave every six
(michaelturton.blogspot.com) ¨¨Car rental per day: minutes from 6am to midnight
Local political and cultural cov- NT$1800–2400 (NT$35). A taxi costs NT$350 to
erage, plus weekly bike trips. ¨¨Gourmet coffee: NT$120–260 downtown.
English in Taiwan (www.english ¨¨Soak in a private hot-spring
intaiwan.com) For expat teachers. room: NT$1000–1400 Getting Around

Important Top End: Cities and most tourist sites
Numbers More than NT$5000 in Taiwan are connected by
¨¨Double room at a four-star efficient and cheap transport.
When calling local long-distance hotel: NT$4000–6000 Because of the central spine
numbers, the ‘0’ in the area ¨¨Meal at a top restaurant: of mountains down the island,
codes is used. When dialling NT$800–1200 there are far less options to
from overseas, it’s dropped. ¨¨Ecotour guide per day: go across the island, than up
NT$4000–6000 or down.
Fire and %119 ¨¨Well-made tea pot: Train Fast, reliable and cheap,
ambulance NT$3000–8000 Taiwan has both a High Speed
services %110 ¨¨Cocktail at a good bar: Rail and a regular rail link.
%886 NT$280–350 Bus Slower but cheaper than
Police %002 trains, buses also connect pas-
Opening Hours sengers to more destinations
Country code %0800- than the trains.
011765 The usual day of rest for many Bicycle Cycling around the
International restaurants, cafes and museums island is now a popular tourist
access code is Monday. activity.
Cafes Noon to 8pm Car or scooter A fun option, but
24-hour toll- Convenience stores Open 24 you will need an international
free travel hours driving permit.
information Department stores 11am to Air Only really useful for getting
hotline 9.30pm to the outlying islands.
Night markets 6pm to midnight
Exchange Rates Restaurants 11.30am to 2pm For much more on
and 5pm to 9pm getting around,
Australia A$1 NT$24.29 Shops 10am to 9pm see p376
Canada 1C$ NT$24.70 Supermarkets To at least 8pm,
Europe €1 NT$35.38 sometimes 24 hours
Japan ¥100 NT$30.31
New NZ$1 NT$22.70
Zealand
UK UK£1 NT$42.17
US US$1 NT$31.98

For current exchange rates, see
www.xe.com.

20 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

If You Like…

Traditional brated in Lanyu during spring, houses, a Japanese-era train
Festivals with costumed young men tunnel and suspension bridge,
engaging in a fishing contest. even a horse farm. (p207)
Rising living standards (p315)
and economic prosperity Food
haven’t killed folk culture Outdoor Activities
in Taiwan: it just means Whether it’s Taiwanese,
there is more money than Hiking is outstanding indigenous, Japanese or
ever to fund extravagant and scenic cycling routes Chinese, you’ll be able to
and sometimes outlandish are endless. As for water graze all day in Taiwan
festivals. sports, there’s scuba diving, without tasting the same
Matsu Pilgrimage Taiwan’s river tracing, surfing and thing twice. And every-
largest religious festival is a one gusty archipelago for where you’ll notice pride in
nine-day, 350km walk around world-class windsurfing. local produce and an effort
the island for Matsu believers – Wulai Just a short ride from Tai- to put it to good use.
which is almost everyone. pei, this expanse of subtropical Wang’s Fish Soup You’ll find
(p214) forest and wild rivers is one of unique local eats all over Taiwan,
the north’s top spots for hiking, but don’t miss Tainan for its
Burning of the Wang Yeh cycling and river tracing. (p127) milkfish, beef soup and eel
Boats A sublime week-long Yushan National Park Hiking noodles, and Chiayi for its fowl
religious festival that concludes trails cross 1050 sq km of high and sticky rice with braised
with the torching of a ‘plague mountains and deep valleys. pork. (p267)
ship’ on a beach. (p276) (p49) Ban Jiushi Modern Taiwanese
Highway 11 This coastal cuisine combines a passion
Lantern Festival High-tech lan- highway backed by steep, green for local produce with modern
tern shows in every city, the most mountains is Taiwan’s premier culinary techniques; enjoy it in
riveting being Pingxi’s sky lantern biking destination. (p173) Taipei, Kaohsiung and Taichung.
release (p140) and Taitung’s Penghu One of the windiest (p248)
Bombing Master Handan (p194). places in the world in autumn, RAW Restaurants have sprouted
Penghu offers Asia’s finest in Taipei, Taichung and Kaoh-
Yenshui Fireworks Festival Like windsurfing. (p302) siung serving haute Taiwan-
Spain’s Running of the Bulls, Lanyu Unspoiled reefs, an inspired European cuisine, some
only they let fireworks loose abundance of fish life and a of it by chefs who are among
here and you’re not supposed to unique island culture make this Asia’s very best. (p91)
run from them. (p266) a mecca for scuba and snorkel- Shops in Guomao Community
ling fans. (p315) You’ll find mainland Chinese-
Keelung Ghost Festival A mes- Houfeng Bicycle Path A breezy style dumplings, noodles and
merising month-long Taoist and ride through history that passes spices in Taichung, Kaohsiung’s
Buddhist spectacle bookended an old train station, courtyard Zuoying area, even Cingjing (for
by the symbolic opening and
closing of the Gates of Hell.
(p137)

Flying Fish Festival A virile
coming-of-age ceremony cele­

21

LMSPENCER/SHUTTERSTOCK © Yunnan), besides the northern PL A N YO U R TRI P I f Y ou L ike …
cities. (p241)
Yuelu Fine Taiwanese food can be
enjoyed in poetic settings in cities
like Taipei and Hualien. (p172)
Jowu Explore excellent ‘private
kitchens’, whose names are whis-
pered among foodies. (p172)

FRANK CHEN/GETTY IMAGES © Temples

Top: Longshan Temple (p63), Taipei With 15,000 and counting,
Bottom: Alishan National Scenic Area (p211) there is a temple for every
god and occasion. Store-
houses of history, display
rooms for decorative arts
and, of course, vibrant
houses of worship, temples
are a quintessential part of
Taiwan’s living folk culture.
Bao’an Temple This Unesco
World Cultural Heritage Site is a
top example of southern temple
art and architecture. (p65)
Tzushr Temple The temple’s
post-WWII reconstruction was
overseen by an art professor –
and it shows. (p125)
Wind God Temple An historically
important temple among the
very few dedicated to nature
worship in Taiwan. (p260)
Longshan Temple This graceful
walled temple is a treasure house
of woodcarving and design.
(p223)
Tainan Confucius Temple Tai-
wan’s first Confucius temple and
a model of graceful design and
dignified atmosphere. (p259)
City God Temple Your moral
character will be scrutinised
at the home of Taiwan’s most
famous temple plaque: ‘You’re
here at last’. (p259)
Chung Tai Chan Temple The
rocket ship-meets-mosque
exterior belies an interior filled
with tradition-inspired decorative
arts. (p231)

22

PL A N YO U R TRI P I f Y ou L ike … Mountain Retreats market with uniquely local fare. Lei cha A field-worker’s drink;
(p267) rich and hearty with added
With over two-thirds of Wenhua Road Think braised puffed rice and pounded nuts.
Taiwan being mountainous, goose, sticky rice, and all the (p155)
there’s a lot of space to get goodness that make Chiayi one Antique Assam Tea Farm Sun
away from the crowds and of Taiwan’s most delicious cities. Moon Lake black-tea growers
the heat in summer. Small (p214) spent a decade reviving their
villages dot the foothills of Raohe Street The cognoscenti’s industry. Drink straight without
mountain ranges, forest re- night market, Raohe is Taipei’s sugar or milk. (p233)
serves and national parks. oldest, and unrivalled in snack-
A few even offer hot-spring ing opportunities. (p92) Hot Springs
facilities. Miaokou Nightly offerings
Taipingshan This mist- from the bounty of the sea at Taiwan has over 100 hot
shrouded­reserve features a Taiwan’s most famous snacking springs ranging from com-
small village with views over ­destination. (p136) mon sulphur springs to
the Snow Mountains and hot Fengjia Make a pilgrimage to rare seawater springs on
springs nearby. (p149) this frenetic market, the birth- an offshore volcanic isle.
Nanzhuang In the stunning place of many quirky yet popular There’s even a cold spring
foothills of the Snow Mountains, snacks in Taiwan. (p208) or two for the summer
the villages here are a mix heat. Facilities are equally
of Hakka, Taiwanese and Tea diverse: some feature Japa-
i­ ndigenous. (p155) nese and Western designs,
Dasyueshan In the heart of Taiwan has ideal condi- many have been left as
Taiwan’s pine-and-hemlock belt, tions for growing tea and, nature intended.
this high-mountain reserve is a not surprisingly, it has the Tai’an A favourite destination for
prime birding venue. (p210) goods to satisfy the novice Japanese police on R & R in the
Mingchih On the remote North looking for a flavourful 1920s; new stylish modern spas
Cross-Island Hwy, Mingchih lies brew as well as the con- overlook rugged wilderness.
near wild hot springs and two noisseur willing to pay (p163)
forests of ancient cedars. (p148) thousands of dollars for a Beitou In the wooded moun-
few ounces of dry leaves – tains surrounding Taipei, these
Alishan National Scenic Area if they are of high-enough springs are reachable by a quick
Lures travellers with its indige- quality. MRT ride. (p112)
nous culture, rare alpine railway, High mountain oolongs Grown Green Island Indulge yourself
ancient cedars and phenomenal above 1000m in moist but in an exceptional seawater hot
sea of clouds. (p211) sunny conditions, these teas spring by the ocean. (p319)

