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

The ridgeline is always decorated with dragons in jiǎnniàn (mosaic- 349Th e Te m ple s o f Taiwa n A rc h it e ctura l F e atur e s
like temple decoration). Sometimes a pearl sits in the centre (which the A temple can
dragons are reaching for); sometimes three figures (福禄寿; Fu Lu Shou) seem raucous
who represent the gods of good fortune, prosperity and longevity; and and worldly
sometimes a seven-tier pagoda. compared to a
church, but be-
Slopes are covered with tiles (long and rounded like a bamboo tube) fore holy festivals
and fabulously decorated with vibrant cochin pottery and figures in jiǎn- it will undergo
niàn. Fish and some dragon figures on the ends symbolise protection rites to transform
against fire (always a threat for wooden structures). it into a sacred
space. Check
Bracketing out the Five
Day Completion
Wooden brackets help to secure posts and beams, and they are also dec- Rituals to Thank
orative features. They vary from dragons and phoenixes to flowers and Gods at Bao’an
birds, or tableaux of historical scenes unfolding as if on a scroll. Exam- Temple in Taipei
ples are Bao’an Temple in Taipei, Yinshan Temple in Tamsui and Long- every spring.
shan Temple in Lukang.

Dǒugǒng

Stand under the eaves of a temple roof and look up. Notice the com-
plex system of two- or four-arm brackets? These brackets (very apparent
when you see them) are called dǒugǒng and are unique to Chinese archi-
tecture. In fact, they are considered the very heart of the system.

Dǒugǒng gives builders a high degree of freedom during construction
and is one reason why Chinese architecture can be found across a wide
region so varying in climate.

TEMPLE STYLES

South vs North
Traditional Taiwanese temples are constructed in a southern Chinese style (sometimes
called Minnan). What does this mean? Well, during the Ming and Qing dynasties, archi-
tecture in China moved away from the aesthetic principles of the Song dynasty (a high
period of art) towards a stiff, formal and grandiose expressiveness best exemplified by
Beijing’s Forbidden City.

In more remote regions (such as Fujian), however, Song principles of beauty, playful-
ness, ornamentation and experimentation persisted. As all early Taiwanese emigrated
from the south, they naturally constructed their temples in the style they knew. So don’t
rush through your next temple visit. It’s heir to a thousand-year-old high tradition now
found only here and in a few scattered Chinese communities in Southeast Asia.

Buddhist vs Taoist vs Confucius
One of the easiest ways to distinguish between temples is to look at the actual name. A
Buddhist temple’s name will almost always end with the character 寺 (sì), while a Taoist
temple will end with the character 宮 (gōng) or 廟 (miào). A Confucius temple is always
called a Kǒng Miào (孔廟).

The general architectural features (such as a raised structure with a post-and-beam
frame) will be the same for all three types, though modern temples may incorporate
foreign influences; for example, in the mosque-meets-rocket-ship design of the Chung
Tai Chan Monastery in Puli. Older Buddhist temples, such as the various Longshan tem-
ples, are harder to distinguish from Taoist ones, but modern Buddhist temples are usu-
ally built in a northern Chinese ‘palace style’ and have fewer images and less elaborate
decorations.

Confucius temples are always large walled complexes and generally sedate, except
on 28 September, the sage’s birthday. Taoist temples, on the other hand, will generally
be loud, both in noise level and decoration. They tend to be very enjoyable to explore
because of this.

Th e Te m ple s o f Taiwa n A rc h it e ctura l F e atur e s350

Spiderweb Plafond Ceilings

This type of inverted ceiling (like in a cathedral) is constructed with ex-
posed dǒugǒng arms that extend up and around in a spiderweb pattern
(sometimes swirling like a vortex). Plafond ceilings are probably the
most striking of all temple architectural features.

Examples are Confucius Temple and Qingshan Temple in Taipei,
­Anping Matsu Temple in Tainan, Tzushr Temple in Sansia and City God
Temple in Hsinchu.

TOURING THROUGH TAIPEI’S BAO’AN TEMPLE

The Unesco heritage award winning Bao’an Temple (p65) is hard to beat as a place to
start your study of traditional temple art and architecture.

¨¨To begin, stand before the Front Hall (basically a colonnaded entrance portico with
five doors) and observe the sweeping swallowtail ridgeline, elaborate rooftop decoration
(jiǎnniàn figurines), and row of cochin pottery figures nestled snugly between the roof’s
double eaves.

¨¨Then note the stone lions, octagonal dragon pillars, rectangular pillars, and side
dragon and tiger panels. These all welcome visitors and protect against demons. They
are also among the oldest parts of the temple. The dragon columns, for example, were
carved in 1804.

¨¨Above the lions look for carved wood panels between the posts. See the Western-style
balcony on the left panel? When Bao’an was renovated in 1917 during the Japanese-era,
two teams (one from China, one from Taiwan) were given one half of the temple each to
complete: the left side was given to the Taiwanese and features more innovations and
touches of modernity.

¨¨The interior of the Front Hall serves as a worship area, with long kneelers and tables
piled high with offerings and flowers. In other temples this worship area may be further
in towards the Main Hall.

¨¨Next, step into the open stone courtyard (this area is covered in many temples). Note
the large incense burner (made in 1918), and bell and drum towers on the sides. These
towers are Japanese influences and are now widely found in other temples.

¨¨The Main Hall is another double-eaved structure with stunning rooftop decoration,
hanging flowerpots in differing styles and carved pillars. On the far left eave, look up to
see a Western figure with an umbrella and dog. Also note the different dǒugǒng styling
on the left and right (the left is shaped like the character 人, rén, meaning people). A long
panel of cochin figurines represents the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea.

¨¨Inside the Main Hall (where the resident god always resides), check out the gorgeous
roof truss. This is an example of traditional san tong wu gua, or three beams and five
melon posts. Also look on either side for the astonishing ceramic green dragon and tiger
reliefs (created by master cochin artist Hong Kunfu in 1917), and the celebrated wood
statues of the 36 celestial guardians (carved between 1827 and 1833).

¨¨While inside the Main Hall, look for lacquered tables piled high with offerings. As
with most temples, the shrine at the back is elaborately carved and features multiple
statues of the resident god (the smallest inside the glass is the oldest). Note that the
pillars in here are rounded. In pillar hierarchy, round is best, octagonal second best and
rectangular third.

¨¨The exterior of the Main Hall is covered in masterful paintings completed by Pan Li-
shui in 1973. The back shows the legendary ghost queller Zhong Kui welcoming his sister
home.

¨¨Like most larger temples, Bao’an features a Rear Hall (note the single eave) with
shrines to various deities. Check out the delicate bird and flower pillars (made in 1918)
and the exorcism room to the far right.

351

BRANCH TEMPLES & THE DIVINE POWER OF THE MOTHER Th e Te m ple s o f Taiwa n T e mp l e D e c o rati v e A rts

New temples are almost always established as a branch (or daughter) of a larger and
more famous mother temple. This involves a rather fascinating process called fēnxiāng
(分香; spirit division).

In this practice, representatives from the newly built temple go to the elder one to
obtain incense ash or statues. By doing so they bring back a little of the líng (靈; divine
efficacy) of the original temple deity to their own humble house of worship.

Periodically representatives from the daughter temple must return to the mother to
renew or add power to the líng of their statue. At the mother temple, they once again
scoop out incense ash to place in the incense burner of their own temple and also pass
their statue through the smoke of the mother temple’s incense burner. The process is
usually accompanied by a large parade.

Temple Decorative Arts Most larger
temples are
Jiǎnniàn incorporated, and
run by a manager
One of the most delightful of the folk arts, jiǎnniàn (剪粘; cut-and-paste) appointed by a
is a method of decorating figurines with coloured shards. Imagine a board of direc-
three-dimensional mosaic. tors. His office will
usually be in the
True jiǎnniàn uses sheared ceramic bowls for raw material. The irreg- east–west wings,
ular pieces are then embedded by hand into a clay figurine. These days and nearby will
many artists use premade glass pieces but still embed them by hand. be other offices
Some temples save money by simply buying prefab whole figurines. where you’ll find
the accountants,
Jiǎnniàn is usually found on the rooftops of temples (which can often PR reps, website
be reached by stairs). Figures include humans, dragons, phoenixes, carp, designers and
flowers and the eight immortals. volunteers who
help run the show.
Examples are Bao’an Temple and Qingshan Temple in Taipei and
Kaohsiung’s City God Temple. Temple
Etiquette
Cochin Pottery
You can take
A type of colourful low-fired, lead-glazed ceramic, cochin (also spelled pictures but be
koji) is one of Taiwan’s unique decorative arts. The style is related to Chi-
nese tricolour pottery and came to Taiwan in the 18th century. Common courteous.
themes include human figures, landscapes, flowers and plants, as well as Don’t go past
tableaux depicting stories from mythology and history. gated altar areas.
Enter via the right
Cochin pottery is found under eaves, on lintels or on the rooftop. door of a temple
Examples are City God Temple in Chiayi, Confucius Temple in Taipei, and exit via the left.
Ciji Temple in Xuejia and the Koji Ceramic Museum in Chiayi. Remove your hat
and don’t smoke.
Woodcarving Some Buddhist
temples might ask
Woodcarving is usually found on cross-beams, brackets, hanging pillars you to remove your
(often carved in the shape of flowerpots), doors, window lattices and
screen walls. Its basic function is decorative, though many parts are in- shoes.
tegral to the temple structure. Many temple god statues are also carved
from wood and are exquisite pieces of art.

Examples are Bao’an Temple in Taipei, Yinshan Temple in Tamsui,
Matsu Temple in Makung and Longshan Temple in Lukang.

Painting

Painting is mainly applied to wood beams and walls. Though decorative,
painting also helps to preserve wood, and is said to drive away evil, bless
and inspire good deeds. Common motifs include stories from literature
and history. Probably the most distinctive paintings at any temple are
the guardians on the doors to the Front Hall. Examples are Xiahai City
God and Bao’an temples in Taipei, and Matsu and Dongyue temples in
Tainan.

Th e Te m ple s o f Taiwa n T e mp l e s T o day352

HOW MANY TEMPLES ARE THERE IN TAIWAN?

In Taiwan anyone can have a temple built, and it seems almost everyone does. Govern-
ment statistics from 2009 show there are 14,993 registered temples, approximately one
for every 1500 residents (just a little higher than the average for convenience stores).
This figure does not include unregistered temples, family shrines and the ubiquitous
Earth God shrines. What’s more astonishing is that the majority of these temples are
relatively new. In 1930 there were 3336 registered temples; by 1981 there were 5331.

Homonyms are Stone Carving
an important
part of Chinese Before the 20th century most stone came from China, and was o­ ften
visual art. Bats, used as ballast in the rough ship ride over. Later locally sourced
for example, are Guanyin stone became the preferred choice, though today cheaper
commonly used Chinese imports are often used.
motifs because
bat (蝠; fú) Stone is most commonly used for courtyard surfaces, stairs and door-
sounds like 福 posts, dragon columns and other pillars, lion statues, and relief wall
(fú), which means panels showing scenes from history and literature.
good fortune.
Other common Examples are Lukang’s Longshan Temple, Tzushr Temple in Sansia
homophonous and Chaotian Temple in Chiayi.
symbols include
a vase (píng; Temples Today
peace), a pike
and chime (jíqìng; Temples are fragile structures prone to weathering, and subject to out-
auspicious), and right destruction by fire, flooding, earthquakes, typhoons, landslides,
a flag and ball wars, occupations and indifference. Nearly every temple in Taiwan has
(qíqiú; to pray been restored at least once since 1945, in many cases radically altering
for). For exam- the original style.
ples, see Xiahai
City God Temple In fact, most temples you see in Taiwan today will not have a tradi-
tional southern style at all. Since the 1960s the trend has been to build
in Taipei. in the so-called northern palace style. Such temples are squat and broad,
with a flat roof ridgeline and a flat interior ceiling. Decorations tend to
be repetitive and are often prefabricated in China. The change resulted
from political reasons (to please the Nationalist government), insecurity
among Taiwanese regarding the worth of their southern heritage, and
cost-cutting measures.

The Dying Masters

Taiwan has a serious problem ahead with a lack of fresh blood moving
into the traditional decorative-arts field. The last survey of jiǎnniàn mas-
ters in 2004, for example, showed that only 37 remained. A combination
of low prestige, long hours and low pay has made traditional craftwork
unattractive to younger Taiwanese. One master woodcarver we met from
Pingtung even said he refused to pass his skills on to his children, not
wanting them to get stuck in a dead-end career.

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 353

The Arts of Taiwan

Taiwan has a rich and varied art scene covering genres such as painting, film, dance,
ceramics and literature. Local arts are either wholly indigenous or evolved from Chi-
nese genres, carried over by waves of immigrants from mainland China, or a unique
mix of both.

Modern Visual Arts The Atayal and
Seediq are well
Western styles of painting were introduced to Taiwan by the Japanese. known for their
Ishikawa Kinichiro (1871–1945), now considered the father of modern weaving which
Taiwanese art, taught local painters to work the tropical landscapes of
Taiwan in a French impressionistic style. Ishikawa’s students included uses hand-­
Li Mei-shu (1902–83), who is best known for his work overseeing the prepared ramie
reconstruction of Sansia’s masterful Tzushr Temple. (vegetable fibre).
The bright ‘tra-
During the 1970s a strong nativist movement, sometimes referred to ditional’ colours
as ‘Taiwan Consciousness’, began to develop. Artists found inspiration in were actually
Taiwanese folk traditions and the arts and crafts of indigenous tribes. introduced in the
The sculptor Ju Ming (b 1938) is the most well-known artist from this
period. 1920s.
Learn more about
The opening of the Taipei Fine Arts Museum and the ending of martial native indigenous
law were two of the most significant events in the 1980s. For the first arts and crafts at
time, artists could actively criticise the political system without suffering the Wulai Atayal
consequences. And they had a public venue in which to do so. Museum, Shung

Since then, alternative art spaces have blossomed and Taiwan’s par- Ye Museum of
ticipation on the international stage has been well established. Artists Formosan Aborig-
regularly exhibit at top venues such as the Venice Biennale, and work in ines in Taipei and
multimedia as much as traditional forms. Ketagalan Culture
Centre in Beitou.
Indigenous Arts & Crafts

The indigenous people of Taiwan have their own distinct art traditions,
many of which are alive and well these days.

Woodcarving

The Tao of Lanyu Island are famous for their handmade canoes, con-
structed without nails or glue. The Paiwan and Rukai also excel at wood-
carving; they build homes and make utensils that feature elaborate
carvings of humans, snakes and fantastical creatures. Along the east
coast, the Amis use driftwood for sculptures of humans and animals and
fantastic abstract pieces.

Dance & Music

Vocal music is one way indigenous Taiwanese preserve their history and
legends, passing down songs from one generation to the next. This music
has become popular in recent years and music shops in Taiwan’s larger
cities carry recordings.

Indigenous dances, accompanied by singing and musical instruments,
are usually centred on festivals, which may celebrate coming-of-age
­rituals, harvests or hunting skills.

354 Th e A rts o f Taiwa n M u sic Music
It’s common to
see free perfor- In addition to indigenous song, Taiwan has a long and rich tradition
mances of opera of classical instrumental music such as Nanguan (southern pipes) and
held on stages Beiguan, which originated in Fujian province (the ancestral home of
most Taiwanese).
outside local tem-
ples, sometimes Folk music includes Hakka shān gē (山歌; mountain songs), and the
even on trucks. Holo music of the Hengchun Peninsula (very southern Taiwan) in which
Check out Bao’an singers are accompanied by the yuèqín (月琴; moon lute).
Temple, Xiahai
City God Temple Taiwanese pop music goes back decades. One of the most popular
and Dadaocheng singers in the 1970s was silky voiced Teresa Teng (1953–95), whose grave
Theatre in Taipei. in Jinbaoshan Cemetery is still visited by adoring fans to this day.

Since the late 1990s Taiwan has developed a vibrant indie, hip-hop,
folk and underground scene. Music festivals such as Spring Scream con-
tinue to introduce new bands to a wide audience.

Performing Arts

Taiwanese Opera

The various styles of folk opera commonly seen in Taiwan have their
origin in Fujian and Guangdong provinces. Initially performed on auspi-
cious occasions, folk opera later developed into a more public art form.
Taiwanese opera is complemented by a wide range of musical instru-
ments, including drums, gongs, flutes, lutes and two- and three-stringed
mandolins. Common styles include Nanguan Xi Opera and Gezai Xi
(sometimes just called Taiwanese opera), which evolved out of a ballad
tradition that involved musical accompaniment. It’s the most folksy and
down-to-earth form of opera, making use of folk stories and sayings and
the Hoklo language.

Dance

Modern dance in Taiwan has its roots in the 1940s, when it was intro-
duced by the Japanese. In the 1960s and ’70s a number of outstanding
dancers, trained abroad or influenced by American dancers who had
toured Taiwan, began to form their own troupes and schools, some of
which remain influential today.

The most highly regarded is the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre, founded
in the 1970s by Lin Hwai-min. Lin’s first works were based on stories
from Chinese classical literature. Soon, however, Lin decided to try to ex-
plore Taiwanese identity in his work. Later works are more abstract and
meditative as Lin explored Tibetan, Indian and Indonesian influences.
No matter what the topic, Cloud Gate performances are breathtaking in
their colour and movement.

Cinema

Taiwanese cinema began in 1901 with Japanese-made documentaries
and feature films. Many of these show the progress of Taiwan under
colonial rule and were clearly meant for a Japanese audience.

In the 1960s the Nationalist government created the Central Motion
Picture Corporation (CMP) and a genuine movie industry took off. Dur-
ing the 1960s and ’70s, audiences were treated to a deluge of romantic
melodramas and martial arts epics.

In the 1980s a New Wave movement began as directors like art-house
auteur Hou Hsiao-hsien and the Western-educated Edward Yang broke
away from escapism to give honest and sympathetic portrayals of Tai-
wanese life. Hou’s City of Sadness (1989) follows the lives of a Taiwanese
family living through the KMT takeover of Taiwan and the 2-28 Incident.
This movie was the first to break the silence around 2-28 and won the
Golden Lion award at the 1989 Venice Film Festival. Other social issues

explored by New Taiwanese Cinema included urbanisation, disintegra- 355Th e A rts o f Taiwa n L it e r at u r e
tion of the family and the old way of life, and the clash of old and new Taiwan’s rich
values (as in Yang’s Taipei Story; 1985). This cinema is also marked by tradition in
an unconventional narrative structure that makes use of long takes and marionette, glove,
minimal camera movement to move the story at a close-to-real-life pace. rod and shadow
styles can be
In the 1990s directors appeared who came to be known as the Second seen at Taiyuan
New Wave. Big names include Ang Lee, known for megahits The Life Asian Puppet
of Pi, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and Brokeback Mountain; and Theatre Museum.
the Taiwan-educated Malaysian art-house guru Tsai Ming-liang (Vivre Hou Hsiao-hsien’s
L’Amour, What Time Is It There?) whose bleak, meticulous, slow-moving film The Puppet
and sometimes bizarre take on urban life in Taiwan has won him recog- Master (1993)
nition worldwide. is based on the
memoirs of Li
Piracy and competition from Hong Kong and Hollywood films sent Tian-lu, Taiwan’s
the Taiwanese film industry into near collapse by the late ’90s. With the most celebrated
release of Wei Te-sheng’s Cape No 7 (2008), audiences and critics began puppeteer.
to feel renewed hope for the industry. Wei’s Seediq Bale (2011), an epic
about an indigenous revolt against the Japanese, and Yeh Tien-lun’s
Night Market Hero (2011) are keeping the dream alive.

