Taiwan is known for its towering mountains, and is mentioned as a “Mountainous Island”. The island is spotted with numerous mountains over 9843 feet. It is also home to Northeast Asia’s highest mountain, Jade Mountain, which is nearly 13,123 feet high. Besides mountains, beautiful coastal scenes are also part of Taiwan’s great natural asset.

Taiwan has world-class natural landscapes such as the awesome Taroko Gorge; it is the repository of true Chinese culture; its National Palace Museum is listed as one of the five top museums in the world; it has the world’s tallest certified building in Taipei 101; and it has the highest mountain in Northeast Asia, Yushan or Jade Mountain. We also have some of the friendliest people in the world, 24-hour bookstores and convenience shops, and bustling night markets—all of which imprint indelible memories in the minds of visitors.

And Taiwan offers a year-long series of exciting festivals such as the Lantern Festival, the Mazu (Goddess of the Sea) Culture Festival, Ghost Festival, aborigine harvest festivals, and countless others.

These events provide countless opportunities for joyful participation, and infinite chances to learn about Taiwan’s religious observances and living practices. If you like culture, Taiwan is the perfect destination for you!

Taiwan is not usually high on the list of destinations for Western tourists. Perhaps this is because the island’s international reputation has been shaped more by its IT prowess and longstanding political disputes with mainland China than its culture or tourism, and so many assume that there is very little, if anything, of interest for the casual visitor. However, despite this general perception, Taiwan actually boasts some very impressive scenic sites, and Taipei is a vibrant center of culture and entertainment. The island is also a center of Chinese pop culture with a huge and vibrant entertainment industry. Taiwanese cuisine is also highly regarded among other Asians.

Visa Information

Citizens of 31 countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and most other EU members and Switzerland, may enter Taiwan visa-free for up to 30 days (90 days for citizens of Japan and the United Kingdom) provided that their passports do not expire within six months. Residents of Hong Kong and Macau who hold valid SAR passports should apply for an entry permit, which can be done on arrival or online before departure if they were born in their respective territories or have been to Taiwan previously after 1983. From July 2008, holders of mainland Chinese passports may visit Taiwan for tourism if they join an approved guided tour. For further information consult the Bureau of Consular Affairs

By plane

Taiwan’s main international gateway is Taiwan Taoyuan near Taipei, with Kaohsiung a distant second and very limited international services to Taichung and Hualien.

• Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) is Taiwan’s main international airport. Located to the southwest of Taipei, it has good connections to major Asian cities and North America. The airport has direct buses to Taipei, Taichung and other nearby cities. Alternatively, the U-Bus company operates shuttles to HSR Taoyuan station for high-speed train connections to Hsinchu, Taichung, Chiayi, Tainan, and Kaohsiung; and to Jhongli Transit Station, for mainline TRA train and southbound bus connections to Tainan, Hsinchu etc.

• Songshan Airport (TSA) in downtown Taipei serves mostly domestic flights only, plus limited daily charter flights to mainland China.

• The Kaohsiung (KHH) domestic and international airports are located in the same complex. International flights are only to other Asian cities, as well as charter flights to mainland China.

• Taichung Airport (RMQ) serves domestic flights as well as international flights to Hong Kong and Vietnam and cross-strait charters to mainland China.

• Hualien Airport (HUN) serves domestic flights as well as some international charter flights to Japan, South Korea and Macau. It is also one of the airports designated to serve cross-strait direct flights.

In addition, the airports at Makung, Taitung and Kinmen have also been designated for cross-strait flights to mainland China, though of these, only Makung currently has regular flights to mainland China.

After a break of 60 years, regular cross-Strait flights between Taiwan and China started on July 4, 2008. From December 15 2008, the frequency of these flights were increased to daily, and travel times on some popular routes have been reduced significantly as flights no longer have to be routed through Hong Kong airspace. Previously, the usual practice was to fly via either Hong Kong or Macau, which have good connections both ways.

Major airlines

The main Taiwanese carriers are China Airlines and EVA Air.  EVA Air is ranked one of the safest airlines in the world; as a result, many opt for EVA Air whenever possible.

• AirAsia X (LCC) from/to Kuala Lumpur only.
• Cathay Pacific
• China Airlines
• EVA Airways
• Jetstar Asia (LCC) from/to Singapore only.
• KLM Asia -
• Malaysia Airlines
• Northwest Silkair
• Singapore Airlines
• Thai Airways -
• United Airlines
• Vietnam Airlines

For up-to-date information on cheap flights, check the advertisement pages of one of the three local daily English newspapers (see media below)

By boat

As of 2008, all scheduled passenger ferry services between Taiwan and Japan have been suspended. Star Cruises operates limited cruise services from Keelung and Kaohsiung to Hong Kong and various Japanese islands.

From Fuzhou, China, there are two daily ferries to Matsu in Taiwan. Take bus 69 from Fuzhou train station to Wuyilu, then bus 73 to the end station Mawei harbor. The ferry costs 350 RMB from China and 1300 NTD from Taiwan (roughly 35EUR). The trip takes two hours. The old website, mit30.com.tw, appears to be down. From Matsu, there are two daily ferries to Keelung in Taiwan. The price is 1050 NTD (roughly 25EUR), which includes a bed, as the trip takes 10 hours.

At Mawei harbor in Fuzhou there is an opportunity to buy an inclusive ticket all the way to Taipei that includes the Fuzhou to Matsu ferry above and a domestic flight from Matsu to Taipei (or Taichung). The price (780RMB) includes transfer between port and airport on Matsu, and a coupon for lunch at the airport while you wait for your connection. The ferry leaves Fuzhou at 9:30AM. Get to Mawei at 8AM to buy tickets.

Things to See:

• Taipei 101
• Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall
• Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hal
• National Theater Hall
• National Taiwan University
• The Grand Hotel
• Longshan Temple
• Red Theater
• Dihua Street
• Baoan Temple
• Confucius Temple
• Xingtian Templ

Hot Springs

There are three main places to have a soak in the Taipei area:

• Beitou
• Wulai
• Yangmingshan National Park

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Posted in Taiwan by James Gray No Comments Yet