Night Markets have a creamy texture and a Lisong This wild spring, deep
lovely bouquet. (p101) in a remote river valley, sprays
Taiwan’s reputation as a cu- Bao Chung A national favourite down on you from a multi­
linary hotspot is spreading; with a slightly floral fragrance; coloured cliff face. (p196)
even street-food-obsessed a good tea to start your Dongpu Bask in 50°C luxury
Singaporeans and Malay- e­ xplorations. (p122) in a Tsou village just over the
sians are beating a path Oriental Beauty Unique to northern tip of Yushan National
here to sample the nightly Taiwan, this sweet reddish-­ Park. (p203)
goodies. coloured tea has a fruity aroma

Tainan It seems half the city and and lacks all astringency. (p154)
every temple square is a night

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 23

Month by Month

TOP EVENTS February folk event (www.dajia
Matsu Pilgrimage April mazu.org.tw). Hundreds of
Lantern Festival Generally very wet and cool thousands of believers fol-
January or February in the north, dry and sunny low a revered Matsu statue
Spring Scream April in the south. Possibility of on a 350km journey, with a
Indigenous Festivals cold fronts and sandstorms. million more participating
July and August Travel during the week of the in local events. (p214)
Kaohsiung Lion Dance LNY is difficult but usually
Competition December easy before and after. 1 Blue Tears

January z Lantern Festival The start of the ‘Blue
Tears’ season in Matsu; the
Generally wet and cool in One of the most popular warmer months are best for
the north, dry and sunny traditional festivals, with viewing the legendary glow-
in the south. Apart from concerts and light shows ing algae, but you can spot
students, there are few across Taiwan. The simplest them in April and May too.
people travelling, unless of all, the Pingxi sky lantern
the week of Lunar New Year (p140) release, is the most 3 Spring Scream
falls in this month. spectacular. On the same
day, Yenshui (p266) holds Taiwan’s largest and
2 Southern Beaches a massive fireworks show, longest-running outdoor
and Taitung has its Bomb- music event is held in the
If you want to swim in the ing Master Handan (p194). bright sunshine of Kenting
winter months, head south National Park. (p276)
to Kenting National Park. z Miyasvi
Beaches in the north, the z Baoan Folk
east and on Penghu will The dramatic Tsou indig-
be closed and the waters enous festival of Mayasvi Arts Festival
choppy and chilly. thanks gods and ancestral Bao’an Temple won a Unesco
spirits for their protection. heritage award for reviving
z Lunar New Year It’s held on 15 February in traditional temple fare, and
Tsou villages in Alishan. this is your chance to see
Held in January or Feb- lion dancing, god parades,
ruary, Lunar New Year April folk opera, fire walking and
(LNY) is mostly a family god birthday celebrations.
affair until the very end, It’s usually very wet and The festival runs from early
when spectacular Lantern warm in the north, wet and April to early June.
Festival activities are held. hot in the south. Generally,
There are LNY bazaars in low season for individual z Penghu
cities like Kaohsiung, last- travel but peak time for
ing from around the 28th Chinese tour groups. Fireworks Festival
night of the old year to the The two-month airline-
3rd of the new. z Matsu Pilgrimage sponsored Penghu Fire-
works Festival kicks off in
This annual religious pil- April. It features fireworks,
grimage is Taiwan’s premier food and music two or
three times a week over the
coastal stretch of Makung

24 PLAN YOUR TRIP Month by Month TWOSPEEDS/SHUTTERSTOCK ©
and, occasionally, a couple
of beaches further out. 123NELSON/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

1 Youtong Flowers Top: Costumed performer at a religious festival
Bottom: Burning of the Wang Yeh Boats (p276), Donggang
The tall branching youtong
tree is found all over the
north. In spring its large
white flowers make entire
mountainsides look as if
they are dusted with snow.
Check them out at Sansia,
Sanyi, Taian Hot Springs
and Sun Moon Lake.

May

It’s the start of plum rain;
expect heavy afternoon
showers. Travel picks up.

z Welcoming

the City God
A smaller-scale pilgrimage
than the Matsu, Welcoming
the City God brings unique
and colourful parades
across the charming land-
scape of Kinmen. (p289)

June

It’s getting warmer
everywhere – already low
30s in the south. Heavy
showers are possible. Major
destinations are crowded
on weekends.

z Dragon

Boat Festival
Honouring the sacrifice of
the poet-official Qu Yuan,
this festival is celebrated all
over Taiwan with flashy boat
races on the local rivers.

3 Taipei Film

Festival
One of the highest-profile
international cultural
events in Taipei, with 160
film showings from 40
countries. Venues include
Huashan 1914 Creative Park
and Zhongshan Hall. Held
in June and July (http://
eng.taipeiff.org.tw).

z Taiwan z Ghost Month 25

International Ghost Month is one of the the north. Few travellers PLAN YOUR TRIP Month by Month
Balloon Fiesta most important traditional except for tour groups.
Held in Taitung County’s festivals in Taiwan. Events
stunning Gaotai plateau include the opening of the 2 Penghu Triathlon
(Luye), this recently estab- gates of hell, massive offer-
lished, two-month balloon ings to wandering spirits, An annual Ironman race
festival is becoming one of and a water-lantern release. and a short-course triath-
the summer’s biggest draws. Biggest celebrations are lon held in Makung.
In 2013 free flights were held in Keelung. (p137)
added to the roster. (p190) z Boat
September
July Burning Festival
The weather is cooling but Held for one week every
Hot and humid across the it’s still hot during the day. three years (autumn 2018,
island. Heavy afternoon High possibility of typhoons 2021 etc), this spectacular
showers in the north but but conditions generally display of folk faith con-
not in the south or east. dry and windy. Local travel cludes with a 14m-long
Possibility of typhoons. Major is dropping. wooden boat being burned
destinations are very busy, to the ground on the beach.
especially on weekends. z Taipei Arts Attended by tens of thou-
sands, it’s both a celebra-
z Indigenous Festival tion and a solemn ritual.
A month-long extravaganza
Festivals of theatre and performance 3 Taichung
Every July and August art by Taiwan and interna-
a number of traditional tional artists, the Taipei Arts Jazz Festival
indigenous festivals are Festival (http://eng.taipeifes Taichung Jazz Festival is a
held along the east coast. tival.org.tw) runs from Au- nine-day jazz fest featur-
Themes include coming gust to September or from ing local and international
of age, ancestor worship, September to October. musicians. (p207)
courting, harvest and good
old-fashioned displays of 2 Windsurfing December
martial and hunting skills.
in Penghu Cooling in the north but
August There’s world-class wind- still warm to hot during
surfing from September to the day; possibility of
Hot and humid but March across the Penghu ar- cold fronts and wet,
generally dryer than chipelago. Wind speeds can humid weather. In the
July. High possibility of reach 40 to 50 knots, and south it’s usually dry with
typhoons. Many student windsurfers from around temperatures in the high
and family groups the world can be found here. 20s. Travel generally low
are travelling. Major except for tour groups to
destinations are very busy, z Confucius major destinations.
especially on weekends.
Birthday z Kaohsiung Lion
1 Day Lily Season Held on 28 September with
early-morning celebrations Dance Competition
Orange day lilies are grown at Confucius Temples across Teams from around the
for food in the mountains Taiwan. Those at Taipei’s world compete in various
of the east coast, and their Confucius Temple are the traditional temple dance
blooming in late August most impressive. (p65) routines. This lively and
and early September in colourful contest is held in
places such as Sixty Stone October Kaohsiung Arena and sells
Mountain is an enchanting out fast. (p246)
sight that attracts flower The most stable weather
lovers and photographers across the island if there’s z Art Kaohsiung
from all over the island. no typhoon – dry, warm and
windy. Best time of year in Southern Taiwan’s only
international art fair, Art
Kaohsiung, lasts approxi-
mately three days. (p246)

26 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

Itineraries

ÉÉ Juming É•#
MuseumÉ
É
TAIWAN ÉÉ É

STRAIT Tamsui É •# Yeliu
(Danshui)
•#

•#Beitou Yangmingshan
National Park
ÉÉÉÉ É #÷ É Jiufen &
Jinguashi
•#

É É

TAIPEI _# É
•#Shenkeng
ÉÉ £#
É É •#Maokong
Pingxi Branch
Rail Line

É

•# Wulai PACIFIC
OCEAN

1WEEK Taipei & the North

Start with four days in Taipei being awestruck by the National Palace Museum collec-
tion and sensorially overloaded at Longshan and Bao’an Temples, as well as shopping
and snacking at night markets and local shops.

Activities around Taipei abound. If you like tea, take the gondola to mountainous
Maokong and experience a traditional teahouse. For hot springs, historic Beitou is just
an MRT ride away. Or spend an afternoon on a stinky tofu tour along the restored old
street of Shenkeng. Then rent a bike and ride along the river paths in Taipei or hike the
trails in Yangmingshan National Park or Wulai, a mountainous district with natural
swimming pools.

On day five, bus further afield to the old mining towns of Jiufen and Jinguashi. The
next day head to nearby Ruifang and catch the Pingxi Branch Rail Line down an 18km
wooded gorge to photograph the old frontier villages and hike paths cut into steep crags.

On day seven round off the trip: head back up the coast, stopping at the bizarre rocks
of Yeliu and renowned sculptures at Juming Museum. From Tamsui, a seaside town
with beautiful colonial houses, the MRT takes you back to Taipei.

27

Yingge •# #_TAIPEI

•#
Wulai

É
É
TAIWAN Sanyi •# PLAN YOUR TRIP Itineraries

STRAIT ÉSun Moon TGaroorkgoe•#
É
Lukang •# É
É
É É Lake •#Hualien
Alishan •# É
National
Scenic AreaÉ É
Guanziling ÷# •# ÉWalami
Hot Springs Trail PACIFIC
É•# Tatajia •# •# Yuli OCEAN
É
Dongshan •#
Coffee Rd Antong
Hot Springs
Tainan •#

É •# Taitung

Kaohsiung•# f#

Kenting •# Lanyu
National ÷# Island
Park

3WEEKS Ultimate Taiwan

Start with a few days in Taipei to see the sights and catch the groove of this dynamic
Asian capital. It has the best Chinese art collection in the world, a thriving street-food
and coffee scene, a living folk-art heritage, and some world-class cycling and hiking in
Wulai and other on-the-doorstep locations.