Literature

The earliest Taiwanese literature comprises the folk tales of the indige-
nous peoples, which were passed down by word of mouth. Later, in the
Ming dynasty, Koxinga and his sons brought mainland Chinese litera-
ture to the island. A great number of literary works were produced in
Taiwan during the Qing dynasty, the Japanese colonial era and later the
­post-WWII period.

Taiwan spent the first half of the 20th century as a Japanese colony
and much of the second half in a close relationship with China. Because
of this unique heritage, Taiwan’s literature is highly heterogeneous, un-
dermining preconceptions about what constitutes a ‘national literature’.
There were authors like Yang Chichang, who studied Japanese literature
in Tokyo in the 1930s and wrote their works in Japanese. There were also
writers like Liu Daren. Liu was born in mainland China, and later, as a
young intellectual in Taiwan, engaged in political activism that got him
exiled in the 1970s.

Modern Taiwanese literature, like Taiwan’s history, is rife with conflict-
ing legacies and sensibilities. It is based on Chinese culture and wears
the marks left by Japanese and American influences. Yet it is much more
than that.

Taiwan’s modern writers were keen to fill in the gaps in the Taiwan-
ese cultural narrative that resulted from different political agendas and
government-sponsored education. At the same time, they sought to es-
tablish a distinctly Taiwanese cultural identity that existed outside the
colonising influences of Japan and mainland China. Authors like Lee
Min-yung (李敏勇) and Tseng Kuei-hi (曾貴海) strove to gain accept-
ance for the Taiwanese Hoklo language, the Hakka dialect and indige-
nous languages. These writers also turned their focus to Taiwan’s folk
traditions for inspiration and adopted a largely Taiwanese perspective
in their writings.

The National Museum of Taiwanese Literature in Tainan is an excel-
lent resource. The museum’s bilingual website also has information on
its research and translation activities, including a list of publications for
sale. The museum has its own translation centre.

356 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

The Landscape
of Taiwan

At merely six million years of age, gorgeous Taiwan island is a bouncy child pumping
with vigour and potential compared to 4.6-billion-year-old planet earth. Lying 165km off
the coast of mainland China, across the Taiwan Strait, it covers 36,000 sq km (roughly
the size of the Netherlands), and is 394km long and 144km at its widest. The country
includes 15 offshore islands: most important are the Penghu Archipelago, Matsu and
Kinmen Islands in the Taiwan Strait, and, off the east coast, Green Island and Lanyu.

At 3805m, Siou- The Beauty
guluan Mountain
not only repre- Visitors to Taiwan and the surrounding islands can experience a stun-
sents the apex ningly broad variety of landscapes, from rugged mountains in the cen-
tre of the main island (there’s even snow in winter at higher altitudes)
of the Central to low-lying wetlands teeming with wildlife on the western coast, rice
Mountain Range, paddies and farmland in the south, and lonely windswept beaches
punctuated with basalt rock formations on the outer islands. The east
but it also sits coast, with its towering seaside cliffs and rocky volcanic coastline, is
on the busiest utterly spectacular. The Central Cross-Island Hwy and the Southern
tectonic collision Cross-Island Hwy link the island from east to west, cutting through
zone in the whole spectacular mountain scenery.
of Taiwan. At
present, it’s rising However, Taiwan’s colourful – and wild – topography means that the
by approximately majority of the country’s 23 million people are forced to live on the small
0.5cm a year. expanses of plains to the west of the Central Mountain Range, and this is
Expect more where agriculture and industry concentrate.
spouting to come.
Mountains

Mountains are the most dominant feature of Taiwan. The island is divid-
ed in half by the Central Mountain Range, a series of jagged peaks that
stretches for 170km from Suao in the northeast to Eluanbi at the south-
ern tip. Gorges, precipitous valleys and lush forests characterise this very
rugged ridge of high mountains.

Running diagonally down the right half of the island like a sash are the
country’s four other mountain ranges. The East Coast Mountain Range
runs down the east coast of Taiwan from the mouth of the Hualien River
in the north to Taitung County in the south. The Xueshan Range lies to
the northwest of the Central Mountain Range. Xueshan, the main peak,
is 3886m high. Flanking the Central Mountain Range to the southwest is
the Yushan Range, home to the eponymous Yushan (Jade Mountain). At
3952m, Yushan is Taiwan’s pinnacle and one of the tallest mountains in
northeast Asia. The Alishan Range sits west, separated by the Kaoping
River valley.

Rivers & Plains

According to the Taiwanese government’s Council of Agriculture, the
country boasts 118 rivers, all originating in the mountains, and it thus
appears rather well watered. However, most of Taiwan’s rivers follow

357

short, steep and rapid courses down into the ocean, which causes flood- Th e L a n dsca pe o f Taiwa n W etla n d s
ing during typhoon season. During the dry season, on the other hand,
the riverbeds are exposed and the reservoirs alone are unable to supply If you drive
adequate water to the population. An extensive network of canals, ditch- along Lanyang
es and weirs has therefore evolved over time to manage and channel this River in the dry
elusive river flow for irrigation. season, you’ll
be greeted by a
The country’s longest river is the 186km Zhuoshui, which starts in giant cabbage
Nantou County, flows through the counties of Changhua, Yunlin and patch instead of
Chiayi, and serves as the symbolic dividing line between northern and flowing waters. To
southern Taiwan. It is also the most heavily tapped for hydroelectricity. find the impres-
The Tamsui, which runs through Taipei, is the only navigable stream. sive, curious
Other rivers include the Kaoping, Tsengwen, Tachia and Tatu. Located sight, follow the
in the foothills of the Central Mountain Range, Sun Moon Lake is the highway through
largest body of freshwater in Taiwan and is one of the country’s top the Xueshan and
tourist destinations. Yushan Mountain
Ranges up to
Fertile plains and basins make up most of western Taiwan, which is Wuling Farm.
criss-crossed with many small rivers that empty into the sea and has the
most suitable land for agriculture. Over on the east coast, however, even
plains are in short supply. Outside the three cities of Ilan, Hualien and
Taitung, the area is among the most sparsely populated on the island.

Wetlands

Taiwan is home to 100 wetlands that have been officially declared
­‘nationally important’, with estuaries being the most common form.
There are large wetland concentrations in the southwest and southeast
of the island; Tsengwen Estuary and Sihcao Wetland, both in Tainan, are
classified ‘international class’ wetlands.

Besides providing a valuable ecosystem that supports a multitude of
life forms including insects, amphibians and fish, Taiwan’s wetlands are
a precious gift to vast populations of migratory birds. These enamoured,
annual visitors stop in Taiwan when migrating from northern areas such
as Siberia, Manchuria, Korea and Japan to southern wintering sites in,
for instance, the Philippines and Indonesia.

Environmental Issues

When Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalist troops were driven off the main-
land, they brought more than just millions of Chinese people fleeing
communism with them: they also brought capital, much of which was
used to transform a primarily agrarian society into a major industrial
p­ owerhouse. Taiwan became wealthy, quickly, but it also became toxic,
with urban air quality ranking among the world’s worst, and serious
pollution in most of its waterways. Indeed, Taiwan’s ‘economic miracle’
came at a serious price, and pollution, urban sprawl and industrial waste
have all taken a heavy toll on the island.

Things have improved markedly over the last decade. Environmental
laws, once largely ignored by industry and individuals alike, are now
enforced far more rigorously across the board, and the results have been
tangible (the Tamsui and Keelung Rivers in Taipei, for example, once
horribly befouled, are significantly cleaner in sections). Urban air quality
is noticeably better, thanks to a combination of improved public trans-
port, more stringent clean-air laws and a switch to unleaded petrol. The
Taiwanese collective unconscious has changed as well: so much of the
new ‘Taiwanese identity’ is tied in with having a clean and green home-
land that people are tending to take environmental protection far more
seriously.

Lest we paint too rosy a picture, it’s possible to counter any perceived
step forward with another step back towards the bad old days.

Th e L a n dsca pe o f Taiwa n Nat u ral Disasters : E arth q u a k es , T y p h o o n s & L a n d sli d es358

ENERGY SOURCES

A lack of energy resources means Taiwan is highly reliant on imports to meet its energy
needs. However, the country has a poor record in the use of renewable energy: it is a
major exporter of solar panels but there’s almost no domestic use. Tsai Ing-wen’s gov-
ernment has pledged to end nuclear power generation by 2025 and put forward a plan
to expand application of wind and solar power. However, energy experts have expressed
doubt over whether renewables can fully replace nuclear power.

Legendary One of the bigger issues belying the image that the Taiwanese gov-
­Japanese engi- ernment hopes to project of an environmentally conscious democracy
neer Yoichi Hatta is that of land expropriation – that is, the legal removal of farmers from
(1886–1942) still privately owned lands. Critics said the December 2011 revision of the
commands hero Land Expropriation Act only served to reinforce the interests of devel-
status in Taiwan opment, which is very loosely defined to cover anything from military
today thanks construction to projects approved by the executive, over farmers’ rights.
Government and industrial proponents of expropriation point to the
to the major ­issue of common good, saying that transforming farmland into indus-
contributions he trial areas creates jobs, reducing the country’s climbing unemployment
made to hydraulic rate. However, opponents say that the main beneficiaries are a conglom-
engineering in the erate of large corporations and real-estate developers. Although Taiwan’s
High Speed Rail (HSR) has been touted for making travel around the
country. island even more convenient, many feel that placement of the stations –
in the far outskirts of Taiwan’s westernmost cities as opposed to in the
city centres themselves – has actually promoted both increased traffic
and urban sprawl. And, of course, the ongoing issue of decaying barrels
of nuclear waste buried on the indigenous island of Lanyu has also yet to
be resolved to anybody’s satisfaction.

Taiwan’s environmental issues are a global concern as well. Despite its
diminutive size, Taiwan is a major CO₂ producer. A 2009 study contend-
ed that the 4130-megawatt coal-burning Taipower was the biggest CO₂
emitter on the planet. To date, it remains one of the most polluting coal
power plants globally. That said, the Taichung City Government has ne-
gotiated with Taipower to reduce its carbon emissions in central Taiwan
and stabilise air quality in the region. Taipower has pledged to end the
open-air storage of coal by the end of 2018 and to upgrade some of its
coal-fired generators.

So while it’s fair to say that Taiwan has made great strides on the envi-
ronmental front, it’s clear that more remains to be done.

Natural Disasters: Earthquakes, Typhoons
& Landslides

Taiwan is in a singular geological and climatic setting. It is highly sus-
ceptible to earthquakes and typhoons, while heavy rainfalls exacerbate
the risk of landslides.

A fact of life for people living in Taiwan, natural disasters are also
something that travellers need to take into account when planning
their trip. Aside from the obvious dangers that may arise from being
in the v­icinity while one is occurring, landslides, typhoons and earth-
quakes have the potential to actually alter the landscape, rendering once-­
scenic areas unreachable and roads impassable. Sections of the Central
Cross-Island Hwy that once stretched across the middle of the island
from Taichung to Hualien remain closed to visitors, while large sections
of the Southern Cross-Island Hwy are still impassable after being altered
beyond recognition by Typhoon Morakot in 2009.

Earthquakes 359Th e L a n dsca pe o f Taiwa n Nat u ral Disasters : E arth q u a k es , T y p h o o n s & L a n d sli d es
For one of the
Geologically, Taiwan is on one of the most complex and active tecton- most unusual
ic collision zones on earth. Sitting atop the ever-colliding (albeit slowly
colliding) Eurasian and Philippine plates has given Taiwan the beautiful geo­logical
mountains, scenic gorges and amazing hot springs that keep people com- curiosities in
ing back. Alas, these same geological forces also put the island smack Taiwan – or
dab in earthquake central, meaning that nary a week goes by without anywhere – head
some form of noticeable seismic activity. Most of these quakes are small to Wushanding
tremors, only noticed by folks living in the upper storeys of buildings as a Mud Volcanoes
gentle, peculiar rocking sensation. Others can be far more nerve-racking in Yanchao,
to locals and visitors alike. 27km north
of Kaoh­siung.
One quake on the southern coast in late 2006 caused only a few This tiny nature
­casualties, but severed several underground cables, disrupting telephone reserve has two
and internet service across Asia. On 4 March 2010 an earthquake meas- volcanoes, where
uring 6.4 on the Richter scale with an epicentre 362km south of Taiwan’s you can get
southernmost city caused buildings to tremble as far north as Taipei, really close to the
knocking out power and rail service for a short time and causing several craters to see the
injuries. The most devastating earthquake to hit Taiwan is remembered boiling pots of
locally simply as ‘9-21’ after the date it occurred, 21 September 1999.
Measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale, the earthquake collapsed buildings grey goo.
and killed thousands. Damage caused by the 9-21 earthquake – especially
the dramatic collapse of buildings in commercial and residential neigh-
bourhoods – led to the passage of laws requiring that new buildings be
designed to withstand future earthquakes of high magnitude.

Typhoons

Common during the summer months in the western Pacific area and the
China seas, typhoons are tropical cyclones that form when warm moist
air meets low-pressure conditions. Taiwan experiences yearly tropical
storms, some of which reach typhoon level. Having better infrastructure
than many of its neighbours, Taiwan tends to weather most typhoons
fairly well, with the majority resulting in flooding, property damage,
delays and headaches – but little loss of life. In August 2009, however,
Taiwan found itself in the direct path of Typhoon Morakot. The island
was unable to cope with the massive rainfall brought by the typhoon (it
delivered over a long weekend what would be about three years’ worth
of rain in the UK), which, combined with winds of up to 150km/h, trig-
gered heavy flooding and landslides, especially in the southern counties
of Pingtung, Chiayi and Kaohsiung. Nearly 600 people were killed in the
disaster.

Although there has been no official consensus on precisely why
Morakot was so devastating, many who study local climate and land-use
issues in Taiwan factor in poor land management, excessive draining of
aquifers and wetlands, and climate change in general as being partially
responsible.

Landslides

According to Dave Petley, one of the world’s top landslide specialists,
Taiwan is the ‘landslide capital of the world’ because of the high rates
of tectonic uplift, weak rocks, steep slopes, frequent earthquakes and
extreme rainfall events. But while Taiwan has almost every type of land-
slide, the number of known ancient rock avalanches remains surprisingly
low given the prevailing conditions.

360 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

Wildlife Guide

To most of the world Taiwan is best known as one of the Asian Tigers, an economic
powerhouse critical to the world’s IT supply chains. Decades earlier it had a reputation
(now overtaken by China) as a manufacturer of cheap toys and electronics. But going
back even earlier, Taiwan was not just the ‘beautiful island’ but also the kingdom of the
butterfly and an endemic species wonderland where one could find the most astonish-
ing variety of native plants and animals. Is there anything left of this old world? Plenty.

Taiwan’s Taiwan’s Forests & Climate
Birds
Taiwan is 60% forested, with about 20% (and growing) of the land offi-
Birdlife Inter- cially protected as national park or forest reserve. One of the absolute
national (www. highlights of any trip to Ilha Formosa involves getting to know the flora
and fauna, much of which you can’t find anywhere else on earth.
birdlife.org/
regional/asia) Taiwan lies across the Tropic of Cancer and most fact books record its
Wild Bird Society climate as subtropical. But with its extremely mountainous terrain (it’s
of Taipei (www. almost 4000m high in the centre), Taiwan has a climate ranging from
wbst.org.tw) subtropical to subarctic, and its vegetation zones range from coastal to
Birds of East Asia montane to alpine. It’s been said that a journey 4km up to the ‘roof’ of
by Mark Brazil Taiwan reproduces a trip of many thousands of kilometres north from
Taiwan to the Russian steppes.

Plants

Taiwan has 4000 to 5000 plant species, with an estimated 26% found no-
where else. Travellers will be most interested in the forest zones, which is
a good thing because Taiwan has plenty of forest cover.

Foothills (Tropical Zone): 0–500m

Most of Taiwan’s original tropical forests have long been cleared to make
room for tea fields, orchards and plantations of Japanese cedar, camphor
and various bamboos. Intact lowland forests still exist along the east and
in parts of Kenting National Park. In other areas you will find dense
second-growth forests.

Submontane (Subtropical Zone): 300–1500m

It’s in these broadleaved forests that most people get their first taste of
just how unspoiled and luxuriant Taiwan’s forests can be. It’s a jungle-
like environment teeming with birds, insects, snakes and so many ferns
that you often can’t count the number of species in one patch. Though
ferns can grow as high as trees (giving forests a distinct Lost World feel),
common larger plant species include camphor, Machilus, crepe myrtle,
maple tree, gums and cedar.

You can see submontane plants in Nanao, and near the Pingxi Branch
Rail Line, the Walami Trail and Wulai.

Montane (Temperate Zone): 1600–3100m

The montane forests vary greatly because the elevation changes mean
there are warm temperate and cool temperate zones. You might start
your journey in a mixed broadleaved forest that soon turns to evergreen

361

oaks. At higher elevations, conifers such as Taiwan red cypress, Taiwania, Wildlife Guide Plants
alder, hemlock and pine start to predominate. In areas that have been
disturbed by landslide or fire, you often get large tracts of Taiwan red
pine. When their needles fall, the forest floor becomes almost ruby in
colour.

Between 2500m and 3100m in elevation, a natural pine–hemlock zone
runs down the centre of Taiwan. This is one of the most pristine parts of
the country (logging never went this high) and many trees are hundreds
and even thousands of years old. A good part of any hike to the high
mountains will be spent in this zone.

You can see montane plants along the Alishan Forest Train, Forestry Rd
200, and the hiking trails in Yushan National Park and Snow Mountain.

Subalpine (Cold Temperate Zone): 2800–3700m

You might think that this high-altitude zone is inaccessible unless you
hike in, but you can actually reach sections of it by road. Taiwan’s highest
pass sits at 3275m on Hwy 14, just before Hehuanshan Forest Recreation
Area. The rolling meadows of Yushan cane (a type of dwarf bamboo) that
you can see from the roadside stand as one of the most beautiful natural
sights on the island.

STOPPING TO SMELL THE FLOWERS

Taiwan is not lacking beautiful flowers to appreciate. The blooming period is long and you
can usually see something year-round. Here are a few scented petals to watch out for,
besides the sublime day lilies.

Flamegold tree Appropriately named native tree with large yellow and red blooms in
autumn. It grows in lowland forests, and is widely planted on city streets as it does well in
polluted air.

Youtong The large white flowers of the youtong tree bloom all over the north in April.
Around the Sanxia Interchange on Fwy 3, entire mountainsides go near-white in good
years.

Rhododendron & azalea Native species bloom from low to high altitudes from April to
June.

Formosa lily One of the tallest of lilies, with long trumpetlike flowers. Blooms wild all over
Taiwan twice a year in spring and autumn.

Orchid There are many wild species but large farms around Tainan and Pingtung also
grow these delightful flowers. Taiwan is, in fact, the world’s largest orchid exporter.

Lotus Baihe in Tainan County has a two-month-long summer festival devoted to this
flower.

Cherry blossom Cherry trees bloom in great numbers in February and March in Yang-
mingshan, Wulai and Alishan Forest Recreation Area.

Calla lily These beautiful long-stemmed white lilies bloom in large fields in Yangming-
shan in spring. There’s even a festival for them.

Plum blossom The national flower (at least for the Kuomintang) blooms in February in
orchards all over the island at midaltitudes. Intoxicating scent.

Butterfly ginger A hopeless romantic, the white flower of the native butterfly ginger
gives off its strongest scent at night. Blooms from spring to autumn all over the island.