Then hop on a train to Hualien and spend two days wandering the bedazzling
marble-­walled Taroko Gorge. More scenic delights await down Hwy 9, which runs
through the lush Rift Valley. Take a train to Yuli and hike the nearby Walami Trail,
an old patrol route running deep into subtropical rainforest, then recuperate at Antong
Hot Springs. Next, head to Taitung and catch a flight or ferry to Lanyu, an enchant-
ing tropical island with pristine coral reefs and a unique indigenous culture.

Back on the mainland, another train ride – across Taiwan’s fertile southern tip – takes
you to Kaohsiung, Taiwan’s buzzing second-largest city, where the best of urban Taiwan
mingles with southern hospitality. Check out the museums, spend half a day at the uplifting
Pier-2 Art District, enjoy modern Taiwanese cooking at Do Right or Ban Jiushi, then follow
up with a night of jazz at Marsalis Jazz Bar or the funky one-of-a-kind Beng Mi Pang.

For beaches or scootering along beautiful coastline, head down to Kenting National
Park. Continue by train up the coast to the old capital of Tainan for a couple of days of
temple touring and snacking on local delicacies. If you like literature, don’t miss the laud-
able Museum of Taiwanese Literature. Rent a vehicle for the drive up the winding Dong-
shan Coffee Road then spend the evening in rare mud hot springs in Guanziling. The fol-
lowing day continue up into the wild expanse of mountain ranges in the Alishan National
Scenic Area. Hike around Tatajia in the shadow of Yushan, Taiwan’s highest mountain.

The drive from Yushan to Sun Moon Lake the following morning passes some
high-mountain scenery and should be taken slowly. At the lake, stop to sample oolong
tea and maybe catch a boat tour. Heading north, fans of traditional arts and crafts will
enjoy the following day’s stops in Lukang, home to master lantern, fan and tin crafts­
people; Sanyi, Taiwan’s woodcarving capital; and Yingge, a town devoted to ceramics.

28 NISHU KUMAR/500PX ©

PLAN YOUR TRIP Itineraries Above: View of
Taipei from Elephant
Mountain (p78)SILENCE PHOTO/GETTY IMAGES ©
Left: Wulai Waterfall
(p127)

29

#_ TAIPEI

TAIWAN •# Sansia
STRAIT
Cihu •# É Lalashan PLAN YOUR TRIP Itineraries
Taichung Fusing •# É
•# ÷#Forest Reserve
É
MReincrgecahtiihonFoArreesat #÷ North
Cross-
Island PACIFIC
Hwy OCEAN

MoSunnotwain
R
Wuling Forest ÷#

Recreation Area Nenggao
Cross-Island
Hehuanshan Forest ÷#
Trail
Recreation Area É

É

÷#ÉARoecwraenatdiaonFoArreesat

Puli
•#

2WEEKS A Cross-Island Tour

Start your tour in Taichung, checking out the nation’s top Museum of Fine Arts, then
taking a walk in the beautiful and historic Taichung Park and the atmospheric Zhongxin
Market nearby. After Taichung, your next stop is Chung Tai Chan Temple in Puli, an
awe-inspiring centre of Buddhist art and research. After Puli the highway rises into
the Central Mountains, where one gorgeous landscape after another begs to be photo-
graphed. For a side trip head to Aowanda National Forest Recreation Area, a top
birdwatching venue, and spend a night in a little cabin among cherry and plum trees.

Returning to Hwy 14, continue to the end to find the Nenggao Cross-Island Trail.
You can walk the whole thing or just hike in and spend a night in a cabin before heading
north up Hwy 14甲. Prepare for an endless windy road and numerous washouts – and a
stunning landscape of receding blue-tinged mountain ranges.

After Wuling Pass (3275m), the highest bit of road in Northeast Asia, stop in Hehuan­
shan Forest Recreation Area to photograph (and maybe stroll over) the treeless hills
of Yushan cane. Then head up Hwy 8 to Hwy 7甲 and follow this north to Wuling
Forest Recreation Area, an area of thick forests, high waterfalls and cool mountain
streams, some of which are home to the endangered Formosan landlocked salmon. If you
have a few days to spare, climb Snow Mountain, Taiwan’s second-highest mountain.

Past Wuling the road winds down the mountains past indigenous villages, with
their trademark churches and steeples, to the Lanyang River plains and one very large
c­ abbage patch. From here it’s a seamless connection with the North Cross-Island
Hwy. First stop: Mingchih Forest Recreation Area and its nearby forest of ancient
trees. More ancient trees can be found a couple of hours later at Lalashan, or you can
continue on to enjoy stunning views of high forested mountains and rugged canyons.
Stop for lunch at Fusing and then explore Chiang Kai-shek’s legacy at nearby Cihu. At
Daxi head north towards Sansia and stop to look at the masterful Tzushr Temple before
connecting with National Fwy 3 to Taipei.

30 Taroko •# •# Qingshui Cliffs
Gorge
TAIWAN É
STRAIT Mugua River •# É •# Hualien
Gorge É
É É
PLAN YOUR TRIP Itineraries É ÉMatai'an •# É
É
Antong Hot Springs É É •# Shitiping

Walami Trail •# É •# É

Lisong Hot Springs •# R Sixty Stone Mountain PACIFIC
•# OCEAN

Loshan

Liji Badlands

Little HuangTsahiLtauunnyeg•#•#•#•#•#•#FuDf#gualanÉng•#HaIGsrrlbaeoneundr
É

f#

É

•# Lanyu
Island

2WEEKS The East Coast Loop

From Hualien, a low-key coastal town with good eating and seaside parks, it’s a quick
hop to Taroko Gorge, Taiwan’s premier natural attraction. After a couple of days
h­ iking, biking and marvelling at the marble walls, head up Hwy 11 to the Qingshui
Cliffs, among the world’s highest.

Return to Hualien and take Hwy 11 to Taitung. It’s three days on a bike alongside
some of Taiwan’s best coastal scenery; otherwise, rent a car or scooter. Plan to stop often,
but in particular at Shihtiping for seafood and jaw-dropping views, and Dulan, Tai-
wan’s funkiest town, for an art scene centred on a reclaimed sugar factory, or for surfing
when the waves are up. From Taitung, catch a ferry or flight to Green Island and/or
Lanyu for a few days of snorkelling, hot springs and exploring the island culture of the
indigenous Tao.

To head back north, take Hwy 11乙 west and connect with 東45 and later County Rd
197 for a scenic drive up the Beinan River valley, with the crumbling Liji Badlands on
one side and the jagged cliffs of Little Huangshan on the other.

The 197 drops you off on Hwy 9, near Luye, a bucolic pineapple- and tea-growing
region with a stunning plateau. Just north, connect with the South Cross-Island Hwy for
some yodel-inducing high-mountain scenery, and the chance to hike to Lisong, a wild
hot spring that cascades down a multicoloured cliff face.

For more scenic eye candy, stop at the organic rice fields of Loshan and the flower
fields of Sixty Stone Mountain. Spend the night at Antong Hot Springs so you are
fully rested for a cycle the next day out to historic Walami Trail, a Japanese-era patrol
route. Opportunities to indulge in local foods are numerous along this route – don’t miss
the indigenous Matai’an, a wetland area with some unique dishes. You’ll be well fed for
the final stretch back to Hualien, which you should do along quiet County Rd 193. For
one last adventure, veer off before Hualien and ride up the wild Mugua River Gorge for
a dip in a marble-walled natural swimming hole.

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 31

Plan Your Trip

Taiwan Outdoors

With its rugged mountainous spine, dense forest cover over half
the island, vast backcountry road network, which includes the
highest pass in Northeast Asia, and 1566km of shoreline, Taiwan
abounds with venues for hiking, cycling and water sports. Get to
know Ilha Formosa at the pace it deserves.

Hiking Taiwan’s Best

Why Hike Taiwan? Hiking

Taiwan’s landscape is striking, and with There are hundreds of well-maintained natural
multiple biogeographical zones ranging trails in Taiwan. Some of the best low-altitude
from tropical to alpine, the flora and fauna trails are within an hour of Taipei. The best high-
is ever-changing. It’s possible to hike year- mountain trails are in Yushan and Shei-pa National
round on a well-developed trail network Parks. In most cases, you don’t need a guide.
from sea level to 3952m. You don’t need a
guide for most hikes, and it’s possible to go Cycling
for days without seeing others. National-
park trails feature inexpensive cabins with Taiwan has good roads with wide shoulders in
water and bedding (but usually no food). popular biking areas. There are also hundreds of
kilometres of bike-only routes around cities. Bikes
National Parks & Other are allowed on the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT),
Hiking Venues trains and some buses, and day and multiday
rental programs are widely available.
Over 50% of Taiwan is mountainous and
heavily forested, and about 20% is protect- Hot Springs
ed land divided between national parks,
forest recreation areas, reserves and vari- Springs are located all over the island. The most
ous state forests. accessible are in Beitou, reachable by Taipei MRT.
Don’t miss Taian Hot Springs in Miaoli County.
National parks and forest recreation
areas (FRAs) have excellent quality trails. Water Sports
Within the boundaries of each you’ll find
a visitor information centre and often a The offshore islands are top spots for diving.
small village with basic accommodation Hundreds of clean mountain streams make the
and food. Paved trails lead to scenic spots, island an ideal river-tracing destination. There is
while unspoiled areas with natural paths beginner-to-advanced surfing around northern
may be further into the park. Forestry Taiwan, the east coast and Kenting National
reserves may have good trails but usually Park. In winter, head to Penghu for world-class
offer few facilities for hikers. windsurfing.