Awn grass (silvergrass) A tall, swaying grass, with light, airy blooms. Its blooming sig-
nals the end of autumn in the north. The Caoling Historic Trail is one of the best places to
see entire hillsides covered in it.

Alpine flowers Taiwan has dozens of petite flowers that splash a bit of colour above the
treeline all summer long.

Wildlife Guide Animals362

Less accessible are forests of tall, straight Taiwan fir and juniper (a
treeline species). To see these you will need to put on your boots and
strap on a knapsack. You can see subalpine plants in the Hehuanshan
Forest Recreation Area, Snow Mountain, Tatajia and Wuling Pass.

Alpine (Subarctic Zone): 3500m

If you manage to climb your way to this elevation, you’ll be above the
treeline. The zone is divided into a lower scrub zone and an upper herb
zone where tiny patches of vegetation cling to the exposed rocks. It’s
a chilly place even in summer but the views are worth every effort to
get here. You can see alpine plants on the peaks of Snow Mountain and
Yushan National Park.

Animals

Mammals

There are about 70 species of mammals in Taiwan, and about 70% of
those are endemic. Once overhunted and threatened by development,
species like the Formosan macaque, wild boar, martin, civet, sambar

ON WINGS OF GOSSAMER: BUTTERFLY MIGRATION

Butterfly migration is fairly common the world over, but Taiwan’s purple crow migration
can hold its own. Each year in the autumn, as the weather cools, bands of shimmering
purples (four species of Euploea, also known as milkweed butterflies) leave their moun-
tain homes in north and central Taiwan and begin to gather in larger and larger bands
as they fly south. By November they have travelled several hundred kilometres, and in a
series of 12 to 15 warm, sheltered valleys in the Dawu Mountain Range, 10 to 15 million of
them settle in for the winter.

This mass overwintering is not common. In fact, Taiwan is one of only two places in
the world where it happens: the other is in the monarch butterfly valleys of Mexico. The
most famous overwintering site in Taiwan is in Maolin Recreation Area, but according to
experts this is actually the least populated valley. It simply had the advantage of being
the first to be discovered and written about.

The discovery happened in 1971 when an amateur entomologist was invited into Mao-
lin by local Rukai people. Though not aware of just how significant the find was, the ento-
mologist (and others) continued to study the valley. By the mid-1980s it was obvious that
a north–south migration route existed, though it wasn’t until 2005 that the 400km route
along the west could be roughly mapped out. Since then a second migration path along
the east coast and a connecting path joining the two have also been discovered.

The northern migration usually begins around March, and, astonishingly, it involves
many of the same individuals who flew down in the autumn (purples have been found to
live up to nine months). Some good places to spot the spring migration are Linnei, Dawu
(in Taitung County), Pingtung County Rd 199, Taichung’s Metropolitan Park, Baguashan
and coastal areas of Jhunan (Miaoli County) where the purples stop to breed. In May and
June, large numbers of purples appear to take a mysterious detour and are blown back
south over the high mountain pass at Tatajia.

If you’re curious as to just how the migration occurs in the first place, the answer is
relatively simple: seasonal winds. In the autumn they come strong out of Mongolia and
China, while in the spring they blow up from the Philippines. Without them the purples
would be unlikely to move such great distances and this would mean their death when
the temperatures drop during northern winters.

From spring until autumn, purple butterflies are easily spotted all over Taiwan. So give
a nod to these brave wayfarers when you encounter them in a park or mountain trail.
They may have come a long way.

For a mostly accurate look at the discovery of the western migratory route, check out
The Butterfly Code, a Discovery Channel DVD.

363

deer, and the delightful and diminutive barking deer (Reeves’ muntjac) Taiwan’s Wildlife Guide Animals
have made great comebacks and are relatively easy to spot in national Wildlife
parks and forest reserves. Sika deer, which once roamed the grasslands Highlights
of the west from Kenting to Yangmingshan, have been reintroduced to
Kenting National Park and are doing well. Head out at night in submon- Super-high rate of
tane forests with a high-powered torch (flashlight) if you want to catch species endemism
Taiwan’s flying squirrels in action.
Huge variety of
Though tropical at lower elevations, Taiwan lacks large species of flora and fauna
mammals such as elephant, rhino and tiger. Taiwan’s biggest cat, the within a small area
spotted cloud leopard, is almost certainly extinct, while the Formosan Easy access to wild
black bear is numbered at fewer than 1000. Your chances of seeing one
of these creatures are pretty slim. areas
Fascinating yearly
You can see mammals in Chihpen Forest Recreation Area, Jiaming migrations of birds
Lake National Trail, Kenting National Park, Nanao, Shei-pa National
Park and Yushan National Park. and butterflies

Birds

With its great range of habitats, Taiwan is an ideal place for birds, and
birdwatchers. Over 500 species have been recorded here: 150 are con-
sidered resident species, 69 are endemic subspecies and 15 are endemic
species (though some authorities say there are 24, or more). It’s an im-
pressive list and compares very well with larger countries in the region
such as Japan.

Bird conservation has been a great success over the past two decades,
and it’s therefore easy to spot endemics like the comical blue magpie,
or multicoloured Muller’s barbet, even in the hills surrounding Taipei.
For one of the world’s truly great shows, however, check out the raptor
migration over Kenting National Park. Once threatened by overhunting,
bird numbers have tripled in the past decade. Several years back, over
50,000 raptors passed over the park in a single day.

You can see birds in Aowanda Forest Recreation Area, Dasyueshan
Forest Recreation Area, Kenting National Park, Kinmen, Tatajia, Wulai
and Yangmingshan National Park.

Butterf lies For a closer look
at the variety of
In the 1950s and ’60s, Taiwan’s butterflies were netted and bagged for snakes in Taiwan,
export in the tens of millions (per year!). Remarkably, only three species check out Snakes
became extinct, though numbers plummeted for decades. These days top
butterfly areas are well protected, and these delightful creatures can be of Taiwan
seen everywhere year-round. (www.snakes
oftaiwan.com).
Taiwan has over 400 species of butterflies, of which about 60 are
endemic. Some standouts include the blue admirals, red-base Jezebels
and Magellan’s iridescent birdwing, which has one of the largest wing-
spans in the world. Prominent sites include Yangmingshan National
Park’s Datunshan, where chestnut tigers swarm in late spring; the over­
wintering purple butterfly valleys in the south; Fuyuan Forest Recrea-
tional Area; and the Yellow Butterfly Valley outside Meinong. You can
also see butterflies in Linnei, Maolin and Tatajia.

Other Wildlife

Taiwan has a host of reptiles including a wide variety of beautiful but
deadly snakes. Lizards, frogs and a long list of insects including stag
beetles, cicadas and stick insects can be found anywhere where there’s
a bit of undisturbed land.

Marine life (whales and dolphins, as well as corals and tropical fish) is
abundant on the offshore islands and the east coast where the rich Kuro-
shio Current passes. You can see corals in Little Liuchiu, Green Island,
Lanyu, Penghu and Kenting National Park. Many species of river fish are

364

Wildlife Guide Conservation THE NATIONAL BIODIVERSITY RESEARCH PROMOTION PROJECT

In 2009 a seven-year study by the Biodiversity Research Centre of Academia Sinica
reported that Taiwan had 50,164 native species in eight kingdoms, 55 phyla, 126 classes,
610 orders and 2900 families. To cut to the chase, this means that Taiwan, with only
0.025% of the world’s land mass, holds 2.5% of the world’s species. It’s a rate of ende-
mism 100 times the world average.

The study, the first since British diplomat and naturalist Robert Swinhoe completed
his own in the late 19th century, was a revelation – to put it mildly. Altogether, it was
found that 70% of Taiwan’s mammals, 17% of its birds, 26% of its plants and 60% of its
insects are endemic species.

What accounts for such a high rate of bio-density? It’s Taiwan’s long isolation from
the mainland, as well as a geographic environment that harbours a variety of ecosys-
tems in a small area. About the only ecosystem that Taiwan is missing, scholars have
noted, is a desert.

Taiwan has many also making a good comeback, though sports fishers are sadly too quick
relic species to catch (and not release) fry.
that survived
Conservation
the last ice age.
One of the more Today, conservation projects all over Taiwan are restoring mangroves
and wetlands, replanting forests and protecting the most vulnerable spe-
intriguing is cies. A 10-year moratorium on river fishing has succeeded in restocking
the Formosan streams, while a 2013 ban on the destructive practice of gill-net fishing
in Little Liuchiu should protect the corals and the 200 endangered green
landlocked sea-turtles inhabiting the coasts.
salmon, which
never leaves Further, hundreds of small community projects are bringing back bal-
the mountain ance to urban neighbourhoods; even in Taipei, the sound of songbirds
streams in which and the flittering of butterfly wings is common stuff. There are also vast
areas now inaccessible to the public because of the closing of old for-
it was born. estry roads (a deliberate policy). In 2012 Pingtung County Government
declared the section of coastline along Alangyi Old Trail to be a nature
reserve, and the construction of a controversial highway was halted – a
victory for the wildlife and ecosystem of the coast (there are 49 protected
species, including the endangered sea-turtles).

However, it’s not all good news. The oceans and rivers are still treated
as dumping grounds by industry and overdevelopment is rampant (con-
strained in many cases only by the extreme terrain).

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

Survival
Guide

DIRECTORY A–Z. . . . 366 Tourist
Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
Accommodation. . . . . . . . 366 Travellers with
Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367 Disabilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374
Children. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367 Visas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374
Convenience Stores. . . . . 367 Volunteering. . . . . . . . . . . . 374
Customs Work. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374
Regulations. . . . . . . . . . . . 367
Discount Cards. . . . . . . . . 368 TRANSPORT. . . . . . . 375
Electricity . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368
GLBTI Travellers. . . . . . . . 368 GETTING THERE
Health. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368 & AWAY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375
Insurance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370 Air. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375
Internet Access. . . . . . . . . 370 Sea. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375
Language Courses. . . . . . . 371 GETTING AROUND. . . . . . 376
Legal Matters . . . . . . . . . . . 371 Air. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
Maps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371 Bicycle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
Money. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372 Boat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
Opening Hours. . . . . . . . . . 372 Bus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
Photography. . . . . . . . . . . . 372 Car & Motorcycle. . . . . . . . 377
Post. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372 Hitching
Public Holidays. . . . . . . . . . 372 & Ride-Sharing. . . . . . . . . 378
Safe Travel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373 Local Transport. . . . . . . . . 378
Telephone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373 Train. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
Time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
Toilets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373 LANGUAGE . . . . . . . . 380

Glossary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385

366

Directory A–Z

Accommodation and offer good accommo- Basic dorm beds start at
dation at a fair price. In fact, NT$400 and vary widely in
Taiwan provides the full many are far superior to quality, from clean berths
range of lodgings, from hotels and often offer locally with curtains and private
basic hostels to world-class cooked meals. lockers to stuffy rooms
resorts, though it’s at the with no windows and half a
midrange level, especially at Signs for homestays are dozen people stacked in like
homestays, that you will get everywhere (look for the sardines.
the best value for money. You characters 民宿) and you can
would be wise to book well usually just drop in without Private rooms, when avail-
in advance during summer, reservations on weekdays able, tend to be on the small
Chinese New Year and other (when rates are often sub- side and start at NT$800.
national holidays. stantially discounted). You can often arrange weekly
¨¨Homestays Family-run or monthly rates.
places that often offer a Booking Services
simple breakfast with the Taiwanese hostels
room. You can reserve by phone or affiliated with Hostelling
¨¨Hotels Run the full gamut internet (which often gives International (www.yh.org.
from world-class international better rates) but unless you tw/en) offer discounts for
names to budget with go through a booking site cardholders.
threadbare carpets. you will likely need to use
¨¨Hostels Focus on Chinese. When reserving Almost all genuine hostels
dorm rooms; pricier than homestays you may be are technically illegal, though
Southeast Asia. asked to wire a deposit. there is nothing dodgy about
them (it’s just bizarre reg-
B&Bs & Homestays Camping ulations, such as the need
to have a parking lot, that
There has been an explo- Camping is generally safe prevent them from getting
sion in new mínsù (民宿; and inexpensive, and hot licences).
homestays) in the past few showers (may be limited to
years, and most are well run the evenings) and toilets are Hostels generally have a
standard. It is best to bring laundry, simple cooking facil-
SLEEPING PRICE a freestanding tent, as many ities, computers, wi-fi and a
RANGES sites have raised wooden small kitchen or lounge.
platforms.
The following price Hotels
ranges refer to a double Along the east coast you
room with bathroom. can set up a tent on pretty Budget hotels in the NT$800
$ less than NT$1600 much any beach, but it can to NT$1200 range give you
$$ NT$1600–4000 get very hot if you aren’t bare bones accommodation
$$$ over NT$4000 under the shade. Public with cheap furniture, a pri-
campgrounds tend to have vate bathroom and a TV. No
the best facilities. English will be spoken.

Hostels In the midrange (NT$1600
to NT$4000) you’re likely
Taiwan doesn’t have the to find a fancy lobby, one or
same kind of budget accom- more restaurants on-site,
modation as many other wi-fi, plasma TVs, and these
countries in Asia (although days a laundry room with
it is still cheaper than Japan free DIY washer and dryer
and Singapore). (this service is an island-wide
trend).

367

TYPES OF ROOMS ¨¨You’re not likely to find Directory A–Z Activities
high chairs or booster
¨¨What is called a ‘single’ room in other countries (one seats for kids at lower-end
single bed) is rare; a ‘single’ in Taiwanese hotel lingo restaurants, but they are
usually means a room with one double-sized bed, more common at more
suitable for a couple. expensive places. Upper-end
restaurants may have set
¨¨‘Double’ generally means a double bed but could also menus for families or kids.
mean a twin (for example, two beds per room). ¨¨You can generally find
Western baby formula and
¨¨In general use the term dān rén fáng (單人房) to mean baby foods at supermarkets.
a room for one. ¨¨The Community Services
Centre in Taipei has lots
¨¨Use shuāng rén fáng (雙人房) to mean a double or twin. of information for families
¨¨Emphasise yī dàchuáng (一大床) to mean one large relocating to Taiwan.
bed for two; liǎng chuáng (两床) to mean two beds. ¨¨Lonely Planet’s Travel with
Children prepares you for the
¨¨A suite is generally called a tàofáng (套房; a room with joys and pitfalls of travelling
a separate living area). with the little ones.

The big cities abound with appropriate. Foguangshan Convenience
international-standard, top- (Light of Buddha Mountain; 佛 Stores
end hotels. Typical amenities 光山; Fóguāngshān; www.fgs.
include business centres, org.tw) near Kaohsiung offers Convenience stores in Taiwan
English-speaking staff, con- accommodation as part of a deserve their name: they are
cierge services, and a spa, a Buddhist retreat. ubiquitous, open 24 hours,
fitness centre and a swim- and handy for daily food
ming pool. Activities items, fruit and drinks (es-
pecially cheap fresh coffee).
Rental Taiwan is a wild adventure of Services include bill payment
Accommodation mountains, forests and riv- (such as phone, gas, electrici-
ers. There’s excellent hiking ty), fax, copy and printing ser-
If you’re looking for some- and white-water rafting in the vices (take along your USB),
where more permanent, the many and marvellous nation- ticket purchases (local flights,
go-to website is www.591.com. al parks, world-class surfing High Speed Rail, concerts)
tw (Chinese only). Other web- in Taitung, windsurfing off and many also have toilets.
sites in English with rentals are Penghu Islands, cycling 7-Elevens also offer cheap
TEALIT (www.tealit.com) and trails that circle the entire shipping of goods across
Facebook (search for the city country and a scattering of Taiwan to other outlets, and
and the words ‘rentals’,‘flats’ hot springs to soothe tired many online purchases can
or ‘apartments’). bodies at the end of it all. be paid for and picked up at a
branch. Most stores also have
Taiwanese apartments Children ATMs that accept interna-
can be depressingly dark (no tional bankcards. What else
windows or opaque glass), The Taiwanese are very wel- do you need?
with damp bathrooms and coming, and doubly so when
tiny rooms. Area is measured it comes to children. However, Customs
in píng (坪), which is about they are very conscious about Regulations
3.3 sq metres. disturbing other p­ eople and
so young children are gen- Up to US$10,000 in foreign
Basic studio apartments erally taught to be quiet and currency (and NT$100,000)
(with no kitchen) in Taipei well-behaved in public. may be brought into the
cost around NT$8000 to
NT$15,000 per month de- BOOK YOUR STAY ONLINE
pending on location. Small
three-bedroom apartments For more accommodation reviews by Lonely Planet
start at NT$20,000 – in good authors, check out http://lonelyplanet.com/hotels/.
downtown neighbourhoods, You’ll find independent reviews, as well as recommen-
rent is about double this. dations on the best places to stay. Best of all, you can
book online.
Temple
& Church Stays

Many cyclists stay at small
temples and Catholic
churches, though you’ll need
to speak Chinese if you want
to do this. A small donation is

D i rec to ry A–Z D i s c o u n t Ca r d s368 Electricity GLBTI Travellers
country but there is a limit
on goods (clothes, furniture, Taiwan has the same elec- Taiwan’s official stance to-
dried goods) brought in from trical standard as the US wards gays and lesbians is
China. Drug trafficking is and Canada: 110V, 60Hz AC. among the most progressive
punishable by death. Electrical sockets have two in Asia. There is no sodomy
Passengers who are 20 vertical slots. If you bring law to penalise homosexuali-
years and older can import appliances from Europe, ty and the Chinese-s­ peaking-
the following duty free: Australia or Southeast Asia, world’s best GLBT Pride
¨¨200 cigarettes, 25 cigars you’ll need an adaptor or Parade (台灣同志遊行; Táiwān
or 450g of tobacco transformer. Tóngzhì Yóuxíng; www.twpride.
¨¨one bottle of liquor (up org; hlast Sat in Oct) F
to 1L) has been held in Taipei every
¨¨goods valued at up to year since 1997.
NT$20,000 (not including
personal effects) Proposals to legalise gay
marriage in a draft amend-
Discount Cards 110V/60Hz ment were first tabled in
2003 and although it did not
¨¨Student discounts become law, the election of
are available for buses, the more liberal-minded DPP
museums, parks, and movie into government in January
and theatre tickets. Student 2016 may help to make gay
cards issued in Taiwan are marriage a reality. A 2015
always accepted, while opinion poll showed that 71%
foreign-issued cards work in of respondents supported
some places. gay marriage. Opposition
¨¨Children’s discounts are to gay rights usually comes
available and based on from the older sectors of
height (rules vary from 90cm society or conservative reli-
to 150cm) or age (usually gious groups.
under 12). Foreign children
are usually eligible for this Taipei is an open, vibrant
discount. city for gay and lesbian vis-
¨¨Seniors 65 years and itors, and has gained a rep-
older are usually given the utation as the place for gay
same discounts as children. nightlife in Asia. Other cities
Seniors over 70 often get in Taiwan offer far less lively
in free. Foreign seniors options.
are usually eligible for this
discount. Useful resources include
Utopia (www.utopia-asia.
com/tipstaiw.htm), Taiwan
LGBT Hotline Association
(http://hotline.org.tw/eng
lish) and Taiwan LGBT Pride
(http://twpride.org).

EATING PRICE 110V/60Hz Health
RANGES
Before You Go
The following food price
ranges generally refer to HEALTH INSURANCE
the cost of a meal rather Some insurance policies pay
than a single dish (un- doctors or hospitals directly
less a single dish is what rather than you having to pay
is usually ordered, such on the spot and claim later. If
as beef noodles). you have to claim later, make
sure you keep all documenta-
$ less than NT$200 tion. You may be asked to call
(reverse charges) a centre
$$ NT$200–500 in your home country where
an immediate assessment of
$$$ more than NT$500 your problem is made. Check
whether the policy covers
ambulances or an emergency
flight home.

369D i rec to ry A–Z H e alt h

EMBASSIES & CONSULATES

Only a handful of countries and the Holy See have full diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
It’s likely that your country is represented not by an embassy but by a trade office or
cultural institute. These serve the same functions as embassies or consulates would
elsewhere: services to their own nationals, visa processing, trade promotion and cultural
programs. The following are all located in Taipei.
American Institute in Taiwan (Map p74; www.ait.org.tw; 7, Lane 134, Xinyi Rd, Sec 3; 信義路
三段134巷7號; mDa’an Park)
Australian Office (Map p78; %02-8725 4100; www.australia.org.tw; The President Interna-
tional Tower, 27th & 28th fl, 9-11 Songgao Rd; 松高路9號27-28樓; mTaipei City Hall)
British Trade & Cultural Office (Map p78; %02-8758 2088; www.gov.uk/government/
world/organisations/british-office-taipei; The President International Tower, 26th fl, 9-11 Songgao
Rd; 松高路9-11號26樓; h9am-12.30pm & 1-5pm Mon-Fri; mTaipei City Hall)
Canadian Trade Office in Taipei (Map p78; www.canada.org.tw; Hua-Hsin Bldg, 6th fl, 1
Songzhi Rd; 松智路1號6樓; h9am-11.30am Mon-Fri; mTaipei City Hall)
French Institute in Taipei (Institut Français de Taipei; Map p74; www.france-taipei.org; 10th fl,
205 Dunhua N Rd; 敦化南路205號10樓; mSongshan Airport)
German Trade Office Taipei (Map p78; www.taiwan.ahk.de; 19th fl, 333, Keelung Rd, Sec 1;
基隆路1段333號19樓之9; h9am-noon & 1-6pm Mon-Fri; mTaipei 101)
Interchange Association (Japan) (Map p74; www.koryu.or.jp; 28 Qingcheng St; 慶城街28
號; mNanjing Fuxing)
Korean Mission in Taipei (Map p78; taiwan.mofat.go.kr; room 1506, 15th fl, 333 Keelung Rd,
Sec 1; 基隆路一段333號1506室; h9am-noon & 2-4pm Mon-Fri; mTaipei 101)
Liaison Office of South Africa (Map p74; www.southafrica.org.tw; Suite 1301, 13th fl, 205
Dunhua N Rd; 敦化北路205號13樓; mSongshan Airport)
Netherlands Trade & Investment Office (Map p78; www.ntio.org.tw; 13 fl, 1 Songgao Rd;
松高路1號13樓; h9am-11am Mon-Fri; mTaipei City Hall)
New Zealand Commerce & Industry Office (Map p78; www.nzcio.com; 9th fl, 1 Songzhi
Rd; 松智路1號9樓; h9am-12.30pm & 1.30-5.30pm Mon-Fri; mTaipei City Hall)
Thailand Trade & Economic Office (Map p70; www.tteo.org.tw; 12th fl, 168 Songjiang Rd;
松江路168號12樓; h9am-noon & 2-5pm Mon-Fri; mSongjiang-Nanjing)

MEDICATIONS RECOMMENDED Lonely Planet (www.lonely
In Taiwan it may be difficult VACCINATIONS planet.com) A good place to visit
to find some newer drugs, Check MD Travel Health for starters.
particularly the latest anti­ (www.mdtravelhealth. MD Travel Health (www.mdtravel
depressant drugs, blood-­ com) and with your local health.com) Provides complete
pressure medications and travel-health clinic about travel-health recommendations
contraceptive pills. If you recommended vaccinations for every country including
take any regular medication, for travellers to Taiwan. Taiwan. Revised daily.
bring enough with you.
Shots for hepatitis A and B In Taiwan
REQUIRED VACCINATIONS are recommended.
Proof of Yellow Fever vacci- AVAILABILITY &
nation is required if entering RESOURCES COST OF HEALTHCARE
Taiwan within six days of Centers for Disease Control Taiwan is a developed coun-
visiting an infected country. ROC (www.cdc.gov.tw) Latest try with excellent universal
If you are travelling to Tai- news on diseases in Taiwan. medical coverage. Many
wan from Africa or South doctors are trained in West-
America, check with a travel-­ Centers for Disease Control & ern countries and speak at
medicine clinic whether you Prevention (www.cdc.gov) Good least some English.
need the vaccine. general information.
To see a doctor costs
around NT$400; medicines

370

Directory A–Z Insurance TAP WATER etc). Treatment modali-
ties include acupuncture,
¨¨Drinkable in Taipei without treatment but still best to massage, herbs, dietary
boil or filter. modification and qijong (the
skill of attracting positive
¨¨Filtered hot and cold water from dispensers is energy), and aim to bring
available in every hotel, guesthouse and visitor these elements back into
information centre so it’s handy to bring your own bottle. balance. These therapies
are particularly useful for
¨¨Ice is usually fine at restaurants. Shaved ice (with treating chronic diseases and
fruit) is usually fine but take a look at the conditions in are gaining interest and re-
the shop. spect in the Western medical
system. Conditions that can
and tests such as X-rays are severe headache and body ache be particularly suitable for
much cheaper than private (previously dengue was known traditional methods include
healthcare in the West. as ‘breakbone fever’). chronic fatigue, arthritis,
Japanese B encephalitis irritable bowel syndrome
Most hospitals have a vol- Potentially fatal viral disease and some chronic skin
unteer desk to help foreign- transmitted by mosquitoes, but c­ onditions.
ers fill in the forms needed to rare in travellers. Transmission
see a doctor. season runs June to October. Be aware that ‘natural’
Vaccination is recommended for doesn’t always mean ‘safe’,
Taipei has the best med- travellers spending more than and there can be drug in-
ical care, but most major one month outside of cities. teractions between herbal
cities will have a decent Rabies Taiwan had its first rabies medicines and Western
hospital. outbreak in 60 years in 2013. medicines. If you are using
However, it’s very rare, and so both systems, inform both
ENVIRONMENTAL far only found in ferret-badgers practitioners what the other
HAZARDS and bats. has prescribed.
Air pollution Air pollution,
particularly vehicle pollution, WOMEN’S HEALTH Insurance
is a problem in all urban areas, Supplies of sanitary products
including many smaller cities. (including tampons) can be A travel-insurance policy to
Avoid downtown during busy found in big supermarkets, cover theft, loss and medical
hours. A lot of Taiwan’s air pol- drugstore chains such as problems is a good idea.
lution blows over from mainland Watson’s and Cosmed, and There are a wide variety of
China. convenience stores. policies available, so check
Insect bites & stings Insects the small print.
are not a major issue in Tai- Birth-control options may
wan, though there are some be limited so bring supplies Some policies specifically
insect-borne diseases such as of your own contraception. exclude ‘dangerous activities’,
scrub typhus and dengue fever. which can include scuba div-
Ticks Ticks can be contracted TRADITIONAL & FOLK ing, motorcycling and even
from walking in rural areas, and MEDICINE trekking. A locally acquired
are commonly found behind the Traditional Chinese Medicine motorcycle licence is not
ears, on the belly and in armpits. (TCM) remains very popular valid under some policies.
If you have had a tick bite and in Taiwan. TCM views the
experience symptoms such as human body as an energy Worldwide travel insur-
a rash at the site of the bite or system in which the basic ance is available at www.
elsewhere, or fever or muscle substances of chi (qì; vital lonelyplanet.com/travel
aches, see a doctor. energy), jing (essence), -insurance. You can buy,
blood (the body’s nourishing extend and claim online any-
INFECTIOUS DISEASES fluids) and body fluids (other time – even if you’re already
Dengue fever This mosquito-­ organic fluids) function. The on the road.
borne disease causes sporadic concept of Yin and Yang is
problems in Taiwan in both fundamental to the system. Internet Access
cities and rural areas. It is Disharmony between Yin and
more prevalent in the south, Yang or within the basic sub- ¨¨Taiwan is internet-savvy.
particularly Tainan and Kao­ stances may be a result of In urban areas free wi-fi is
hsiung. Prevention is by avoiding internal causes (emotions), widely accessible in hotels,
mosquito bites – there is no external causes (climatic hostels, homestays, cafes,
vaccine. Mosquitoes that carry conditions) or miscellaneous restaurants and some
dengue bite day and night. causes (work, exercise, sex shopping malls.
Symptoms include high fever, ¨¨The government’s free wi-
fi, iTaiwan (https://itaiwan.
gov.tw/en/), has hotspots

371

at Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) mGuting) at National Taiwan ney (your legation can pro- D i rec to ry A–Z L ang u ag e C o u rs e s
stations, government Normal University. Both vide a list of English-speaking
buildings and major tourist universities are in Taipei but attorneys), although author-
sites. Sign up at any one of there are programs around ities are under no obligation
the tourism bureau’s Travel the country. to provide an attorney. You
Information Service Centres. also have the right to refuse
Once you are registered A decent private school if to sign any document. In
you can also use hotspots you are looking for a less rig- most cases, a suspect can’t
offered by TPE-Free, New orous program is the Taipei be detained for more than 24
Taipei, Tainan-Wifi and TT- Language Institute (Map hours without a warrant from
Free (in Taitung). p66; %02-2367 8228; www.tli. a judge – notable exceptions
¨¨The best option for com.tw; 4th fl, 50 Roosevelt Rd, are those with visa violations.
continuous internet access Sec 3; 羅斯福路三段50號4樓;
is to buy a SIM card from any mTaipower Building).
one of the major telecom
providers. A basic package Legal Matters Maps
offering 1.2GB with some
call time will cost around Smuggling drugs carries the In most places in Taiwan your
NT$500. death penalty; possession is Lonely Planet guidebook
¨¨You can find computers also an arrestable offence. map will be sufficient. Full
with internet access If caught working illegally, city and county maps are
at libraries and visitor you’ll get a fine, your visa will available at tourist offices
information centres. be cancelled and you’ll be and are useful as they often
issued an order to leave the list additional places. For
Language Courses country. You may not ever be driving, the four-part collec-
allowed back. tion of bilingual maps called
Taiwan is a fantastic place to Taiwan Tourist Map is usually
learn Chinese, and there are Oddly, adultery is also a sufficient. Pick it up at any
many universities and private crime. visitor information centre.
schools that offer courses. Otherwise, the best road
Most offer classes for two to If you’re detained or map (in Chinese) is the two-­
four hours a day, five days a arrested, contact your coun- volume Formosa Complete
week, as well as private class- try’s legation in Taiwan or the Road Atlas by Sunriver Press.
es for as many hours as you Legal Aid Foundation (www. A compass can be useful if
like. Costs vary from NT$500 laf.org.tw/en/index.php). You you’re going to be travelling
to NT$700 for a private have the right to remain si- on country roads.
one-hour class and around lent and to request an attor-
US$4000 per semester at a
top university program. PRACTICALITIES

Study in Taiwan (www. Newspapers & Magazines, Radio & TV Taipei Times
studyintaiwan.org) is an (www.taipeitimes.com) and the China Post (www.
excellent resource for finding chinapost.com.tw) are available at most convenience
schools and how to apply for stores. International news magazines and newspapers
a scholarship and study visa. are stocked at five-star hotels, larger bookstores and
The Ministry of Education libraries. Radio Taiwan’s only English-language radio
(http://english.moe.gov.tw/) station, International Community Radio Taipei (ICRT,
is another good site to get http://www.icrt.com.tw), broadcasts in English 24 hours
up-to-date information. a day at 100MHz (FM). Cable TV is offered in almost all
hotels and homestays. Buddhist groups also have their
Some of the better-known own channels, as do the Hakka and Taiwan’s indigenous
programs include the In- groups.
ternational Chinese Lan-
guage Program (National Smoking Smoking is not allowed in public facilities, pub-
Taiwan University; %02-2362 lic transport, shopping malls, restaurants or hotels and
6926; iclp.ntu.edu.tw; 4th fl, this is strictly enforced. Even some parks are marked
170 Xinhai Rd, Sec 2; 辛亥路二 smoke-free. Smoking on the street is common.
段170號四樓; mGongguan) at
National Taiwan University Weights & Measures Taiwan uses the metric system
and the Mandarin Training alongside ancient Chinese weights and measures. Fruit
Centre (National Taiwan Nor- and vegetables are likely to be sold by the catty (jīn,
mal University; Map p66; %02- 600g), teas and herbal medicines are sold by the tael
7734 5130; www.mtc.ntnu.edu. (liǎng, 37.5g), and apartment floor space is measured by
tw/mtcweb; 129 Heping East píng (approximately 3.3 sq metres)
Rd, Sec 1; 和平東路一段129號;

Directory A–Z Money372 many will only change US Opening Hours
dollars. The best options for
Money other currencies are Mega The usual day of rest for
Bank and the Bank of Taiwan many restaurants, cafes and
ATMs are widely available or money changers at the museums is Monday.
(except in villages), while airport. Banks 9am to 3.30pm Monday
credit cards are accepted to Friday
at most midrange and top- Hotels and some larger Cafes Noon to 8pm
end hotels and at top-end shopping malls may also Convenience stores Open 24
r­ estaurants. change currency, but the hours
rates are not as competitive. Department stores 11am to
ATMs 9.30pm
Apart from at the airport Government offices 8.30am to
ATMs are widely available there are few private money 5.30pm Monday to Friday
at banks and convenience changers in Taiwan. Museums 9am to 5pm Tuesday
stores. 7-Elevens are on to Sunday
the Plus or Cirrus network Taxes & Refunds Night markets 6pm to midnight
and have English-language Offices 9am to 5pm Monday
options. ATMs at banks are Prices in Taiwan include 5% to Friday
also on the Plus and Cirrus value-added tax (VAT). For- Post offices 8am to 5pm
networks, and are sometimes eigners can claim back the Monday to Friday
on Accel, Interlink and Star VAT paid on any item costing Restaurants 11.30am to 2pm
networks. There may be lim- NT$3000 and over and and 5pm to 9pm
its on the amount of cash you bought from a Tax Refund Shops 10am to 9pm
can withdraw per transaction Shopping (TRS) store (www. Supermarkets To at least 8pm,
or per day (often NT$20,000 avi.com.tw/Tax_Refund/ sometimes 24 hours
or NT$30,000). Tax_Refund.htm).
Photography
Credit & Debit Cards CLAIMING TAX REFUNDS
You can claim the refund In general people in Taiwan
Credit cards are widely from Foreign Passenger VAT are fine with you photograph-
accepted – cheap budget Refund Service Counters at ing them.
hotels, however, won’t take any of Taiwan’s international
them. If rooms cost more airports or seaports provided On Kinmen and Matsu
than NT$1000 a night, the 30 days have not elapsed Islands don’t photograph
hotel usually accepts credit since you bought the item. military sites. On Lanyu and
cards but many homestays You will need to submit an when attending indigenous
do not accept them. Small application form, the original festivals, it is polite to ask
stalls or night-market food receipt, your passport and before taking pictures.
joints never take credit cards. show that you are taking
Most midrange and top-end the item with you out of the For photography tips
restaurants do, but always country. They will issue you check out Lonely Planet’s
check before you decide with a certificate which you Travel Photography.
to eat. can present to a bank to
claim the refund. Post
Currency
Travellers Cheques Taiwan’s postal service,
New Taiwanese dollar (NT$). Chunghwa Post (www.post.
Not widely accepted. It gov.tw), is fast, efficient and
Money Changers is best if your travellers inexpensive. A postcard to
cheques are in US dollars. the UK, for example, costs
The best rates are given NT$12 and takes about a
by banks. Note that not all week to arrive.
banks will change money and
Public Holidays
TIPPING
Founding Day/New Year’s Day
Tipping is not customary in restaurants or taxis (but is 1 January
still appreciated).

Hotels It is usual to tip the porter at better hotels
(NT$100 is considered courteous).

Tour guides A 10% addition to the fee if you are happy
with the service is common.

Restaurants & bars The 10% to 15% service charge
added to bills at many establishments is not a tip that is
shared with the staff.

373

Chinese Lunar New Year terminals and top up at tele- stalls with Western-style sit- D i rec to ry A–Z Saf e T r av e l
January or February, usually four com outlets or convenience down toilets. They often also
to nine days stores. have toilet paper.
Peace Memorial Day/ ¨¨Restaurants and cafes
2-28 Day 28 February Sim Cards & usually have their own
Tomb Sweeping Day 5 April Operators bathroom facilities, and
Labour Day 1 May Western-style toilets are
Dragon Boat Festival 5th day ¨¨The main mobile operators standard in apartments and
of the 5th lunar month; usually are Chunghwa (www. hotels.
in June cht.com.tw/en/), Taiwan ¨¨It is handy to remember
Mid-Autumn Festival 5th day Mobile (http://english. the characters for men (男;
of the 8th lunar month; usually taiwanmobile.com/) and nán) and women (女; nǚ).
September Far EasTone (http://www. ¨¨Many places ask you not to
National Day 10 October fetnet.net/cs/Satellite/ flush toilet paper but to put
eCorporate/ecoHome). it in the wastebasket beside
Safe Travel ¨¨Both Chunghwa and Far the toilet.
EasTone require foreigners
¨¨Taiwan is affected by to have two forms of photo ID Tourist
frequent natural disasters, in order to register for a SIM Information
including earthquakes, card, so you will also need a
typhoons, floods and driver’s licence or an ID card Visitor information centres
landslides. Stay indoors as well as your passport. If are present in most city
during typhoons and avoid you only have a passport, train stations, High Speed
mountainous areas after buy your SIM from Taiwan Rail (HSR) stations, popular
earthquakes, typhoons or Mobile. scenic areas and airports.
heavy rains. ¨¨Costs vary slightly They stock English- and
¨¨Urban streets are between operators but Japanese-language bro-
very safe, for both men expect to pay around chures, maps, and train and
and women, and while NT$300 for a new SIM with bus schedules, and usu-
pickpocketing occasionally about NT$100 worth of ally staff can speak some
happens, muggings call time and 1.2GB of data. ­English.
or violent assaults are Calls to a user on the same Welcome to Taiwan (http://eng.
uncommon. If you forget a network cost between NT$3 taiwan.net.tw/) The official site
bag somewhere, chances are and NT$6 a minute, while of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau;
good it will still be there when calls to users under another the Tourist Hotline (0800-011
you go back. network cost between NT$7 765) is a useful 24-hour ser-
and NT$10 per minute. vice in English, Japanese and
Telephone Chinese.
Time Alishan National Scenic Area
The country code for Taiwan (www.ali-nsa.net)
is 886. Taiwan’s telephone Taiwan is eight hours ahead East Coast National Scenic
carrier for domestic and of GMT and on the same time Area (www.eastcoast-nsa.
international calls is Chungh- zone as Beijing and Hong gov.tw)
wa Telecom (www.cht.com. Kong. When it is noon in Tai- East Rift Valley National
tw/en/). wan, it is 2pm in Sydney, 4am Scenic Area (www.erv-nsa.
in London, 11pm the previous gov.tw)
Area Codes day in New York and 8pm the Maolin National Scenic Area
previous day in Los Angeles. (www.maolin-nsa.gov.tw/User/
Do not dial the area code A 24-hour clock is used for main.aspx?Lang=2)
when calling within that area train schedules. Matsu National Scenic Area
code. (www.matsu-nsa.gov.tw/)
Toilets North Coast & Guanyinshan
The number of digits in National Scenic Area (www.
telephone numbers varies ¨¨Taiwan is fantastic for northguan-nsa.gov.tw)
with the locality, from eight toilets. Free and usually Northeast & Yilan Coast
in Taipei to five in the remote spotlessly clean facilities are National Scenic Area (www.
Matsu Islands. available in parks, transport necoast-nsa.gov.tw)
stations, shopping malls, Penghu National Scenic Area
Mobile Phones public offices, museums, (www.penghu-nsa.gov.tw)
temples and rest areas.
Most foreign mobile phones ¨¨While most public toilets
can use local SIM cards with are the squat style, there are
prepaid plans, which you can usually at least one or two
purchase at airport arrival