Many trails are also maintained at the
regional level and offer excellent day and
sometimes overnight hikes. Both national
and regional trails are usually signposted
in English and Chinese.

32

PL A N YO U R TRI P Tai wan O u tdoors Planning Your Hike Wasps Most active in autumn, these dangerous
insects kill and hospitalise people every year. In
You can hike year-round, but the best danger areas you will often see warning signs.
weather is from September to December Avoid wearing perfumes and bright clothing.
and March to May. Midweek is best for Rabies In 2013 Taiwan had its first rabies
popular trails but many are never busy. outbreak in 50 years. At the time of writing, the
Winter hiking above the snowline is disease was limited to ferret-badgers and house
possible, though Yushan National Park shrews.
requires that a team leader be certified
for winter hiking. Shei-pa National Park Getting Lost
s­ imply asks to see that hikers are ad- It’s easy to get lost hiking in Taiwan if you
equately prepared (such as having cram- are not on a well-made trail. The forest is
pons and an ice pick). extremely thick in places, and trails are
sometimes little more than foot-wide cuts
Weather

Afternoon fogs are common year-round, as across a steep mountainside with many
are thunderstorms in summer. Typhoons unmarked branches. Trails also quickly
affect the island from early summer to become overgrown (some need teams to
late autumn, while monsoon rains batter come in every year with machetes just to
the island in May and June. Obviously you make them passable). Never leave a trail, or
should not go out hiking during storms attempt to make your own. If you plan to
or typhoons, but also avoid going to the hike alone, let someone know.
mountains in the few days after as land-
slides, swollen rivers and streams can Lower-Altitude Trails
wash out roads and trails. (Under 3000m)

Always be prepared for a change of There are low-altitude trails all over
weather and for the weather in the moun- Taiwan. Trails run through subtropical
tains to be different from the weather in and tropical jungles, broadleaved forests,
the city. temperate woodlands and along coastal
bluffs. Some are just a few hours’ long
Natural Disasters while others go on for days. All three
Earthquakes are common all over the major cities – Taipei, Kaohsiung and Tai-
island and are especially strong along the chung – have mountains and trails either
east coast – don’t hike for a few days after within the city limits or just outside.
a big earthquake. Taiwan is also prone to
massive landslides (it has been called the Permits are not needed for most low-
landslide capital of the world) and huge altitude hikes, except for areas that restrict
sections of trail are often washed out after the number of hikers who can enter per
earthquakes and typhoons. Trails can be day. For these areas you may need to regis-
closed for months or even years (some- ter at a police checkpoint on the way into
times forever) – don’t attempt trails that the area – this is a simple process but you’ll
have been closed. need a passport.

Plants & Animals Some great places to hike include Wulai,
Māo yào rén (貓咬人; cat bite people) Taiwan’s Maokong, the Pingxi Branch Rail Line and
version of poison ivy. Grows at midelevations. Yangmingshan National Park in the north;
and Taroko National Park in the east.

Snakes Most are harmless but Taiwan has its What to Pack
share of deadly venomous snakes, which often ¨¨Clothes made of lightweight moisture-wicking
have triangular-shaped heads, very distinctive material are best. Gortex is not much use at
patterns, thin necks and tapered tails. Large, fat lower altitudes because of the humidity and heat
pythonlike snakes are usually harmless rodent (a small umbrella is more useful if it rains).
eaters. You won’t find snakes at higher elevations.
For more, check out www.snakesoftaiwan.com. ¨¨Running shoes are better on jungle trails and
Ticks A possible problem at lower altitudes, even ridge walks because of their superior grip.
around cities. Be careful in summer and always
check yourself after hiking. ¨¨Plenty of water (at least 3L to 4L per day if
hiking in the warmer months).

33

PRACTICAL TIPS PL A N YO U R TRI P Tai wan O u tdoors

¨¨Don’t be tempted to head to the summit of a mountain in light clothing and with
limited supplies simply because the weather looks good. Always be prepared with
wet- and cold-weather gear and plenty of food and water. Deaths are not uncom-
mon on Taiwan’s high mountains and they are often related to hikers being un­
prepared for fast-changing conditions.

¨¨When it comes to a good night’s sleep in a cabin, snoring can be a terrible
n­ uisance, as can Taiwanese hikers’ habit of getting up at 3am so they can catch
the sunrise on the peak. Bring earplugs!

¨¨Ribbons are placed on trails by hiking clubs to indicate the correct path to take
on a complicated or easily overgrown system. If you aren’t sure where to go, fol-
lowing the ribbons is usually sound advice.

¨¨Torch (flashlight); trails are notorious for High-Mountain Trails
taking longer than you think. (Above 3000m)
¨¨Walking stick. Useful for pushing back brush,
climbing steep sections of trail and possible Taiwan has some genuinely world-class
snake protection. high-mountain hikes and anyone in decent
shape can conquer them. Few demand any
Trail Conditions technical skills (in part because rougher
Trail conditions vary greatly, from a foot- sections already have ropes and ladders in
wide slice through dense jungle to a 2m- place), but many routes are closed in the
wide path with suspension bridges over winter months or require a certified leader.
streams that was once used as a transport You need to apply in advance for permits
route. Most trails have signposts and map for most high-mountain trails.
boards, but if you encounter overgrown
sections it’s best to turn back. Few lower- Trails are generally clear of overgrowth,
altitude trails are flat for any distance: have good bridges over streams and have
many, in fact, are so steep that ropes or frequent distance and direction markers.
ladders (always preexisting) are needed to However, landslides and washouts of sec-
climb certain sections. tions are very common so always be pre-
pared for a bit of scrambling. For sleeping,
While it is common in most parts of there are usually sturdy unstaffed cabins
the world to hike 3km to 4km an hour, on and campgrounds.
Taiwan’s trails 1km an hour progress is not
unusual because of the extremely steep Paths generally begin in a dense mixed
conditions. forest that turns coniferous higher up. The
treeline ends around 3300m to 3600m.
Water A­ fter this, short Yushan cane spreads
On some trails you can use small streams across the highlands until the very highest
and springs as a water source (treat before elevations. Alpine lakes are surprisingly
drinking), but it is advisable to bring what rare. High-altitude terrain tends to be
you need for the day. strikingly rugged with deep V-shaped
valleys and steeply sloped mountain
Sleeping r­ anges. Long exposed ridgelines are com-
Camping on the trail is mostly a DIY thing mon ­obstacles to cross.
(there are few established sites on trails).
Some forest recreation areas and national Some excellent hikes include the Yushan
parks forbid it at lower elevations. Water Peaks, Snow Mountain, the Holy Ridge,
sources are usually available, but should be the Batongguan historic trail, Jiaming
treated first. Lake, Hehuanshan, Dabajianshan and
Beidawushan.
Transport
Public transport (usually bus) is available What to Pack
to the majority of lower-altitude trails. ¨¨Wet- and cold-weather gear is essential even
in summer. Because of altitude gains of 2000m
to 3000m, most hikes take you through a

PL A N YO U R TRI P Tai wan O u tdoors 34

Taiwan Outdoors e# 0 100 km
0 50 miles

YANGMINGSHAN

NATIONAL PARK & TAIPEI

BEITOU Cycle along landscaped river paths,

On Taipei's doorstep, the park and (DaTnasmhsuYuiA)i •#NNGBPAMATEIIRITONKONG&UASLH•#AKeNe•#luJnigufenh(wpiak7le7k)wthorooduegdhrmidagneglirnoevse, forests, and
town offer excellent day hikes, all in the city.
nature-watching, and quality hot-
springing at resorts or public pools. #_ TAIPEI
(p115)

Taoyuan
Chungli •# •#

Hsinchu •# WULAI •# Ilan •# WULAI

Shimen A lush mountainous region close to
Reservoir Taipei, and loaded with hikes through
dense jungle, cycling routes along
SHEI-PA NATIONAL PARK Miaoli •# Syueshan angRiver •# Suao wild canyons, and some of Taiwan's
(Snow most accessible river-tracing venues.
Home of the outstanding and Lany (p127)
challenging Holy Ridge hike as well as SHEIPA M3o8u8n6tmai)n;
numerous other multiday treks in the
high mountains. (p158) NATIONAL R

PARK

•#Fengyuan TAROKO TAROKO NATIONAL PARK
NATIONAL
•# Taichung Chilaichushanpei R Cycle from sea level to 3175m, hike
(3605m) PARK through a marble gorge, and swim or
river trace in crystal blue rivers.
R •# Hualien (p177)
Nenggaoshan
Shuili MLSaoukonen
•# (3349m)

•# Douliu THE

PENGHU EAST
ISLANDS
Alishan Chushan Ruisui COAST THE EAST COAST
PENGHU ISLANDS National R(2489m) YUSHAN •#
This is one of the world's top spots for Chiayi •# Scenic NATIONAL •# Shitiping In this lightly populated region you'll
windsurfing. You'll also find a wealth Area R find Taiwan's best cycling routes,
of swimmable beaches, and pristine 4 Yushan some superior hikes and an emerging
snorkelling and diving sites at dozens (3952m) PARK surf scene. (p182)
of small coral islands. (p302)
Sinying •# GUANZILING

4 Wushantou R R Sixty Stone
Guanshan Mountain
(3666m) (952m)

Litao •#

•# YUSHAN NATIONAL PARK
Tainan
Climb Taiwan's highest peak or set
•# Taitung out on the week-long historic
Batongguan trail. (p200)

GUANZILING •# Pingtung

Soak in rare mud hot springs and then •#
ride the beautiful Dongshan Coffee Kaohsiung
Road south to Tainan. (p270)

KENTING KENTING NATIONAL PARK
NATIONAL
Taiwan's beach playground also has
PARK some sweet cycling on quiet rural
roads and along coastal bluffs, and
•#Kenting exceptional surfing at Jialeshui.
(p273)

PL A N YO U R TRI P Tai wan O u tdoors 35

36

PL A N YO U R TRI P Tai wan O u tdoors HIGH-MOUNTAIN PERMITS

Permits are largely a holdover from martial-law days, but they do prevent over-
crowding on the trails and let authorities know who is in the mountains in case of an
emergency (such as an approaching typhoon). Restrictions have eased in recent
years (for example, you no longer need a guide and solo hikers can apply), but if you
are caught without a permit you will be fined. If a rescue is required you will have to
pay the full costs. Note that everything mentioned here is subject to change.