374 D i rec to ry A–Z T r av e ll e r s w i t h D i s ab i l i t i e s Visitor, Work through WWOOF (www.
Sun Moon Lake National & Other Visas wwooftaiwan.com).
Scenic Area (www.sunmoonlake.
gov.tw) Those coming to Taiwan to Work
Tri-Mountain National Scenic study, work or visit relatives
Area (www.trimt-nsa.gov.tw) for an extended period of To work legally in Taiwan you
time should apply at an over- generally need to enter on a
Travellers with seas mission of the Republic visitor visa, have your com-
Disabilities of China (ROC) for a visitor pany apply for a work permit,
visa, which is good for 60 to apply for a resident visa after
While seats and parking for 90 days. you receive your work permit,
people with disabilities are and apply for an ARC after
respected, in general Taiwan If you’re planning to stay receiving your resident visa.
is not a very disabled-friendly longer than six months, the
environment. Street foot- law requires you to have an Visitor visas are issued at
paths are uneven, kerbs are Alien Resident Certificate any overseas Taiwan trade
steep, and public transport, (ARC). See the Bureau of office or foreign mission,
other than the MRT and HSR, Consular Affairs (www.boca. although it will be easier to
is not equipped with wheel- gov.tw) website for more apply in your home country
chair access. Taipei and other information. since you often need to pro-
cities are slowly modernising vide notified documentation.
facilities. Visa Extensions
Once in Taiwan, you apply
Taiwan Access for All ¨¨Applications to extend for a resident visa from the
Association (https:// visas should be made Bureau of Consular Affairs
twaccess4all.wordpress. at the nearest National (www.boca.gov.tw). The ARC
com/) provides advice and Immigration Agency Office is issued by the National
assistance for travellers with (www.immigration.gov.tw/). Immigration Agency (www.
disabilities. ¨¨Only citizens of the UK immigration.gov.tw). For
and Canada are currently short-term employment
Download Lonely Planet’s permitted to extend landing rules see the BOCA website
free Accessible Travel guide visas. They may extend their or visit your local Taiwan
from http://lptravel.to/ stay by another 90 days; the trade office or overseas
AccessibleTravel. application must be made 30 mission.
days before the current visa
Visas expires. Job listings can be found
at Forumosa’s (http://forum
Tourists from most European Volunteering osa.com/taiwan/) work
countries, Canada, the US, classifieds and TEALIT (www.
Australia (until December Animal help groups often hire tealit.com).
2017; see Taiwan’s Ministry volunteers to work at shel-
of Foreign Affairs website ters, walk dogs, participate Teaching English is not
for updates), New Zealand, in fundraisers and also foster what it once was and there
South Korea and Japan are dogs and cats (something are fewer openings. Salaries
given visa-free entry for stays you can do even if you are have not risen in 15 years.
of up to 90 days. in Taiwan for a short time). The most popular website
Contact Taiwan SPCA (台 for teaching and tutoring
灣防止虐待動物協會; www. jobs are TEALIT and Dave’s
spca.org.tw). You can also ESL Cafe (www.eslcafe.com).
volunteer at an organic farm Note that it’s illegal to teach
English at kindergartens.

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 375

Transport

GETTING Hualien, and to Japan (Okinawa), China Airlines (www.china
THERE & AWAY Korea (Incheon), China, Hong -airlines.com) was some-
Kong, Macau and Vietnam. what infamous for a number
As an island, the most com- Tainan Airport (www.tna.gov. of crashes in the 1990s and
mon way to enter Taiwan is tw/tw) A small civil and military early 2000s. Over the past
by flight, arriving at Taiwan airport that has several flights a decade or so, the airline
Taoyuan International week to Hong Kong, Japan and has improved by bringing
Airport (%03-273 3728; www. mainland China. in new training and safety
taoyuan-airport.com), just Siaogang Airport (www.kia. standards.
outside Taipei. gov.tw) In Kaohsiung, Siaogang
Airport has domestic flights to Departure Tax
Flights, cars and tours can Hualien and the outer islands,
be booked online at lonely as well as direct flights to China, Departure tax is included in
planet.com/bookings. Hong Kong, Thailand and other the price of tickets.
Asian destinations.
Air Taipei Songshan Airport (www. Sea
tsa.gov.tw) Located in Taipei
Airports & Airlines county, this airport handles do- There are daily ferries from/
mestic flights to Hualien, Taitung to Xiamen (Fujian province,
Taiwan Taoyuan International and the outer islands; interna- China) and Kinmen Island,
Airport (%03-273 3728; www. tionally it has direct flights to as well as Matsu Island and
taoyuan-airport.com) The China, Japan and Korea. Fuzhou (Fujian province,
main international airport is in China). There are also weekly
Taoyuan, 40km (45 minutes’ NATIONAL AIRLINES fast ferries with Cosco Tai-
drive) west of central Taipei. For- Taiwan has two major in- wan (www.coscotw.com.tw)
merly known as Chiang Kai-shek ternational airlines. Eva Air from Taichung, Keelung and
International Airport. (www.evaair.com) started Kaohsiung to Xiamen.
Taichung Airport (www.tca.gov. operation in 1991 and has
tw) In Taichung, for domestic had no fatalities to date. If travelling from Taiwan
flights to the outer islands and to China, you must have
a Chinese visa in your
­passport.

CLIMATE CHANGE & TRAVEL

Every form of transport that relies on carbon-based fuel generates CO2, the main cause
of human-induced climate change. Modern travel is dependent on aeroplanes, which
might use less fuel per kilometre per person than most cars but travel much greater
distances. The altitude at which aircraft emit gases (including CO2) and particles also
contributes to their climate change impact. Many websites offer ‘carbon calculators’
that allow people to estimate the carbon emissions generated by their journey and, for
those who wish to do so, to offset the impact of the greenhouse gases emitted with con-
tributions to portfolios of climate-friendly initiatives throughout the world. Lonely Planet
offsets the carbon footprint of all staff and author travel.

376

AIRLINES IN TAIWAN
The excellent train network renders domestic air travel, except to the outer islands, a bit point-
less. Domestic flights from Taipei leave from Songshan Airport and not Taoyuan. Flights to
outlying islands are often cancelled because of bad weather, especially on the east.

Transport Air AIRLINE WEBSITE PHONE DESTINATIONS
www.dailyair.com.tw %07-801 4711
Daily Air Kaohsiung to Penghu; Taitung to Green
Corporation www.fat.com.tw %02-8770 7999 Island and Lanyu

Far Eastern Air www.mandarin %02-412 8008 Flights between Taipei, Kaohsiung,
Transport (FAT) -airlines.com Penghu, Taichong and Kinmen

Mandarin Airlines Taipei to Kinmen, Penghu and Taitung;
Kaohsiung to Hualien; Taichung to
TransAsia Airways www.tna.com.tw/en/ %02-4128 133 Kinmen and Penghu

Uni Air www.uniair.com.tw %02-2508 6999 Taipei to Hualien, Penghu and Kinmen;
Kaohsiung to Penghu and Kinmen; and
Taichung to Hualien

Flies to Chiayi, Kaohsiung, Kinmen,
Penghu, Matsu, Taichung, Tainan, Taipei,
Taitung, Green Island and Lanyu

GETTING a river in Taipei because of Island year-round. Sailings
AROUND pilot error, killing 43 people. to Green Island, Lanyu and
Matsu are subject to weather
Cities and most tourist sites Bicycle conditions, however. Expect
in Taiwan are connected by cancellations in bad weather
efficient and cheap trans- Long-distance and recrea- and winter schedules to
port. Because of the central tional cycling has taken off change frequently.
spine of mountains down the in Taiwan and quite a lot of
island, there are far fewer op- routes, especially in scenic Bus
tions to go across the island, tourist areas, have desig-
than up or down. nated cycle lanes. The east Buses are reliable, cheap
Train Fast, reliable and cheap, coast is especially popular and comfortable. Some
Taiwan has both a High Speed and beautiful to cycle. companies offer very large,
Rail (HSR) and a regular rail cosy airplane-style reclining
link. This means there are plen- seats. Reservations are
Bus Slower but cheaper than ty of bike rental places. Bikes advisable on weekends and
trains, buses also connect can be shipped by regular holidays. Buses are severely
passengers to more destinations train one day in advance, or air-­conditioned so pack a
than the trains. carried with you in a bag on blanket or warm clothes.
Bicycle Cycling around the the HSR trains and all slow The easiest way to buy a
island is now a popular tourist local trains. You’ll have no ticket is either from the
activity. problems bringing bicycles bus station itself or from a
Car or scooter A fun option, but into the country. convenience store, such as
you will need an International 7-Eleven.
Driver’s Permit. The main enemies of the
Air Only really useful for getting cyclist on regular roads and For routes and companies
to the outlying islands. highways are bus drivers see Taiwan Bus (www.taiwan
and motorcyclists. Note bus.tw/). Two of the biggest
some stretches of the east- companies are Kuo Kuang
coast road are considered and UBus.
treacherous.

Air Boat Intercity Buses

Taiwan’s domestic carriers There are regular ferry routes There’s an extensive net-
have a poor safety record. to Penghu, Lanyu and Green work from Taipei to Kenting
One of the most recent ac- Island (and between Lanyu National Park and across
cidents was in 2015, when a and Green Island as well) in the north as far as Yilan.
TransAsia flight crashed into summer, and to Little Liuchiu Service from the west coast
to the east coast is limited
to a few buses a day from

377

Taichung across to Hualien pay when you get off. If you ROAD TOLLS Tr a nsp o rt C a r & M oto r c y cl e
and Kaohsiung to Taitung. make a mistake the driver Several routes charge a toll,
Service is also limited within will let you know (or likely just which is paid electronically
the east area (from Hualien shrug it off). through a system called
to Taitung). eTag. Check with your rental
Car & Motorcycle company whether you pay
On the west coast there this when you return the ve-
are very frequent departures Having your own vehicle, hicle or if it’s included in the
(some 24-hour operations), either a car or a scooter, is rental fee. The toll is based
with midweek and late- particularly useful on the on distance travelled.
evening discounts. Most east coast and in mountain
companies serve the same areas. The first 20km is free, the
west-coast routes. The main next 200km is NT$1.20 per
transit points are Taipei, Driving in Taiwan kilometre; anything exceed-
Taichung, Tainan and ing 200km on a single day is
Kaohsiung. By the standards of many charged at NT$0.90 per km.
countries, driving in Taiwan
Rural Buses can be chaotic and dan- Driving Licence
gerous. Always be alert for
The network is wide, but approaching cars driving in INTERNATIONAL
there are few daily depar- your lane (especially when DRIVER’S PERMIT
tures except to major tourist going around blind corners). An International Driver’s Per-
destinations (such as Sun mit (IDP) is valid in Taiwan for
Moon Lake). In most cases You’re not advised to drive up to 30 days. With an ARC
you are better off taking the in cities or medium-sized (Alien Resident Certificate)
tourist shuttle buses. towns until you’re familiar you can apply to have your
with conditions. permit validated at a local
Taiwan Motor Vehicles Office. You
Tourist Shuttle FUEL & SPARE PARTS will need your IDP or local
Petrol stations and garages driver’s licence validated by
Taiwan has an excellent sys- are widely available for parts a Taiwanese mission in your
tem of small shuttle buses and repairs for scooters home country.
with well-planned routes and cars. Check out www.
that connect major and forumosa.com for a thread LOCAL DRIVER’S LICENCE
minor tourist sites and des- on reliable and trustworthy Driver’s licences are issued
tinations. The buses usually mechanics. by county, and if you have
leave hourly on weekdays an ARC you can apply. Tests
and half-hourly on weekends. ROAD CONDITIONS include a written and driving
Roads are generally in good section, and also include a
Single fares or one-day shape, though washouts health test.
unlimited tickets are avail- are common in mountain
able. Children under 12, areas and roads are often RECIPROCAL LICENCE
s­ eniors and student card closed. Most road signage is AGREEMENTS
holders travel for half price. bilingual. Some Asian countries and
US states have a reciprocal
See www.taiwantrip.com. agreement with Taiwan so
tw for information on time-
tables, fares and routes in ROAD RULES
English.
¨¨Taiwanese drive on the right-hand side of the road.
Fares ¨¨Right turns on red lights are illegal.
¨¨Mobile phone usage is prohibited (even texting at red
Fares vary by city. For ex- lights).
ample, a single zone fare
in Taipei is NT$15, while in ¨¨Drivers and all passengers must wear seatbelts,
Kaohsiung it’s NT$12. The and children under the age of four (and 18kg) must be
cost of travelling in two zones secured in safety seats (though rarely done and rarely
is double the price of a one- enforced).
zone fare.
¨¨In general, only speeding, drunk driving and turning-
Sometimes you pay when on-red-light violations are enforced.
you get on and sometimes
when you get off. If you cross ¨¨See the Information for Foreigners (http://iff.
a zone, you pay when you get immigration.gov.tw) website for more.
on and again later when you
get off. As a general rule, fol-
low the passengers ahead of
you or look for the characters
上 or 下 on the screen to the
left of the driver. The charac-
ter 上 (up) means pay when
you get on; 下 (down) means

378 excellent maps of areas
ROAD DISTANCES (KM) around each station.
Kaohsiung MRT (http://www.
Hsinchu 169 krtco.com.tw/en/) Two lines, 37
stations, 42.7km of track. Con-
Hualien 339 240 nects with the international and
domestic airports. On average
Ilan 270 101 139 trains leave every four to eight
minutes.
Tr a nsp o rt H itchi n g & Rid e- S ha r i n g Kaohsiung 103 272 337 373 Taipei MRT (http://english.
metro.taipei/) Ten lines, 102
Keelung 264 95 185 46 367 stations and 112.8km of track.
New lines in the works. Connects
Kenting 203 372 306 473 100 467 with Taipei (Songshan) Airport,
and is expected to connect with
Taichung 86 83 253 184 189 178 289 Taoyuan International Airport
by the end of 2016. On average
Tainan 63 232 373 333 40 327 140 149 trains leave every three to eight
minutes.
Taipei 239 70 170 31 342 25 442 153 302

Taitung 272 407 167 306 170 352 132 348 210 337

Taoyuan 215 46 194 55 318 49 418 129 278 24 361

Chiayi Taichung’s MRT is scheduled
Hsinchu to open in 2018.
Hualien
Ilan
Kaohsiung
Keelung
Kenting
Taichung
Tainan
Taipei
Taitung

that a Taiwanese licence is scooters, which have a top Taxi
issued just by showing your speed of 50 km/h, can be
home licence and passport. rented without a licence. Taxis are ubiquitous in all of
Taiwan’s cities. Surcharges
Vehicle Hire Hitching & may apply for things such as
Ride-Sharing luggage and reserving a cab
CAR (as opposed to hailing one).
Day rates start at NT$2400, Hitching is never entirely
with multiday and long-term safe, and we don’t recom- Outside urban areas, taxi
discounts available. mend it. Travellers who hitch drivers will either use meters
should understand that they or ask for a flat rate (the
All airports, and most are taking a small but poten- smaller the town the more
HSR stations, have car-rental tially serious risk. likely the latter). In these
agencies (or free delivery). areas, taxis are not that
Car Plus (0800-222 568; www. At times, such as getting abundant, so it’s a good idea
car-plus.com.tw) Good reputa- to or from a mountain trail- to get your hotel to call first,
tion with island-wide offices. head, hitching may be your and then to keep the driver’s
Easy Rent (0800-024 550; www. only option if you don’t have number for subsequent rides.
easyrent.com.tw) Island-wide a vehicle. Taiwanese are usu-
locations including downtown ally more than happy to give Train
Taipei, major airports and HSR you a lift. Money is almost
stations. never asked for. Taiwan Railway Administra-
tion (TRA; www.railway.gov.
INSURANCE Local Transport tw) has an extensive system
Third-party liability insurance running along both the east
and comprehensive insur- Mass Rapid Transit and west coasts. There are
ance, with an NT$10,000 no services into the Central
deduction for damages, is in- Taiwan’s two major cities, Tai- Mountains, except tourism
cluded in rental costs. In the pei and Kaohsiung, both have branch lines.
case of theft or loss, renters Mass Rapid Transit (MRT)
are charged 10% of the value metro systems. They are Trains are comfortable,
of the car. clean, safe, convenient and clean, safe and reliable, with
reliable. All signs and ticket few delays. Reserved seating
SCOOTER machines are in English. is available, and food and
On average, scooter hire English signs around stations snacks are served. All major
costs NT$400 to NT$800 indicate which exit to take to cities are connected by train.
per day. Some places will nearby sights. Posters indi- For fares and timetables, see
allow you to rent with an IDP, cate bus transfer routes. the TRA website.
while others require a local
scooter licence. Check out the stations’ Classes
websites, which both feature
In some tourists areas, Chu-kuang (莒光; Jǔguāng) &
Kenting for example, electric Fu-hsing (復興; Fùxīng) Most
trains belong to these two

379

classes; they’re comfortable but VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRES Tr a nsp o rt T r ai n
not speedy. The fare is about
20% to 40% cheaper than Most cities have visitor information centres with
Tze-chiang. ­English-speaking staff, inside or just outside the train
Local Train (區間車; Qūjiānchē) station. The centres are usually open from 9am to 6pm
Cheap and stops at all stations; and have local transport, food and accommodation
more like commuter trains, no information as well as maps in English.
reserved seating.
Tze-chiang (自強; Zìqiáng) All classes of Tze-chiang and offer larger seats and
These are express trains and train are priced the same 110V electrical outlets.
are therefore faster and more for the same journey even
expensive. though, for example, the RESERVATIONS & FARES
Taroko Express (太魯閣; Puyuma is the fastest. You can buy tickets up to 28
Tàilǔgé) This is a special tilting days in advance. It is advisa-
train under the Tze-chiang class Don’t throw your ticket ble to book if you are travel-
that takes you from Taipei to away – you’ll need it to ling on a weekend or holiday.
Hualien in two hours. There is no exit the station at your
standing ticket. d­ estination. You have three main op-
Puyuma Express (普悠瑪; tions for buying tickets (you’ll
Pǔyōumǎ) Named after Taiwan’s High Speed Rail need your passport number
Puyuma people, this is another to book a ticket).
tilting train under the Tze-chiang The bullet service on the Online You can book on the HSR
class. It is TRA’s fastest train at Taiwan High Speed Rail website (in English). Take your
150km/h. There is no standing (HSR; www.thsrc.com.tw) booking number to any HSR
ticket. zips between Taipei and station or a convenience store to
Kaohsiung in as fast as 96 pay within two days of booking.
Booking & Paying minutes. Tickets are a little Convenience store Use an
for Tickets less than double the price of ibon kiosk (Chinese only) at
a standard train but take less a 7-Eleven to book your train
You have three main options than half the time. ticket. Take the printed slip of
for buying tickets. Tickets paper with your booking number
can be booked 14 days in The trains offer airplane-­ and pay at the counter.
advance online or 12 days in like comfort, and reserved HSR station Go to any HSR
advance in person at a train seating is available. Food station and book your ticket
station. and snacks are also directly, either from the counter
Online You can book on the TRA ­available. or the ticket machines.
website (in English) by entering
your passport number. Take your There are 10 stations on There are small discounts for
booking number to any train the route: Taipei, Banciao, unreserved seating areas and
station or a convenience store to Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli, ‘early bird’ discounts of 10%
pay within two days of booking. Taichung, Changhua, Yunlin, to 35% when booking eight
Convenience store Use an Chiayi, Tainan and Zuoying to 28 days in advance. Tick-
ibon kiosk (Chinese only) at (for Kaohsiung). ets for seniors, children and
a 7-Eleven to book your train people with disabilities are
ticket. Take the printed slip of For timetables and fares, half the standard fare.
paper with your booking number see the HSR website. In
and pay at the counter. general, there are at least Tourism Branch Lines
Train station Go to any train three trains per hour. All
station and book your ticket stations have visitor infor- Several small branch lines
directly. Bring your passport mation ­centres with English-­ are maintained for tourist
with you. speaking staff to help with purposes: Alishan, Jiji and
bus transfers, hotel bookings Pingxi.
For fast trains, especially on and car rentals.
weekends or holidays, it is
advisable to buy your tickets CLASSES
well in advance. There are two classes: stand-
ard and business. Business
fares are about 50% higher
than the price of standard,

380 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

Language

The official language of Taiwan is referred to PINYIN &
in the west as Mandarin Chinese. The Chinese PRONUNCIATION
call it Pǔtōnghuà (common speech) and in
Taiwan it is known as Guóyŭ (the national In 1958 the Chinese adopted a system of
language). Taiwanese, often called a ‘dialect’ writing their language using the Roman al-
of Mandarin, is in fact a separate language and phabet, known as Pinyin. Travellers to Taiwan
the two are not mutually intelligible. Today at are unlikely to encounter much Pinyin other
least half the population speaks Taiwanese than for names of people, places and streets.
at home, especially in the south and in rural The new signs tend to be in one of two dif-
areas. However, travellers to Taiwan can get ferent systems: Hanyu Pinyin, which is used
by without using any Taiwanese, as virtually all in China (and has become the international
young and middle-aged people speak Manda- standard for Mandarin), and Tongyong Pinyin,
rin. Hakka, another Chinese language, is spo- a home-grown alternative created in the late
ken in some areas, and Taiwan’s indigenous 1990s. Although the central government has
tribes have their own languages, which belong declared Tongyong Pinyin to be Taiwan’s
to a separate language family from Chinese. official Romanisation system for both Hakka
and Mandarin (but not for Taiwanese), it left
WRITING local governments free to make their own
choices. Taipei has selected to use Hanyu
Chinese is often referred to as a language Pinyin and has applied the system consist-
of pictographs. Many of the basic Chinese ently, but in most of the country progress
characters are in fact highly stylised pictures towards standardisation in any form of Pinyin
of what they represent, but most (around is slow.
90%) are compounds of a ‘meaning’ element
and a ‘sound’ element. It is estimated that a In this chapter we’ve provided Hanyu
well-e­ ducated, contemporary Chinese person Pinyin alonside the Mandarin script.
might use between 6000 and 8000 charac-
ters. To read a Chinese newspaper you will Vowels
need to know 2000 to 3000 characters, but
1200 to 1500 would be enough to get the gist. a as in ‘father’

Theoretically, all Chinese dialects share the ai as in ‘aisle’
same written system. In practice, however,
Taiwan doesn’t use the system of ‘simplified’ ao as the ‘ow’ in ‘cow’
characters like China does. Instead, Taiwan
has retained the use of traditional characters, e as in ‘her’, with no ‘r’ sound
which are also found in Hong Kong.
ei as in ‘weigh’
WANT MORE?
i as the ‘ee’ in ‘meet’ (or like a light
For in-depth language information and
handy phrases, check out Lonely Plan- ‘r’ as in ‘Grrr!’ after c, ch, r, s, sh, z
et’s Mandarin Phrasebook. You’ll find it at
shop.lonelyplanet.com, or you can or zh)
buy Lonely Planet’s iPhone phrasebooks
at the Apple App Store. ian as the word ‘yen’

ie as the English word ‘yeah’

o as in ‘or’, with no ‘r’ sound

ou as the ‘oa’ in ‘boat’

u as in ‘flute’

ui as the word ‘way’

uo like a ‘w’ followed by ‘o’

yu/ü like ‘ee’ with lips pursed

381

What’s your name? Qǐngwèn nín guìxìng?
Consonants 請問您貴姓?

c as the ‘ts’ in ‘bits’ My name is ... Wǒ xìng ...
ch as in ‘chop’, but with the tongue 我姓 ...
curled up and back
h as in ‘hay’, but articulated from Do you speak English? Nǐ huì jiǎng yīngwén ma?
farther back in the throat 你會講英文嗎?
q as the ‘ch’ in ‘cheese’
r as the ‘s’ in ‘pleasure’ I don’t understand. Wǒ tīngbùdǒng. Language BASICS
sh as in ‘ship’, but with the tongue 我聽不懂.
curled up and back
x as in ‘ship’ ACCOMMODATION
z as the ‘dz’ in ‘suds’
zh as the ‘j’ in ‘judge’ but with the I’m looking 我要找 ... Wǒ yào zhǎo ...
tongue curled up and back for a ...
The only consonants that occur at the end of
a syllable are n, ng and r. campsite 露營區 lùyíngqū

In Pinyin, apostrophes are occasionally guesthouse 賓館 bīnguǎn
used to separate syllables in order to prevent
ambiguity, eg the word píng’ān can be written hotel 旅館 lǚguǎn
with an apostrophe after the ‘g’ to prevent it
being pronounced as pín’gān. youth hostel 旅社 lǚshè

Do you have a room available?
你們有房間嗎? Nǐmen yǒu fángjiān ma?

Where is the bathroom? Yùshì zài nǎlǐ?
浴室在哪裡?
Tones
I’d like (a) ... 我想要 ... Wǒ xiǎng yào ...
Chinese is a language with a large number double 一間 yījiān
of words with the same pronunciation but a room 雙人房 shuāngrénfáng
different meaning. What distinguishes these single 一間 yījiān
words is their ‘tonal’ quality – the raising and room 單人房 dānrénfáng
the lowering of pitch on certain syllables. to share a 住宿舍 zhù sùshè
Mandarin employs four tones – high, rising, dorm
falling-rising and falling, plus a fifth ‘neutral’
tone that you can all but ignore. Tones are How much ... 多少 ... duōshǎo
important for distinguishing meaning of is it ...? 錢? qián?
words – eg the word ma can have four differ-
ent meanings according to tone, as shown per night 一個 晚上 Yīge wǎnshàng
below.

Tones are indicated in Pinyin by the follow-
ing accent marks on vowels:

high tone mā (mother) per person 每個人 Měigerén
rising tone má (hemp, numb)
falling-rising tone mǎ (horse) DIRECTIONS
falling tone mà (scold, swear)

BASICS Where is (the) ...? ... zài nǎlǐ?
... 在哪裡?
When asking a question it is polite to start
with qǐng wèn – literally, ‘may I ask?’. What is the address?
地址在哪裡? Dìzhǐ zài nǎlǐ?

Could you write the address, please?
能不能請你把 Néngbùnéng qǐng nǐ bǎ
Hello. Nín hǎo. 地址寫下來? dìzhǐ xiě xiàlái?
您好. Zàijiàn.
Shì.
Goodbye. 再見. Bùshì. Could you show me (on the map)?
Qǐng. 你能不能(在地圖 Nǐ néng bùnéng (zài dìtú
Yes. 是. Xièxie. 上)指給我看? shàng) zhǐ gěi wǒ kàn?
Bùkèqì.
No. 不是. Qǐng wèn, ... Go straight ahead.
一直走.
Please. 請. Yīzhí zǒu.

Thank you. 謝謝. at the next corner zài xià yīge zhuǎnjiǎo
在下一個轉角
You’re welcome. 不客氣.
at the traffic lights
Excuse me, … 請問, ... 在紅綠燈 zài hónglùdēng

382 TAIWANESE DISHES

SIGNS clear oyster 蚵仔湯 kézǎi tāng
soup with ginger
入口 Entrance guāncái bǎn
出口 Exit coffin cakes 棺材板 zhū xiě gāo
詢問處 Information
開 Open congealed pig’s 豬血糕 ô-á-chian
關 Closed Prohibited blood chòu dòufu
禁止 Language EATING & DRINKING Toilets cháyè dàn
厠所 oyster omelette 蚵仔煎 luóbuó gāo
男 Men
女 Women stinky tofu 臭豆腐

tea egg 茶葉蛋

turnip cake 蘿蔔糕

BREAD, BUNS & DUMPLINGS

baked layered 燒餅 shāobing
flatbread
boiled 水餃 shuǐjiǎo

behind 後面 hòumiàn dumplings guōtiē
far 遠 yuǎn pot stickers/ 鍋貼
in front of 前面 qiánmiàn pan-grilled dumplings
near 近 jìn
opposite 對面 duìmiàn steamed buns 饅頭 mántou
Turn left. 左轉. Zuǒ zhuǎn.
Turn right. 右轉. Yòu zhuǎn. steamed meat 小籠湯包 xiǎo lóng
buns & meat sauce tāng bāo

steamed 素菜包子 sùcài bāozi

vegetable buns

SOUP

EATING & DRINKING clam & turnip 蛤蠣湯 gě lì tāng
soup
yóu yú gēng
I’m vegetarian. cuttlefish 魷魚羹
我吃素. potage suānlà tāng
I don’t want MSG. Wǒ chī sù.
我不要味精. Wǒ bú yào wèijīng. hot and sour 酸辣湯 tāng
Not too spicy. Bú yào tài là. soup gòng wán tāng
不要太辣. Chī fàn.
Let’s eat. Gānbēi! soup 湯 húntún tāng
吃飯.
Cheers! Taiwanese 貢丸湯
乾杯! meatball soup

wonton soup 餛飩湯

NOODLE DISHES

bean & mince- 炸醬麵 zhájiàng miàn
meat noodles ròusī chǎomiàn
shūcaì
KEY WORDS fried noodles 肉絲炒麵 chǎomiàn
gān miàn
bill (check) 買單/ mǎidān/ with pork tāngmiàn
結帳 jiézhàng májiàng miàn
kuàizi fried noodles 蔬菜炒麵 niúròu miàn
bīngde with vegetables jīsī tāngmiàn
chopsticks 筷子 chāzi
rède noodles 乾麵 húntún miàn
cold 冰的 dāozi
càidān (not in soup)
fork 叉子 tàocān
noodles 湯麵
hot 熱的 tiáogēng/
tāngchí (in soup)

knife 刀子 sesame-paste 麻醬麵
noodles
menu 菜單
soupy beef 牛肉麵
set meal 套餐 noodles
(no menu)
soupy noodles 雞絲湯麵
spoon 調羹/ with chicken
湯匙
wonton with 餛飩麵
noodles

RICE DISHES diced shrimp 宮爆蝦仁 383
with peanuts gōngbào xiārén
fried rice with 雞肉炒飯 jīròu chǎofàn
chicken dàn chǎofàn fish braised 紅燒魚 hóngshāo yú
shūcài chǎofàn in soy sauce
fried rice with 蛋炒飯 báifàn lóngxiā
egg tǒngzǎi mǐgāo lobster 龍蝦 zhāngyú
xīfàn/zhōu yóuyú
fried rice with 蔬菜炒飯 octopus 章魚 Language EMERGENCIES
vegetables zhà páigǔ fàn
ròu yuán squid 魷魚
steamed 白飯

white rice VEGETABLE & TOFU DISHES

sticky rice 筒仔米糕 clay pot tofu 砂鍋豆腐 shāguō dòufu

watery rice 稀飯/粥 omelette with 菜脯蛋 càifǔ dàn
porridge (congee)
pickled radishes

PORK DISHES smoked tofu 滷水豆腐 lǔshǔi dòufu
deep-fried pork 炸排骨飯
chop with rice sweet and sour 糖蓮藕 táng liánǒu

deep-fried 肉圓 lotus root cakes
pork-mince buns
tofu 豆腐 dòufu
diced pork 醬爆肉丁
with soy sauce jìangbào DRINKS 啤酒 píjiǔ
pork mince in 魯肉飯 ròudīng beer 紅茶 hóng chá
soy sauce with rice lǔroù fàn black tea 椰子汁 yēzi zhī
gūlū ròu coconut juice 咖啡 kāfēi
sweet and sour 咕嚕肉 coffee lǜ chá
pork hóngshāo gāoliáng jǐu
niúròu green tea 綠茶 mòlìhuā chá
tiěbǎn niúròu niúnǎi
BEEF DISHES niúròu fàn Kaoliang liquor 高梁酒 zhēnzhū nǎi chá

beef braised 紅燒牛肉 hóngshāo jīkuài jasmine tea 茉莉花茶 kuàngquán shuǐ
in soy sauce háoyóu jīkuài wūlóng chá
tángcù jīdīng milk 牛奶 liǔdīng zhī
yāxiě gāo hóng pútao jiǔ
beef steak 鐵板牛肉 yāròu fàn milk tea with 珍珠奶茶 mǐjiǔ
platter qìshuǐ
tapioca balls dòujiāng
beef with rice 牛肉飯 mineral water 礦泉水 chá
oolong tea 烏龍茶 shuǐ
POULTRY DISHES orange juice 柳丁汁 bái pútao jiǔ
diced chicken 紅燒雞塊
braised in soy sauce red wine 紅葡萄酒
diced chicken 蠔油雞塊 rice wine 米酒
in oyster sauce soft drink 汽水
sweet and sour 糖醋雞丁 soybean milk 豆漿
chicken
congealed 鴨血糕 tea 茶
duck blood water 水
duck with rice 鴨肉飯 white wine 白葡萄酒

SEAFOOD DISHES EMERGENCIES

clams 蛤蠣 gélì Jiùmìng a!
pángxiè Wǒ mílùle.
crab 螃蟹 Help! 救命啊!
Bié fán wǒ!
I’m lost. 我迷路了.

QUESTION WORDS Leave me alone! 别煩我!

How? 怎麼? Zěnme? Call ...! 請叫 ...! Qǐng jiào ...!
What? 什麼? Shénme?
When? 什麼時候? Shénme shíhòu? a doctor 醫生 yīshēng
Where? 在哪裡? Zài nǎlǐ?
Which? 哪個? Nǎge? the police 警察 jǐngchá
Who? 誰? Sheí?
There’s been an accident.
發生意外了. Fāshēng yìwaì le.

384

NUMBERS I’m looking for ... 我在找 ... Wǎ zài zhǎo ...

1 一 yī an ATM 自動 zìdòng
2 二, 兩 èr, liǎng 櫃員機/ guìyuánjī/
3 三 sān 提款機 tíkuǎnjī
4 四 sì
5 五 wǔ the post office 郵局 yóujú
6 六 liù
Language SHOPPING & SERVICES 7 七 qī the tourist 觀光局 guānguāngjú
8 八 bā office
9 九 jiǔ
10 十 shí TIME & DATES
20 二十 èrshí
30 三十 sānshí What’s the time? 幾點? Jǐ diǎn?
40 四十 sìshí ... diǎn
50 五十 wǔshí ... hour ... 點 ... fēn
60 六十 liùshí zǎoshàng
70 七十 qīshí ... minute ... 分 xiàwǔ
80 八十 bāshí wǎnshàng
90 九十 jiǔshí in the morning 早上 zuótiān
100 一百 yìbǎi jīntiān
1000 一千 yìqiān in the afternoon 下午 míngtiān

in the evening 晚上

yesterday 昨天

today 今天

tomorrow 明天

I’m ill. Wǒ shēngbìngle. Monday 星期一 Xīngqíyī
我生病了. Tuesday 星期二 Xīngqí’èr
Wednesday 星期三 Xīngqísān
It hurts here. Zhèlǐ tòng. Thursday 星期四 Xīngqísì
這裡痛. Friday 星期五 Xīngqíwǔ
Saturday 星期六 Xīngqíliù
Sunday 星期天 Xīngqítiān

I’m allergic to (antibiotics). January 一月 Yīyuè
我對(抗生素) Wǒ duì (kàngshēngsù) February 二月 Èryuè
過敏. guòmǐn. 三月 Sānyuè
March 四月 Sìyuè
SHOPPING & SERVICES April 五月 Wǔyuè
六月 Liùyuè
I’d like to buy ... Wǒ xiǎng mǎi ... May 七月 Qīyuè
我想買 ... June 八月 Bāyuè
July 九月 Jiǔyuè
I’m just looking. Wǒ zhǐshì kànkan. August 十月 Shíyuè
我只是看看. September 十一月 Shíyīyuè
十二月 Shí’èryuè
Can I see it? Néng kànkàn ma? October
能看看嗎?
November
I don’t like it. Wǒ bù xǐhuān.
我不喜歡. December

How much is it? Duōshǎo qián?
多少錢?

That’s too expensive. Tài guìle. TRANSPORT
太貴了.

Is there anything cheaper? PUBLIC TRANSPORT
有便宜一點的嗎? Yǒu piányí yīdiǎn de ma?
What time ... 幾點 ... jǐdiǎn
Do you accept credit cards? does the ... 開/到? kāi/dào?
收不收 信用卡? Shōu bùshōu xìnyòngkǎ?
leave/arrive?
Where can I get online?
我在哪裡可以 Wǒ zài nǎlǐ kěyǐ boat 船 chuán

上網? shàngwǎng? city bus 公車 gōngchē

385

intercity bus 客運 kèyùn ticket office 售票處 shòupiào chù
minibus 小型 xiǎoxíng timetable 時刻表 shíkèbiǎo
公車 gōngchē train station 火車站 huǒchē zhàn

plane 飛機 fēijī DRIVING & CYCLING
train 火車 huǒchē
我要租 Wǒ yào zū
I’d like a ... 我要一張 Wǒ yào yìzhāng I’d like to 一輛 ... yíliàng ... Language GLOSSARY
ticket. ... 票. ... piào hire a ...

bicycle 腳踏車 jiǎotàchē

one-way 單程 dānchéng car 汽車 qìchē

platform 月台票 yuètái piào motorcycle 摩托車 mótuōchē

return 來回 láihuí diesel 柴油 cháiyóu
petrol 汽油 qìyóu
I want to go to ... Wǒ yào qù ...
我要去 ...

The train has been delayed/cancelled.
火車(晚點了/ Huǒchē (wǎndiǎn le/
取 消了). qǔxiāo le). Does this road lead to ...?
這條路到 ... 嗎? Zhè tiáo lù dào ... ma?