First off, permits are required to hike the high mountains. Anyone can apply
(foreigners, locals, groups or individuals) but the process is complicated and many
people pay to have the permits done for them. Permits are nontransferable and valid
only for the date for which you apply. If a typhoon cancels your hike, permits cannot
be changed to another date (you have to reapply). Note that Taroko National Park
only allows Taiwanese to apply for permits (though foreigners can join a local hiking
group).

There are two kinds of permits which may be required, depending on where you
hike: national park permits (入園; rù yuán) for entering restricted areas in a national
park and police permits (入山; rù shān) for entering a restricted high-mountain
area. Hiking in national parks requires both kinds of permits. Non-national-park
hikes usually require only a police permit.

National park permits must be applied for at least seven days in advance (for the
Yushan main route, at least a month in advance). It is best to apply online, although
the process is tedious. National parks will usually also process police permits for
you. The Shei-pa National Park website (www.spnp.gov.tw) has a sample of a com-
pleted form in English. The bilingual website npm.cpami.gov.tw/en has details on
the requirements of all the trails as well as instructions on how to apply for a national
park permit.

Police permits can be applied for at the Ministry of the Interior (www.moi.gov.tw/
english), at a police station in the same county as the hike, or at the police squad
within the national park. You’ll need triplicate copies of your itinerary written out,
the trail map, a name list of group members (including their dates of birth and emer-
gency contacts) and a national park permit (you must have this before applying for
a police permit). Make sure you have ID and/or your passport. Free printable English
sample police permits are available online from Barking Deer Adventures (www.
barking-deer.com) for almost all major hike itineraries.

range of climatic conditions. Temperatures can Water
get down close to 0°C even in summer, and in Most high-altitude trails will have water
autumn and winter to -10°C at night. sources, such as streams or rainwater-­
¨¨All the food and snacks you will need and collecting tanks at cabins. Maps show
cooking gear. w­ ater sources, but always ask at the na-
¨¨Walking stick. Trails are steep and these help tional park headquarters for the latest;
with balance and to spread the weight of a pack. sources do sometimes dry up in winter.
Water should be filtered or chemically
Trail Conditions treated before drinking.
In general, high-mountain trails are well
made and clear to follow. Solid metal or Sleeping
wood bridges will be in place where need- Cabins and campgrounds are available on
ed. Almost all trails require a great deal most trails. Cabins can range from boxy
of steep uphill climbing, often more than cement structures to stylish wood A-
1000m of elevation gain a day. Many trails frames offering bunk beds with thick foam
require at least some rope or chain climbs mattreses, solar lighting and ecot­oilets.
(these will be fixed in place and are gener- Water sources are usually available at the
ally not especially demanding). cabin or nearby. With the exception of

37

Paiyun Cabin on Yushan, cabins are usu- National park maps are available at park PL A N YO U R TRI P Tai wan O u tdoors
ally unstaffed and do not provide sleeping visitor centres or mountain-equipment
bags, meals or snacks. shops. Most national park websites have
basic maps (in English) of the climbing
Campgrounds are flat clearings in the routes. Topographic maps may be available
forest (sometimes the sites of former police at national park bookshops.
outposts). Water sources are sometimes
available. Clubs

Transport Richard Saunders ([email protected]),
There are public buses to Shei-pa, Yushan, author of Taipei Escapes 1 and 2, runs a free week-
and Taroko National Parks, as well as He- end hiking club.
huanshan. For most other hiking areas you 523 Mountaineering Association (http://523.
will need your own vehicle or to arrange org.tw) runs a couple of free day hikes each
transport. month, as well as reasonably priced longer
hikes.
Emergency Numbers
Hiking Companies & Guides
Even in high mountains it’s often pos-
sible to get mobile-phone reception, but 523 Mountaineering Association (http://523.
remember that phones lose power quickly org.tw) Nonprofit organisation with a good reputa-
in the cold and in areas with low signals. tion. Mix of locals and foreigners. Also offers free
Hiking maps highlight good reception day hikes around Taipei.
areas. If you can’t communicate by voice, Barking Deer (www.barking-deer.com) Foreign-
try texting. run company that provides full hiking packages.
¨¨Basic emergency numbers %119 or %112 Can also arrange permit and transport-only
¨¨Dial %112 to connect to available signals, packages. Its website has a wealth of information
even if your mobile phone doesn’t have a SIM on how to apply for national park and mountain
card permits.
¨¨National Rescue Command Centre Taiwan Adventures (www.taiwan-adven
%0800-077 795 tures.com) Day and overnight hiking trips around
¨¨Ministry of Defence Rescue Centre Taiwan, as well as some free hikes. Also offers a set
%02-2737 3395 of mobile apps filled with inspiring photos.
¨¨Emergency radio frequencies: 145MHz,
149.25MHz, 148.74MHz or 148.77MHz Websites & Blogs

Books Forest Recreation Areas (www.forest.
gov.tw)
Good titles to whet your appetite for the Hiking Taiwan (www.hikingtaiwan.wordpress.
north’s great hikes include Taipei Escapes com)
1 and 2 and Yangmingshan, the Guide, Off the Beaten Track (http://taiwandiscovery.
all by Richard Saunders. Taiwan Forest wordpress.com)
Vacation Guide, published by the Forestry Pashan (http://hikingintaiwan.blogspot.com)
Bureau, covers 21 forest recreation areas
around Taiwan.

Maps TOP 100 PEAKS

For northern Taiwan maps, Taiwan Jiao- The Top 100 (百岳, Bǎiyuè) are all
tong Press (台北縣市近郊山圖) publishes a peaks over 3000m and considered
series of 14 maps at a scale of 1:25,000, cov- special or significant because of
ering the north from Sansia/Wulai. These elevation, beauty, geology or promi-
are available at mountain-­equipment shops nence. Taiwanese hikers dream of
around the Taipei Main Station. These completing the full list (available at
shops will also carry variously scaled topo- Wikipedia).
graphic maps of most of the Top 100 peaks
and other popular hiking trails. Itineraries
are included in Chinese.

38

PL A N YO U R TRI P Tai wan O u tdoors Cycling Bikes on Public Transport
¨¨You can take a bagged folding bike on
Taiwan is one of Asia’s top cycling des- practically any form of transport.
tinations. And don’t the locals know it! ¨¨The government-run Kuo Kuang Bus
Cycling fever struck the island around Company (www.kingbus.com.tw), and most
2005, and all ages and levels of society county bus companies, will usually take a full-
now participate in the sport. You’ll find sized bagged bike as luggage (for half the fare).
yourself well treated by fellow cyclists and ¨¨Train policy on full-sized bikes is confusing
also passers-by. and inconsistent. For longer distances, it’s still
best to ship the bike (remove anything that
Much of the riding focus is on the more might break or fall off and bag the bike or secure
sparsely populated east coast, but there it with cardboard) to your destination train
are excellent routes everywhere. In addi- station one day before. You only need to give
tion to world-class road cycling minutes your phone number, ID number, the value of the
from urban centres such as Taipei, Taiwan bike and the destination in Chinese. You cannot
has challenging high-mountain and cross- ship from Taipei Main Station – go to Wanhua or
island routes, as well as leisurely paths Songshan.
through rice and tea fields with no end of ¨¨The baggage room is called xínglǐ fáng (行李
dramatic mountain and coastal scenery 房). Tell the attendant: Wǒ yào tuōyùn jiǎotàchē
to enjoy. (我要托運腳踏車; I want to ship a bike).
¨¨You can take a nonbagged bike on designated
Planning Your Bike Trip slow local trains, and a bagged (full-sized) bike
on any local train. Some fast Tze-chiang trains
The best time to cycle in Taiwan is from have a 12th car with bike storage so you can
September to December for generally good ride on the same train as your bike. Visit www.
weather island-wide. Winter in the south railway.gov.tw and look for the bike symbol next
and coastal west sees warm and dry condi- to the schedule (note that the English website is
tions. Riding after a typhoon (assuming not as comprehensive as the Chinese).
there has been no road damage) is usually ¨¨The High Speed Rail (HSR) network allows
a good way to ensure clear weather. Other you to take bagged bikes on as luggage.
than directly during a typhoon or sand-
storm, you can ride all year.

Sleeping & Eating Renting Bikes
An explosion of B&Bs island-wide means City bike-rental programs are available in
quality (and reasonably priced) accom- Taipei (www.youbike.com.tw) and Kaoh­
modation is easy to find everywhere. siung (p246), while day rentals are avail-
B&Bs and hotels are used to cyclists and able in many towns down the east coast,
will find a place to store your bike safely. on the outer islands, and in rural tourist
There are also plenty of campgrounds areas.
on the east coast. Cheap restaurants are
everywhere in rural areas and only on For multiday rentals, Giant Bicycles
the cross-island highways would you ride (www.giantcyclingworld.com) has the best
more than a few hours without finding program: three days for NT$1200, then
food or lodging. NT$200 for each additional day. These are
good-quality road bikes and include saddle
Convenience stores are ubiquitous, bags and repair kits. As it’s best to reserve
again except on cross-island roads. They in advance, you need someone to call first
provide drinks, decent food and wash- in Chinese (try asking for help at a tourist
rooms. On popular cycling routes, they information office).
usually have bicycle pumps and repair
kits. For mountain-bike rentals (and week-
end rides) around Taipei check out Alan’s
On many popular cycling routes the Mountain Bike (p77).
local police station functions as a rest stop
for cyclists. Inside you are welcome to use Tours
the bicycle pump, repair kit, water and rest Most cycling companies are used to local
area. Some stations even allow camping customers only, so tours may not appeal to
out back. Western travellers. Routes are also often

39

chosen for convenience and speed and may Dangers & Annoyances PL A N YO U R TRI P Tai wan O u tdoors
not be particularly scenic. If a tour involves Feral dogs are common in the mountains.
much riding on Provincial Hwy 1, avoid it. If one runs after you, the best approach
is simply to stop, place your bike in front
In Motion Asia (www.inmotionasia.com) is of you, and remain calm or indifferent.
a foreign-run company focusing on small Dogs may snarl and bark, but they will
group mountain- and road-biking tours quickly grow tired if you don’t give them
into remote areas. Giant Adventure (www. any reason to get excited. Throwing rocks
giantcyclingworld.com/news.php?c=3113) also or squirting dogs with water is counter­
runs a program of round-the-island trips productive. More extreme measures
with full backup. can result in a fine and/or social-media
s­ haming.
Websites & Blogs
Taiwan in Cycles (http://taiwanincycles.blogspot. Drivers are used to scooters so you
tw) A serious cyclist with interesting commentary. won’t encounter aggression for being a
The View from Taiwan (http://michaelturton. two-wheeled vehicle on the road. However,
blogspot.com) Politics during the week and in Taiwan general driving skills are poor
cycling on the weekend. and vehicles cutting across lanes when
David’s Guide to Cycling in Taiwan (www. rounding bends, passing on the outside
taiwan-guide.org/david/cycling.html) A collection lane on blind corners and driving too fast
of useful cycling links. and carelessly are all common potential
hazards for cyclists.

WHERE TO CYCLE?

Taiwan has three types of cycling venues: bike-only paths, roads and mountain-biking
trails. Mountain biking seems a lot quieter than years ago, but there are still popular routes
around Taipei. Bike-only paths are concentrated in Taipei, Kaohsiung and down the east
coast. To date there are about 1000km of such paths and the network is growing as the
government works on a round-the-island path. Roads in Taiwan are generally in good con-
dition, with wide shoulders (often marked as exclusively for bikes and scooters) on many
popular routes.

LOCATION CYCLING DESCRIPTION CYCLING ROUTES
Northern Taiwan OPPORTUNITIES
plenty Road cycling either along steep North Cross-Island Hwy,
Western Taiwan mountain or flat coastal routes; Wulai, Hwy 9, Hwy 2, Taipei,
Eastern Taiwan plenty hundreds of kilometres of Hsinchu
plenty riverside paths in Taipei; some
Southern Taiwan mountain-biking trails
Taiwan’s Islands plenty
Mostly road cycling on moun- Sun Moon Lake circuit, Hwy
fair tain routes in the interior; chal- 21, Daxueshan FRA road,
lenging grade in many areas Houfeng Bicycle Path

Range of routes along the coast, Hwy 11, Hwy 9, Taroko

in inland valleys and up rugged Gorge, Hwy 14 (Mugua River

gorges; some exceptionally Gorge), County Rds 193

challenging rides up to the high and 197

mountains

Mostly gentle road riding on County Rd 199, Dongshan
quiet country routes; some Coffee Rd
coastal riding and mountain
biking on old trails

Mostly flat coastal ring roads; Refer to individual islands
often windy conditions; difficult
to transport bikes to islands but
some have free rentals

40

PL A N YO U R TRI P Tai wan O u tdoors Water Sports less developed the area, the purer the
w­ ater quality. In popular spots go mid-
Water sports have boomed in the past 10 week when there are fewer bathers.
years. The Japanese influence has spawned
interest in river tracing and surfing. Scuba Hotels & Resorts
diving, snorkelling and windsurfing are The best developed springs are set in
less popular but top notch. forested valleys, meadows or overlooking
the ocean. Private rooms and public spas
General dangers to be aware of include in these areas are usually both available.
the fact that Taiwan has no continental Private rooms featuring wood or stone
shelf. The deep blue sea is just offshore, tubs can be basic or very luxurious and
and dangerous currents and rip tides flow are rented out by the hour (NT$600 to
around the island. Do not swim at a beach NT$1200). Rooms with beds can also
unless you know for certain it is safe. be rented for the night (NT$2500 to
NT$8000). Public spas (indoors and out-
Hot Springs doors) are sometimes just a few stone-lined
pools, but some are a whole bathing com-
Taiwan is ranked among the world’s top 15 plex, with multiple pools, jets and showers.
hot-spring sites and harbours a great vari- The average cost for unlimited time at a
ety of springs, including sulphur springs, public spa is NT$300 to NT$800.
cold springs, mud springs and even seabed
hot springs. Hot springing was first popu- Hot springs worth checking out are
larised under the Japanese and many of in Beitou, Yangmingshan National Park,
the most famous resort areas were devel- W­ ulai, Jiaoxi, Taian, Antong, Green Island
oped in the early 20th century. In the late and Guanziling.
1990s and early 21st century hot-spring
fever struck Taiwan a second time and Wild Springs
most of the hotels and resorts you’ll find There are still probably one hundred or
today are of recent vintage. more wild springs deep in the mountains.
Some can be hiked into relatively easily
Before entering public hot springs, while others require several days. Wild
shower thoroughly using soap and springs worth checking out are Wenshan
s­ hampoo. Mixed pools require a bathing (p179) in Taroko Gorge, Sileng (p149) on the
suit (there are no nude mixed pools in North Cross-Island Hwy, and Lisong (p196)
Taiwan). Bathing caps must be worn in all on the South Cross-Island Hwy.
public pools.
River Tracing
Random health checks show overuse
at many hot-spring areas with hotels and River tracing (suòxī) is the sport of
resorts often diluting natural hot-spring walking and climbing up a riverbed. At
water, and even recycling water between the beginning stages it involves merely
bathers. This is common around the walking on slippery rocks. At advanced
world, even in Japan, and if you want to
avoid it, remember that, in general, the

WHAT’S IN THE WATER?

Water bubbling up from underground picks up a variety of minerals that offer a
v­ eritable bouquet of health benefits (some more believable than others), according to
aficionados.

WATER TYPE BENEFICIAL FOR WHERE TO FIND
alkaline making good coffee Antong
alkaloid carbonic nervousness, improving skin tone Tai’an
ferrous conceiving a male child Ruisui
mud spring improving skin tone Guanziling
sodium bicarbonate general feelings of malaise, broken bones Jiaoxi
sodium carbonate improving skin tone Wulai
sulphurous arthritis, sore muscles Beitou

41

stages it can involve climbing up and Green Island alone has 200 types of soft PL A N YO U R TRI P Tai wan O u tdoors
down ­waterfalls. Taiwan has hundreds and hard corals and plenty of tropical
of fast clean streams and rivers, some reef fish. It also has a yearly hammerhead
just minutes from the cities. There are no shark migration during the winter months
dangerous animals in the water and the (for advanced divers only).
landscape is exotic.
In the north there’s good diving from
The general season for tracing is June Yeliu down to Ilan, including off Turtle
to September. On the hottest days of Island. With the Kuroshio Current (north-
summer many people simply trace up to flowing ocean current) running close to
deep w­ aterfall-fed pools for swimming. shore, you’ll find an intriguing mix of
Be aware that afternoon thundershowers tropical and temperate sea life, including
in summer are common in the north and some gorgeous soft coral patches.
central mountains and water levels can
rise fast. In Taiwan, currents are strong and have
been known to sweep divers out to sea. Ex-
River-tracing sites worth checking out its on shore can be hard. The biggest prob-
include Wulai, which is one of the best lem, though, is usually sunburn, so wear a
­venues for amateurs (it has deep river shirt with SPF protection even when snor-
pools for swimming, endless waterfalls kelling. Sharks and jellyfish are not usually
and a jungle landscape), and various loca- a problem but caution is advised.
tions in Hualien, including the Golden
Canyon, a full-day trip into a beautiful The best time to dive is during the
gorge. Contact Hualien Outdoors (p171) for shoulder season, which runs before and
guided tours. after summer. Winter is also a good time
to escape the crowds, with visibility in the
Equipment required for river tracing south and the east still very good (20m).
includes a life jacket, a helmet, ropes or Taiwan Dive (%886 9161 30288; www.taiwandive.
climbing slings, and a waterproof bag. com) For serious dives, such as going out to watch
Felt-bottomed rubber shoes are necessary the hammerhead shark migration.
for gripping the slippery rock – you can Green Island Adventures (p319) A foreign-run
pick up a pair for between NT$300 and dive company specialising in tours in the east.
NT$400 at a mountain-equipment shop.
Neoprene can be useful even in summer Windsurfing
as it can get chilly in higher mountain
streams, especially when you’ve been in Taiwan has two main windsurfing venues:
the water all day. Penghu, and the west coast of Hsinchu and
Miaoli Counties. Penghu is Asia’s top-rated
Scuba & Snorkelling windsurfing destination and the windiest
place in the northern hemisphere during
Taiwan has an excellent range of venues for autumn. The unique topography of the
scuba diving and snorkelling, with good archipelago keeps the waves down and
visibility and warm waters year-round in advanced windsurfers can reach some
the south. There are well-preserved deep- impressive speeds.
and shallow-water coral reefs off Lanyu,
Green Island, Kenting and the east coast.

42 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

Plan Your Trip

Eat & Drink
Like a Local

The Taiwanese are a force to be reckoned with when it comes to
round-the-clock eating. There’s a lot to love about Taiwanese food,
and a lot of it to love. Follow the sound of lips smacking and let the
food extravaganza begin.