Where’s the next service station?
下一個加油站在 Xià yíge jiāyóuzhàn zài
When’s the ... 班車 ... bānchē 哪裡? nǎlǐ?
... bus? 什麼 shénme
時候來? shíhòu lái? Can I park here? Zhèlǐ kěyǐ tíngchē ma?
這裡可以停車嗎?
first 頭 tóu
How long can I park here?
last 末 mò 這裡可以停多久? Zhèlǐ kěyǐ tíng duōjiǔ?

next 下 xià I need a mechanic.

airport 機場 jīchǎng 我需要汽車 Wǒ xūyào qìchē

left-luggage 寄放處 jìfàng chù 維修員. wéixiūyuán.
room
The car has broken down (at ... ).
long-distance 客運站 kèyùn zhàn 車子 (在…) 拋錨了. Chēzi (zài ...) pāomáo le.
bus station
I have a flat tyre. Lúntāi pòle.
platform 月台號碼 yuètái hàomǎ 輪胎破了.
number
I’ve run out of petrol. Méiyǒu qìyóu le.
没有汽油了.
subway 捷運 jíeyùn

(underground)

subway 捷運站 jíeyùn zhàn
station

GLOSSARY

Amis – Taiwan’s largest indige- Bunun – Taiwan’s third-largest DPP – Democratic Progressive
nous tribe; lives on the coastal indigenous tribe; lives in Central Party; Taiwan’s first opposition
plains of eastern Taiwan Mountains party
ARC – Alien Resident Certificate;
foreign visitors must apply for chá – tea, especially Chinese tea fēnxiāng – spirit division, or the
one if planning to stay for long- Chu-kuang (Jǔguāng) – 2nd- process by which branch temples
term work or study class regular train are founded
Atayal – Taiwan’s second-largest cochin pottery (also koji) – col- Forest Recreation Area – simi-
indigenous tribe; lives in moun- ourful decorative art for temples lar to a state or provincial park
tainous regions of the north congee – rice porridge in the West
cūn – village Fujianese – people originally
Bao chung – type of oolong tea from Fujian province in China
grown around Pinglin dàgēdà (literally ‘big-brother- who migrated to Taiwan; the
Běnshěngrén – Taiwanese people big’) – mobile phone Taiwanese dialect is derived from
whose ancestors came to Taiwan dǒugǒng – special bracketi­ng that of southern Fujian
prior to 1949 system for Chinese architecture Fu-hsing (fùxīng) – 2nd-class
regular train

Language GLOSSARY386 MRT – Mass Rapid Transit; taichi – slow-motion martial art
gǎng – harbour/port Taipei’s underground railway Taipeiers – people from Taipei
gōng – Taoist temple system Taroko – a sub-branch of the
indigenous Atayal tribe, recog-
Hakka – nomadic subset of the National Trail System – a nised in 2004
Han Chinese, the Hakka were system of hiking trails running Thao – very small indigenous
among the first Chinese to settle over the entire island tribe; lives around Sun Moon
in Taiwan; many prominent Tai- Lake
wanese are also Hakka people One China – the idea that main- Three Small Links – the open-
Hanyu Pinyin – system of land China and Taiwan are both ing of cross-Strait trade between
Romanisation used in mainland part of one country: People’s China and Taiwan’s offshore
China; though there is some Republic of China islands
crossover, most signs in Taiwan oolong (also wulong) – semi- Tieguanyin (Iron Goddess of
outside Taipei use the Tongyong fermented tea Compassion) – type of oolong tea
Pinyin or Wade-Giles systems opera (Taiwanese) – also known tongpu – a type of multi-
HSR – High Speed Rail, Taiwan’s as Beijing or Chinese opera, an person room with no beds, just
‘bullet train’ art form that has been an impor- blankets and floor mats
tant part of Chinese culture for Tongyong Pinyin – system of
Ilha Formosa – the name more than 900 years Romanisation used in parts of
Portuguese sailors gave Taiwan, Oriental Beauty – heavily fer- Taiwan
meaning ‘beautiful island’ mented tea, first grown in Taiwan Truku – small indigenous Atayal
tribe; lives around Hualien
jiǎnniàn – mosaic-like temple Paiwan – small indigenous tribe; Tsou – small indigenous tribe;
decoration lives south of Pingtung lives around Kaohsiung
jiǎotàchē zhuānyòng dào – PFP (People First Party); off- Tze-Chiang (Zìqiáng) – the
bike path shoot of KMT started by James fastest and most comfortable
jié – festival Soong regular train
jiē – street PRC – People’s Republic of China
pùbù – waterfall VAT – Value-Added Tax
Kaoliang – sorghum liquor; Puyuma – small indigenous
made in Matsu and Kinmen tribe; lives on Taiwan’s southeast Wade-Giles – a Romanisation
KMRT – Kaohsiung’s MRT coast system for Chinese words;
system widely used until the introduc-
KMT – Kuomintang; Nationalist qiáo – bridge tion of Hanyu Pinyin
Party of the Republic of China qū – district/area Wàishěngrén – Taiwanese who
emigrated from mainland China
líng – divine efficaciousness; a ROC – Republic of China; cov- following the KMT defeat in the
god’s power to grant wishes ered all of China before the PRC Chinese civil war
Lu Tung Pin – one of the eight was established Wang Yeh – a Tang-dynasty
immortals of classical Chinese Rukai – small indigenous tribe; scholar, said to watch over the
mythology; couples avoid his lives on Taiwan’s southeast coast waters of southern China; wor-
temples as he likes to break up shipped all over the south
happy lovers Saisiyat – very small indigenous wēnquán – hot spring
tribe; lives in mountains of Miaoli White Terror – a large-scale
Matsu (Mǎzǔ) – Goddess of the County campaign started by the KMT to
Sea, the most popular deity in Sakizaya – very small indige- purge the island of political ac-
Taiwan; also the name of one of nous tribe; lives around Hualien tivists during the 1950s; one of
the Taiwan Strait Islands Sediq – small indigenous tribe; the grimmest times in Taiwan’s
miào – general word for temple lives in Nantou martial-law period
Minnan – used to refer to the sēnlín – forest
language, people, architecture shān – mountain xiàng – lane
etc of southern China (especially sì – Buddhist temple
Fujian) Sinicism – Chinese method or Yami – A small indigenous tribe
mínsù – B&B, homestay customs inhabiting Lanyu Island
mountain permit – special per- suòxī – river tracing; sport that yèshì – night market
mit you pick up from local police involves walking up rivers with
stations to allow you to enter the aid of nonslip shoes zhàn – station
restricted mountainous areas

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 387

Behind the Scenes

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OUR READERS Dinah Gardner

Many thanks to the travellers who used the last I would like to thank all the friendly Taiwanese
edition and wrote to us with helpful hints, useful people who helped me along the way, especially
advice and interesting anecdotes: Aidan Chuang, who truly has his finger on the
Abbie Sevil, Agnès Lachasse, Alice Scharf, pulse of Taipei’s heartbeat. I am also grateful
Alistair Inglis, Bethany Koch, Charlotte Toolan, to my editor, Megan, for being so patient; and
Claire Brown, Dan Chen, Danielle Wolbers, Miguel Fialho, who listened patiently day after
­Diego Coruña, Harold Fallon, Jan Ivarsson, day! Lastly I would like to thank Taiwan itself, a
Li Guan Tzung, Lisa Freeman, Mark de Haas, kind and generous host to all visitors.
Neil Roth, Nick Kembel, Nicolas Combremont,
R­ obin Weijer, Shui Ying Metselaar-Hou, Stu ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Keeton, Tan Yaling, Tony Backhouse, Veronica
Matthew, Xuess Wee Climate map data adapted from Peel MC,
Finlayson BL & McMahon TA (2007) ‘Updated
WRITER THANKS World Map of the Köppen-Geiger Climate
­Classification’, Hydrology and Earth System
Piera Chen Sciences, 11, 1633–44.
Cover photograph: Temple, Kinmen, Lamia
Special thanks to Alvin Tse and Lee Chia-jung Lin/500px ©
for much-needed support and inspiration.
Gratitude also goes to Max Chang, Airey Wong,
Nato and Trista, Anson Ng, Mark Hanson,
­Sigmund and Weihsiu, Lam Lap-wai, Eric Chan,
Wen Li Tesar and Evelyn Lua for making this
book much stronger than I could have made
it on my own. And finally a big fat thank you to
Kontau and Clio for their love and patience.

388

BEHIND THE SCENES

THIS BOOK Product Editors Carolyn Cover Researcher Naomi
Boicos, Grace Dobell Parker
This 10th edition of Lonely Thanks to Cheree Broughton,
­Planet’s Taiwan guidebook Senior Cartographer Jennifer Carey, David Carroll,
was researched and written by Julie Sheridan Neill Coen, Daniel Corbett,
Piera Chen and Dinah Gardner. Book Designer Gwen Cotter Jane Grisman, Liz Heynes,
The previous edition was writ- Assisting Editors Janet Corey Hutchison, Andi Jones,
ten by Robert Kelly and Chung Austin, Imogen Bannister, Lauren Keith, Virginia Moreno,
Wah Chow. This guidebook Kate Chapman, Katie Connolly, Claire Naylor, Karyn Noble,
was produced by the following: Andrea Dobbin, Victoria Mazzy Prinsep, Angela Tinson,
Destination Editor Megan Harrison, Bella Li Dora Whitaker
Eaves
Assisting Cartographer
Alison Lyall

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 389

Index

13 Coffee 208 Red House 64 Bitou Cape 143 Chaishan Nature Reserve
18 Lords Temple 134 Taipei Performing Arts Blue Tears 298 247
2-28 Incident 59 boat tours 234, 275-6, 312
2-28 Memorial Museum 59 Centre 72 boat travel 375, 376 Changhua 220-3, 221
2-28 Peace Memorial Ten Drum Rende Creative Bombing Master Handan 194 Checheng 226-7
books 322 Cheng Yen 174
Park 59 Village 260-1 Chenggong Village 292
Atayal people 130 birds 360 Chiang Kai-shek 55, 73, 115,
A ATMs 372 culture 342
hiking 37 131, 327, 332-4
accommodation 366-7, B history 326, 329, 332, 337 Chiang Kai-shek Memorial
381, see also individual religion 347
locations Baisha Bay 275 Bopiliao 63 Hall 55
Bali 111-12 Bowang New Village 228
activities 20, 23-5, 31-41, Baling 132-3 British Consulate Chiayi 214-19, 216
367, 34-5, see also Banqiao 86 Residence at Takou 245 Chihnan National Forest
individual activities banyan trees 308 Buddhism 344-5
Bao’an Temple 65-7, 350, 11 budget 19, 43, 366 Recreation Area 184-5
air travel 375, 376 bathrooms 373 Burning of the Wang Yeh Chihpen 195-6
alcohol 46, 301 beaches 275 Boats 276-7, 24 children, travel with 64, 367
Ali 281 bus travel 376-7 Chimei 310
Alishan National Scenic Area Aimen 311 bushwalking, see hiking Chinese Lunar New Year 341
Beigan 298 business hours 372 Chipei 310
211-13, 21 Chihli 311 butterflies 17, 362, 363, 17 Chung Tai Chan Temple 231
Ang Lee 355 Chipei 310 churches
animals 362-4, see also Fulong 143 C
Green Island 319 Church of the Sacred
individual species Kenting 275 canals 264 Heart of Jesus 281
Anping 260 Kinmen 293 Caoling Historic Trail 146-7
Antique Assam Tea Farm Little Liuchiu Island 278-9 car travel 377-8, 385 Jinan Presbyterian
Nei’an 311 Cat Village 141 Church 59
233 Penghu 308 caves
Antong Hot Springs 186 Shanshui 311 Saint Cross Church 270
Aowanda National Forest Shitzuwan 245 Caves of the Eight Ciaotou Sugar Factory 244
Wai’ao 144 Immortals 192 Ciaozai Village 297
Recreation Area 222 Wang’an 310 Cihu 131
architecture 348-50 Beidawushan 282 Fengkuei Cave 309 Cijin Island 242-3
area codes 373 Beigan 297-8, 297 Five-hole Cave 314 Cinbi Village 297-8
art galleries, see museums Beihai Tunnel 298 Kuanyin Cave 318 cinema 322, 354-5
Beipu 153-4 Little Liuchiu Island 280 Cingjing 227-8
& art galleries Beishan 293 Swallows Cave 317-18 climate 18, 23, 24, 25, 32,
arts 353-5, see also Beishan Broadcasting Water & Fire Cave 270
Station 292 Whale Cave 311 360, see also individual
individual arts Beitou 112-15, 113, 15 cell phones 373 regions
temples 351-2 bicycling, see cycling cemeteries coffee 46, 96, 208, 219, 271
arts centres Bijia Shan 126 13th Squadron Confucianism 343-4
Huashan 1914 Creative birds 360, 363 Confucius Temple
birdwatching 17, 111, 129, Graveyard 317 (Changhua) 220
Park 54 212, 221, 222, 299 Jinbaoshan Cemetery 135 Confucius Temple
International Pavilion of Bitan 118-19 Mackay Family Cemetery (Hsinchu) 152
Confucius Temple (Tainan)
Indigenous Arts and 109 259
Cultures 68 Confucius Temple
National Taiwan Craft (Taipei) 65
Research & conservation 364
Development consulates 369
Institute 58

Map Pages 000
Photo Pages 000

I N D E X C - H390 Donggang 273, 276 Foguangshan 251-2 hiking 14, 16, 31-3, 36-7, 15
convenience stores 367 Dongju 299 folk medicine 370 Baiyang Trail 179
costs 19, 43, 366, 368 Dongpu 203 food 20-1, 42-7, 44, see Beidawushan 282
County Rd 169 212 Dongshan Coffee Rd 271 Bijia Shan 126
County Road 199 272 Dongyanshan Forest also individual locations Bitou Cape Trail 143
courses costs 368 Caoling Historic Trail
language 77, 371 Recreation Area 131-2 language 382-3 146-7
credit cards 372 Dongyin 299 forest recreation areas, Chaishan Nature Reserve
culture 322-4, 339-42, drinks 46, 383, see also see national parks & 247
353-5 forest recreation areas Dabajianshan 161
currency 372 coffee, tea forests 360 Dongju 299
customs regulations 367-8 driving 377-8, 385 forts 110 Elephant Mountain
cycling 38-9, 376, 385 drumming 99 Anping Fort 261 78, 28
east coast 11, 169-76, Dulan 188-9 Dutch Fort 311 Fairy Footprint 77
10-11 Duona 256 East & West Fortresses Fu-Ba National Trail 128
Fulong 144 Duxing 10th Village 305 Green Island 319
Hengchun Peninsula 275 309 Hehuanshan 229
Hualien 171 E Ershawan Fort 135-6 Hemeishan 118-19
Kaohsiung 246 Eternal Golden Castle Huangdi Dian 126
Kenting coastal loop 275 earthquakes 358-9 Hushan 164
Little Kinmen 295 east coast 49, 166-97, 167 265 internet resources 37
Meinong 254 Fort San Domingo 110 Jia Jiu Liao Stream Trail
Nanao 148 accommodation 166 Hobe Fort 107-8 128-9
Nanliao Harbour 152 climate 166, 168 Iron Fort 299 Jiaming Lake 196
Pinglin 123 food 166 Iron Men’s Fort 295 Jiantan Mountain 78
Shimen Reservoir 125 highlights 167 Warriors’ Fort 295 Jinshui Ying Old Trail
Sun Moon Lake 234 travel seasons 166, 168 Fuguei Cape 134 271, 273
Taipei 80 travel to/from 168 Fulong Beach 143-4 Lanyu 314, 315
Taroko Gorge 180 travel within 168 Fushan Illuminated Wall Lüshui-Wenshan Trail 179
East Rift Valley 182-7 300 maps 37
D economy 322-4, 335, 336-7 Fusing 131-2 O’ Holy Ridge 159
electricity 368 Fuyuan Forest Recreational permits 36
Dabajianshan 161 Elephant Mountain 78, 28 Area 183-4 Pinglin 123
Dahan Stronghold 299 Eluanbi Lighthouse 275 Pingxi Crags 140
dance 353, 354 embassies 369 G safety 32
dangers, see safety Emei Lake 154 Sandiaoling Waterfall
Dasyueshan Forest emergencies 19, 37 gables 294 Trail 139
language 383-4 galleries, see museums & Shuangliou Forest
Recreation Area 210-11 environmental issues Recreation Area 273
Daxi 146 357-8, 364 art galleries Snow Mountain Main
deer 223 Erkan Village 309 gay travellers 94, 368 Peak 159-61
dengue fever 370 Ershawan Fort 135-6 geography & geology 356-7 Sun Moon Lake 235
Dewen 281 Ershui 230 geothermal areas 112, 254, Syakaro Historic Trail 157
Dihua Street 67 ethnicity 339-42 Taipei 77, 78
disabilities, travellers etiquette see also hot springs Taoyuan Valley Trail 147
eating 47 Gold Ecological Park 137-8 Taroko National Park
with 374 photography 372 Green Island 317-20, 318 179-80
distilleries 301 temples 351 Green Island Human Rights Tonghou Trail 129
diving 41 events, see festivals & Walami Trail 186-7
events Cultural Park 317 Wuliao Jian 127
Bitou Cape 143 exchange rates 19 Guandu Nature Park Wuling-Quadruple 159
Fulong Beach 143 Yangmingshan National
Green Island 319 F 112-13 Park 115
Kenting National Park Guanwu Forest Yushan National Park 16,
feng-shui 294 200-3, 201, 16
273, 275 Fenqihu 213 Recreation Area 159-61
Lanyu 315 ferry travel 375, 376 Guanziling 270-1 history 325-38
northeast coast 145 festivals & events 20, 23-5, Guoyeh Prismatic Basalt 2-28 Incident 59
Penghu 308 books 326, 329, 332, 337
dolphin watching 145 341, see also individual 309 Dutch colonial era 325-8
festivals & events ECFA 335
Map Pages 000 films 322, 354-5 H
Photo Pages 000 flowers 361
Flying Fish Festival 315 Hakka people 58-9, 252-3,
340