The Year in Food Food Experiences

Top-quality victuals are available all year round, but Meals of a Lifetime
certain foods are associated with particular seasons.
Auntie Xie’s (p87) Taiwanese homestyle cooking
Spring (March–May) in unpretentious surroundings in Taipei.
Yongkang Beef Noodles (p89) One of Taipei’s
Lanyu’s Flying Fish Festival (April/May), a tradi- best beef noodle restaurants in the hóngshāo (red
tional coming-of-age ceremony for the island’s spicy broth) variety.
young men, is the only time of the year that flying Addiction Aquatic Development (p91) Fresh
fish can be eaten. seafood in a chic environment. Opposite the Taipei
Fish Market.
Summer (June–August) Duo Sang (多桑; Duō Sāng; %886 3832 9492;
2 Jungmei Rd; 中美路2號; dishes NT$100-
Try refreshing drinks made from local favourites 250; h6pm-midnight, closed Tue), Homestyle
such as winter melon, lotus root, pickled plums Taiwanese cooking (made with no concern for
and mesona (a type of mint). Alternatively, down your waistline) in a rustic, Japanese-style house
a few bowls of shaved-ice desserts with colourful in Hualien.
sweet toppings. Cifadahan Cafe (p184) Gourmet indigenous food
such as 18-vegetable salads, mountain boar, and
Autumn (September–November) hot pot on heated stones; in Matai’an.
Daybreak 18 Teahouse (p268) Tea art in a 1930s
Grapefruit, persimmons, dragon fruit, star fruit Japanese-style wooden structure in Tainan.
and pears are all in season in autumn. Crabs, too. By the Sea (p273) Unusual seafood galore, such
as sea grapes and mullet roe; in Donggang.
Winter (December–February)
Cheap Treats
Winter is dedicated to the Taiwanese love of Chinese
medicinal ingredients, chiefly dāngguī (當歸; female Night market Visit any in Taiwan for a filling meal
ginseng), in their cooking.The two classic winter that’s light on your wallet.
dishes, cooked with ginseng and rice wine, are a Steamed pork sandwich (刈包; guā bāo) Lan Jia
soothing mutton stew (羊肉爐; Yángròu lú) and a (p87) in Taipei sets the standard.
ginger-heavy duck stew (薑母鴨; Jiāngmǔ yā).

43

A-gei (阿給; Ā gěi) Fist-sized pouches of fried tofu PRICE RANGES PLAN YOUR TRIP Eat & Drink Like a Local
filled with crystal noodles and served in broth.
Sweet peanut soup (花生湯; huāshēng tāng) A The following food price ranges
speciality of Ningxia Night Market (p91) in Taipei. generally refer to the cost of a meal
Taiwan bubble tea Sweet, milky tea with giant rather than a single dish (unless a
tapioca balls, available throughout the country. single dish is what is usually ordered,
Danzai noodles Ever-reliable noodle snack, such as beef noodles).
served with pork in shrimp stock in Tainan. $ less than NT$200
Beef soup A Tainan speciality, served mostly $$ NT$200–500
between 4am and 9am, when the meat is at its $$$ more than NT$500
freshest.
a rather unique indigenous/Polynesian
Dare to Try base. In general, food that you see
p­ eople enjoying at roadside markets and
Stinky tofu (臭豆腐; chòu dòufu) The classic restaurants tends to emphasise local
Taiwanese snack that – figuratively speaking – recipes and ingredients – seafood, sweet
separates the men from the boys. potatoes, taro root and green vegetables
Chocolate and meat Sample steaks and chicken cooked very simply are at the heart of
breasts with liquid chocolate sauce at Choco- most Taiwanese meals. Xiǎoyú huāshēng
holic (巧克哈客; Qiǎokè Hākè; www.chocoholic. (小魚花生; fish stir-fry with peanuts and
com.tw; eslite spectrum, Songshan Cultural & pickled vegetables) is one example of a
Creative Park; mains from NT$250-320; h11am- Taiwanese favourite.
10pm; aWv; mTaipei City Hall).
Medicinal drinks Try Herb Alley (p93) in Taipei Chicken rates second in popularity to
for Chinese traditional medicinal drinks – the seafood, followed by pork and beef. Kézǎi
bitter tea is quite horrific. (蚵仔; oysters) are popular, and kézǎi tāng
Iron eggs Braised and dried eggs with a black (蚵仔湯; clear oyster soup with ginger) is
rubbery consistency. an excellent hangover cure and overall
Coffin cake (棺材板; guāncái bǎn) Tainan’s fat, stomach soother.
deep-fried-in-egg toast planks, hollowed out
and filled with a thick chowder of seafood and Fujianese
vegetables.
Jiāng sī chǎo dàcháng (薑絲炒大腸) Hakka- Much of Taiwanese cuisine has Fujianese
style stir-fried pig intestines with ginger. roots, as the earliest wave of Han Chinese
Fried sandworms (炒沙蟲; chǎo shāchóng) A immigration to the island in the 18th
speciality of Kinmen; best served hot. century comprised primarily Fujian main-
landers. Fujianese cuisine particularly
Local Specialities abounds on the Taiwan Strait islands of
Matsu and Kinmen (both of which are a
Taiwanese cuisine can be divided into sev- stone’s throw away from Fujian province),
eral styles of cooking, though the bounda- but you’ll find Fujianese cuisine all over
ries are often blurred: there’s Taiwanese, Taiwan.
Hakka, Fujianese and of course the gamey
fare of the indigenous peoples. Most re- One of the most popular dishes is
gional Chinese cuisines can also be found fó tiào qiáng (佛跳牆; ‘Buddha Jumps Over
as well, the most popular being Cantonese. the Wall’), a stew of seafood, chicken, duck
and pork simmered in a jar of rice wine.
Taiwanese Allegedly the dish is so tasty that even the
B­ uddha – a vegetarian, of course – would
Taiwanese cooking has a long, storied hop over a wall to get a taste.
and complex history, with influences
ranging from all over China mixed with Hakka

Hakka dishes are very rich and hearty,
sensible for a people who historically
made their living as farmers and needed
plenty of energy to work the fields. Dishes
are often salty and vinegary, with strong

FERNANDOCHEE/GETTY IMAGES ©

44 54613/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Above: Beef noodles
Left: Stinky tofu (p89)
PLAN YOUR TRIP Eat & Drink Like a Local

45

flavours. Pork, a favourite of the Hakka, BEST LISTS PLAN YOUR TRIP Eat & Drink Like a Local
is often cut up into large pieces, fried and
then stewed in a marinade. Our favourite Addiction Aquatic Development
Hakka dish is kèjiā xiǎo chǎo (客家小炒; (p91) A collection of chic eateries
stir-fried cuttlefish with leeks, tofu and serving fresh seafood.
pork). Yongkang Beef Noodles (p89) The
go-to place for Taipei’s homestyle
Hakka cuisine is also known for its tasty beef noodles.
snacks, including zhà shūcài bǐng (fried, Yuelu Restaurant (p172) Traditional
salty balls made from local mushrooms Hakka fare in a historic mountaintop
and flour), kèjiāguǒ (客家粿; turnip cakes house.
with shrimp and pork) and kèjiā máshǔ Le Mout (p209) Taiwan-inspired
(客家麻糬; sticky rice dipped in sugar or French cuisine from Asia’s Best
peanut powder). ­Female Chef.
Wu Pao Chun Bakery (p248) Prize-
Indigenous winning fusion breads in Kaohsiung.
Do Right (p217) Hearty Taiwanese
Travellers who visit Taiwan without sam- cooking in an old rice mill.
pling the dishes of the tribal peoples who
called the island home millennia before fresh ingredients, which is why so many
the first Han sailor ever laid eyes on Ilha restaurants are lined with tanks full of live
Formosa are definitely missing out. The fish and seafood.
product of hunters, gatherers and fishing
people, indigenous dishes tend to be heavy Cantonese diǎnxīn (點心; dim sum)
on wild game and mountain vegetables, as snacks are famous and can be found in
well as a variety of seafood. restaurants around Taiwan’s bigger cities.
As well as chāshāobāo (叉燒包; barbecued
One must-try dish is tiĕbăn shānzhūròu pork buns), you’ll find chūnjuǎn (春卷;
(鐵板山豬肉; fatty wild boar grilled, sliced, spring rolls), zhōu (粥; rice porridge) and,
and grilled again with onions and wild of course, jī jiǎo (雞腳; chicken feet) – an
greens). A staple that’s easy to carry and an acquired taste.
excellent source of calories to bring along
on a hike is zhútŏng fàn (竹筒飯; steamed Vegetarian
rice – with and without meat – stuffed into
a bamboo stalk); these bamboo-inspired Taiwanese vegetarian cuisine has plenty
energy bars are a speciality of the Tsou to offer any traveller, vegetarian or not.
tribe in Alishan, who are also known for The country’s Buddhist roots run deep,
their love of bird’s-nest fern, tree tomatoes and while only a small (but still sizeable)
and millet wine. percentage of Taiwanese are vegetarian, a
fair chunk of the population abstains from
Over in Sandimen, millet is the staple meat for spiritual or health reasons every
of the Rukai diet, while qínàbù (奇那步), now and again, even if only for a day or a
or taro and meat dumplings, and grilled week.
wild boar with papaya (木瓜拌山豬肉;
mùguā bàn shānzhūròu) can also be Buddhist vegetarian restaurants are
tasted in many Rukai villages. The Baiyi easy to find. Just look for the gigantic
in Cingjing, who originally came from savastika (an ancient Buddhist symbol
Yunnan, infuse their mushroom and meat that looks like a reverse swastika) hang-
dishes with herbs such as mint, chillies ing in front of the restaurant. Every
and stinging ‘flower peppers’. neighbourhood and town will generally
have at least one vegetarian buffet. The
Cantonese Taiwanese are masters at adding variety
to vegetarian cooking, as well as creating
Cantonese is what non-Chinese consider ‘mock meat’ dishes made of tofu or gluten
‘Chinese’ food, largely because most émi- on which veritable miracles have been
gré restaurateurs in other countries origi- performed.
nate from Guangdong (Canton) or Hong
Kong. Cantonese flavours are generally
more subtle than other Chinese styles –
almost sweet, with very few spicy dishes.
Cantonese cooking emphasises the use of

46

PLAN YOUR TRIP Eat & Drink Like a Local Drinks Coffee

Tea Taiwan is home to a world-class coffee cul-
ture – certainly the best in Asia. Not only
Tea is a fundamental part of Chinese life. is Taiwan big on coffee consumption –
In fact, an old Chinese saying identifies good-quality coffee can be easily found
tea as one of the seven basic necessities in big cities such as Taipei, Tainan and
of life (along with fuel, oil, rice, salt, soy Kaohsiung – but the island is experiment-
sauce and vinegar). Taiwan’s long grow- ing with growing the stuff as well and has
ing season and hilly terrain are perfectly recently begun to export it.
suited for producing excellent tea, espe-
cially high-mountain oolong, which is The main coffee-growing regions are
prized among tea connoisseurs the world mountainous areas in the south, including
over (and makes a great gift for the folks Dongshan in Tainan, Dewen in Sandimen,
back home). Pingtung, Gukeng in Yunlin and Alishan
in Chiayi. The two main factors limiting
There are two types of teashops in Taiwan coffee exports are costs (labour is
Taiwan. The first are traditional teashops more expensive here than, say, Vietnam)
(more commonly called teahouses) where and land in the mountains often belongs
customers brew their own tea in a tradi- to indigenous peoples who often prefer
tional clay pot, choosing from several types to protect the land from development, so
of high-quality leaves, and sit for hours plantations are limited in area.
playing cards or Chinese chess. These
places can be found tucked away in alleys Juices
in almost every urban area, but are best
visited up in the mountains. Taipei’s Mao­ Fresh-fruit stands selling juices and
kong is an excellent place to experience a smoothies are all over Taiwan – these
traditional Taiwanese teahouse. The sec- drinks make wonderful thirst quenchers
ond are the stands found on every street on a hot summer day. All you have to do is
corner. These specialise in bubble tea – a point at the fruits you want (some shops
mixture of tea, milk, flavouring, sugar and have cut fruit ready-mixed in a cup) and
giant black tapioca balls. Also called pearl the person standing behind the counter
tea or boba cha, the sweet drink is popular will whiz them up in a blender for you
with students, who gather at tea stands after adding water or milk. Especially good
after school to socialise and relax, much in are iced-papaya milkshakes.
the way that the older generation gathers
at traditional teahouses. Popular juices include hāmìguā (哈密
瓜; honeydew melon), xīguā (西瓜; water­
THE BASICS melon), píngguǒ (蘋果; apple) and gānzhè
(甘蔗; sugarcane). Sugarcane juice is
The Taiwanese love to eat out and u­ sually sold at speciality stands selling
you won’t go hungry if you start by raw sugar­cane rather than ordinary fruit
8pm; many restaurants tend to wind stands.
down by 9pm. Booking a few days to
a week in advance is only necessary Harder Stuff
at more upmarket establishments.
Night markets A cheap and boister- The Taiwanese tend to be fairly moderate
ous experience of everything from drinkers (with some exceptions, such as
snacks to sweets and seafood to banquets, which are a time when much
noodle soups. drinking occurs), but Taiwan does have
Restaurants Asian cuisine, particu- a number of locally produced inebriants
larly Japanese, dominates, along with well worth trying. The most famous of
local fare. these is gāoliáng jiǔ (高粱酒; Kaoliang
Cafes Growing rapidly in number, liquor). Made from fermented sorghum,
offer almost ubiquitously good brews Kaoliang is produced on Kinmen and
along with homemade cakes and Matsu, the islands closest to mainland
pastries. China. Another local favourite is wéishìbǐ
(維士比; Whisbih), an energy drink
with a fine mixture of dāngguī (當歸; a
m­ edicinal herb), ginseng, taurine, various
B vitamins and caffeine – and some ethyl
alcohol to give it a kick.

47

NOCTURNAL FOOD FUN PLAN YOUR TRIP Eat & Drink Like a Local

One Taiwan experience you can’t miss out on is eating at a night market. Though
Taipei’s night markets are arguably the most famous, all cities in Taiwan have at
least a few of their own, and even a medium-sized town will have a street set up with
food stalls selling traditional Taiwanese eats late into the night.

So what kind of food can you expect to find on the fly in Taiwan? Some items won’t
surprise people used to eating Asian food back home. Taiwanese shuǐjiǎo (水餃; dump-
lings) are always a good bet, especially for those looking to fill up on the cheap. Stuffed
with meat, spring onion and greens, shuǐjiǎo can be served by the bowl in a soup, and
sometimes dry by weight. For a dipping sauce, locals mix chilli (辣椒; làjiāo), vinegar
(醋; cù) and soy sauce (醬油; jiàngyóu) in a bowl according to taste. Other street
snacks include zhà dòufu (炸豆腐; fried tofu), lǔ dòufu (鹵豆腐; tofu soaked in soy
sauce) and kǎo fānshǔ (烤番薯; baked sweet potatoes), which can be bought by weight.

Probably the most recognisable Taiwanese street snack is chòu dòufu (臭豆腐;
stinky fermented tofu). This deep-fried dish is something of an acquired taste: gen-
erally speaking, people either love the stuff or they can’t stand it. Another strange
food to look out for is pídàn (皮蛋; ‘thousand year eggs’), duck eggs that are covered
in straw and stored underground for six months – the yolk turns green and the white
becomes like jelly. Other interesting snacks available at markets include jī jiǎo (雞腳;
chicken feet), zhū ěrduǒ (豬耳朵; pig ears) and even zhū jiǎo (豬腳; pig feet).

How to Eat & Drink Bars often keep long hours in Taiwan,
opening in the afternoon and closing late
When & Where at night. Most bars offer a limited menu,
while some offer full-course meals. Expect
Most breakfast places open at about 6am to pay at least NT$150 for a beer, NT$200
and close by 11am or noon. A traditional and more for imported or craft beer.
breakfast in Taiwan usually consists of
watery rice with seaweed (鹹粥; xián Etiquette for Dining Out
zhōu), clay-oven rolls (燒餅; shāobǐng)
and steamed buns (饅頭; mántóu), served ¨¨In restaurants, every customer gets an
plain or with fillings; the meal is gener- individual bowl of rice or a small soup bowl. It is
ally washed down with plain or sweetened quite acceptable to hold the bowl close to your lips
hot soybean milk (豆漿; dòujiāng). Other and shovel the contents into your mouth with your
popular breakfast foods include rolled chopsticks. If the food contains bones, just place
omelettes (蛋餅; dàn bǐng), egg sandwiches them on the tablecloth (it’s changed after each
(雞蛋三明治; jīdàn sānmíngzhì) and tur- meal), or into a separate bowl if one is provided.
nip cakes (蘿蔔糕; luóbo gāo). ¨¨Remember to fill your neighbours’ teacups
when they are empty, as yours will be filled by
The Taiwanese generally eat lunch be- them. You can thank the pourer by tapping your
tween 11.30am and 2pm, many taking their middle finger on the table gently. On no account
midday meal from any number of small should you serve yourself tea without serving
eateries on the streets. Zìzhù cāntīng (自助 others first. When your teapot needs a refill, signal
餐廳; self-serve cafeterias) are a good option, this to the wait staff by taking the lid off the pot.
offering plenty of meat and vegetable dishes. ¨¨Taiwanese toothpick etiquette is similar to that
of neighbouring Asian countries: one hand wields
Dinner in Taiwan is usually eaten from the toothpick while the other shields the mouth.
5pm to 11pm, though some restaurants ¨¨Probably the most important piece of
and food stalls in bigger cities stay open etiquette comes with the bill: although you are
24 hours. Taiwan’s cities – especially the expected to try to pay, you shouldn’t argue too
larger ones – all have a fair-to-excellent hard, as the one who extended the invitation will
selection of international restaurants. inevitably foot the bill. While splitting the cost
of the meal is fashionable among the younger
The most important thing to remember generation, as a guest you’ll probably be treated
in Taiwan when it comes to food is that most of the time.
some of the best eats are found on the
street – gourmands know that some of
Asia’s best street eats are found in night
markets in and around Taiwan’s cities.

4 8 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

#_

Regions Taipei
at a
Glance Food
History
Taipei is surrounded by forested hills and Shopping
heritage towns that make the best day trips.
Within the city limits are world-class museums, Eating
historic temples, and never-ending oppor- With hundreds of res-
tunities for snacking and shopping. Heading taurants incorporating
out towards the coast or the mountains puts culinary influences from
the traveller in northern Taiwan, with its hot every corner of China,
springs, surf spots, and many cycling and hik- some of the best Japanese
ing routes. The dusty plains of western Taiwan outside Japan, hands down
hold some of the best temple towns, while Asia’s best coffee, and a
heading east the unspoiled Central Mountains night market scene loaded
rise quickly to over 3000m. Over the moun- with unique local snacks,
tains lies eastern Taiwan, the country’s least Taipei definitely has it all
developed region, with a landscape that’s foodwise.
pure eye candy. In tropical southern Taiwan,
ecotourists brush against culture vultures tak- History
ing in traditional festivals and night markets. You’ll find temples and
Finally, scattered on both sides of the main- markets dating back centu-
land are Taiwan’s islands, boasting a Cold War ries coexisting with Taipei’s
legacy, seaside villages and a top windsurfing flashy modernity, as well as
destination. neighbourhoods and parks
from the Japanese colonial
era now being revived as
cultural and entertainment
centres.

Shopping
Taipei shines in locally
designed products such as
ceramics, glassware, cloth-
ing, tea sets, jade, home
furnishings and knick-
knacks. You’ll also find a
host of enticing agricultural
products, from designer
desserts to organic teas.

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