health 368-70
Hehuanshan Forest

Recreation Area 228-9
Highway 11 173, 10-11
Highway 23 173
Highway 24 281

391

Japanese colonial era I entertainment 249 Longshan Temple (Lukang) I N D E X H - M
329-30 festivals & events 246 223
indigenous people & food 247-8
Kaohsiung Incident 333 culture 15, 68, 340, 353 medical services 250 Longshan Temple
Kuomintang (KMT) festivals 25 shopping 249-50 (Taipei) 63, 21
sights 239-46
331-4 insect bites & stings 370 tourist offices 250 Longshan Temple (Tamsui)
martial law 327 insurance 368, 370, 378 travel to/from 250-1 108-9
post-martial law 334-6 International Pavilion of travel within 251
Qing dynasty 328-9 Kaohsiung Incident 333 Loshan Scenic Area 187
White Terror period 329 Indigenous Arts and Kaohsiung Lion Dance
hitching 378 Cultures 68 Competition 25 Lotus Pond 243-4, 244
Hoklo people 339 internet access 370-1 Keelung 135-6 Lukang 223-6, 224
holidays 372-3 internet resources Keelung Ghost Festival 137 Lunar New Year 341
hot springs 15, 22, 40 birds 360 Kenting National Park Luye 189-91
Antong 186 blogs 324 273-8, 274 Luzhou Lee Residence
Beitou 15, 114, 15 cycling 39 Kincheng 288-92, 290
Chihpen 196 health 369 Kinmen 13, 286-95, 287, 13 House 86
Dashan 129 hiking 37 Koxinga 261, 327-8
Green Island 319 planning 19 Kuomintang (KMT) 331-4 M
Guanziling 270-1 Iron Fort 299
Jiaoxi 147 islands 50, 284-320, 285, L macaques 230, 247
Lisong 196-7 see also individual Maestro Wu 292
Nanzhuang 155 islands lakes magazines 371
Qingquan 157 accommodation 284 Emei Lake 154
Seisen 272 climate 284 Jiaming Lake 196 Makung 302-8, 304
Sileng 149 food 284 Lake Cuifeng 149 Ma-Kou Ecological Park
highlights 285 Liyu Lake 184-5
Tai’an 163-5, 164 travel seasons 284 148
Taipingshan National itineraries 26-30, 55, 26, Lotus Pond 243-4, 244 Mandarin Chinese 380-6
27, 29, 30 Sun Moon Lake 16, Manyueyuan Forest
Forest Recreation
Area 150 J 233-6, 234, 16 Recreation Area 125-7
Taroko National Park 179 Lalashan Forest Reserve
Yangmingshan National Japanese B encephalitis Maokong 116-18, 117
Park 115-16 370 132-3 Maolin Recreation Area
Hou Hsiao-hsien 354, 355 land expropriation 358
Houbi 270 Jhaishan Tunnels 292 landslides 358-9 255-6
Houtong 141-3 Jhushan Village 293 language 380-6 maps 371
Jia Jiu Liao Stream 129 markets 13, 22, see also
Hsinchu 150-3, 151 Jialeshui 275 courses 77, 371
Hsinchu County 150-65 Jiaming Lake 196 Lantern Festival 17, 23, 140, night markets
jiǎnniàn 351 Breeze Farmers Market
Hualien 168-75, 170 Jiantan Mountain 78 306, 17
accommodation 171-2 Jiaoxi 147 Lanyang River 357 250
activities 171 Jiji 229-30 Jianguo Weekend Holiday
drinking 172-3 Jiji Small Rail Line 230 Lanyu 15, 313-17, 313, 15
food 172 Jilongshan 138 Laomei Algal Reef 134-5 Jade Market 100
medical services 175 Jingliao 270 Lee Teng-hui 334, 336-7 Peichen Market 307
shopping 173-5 Jingtong 142 legal matters 371 Wufenpu 102
sights 168-71 Jinguashi 136-9 lei cha 155 Yongle Market 101
tourist offices 175 Jinsha Village 299 lesbian travellers 94, 368 Zhongxin Market 205
travel to/from 175 Jinshui Ying Old Trail 271-3 Liji Badlands 189 martial law 327
travel within 175 Jiufen 136-9 Lin Antai Historic House Mass Rapid Transit 378
Ju Ming 134 Matai’an 184
Hualien Sugar Factory Juguang Tower 293 69
182-3 Jyuguang Township 299 Lin Family Mansion & Matsu 13, 295-302, 296
Matsu Cultural Village 299
Huangdi Dian 126 K Garden 86 Matsu Pilgrimage 14, 23,
Huashan 1914 Creative Lintianshan 185
Kaohsiung 239-51, 240-1 Lisong Hot Spring 196-7 214, 14
Park 54 accommodation 246-7 literature 355, see also measures 371
Huashan Coffee activities 246, 247 medical services 369-70
drinking 248-9 books
Area 219 Little Kinmen 295 Meinong 252-5, 253
Huazhai Traditional Little Liuchiu Island metro travel 378
Miaoli County 150-65
Settlement 312 278-81, 279 Mid-Autumn Festival 341
Huisun Forest Reserve 231 Liyu Lake 184-5 Ming Yuan Pharmacy 218
Hujing 310 Longdong 143 Mingchih Forest Recreation

Area 148-9
Minsheng Community 73
Miyazaki, Hayao 138
mobile phones 373
Mona Rudao Memorial 227
money 368, 372

392

I N D E X M - N mosques 65 Lanyang Museum 145 Togo Rural Village Art Shei-pa National Park
motorcycle travel 377-8, Living Museum 305 Museum 270 158-62, 160
Maritime Museum 110
385 Matsu Folklore Culture Wulai Atayal Museum 127 Shuangliou Forest
mountain retreats 22 Yingge Ceramics Recreation Area 273
mountains 356, see also Museum 300
Meinong Hakka Culture Museum 124 Siangyang Forest
individual mountains music 353, 354 Recreation Area 197
MRT 378 Museum 252-3
Mt Lion Howitzer Station Military Brothel N Taijiang National Park
265
293 Exhibition Hall 294 Nanao 147-9
Mt Taiwu 293 Miniatures Museum of Nangan 298-302, 300-1 Taipingshan National
Mt Tsao Moon World 254 Nanliao Harbour 152 Forest Recreation Area
mud volcanoes 254, 359 Taiwan 67-8 Nanshan 293 149-50
Mugua River Gorge 184 Municipal Glass Museum Nantian Temple 220
museums & art galleries Nantou County 226-36 Taroko National Park 49,
152 Nanwan 275 166, 177-82, 178
182 Art Space 260 Museum of Nanyao Temple 220
2-28 Memorial Nanzhuang 154-6 Wuling Farm 162, 162
Contemporary Art National Centre of Yangmingshan National
Museum 59 Taipei 68-9
August 23 Artillery War Museum of Drinking Traditional Arts 133 Park 115-16
Water 58 National Palace Museum Yushan National Park
Museum 294 Museum of World
Beitou Hot Spring Religions 86 12, 71-2, 73, 12 16, 49, 198, 200-3,
National 2-28 Memorial national parks & forest 201, 16
Museum 113-14 Museum 55, 58 National Taiwan Craft
Beitou Museum 113 National Museum of recreation areas 31, see Research &
Buddha Memorial Center History 58 also nature reserves Development
National Museum of Alishan Forest Institute 58
251-2 Marine Biology 274 Recreation Area nature reserves, see also
Changhua Arts Museum National Museum of 211-13, 21 national parks & forest
Taiwan History 261 Aowanda National Forest recreation areas
221 National Museum of Recreation Area 222 Chaishan Nature Reserve
Chung Tai Museum 231 Taiwanese Literature Chihnan National Forest 247
Chunghwa Postal 257 Recreation Area 184-5 Guandu Nature Park
National Palace Museum Chihpen Forest 112-13
Museum 60 12, 71-2, 73, 12 Recreation Area 196 Sheding Nature Park 274
Cihu Memorial Sculpture National Science & Dasyueshan Forest Wazihwei Nature Reserve
Technology Museum Recreation Area 210-11 111
Park 131 243 Dongyanshan Forest Wushanding Mud
Ciji Temple Museum 262 National Taiwan Museum Recreation Area 131-2 Volcanoes 254, 359
Discovery Centre of 59 Fuyuan Forest New 18 Lords Temple 134-5
National Taiwan Science Recreational Area New Taipei City 122-33
Taipei 77 Education Centre 73 183-4 newspapers 371
Fine Arts Museum 69 Penghu Reclamation Hall Guanwu Forest night markets 13, 22, 47,
Fogstand 169 305-6 Recreation Area see also markets
Formosa Vintage Prison Museum 215 159-61 Dongdamen Ziqiang
Puli Wine Museum & Hehuanshan Forest Night Market 172
Museum Cafe 65 Factory 231 Recreation Area 228-9 Fengjia Night Market
Grass Mountain Chateau Puppetry Art Centre of Huisun Forest Reserve 208
Taipei 73, 75 231 Miaokou Night Market
115 Saisiyat Folklore Kenting National Park 13, 136, 13
Guningtou War Museum Museum 155 273-8, 274 Ningxia Night Market 91
Sanyi Wood Sculpture Lalashan Forest Reserve Raohe Street Night
293 Museum 158 132-3 Market 92
Ham Gallery 245 Shihsanhang Museum of Ma-Kou Ecological Ruifong Night Market
Hsiaomen Geology Archaeology 111 Park 148 248
Shuangli Wetlands Area Manyueyuan Forest Shida Night Market 89
Museum 311 Centre 293 Recreation Area 125-7 Shilin Night Market 72
Huchingtou War Museum Shung Ye Museum of Maolin Recreation Area Tonghua Night Market
Formosan Aborigines 255-6 100
295 72-3 Mingchih Forest Niushan Huting 175-6
Jiufen Kite Museum 138 Su Ho Paper Museum 68 Recreation Area 148-9 North Cross-Island Hwy
Juming Museum 134 Taipei Astronomical Neidong Forest 124
Kaohsiung Museum of Museum 73 Recreation Area 127 northern Taiwan 49,
Taipei Story House 69 Ninth National Park 312 120-65, 121
Fine Arts 240 Tea Museum 122 accommodation 120
Kaohsiung Museum of climate 120, 122

History 244-5
Ketagalan Culture

Centre 113
Land Bank Exhibition

Hall 54-5

Map Pages 000
Photo Pages 000

393

food 120 children, travel with Sheding Nature Park 274 Kenting National Park I N D E X N -T
highlights 121 64, 367 Shei-pa National Park 275
travel seasons 120
travel to/from 122 internet resources 19 158-62, 160 Wai’ao 146
travel within 122 itineraries 26-30, 26, 27, Shifen 142 Swallows Cave 317-18
nuclear waste 316 Shihmen Historical swimming 14, 275
29, 30
O Taiwan basics 18-19 Battlefield 272 Kenting National Park
Taiwan’s regions 48-50 Shihting 126 273, 275
O’ Holy Ridge 159 travel seasons 18, 23, Shihtiping 176-7
opening hours 372 Shimen Reservoir 125 Lanyu 315
opera 354 24, 25 Shitoushan 156-7 Mugua River Gorge 184
outdoor activities 20, 23, plants 360-2 shopping 384, see also Wai’ao 146
Platform of the Three
25, 31-41, 367, 34-5, individual locations, T
see also individual Immortals 192 markets, night markets
activities politics 322-4, 331-8 shrines Tai’an Hot Springs 163-5,
pollution 370 Earth God Shrine 253
P population 322-3, 339-42 Koxinga Shrine 293 164
postal services 372 Koxinga’s Shrine 261 Taichung 203-10, 204
pagodas, see also temples pottery 351 Martyr’s Shrine 169 Taijiang National Park 265
Sokang Pagodas 311 public holidays 372-3 National Revolutionary
Wuntai Pagoda 293 Puli 230-2 Martyrs’ Shrine 69 Tainan 256-69, 258
Pu-Lu Monastery 206 Shuangliou Forest accommodation 266-7
painting 351 puppetry 355 Recreation Area 273 activities 266
Paper Dome 231 Purple Butterfly Valley Shuitou Village 292 drinking &
parks & gardens Siangyang Forest entertainment 268
255-6 Recreation Area 197 festivals & events 266
2-28 Peace Memorial Siouguluan Mountain 356 food 267-8
Park 59 Q Sitou 232 medical services 269
Sixty Stone Mountain 183 shopping 268-9
Botanical Gardens 60-1 Qing dynasty 328-9 Smangus 157-8 sights 257-66
Da’an Forest Park 65 Qingquan 157 smoking 371 tourist offices 269
Gold Ecological Park Qionglin Village 292 snakes 363 travel to/from 269
snorkelling 41, 275 travel within 269
137-8 R Bitou Cape 143
Guanyin Pavilion Green Island 319 walks 263, 263
rabies 370 Kenting National Park Taipei 48, 52-119, 53, 56-7,
Waterfront Park 305 radio 371 275
Indigenous People’s Red House 64 Lanyu 315 66-7, 74, 4, 28
religion 323, 343-7 Penghu 308 accommodation 52, 80-7
Cultural Park 281 Remains of the 13 Levels Snow Mountain 159-60 activities 77-8
Lin Family Mansion & southern Taiwan 50, children, travel with 64
136-7 237-83, 238 climate 52
Garden 86 Rénjiān Fójiào 345 accommodation 237 Da’an 65, 77, 81-2, 88-90,
Red Leaf Park 270 ride-sharing 378 climate 237
Shilin Official river tracing 40-1 food 237 94-5, 98-9, 100-1
rivers 356-7 highlights 238 Datong 65-70, 77-8, 84-5,
Residence 73 Rueili 213-14 travel seasons 237
Songshan Culture & Rueisui 185-6 travel to/from 238 90-1, 95-7, 99, 101, 70
Ruigang Highway 173 travel within 238 drinking 92-8
Creative Park 76-7 southernmost point 275 emergencies 103
Sun Yat-sen Memorial S southwest coast 239-71 entertainment 98-9
Spring Scream 23 festivals & events 79-80
Hall 77 safety 32, 39, 373 stinky tofu 89, 44 food 52, 87-92
Taipei City Hakka hitching 378 stone carving 352 highlights 53
road 377 Sun Moon Lake 16, 233-6, internet access 103
Cultural Park 58-9 Taroko National Park 182 234, 16 internet resources 98
Peace Memorial Park 297 Wai’ao 146 Sun Yat-sen Memorial itineraries 55
Penghu 302-13, 303 Hall 77 medical services 103
performing arts 354 Sail Rock 275 surfing nightlife 92-8
photography 372 Sandimen 281-3 Fulong Beach 143 orientation 102-3
pilgrimages 14, 214, 345-6 Sansia 124-7 Honeymoon Bay 146 Shilin 70-3, 78, 85, 91, 97,
Pinglin 122-3 Sanyi 158, 159
Pingtung County 271-83 senior travellers 368 101, 76
Pingxi Branch Rail Line 142 Shanhou Folk Culture shopping 99-102
Pingxi District 139-41 sights 54-77
Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival Village 292-3 Songshan 73-5, 85-7, 92,
Shanlinhsi 232
17, 140, 17 97, 101-2
Pingxi Town 142 tourist offices 103
planning, see also

­individual regions
budgeting 19
calendar of events 23-5

I N D E X T-W394 City God Temple Nanmen Matsu Temple Turtle Island 145
(Hsinchu) 151 289 TV 371
Taipei continued typhoons 358-9
travel seasons 52 City God Temple Nantian Temple 220 Tzu Chi 174
travel to/from 104-5 (Kincheng) 289 Nanyao Temple 220
travel within 105-7 New 18 Lords Temple V
walks 82-3, 83 City God Temple
Wanhua 61-4, 81, 88, (Lukang) 225 134-5 vacations 372-3
93-4, 98, 100 Official God of War vaccinations 369
Ximending 61-4, 81, 88, City God Temple (Tainan) Vase Rock 279
93-4, 98, 100, 60-1 259 Temple 260 vegetarian travellers 45
Xinyi 75-7, 78, 87, 92, Orthodox Luermen visas 104, 374
97-8, 99, 102, 78 Cixian Temple 72 volcanoes 359
Zhongshan 65-70, 77-8, Ciyou Temple 75 Matsu Temple 242 volunteering 374
84-5, 90-1, 95-7, 99, Confucius Temple Peichen Temple 306
101, 70 Puji Temple 112 W
Zhongzheng 54-61, 77, (Changhua) 220 Qingshan Temple 62-3
80-1, 87-8, 92-3, 98, Confucius Temple Qingshui Temple 82 Wai’ao 144-6
99, 60-1 Sanlong Temple 280 Walami Trail 186-7
(Hsinchu) 152 Stone Temple 246 walking, see hiking
Taipei 101 75 Confucius Temple Temple to the Lords of walking tours
Taipei Artist Village 59-60
Taipei Grand Mosque 65 (Tainan) 259 the Three Mountains Tainan 263, 263
Taipei World Trade Centre Confucius Temple 169 Taipei 82-3, 83
Tianhou Temple 63 Wang’an 310
77 (Taipei) 65 Tungching Temple 169 water, drinking 370
Taipingshan National Daitian Temple Tzushr Temple 125 water sports 40-1, see also
Water Fairy Temple 265 individual sports
Forest Recreation Area (Kaohsiung) 240-1 Wenwu Temple 233 waterfalls
149-50 Da-yi Temple 309 White Horse God Temple Baiyang Waterfall 179
Taitung 191-5 decorative arts 351-2 300 Cloud Pool Waterfall 214
Taitung County 187-97 Donglong Temple 276 Wind God Temple 260 Golden Waterfall 137
Taiwanese language 380-6 Dongyue Temple 262 Wufei Temple 265 Maolin Gorge Waterfall
Tamsui 107-11, 108 etiquette 351 Xiahai City God
Tangci Village 297 Fahua Temple 262 Temple 69 256
Tao people 314, 316 Fengtian Temple 215 Xingtian Temple 70 Sandiaoling Waterfall
Taoism 344 Foguangshan 251-2 Xuanzang Temple 233
Taroko Gorge 12, 177-8, 12 Fushan Temple 138 Xuejia Ciji Temple 262 Trail 139-40
Taroko National Park 49, Futian Temple 156 Yinshan Temple 107 Shifen Waterfall Park
166, 177-82, 178 Fuyou Temple 109 Zhenxing Temple 242
taxes 372 Glass Matsu Temple 224 Zhinan Temple 117-18 140
taxis 378 Grand Matsu Temple 257 Zinan Temple 232 Shui Yun Waterfall 164
tea 16, 22, 46, 93, 122, 154, Guandu Temple 112 Tianliao Moon World 265-6 Silver Stream Cave
155, 233, 16 Guangshan Temple 252 ticks 370
telephone services 373 history 348 Tienchi 314 Waterfall 117
temples 11, 21, 348-52 Huakuang Tati Temple time 373 Wufengqi Waterfall 147
18 Lords Temple 134 tipping 372 Wulai Waterfall 127-8, 28
accommodation 367 301 tofu 89, 44 Xiao Wulai Waterfall 131
Altar of Heaven 262 Kailung Temple 262 toilets 373 Wazihwei Nature Reserve
Anping Matsu Temple King of Medicine Temple Tomb of Ryukyuan Sailors 111
262 272 weather 18, 23, 24, 25, 32,
architecture 348-50 261-2 Tomb Sweeping Day 341 360, see also individual
Bao’an Temple 65-7, Kuanyin Pavilion 305 Tongpan 310 regions
350, 11 Lady Linshui’s Temple tourist information 373-4 weaving 353
Chaotian Temple 215 tours 77-8, see also boat websites, see internet
Chingszu Temple 168 265 tours, walking tours resources
Chung Tai Chan Temple Longcyuan Temple 245-6 traditional medicine 370 weights 371
231 Longshan Temple train travel 378-9 western Taiwan 49,
Cijin Tianhou Temple 243 travel to/from Taiwan 198-236, 199
City God Temple (Chiayi) (Lukang) 223 375-6 accommodation 198
215 Longshan Temple travel within Taiwan 376-9 climate 198
Treasure Hill 55 food 198
Map Pages 000 (Taipei) 63, 21 trekking, see hiking highlights 199
Photo Pages 000 Longshan Temple Tsou villages 212 travel seasons 198
Tungliang Banyan Tree 308 travel to/from 199-200
(Tamsui) 108-9 travel within 199-200
Luermen Matsu Temple

242
Madou Temple 242
Matsu Temple (Lukang)

223
Matsu Temple (Makung)

304-5
Matsu Temple (Nangan)

299
Nankunshen Temple 242

395

wetlands 357 Wuling Forest Recreation Xin Yangnyu Mud Pond Yonghe 86
whale watching 145 Area (Wuling Farm) 254 Youfu Pavilion 309
wildlife 360-4, see also 162-3, 162 Yuli 186
Xindian 118-19 Yushan National Park 16,
individual species Wulu 196-7
Wind Lions 289 Wushanding Mud Y 49, 198, 200-3, 201, 16
windsurfing 41, 308
women in Taiwan 340-1 Volcanoes 254, 359 Yami people 314 Z I N D E X W-Z
women’s health 370 Wushe Incident 227 Yangmingshan National
woodcarving 159, 351, Wutai 281 Zhonghe 86
Park 115-16 Zhongshan Hall 61-2
353 X Yeliu Geopark 135 Zinan Temple 232
work 374 Yenshui Fireworks zoos 245
Xibenyuan Temple Square
Wulai 14, 127-31, 128 64 Festival 266
Yingge 123-4
Xijju 299 Yoichi Hatta 358

396 NOTES

397 NOTES

398 NOTES