The Beautiful Island – Ihla Formosa
Some travel tips
Acem Meditation retreat in Taiwan 2009
Taiwan is a fantastic travelspot. As the Lonely Planet guide to Taiwan says: ”With lush jungles, pulsating cities, great beaches, excellent hiking and biking, not to mention some of the world’s best hot springs, Taiwan cuts a figure as one of the most diverse destinations in Asia.” The Taiwanese are extremely friendly and will often go out of their way to help you, even if they do so in broken or sometimes non-existent English. Below you will find a few travel tips, and if they whet your appetite it is well worth investing in a guidebook.
Where to go
Depending on what you want to do, you can travel to different parts of the island in virtually no time – by rental car, bus, train or plane. But it is also possible to spend most of your time in or near the capital, Taipei, which has more than enough to offer for a brief visit. Check www.lonelyplanet.com.
You can also combine a visit to Taiwan with a visit to China, Hong Kong or a number of other Asian destinations. It is now possible to fly directly from Taiwan to several cities in China (or the other way around), though so far only on weekends; on weekdays you still need to travel via Hong Kong or Macao.
Where to stay
Unless you are on a tight budget, you should allow yourself at least a night or two at the extraordinary Grand Hotel with its traditional Chinese palace-style architecture. See www.grand-hotel.org.
If you need to save money you can choose between a number of ”Youth Activity Centers of China Youth Corps”, most of which are in fact run as quite decent, though unluxurious, hotels. Chientan Youth Activity Center in Taipei is very close to the Grand Hotel. See www.cyh.org.tw.
What to eat
Chinese culture is renowned for its cuisine. In Taiwan, you are never far away from food. Taiwan (especially Taipei) is a paradise for vegetarians, whether you prefer small street stalls at night markets, budget cafeterias, or more expensive and often quite exotic and specialised gourmet restaurants. You can choose from establishments serving buffets, set meals or cooking to order – or a combination of the three. Get an overview at www.happycow.net.
How to travel
Even if you want to traverse the island, a high-speed railway from north to south has greatly reduced the need for flying. See www.thsrc.com.tw.
There are also rail passes for most of the island, as well as inexpensive buses that will take you anywhere.
If you are brave, you can rent a car. If you are even braver, you can rent a scooter or a bicycle, but you take your life in your hands! In a big city like Taipei cycling is only recommended along the bicycle routes in the many riverside parks, but this is highly recommended (old.taipeitravel.net).
In Taipei, the MRT (metro) is a fast and cheap way of getting to most places.
If you need to take a taxi, you can usually get one simply by walking into the street and looking slightly lost, but make sure you have your destination written in Chinese.
Buildings to see
Seize your chance to ascend the world’s tallest building, Taipei 101, before construction of its taller competitor in Dubai is completed. See www.taipei-101.com.tw.
Don’t miss the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall (recently renamed the National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall but then renamed again), loved by many, hated by some, with a design reminiscent of the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing, China. See en.wikipedia.org.
And if you do not stay at the Grand Hotel, make sure you at least get to see it, preferably both inside and out.
Museums to visit
The world’s largest and finest collection of Chinese artefacts is located at the National Palace Museum in the outskirts of Taipei. While the museum is huge, it only displays a tenth of its collection at a time, and there is a new exhibition every other month. See www.npm.gov.tw.
But there are other possibilities too: minorities museums, museums of political repression, war museums, hot spring museums, world religion museums, art museums, maritime museums, glass museums, historical and prehistorical museums, astronomical museums, science museums, literature museums, crab museums, salt museums, Coca Cola museums, Barbie doll museums, tea museums and of course a nougat museum - what else?
Temples to admire
The temples per capita ratio in Taiwan is probably higher than anywhere else in the world. Cities and countryside alike are virtually littered with temples ranging from tiny streetside Earth God shrines to gigantic Buddhist monasteries with an affiliated membership of more than a million.
Some people travel to Taiwan for the sole purpose of visiting some of the large Buddhist centres, such as the enormous Dharma Drum Mountain outside Taipei (www.ddm.org.tw), Fo Guang Shan in Hualien (www.fgs.org.tw), Tzu Chi Foundation in Kaohsiung (www.tzuchi.org) or Chung Tai Chan Monastery in Puli (www.ctworld.org.tw). Equally popular with visitors from East and Southeast Asia are the places of worship belonging to a religion most Westerners have never heard of, the I-kuan Tao (www.with.org).
In Taipei, visit Lungshan Temple (www.orientalarchitecture.com) and Hsing Tien Temple (www.pbase.com) for fervent local religious activity. Visit the Confucius Temple (english.taipei.gov.tw) to get an impression of a state-sponsored cult with more limited popular attraction.
Taiwan also has Christian churches for a wide range of denominations, Muslim mosques, Baha’i temples, a synagogue in a room in the Sheraton, and a large variety of arcane religious groups and secret societies.
Birds to watch
Avian life is abundant in Taiwan – even in the capital Taipei. Along the Shuangxi River, you can see cormorants and herons; in the Botanical Garden you may catch sight of the rare Malaysian Night Heron (asleep during the day, but the garden is open from 4am to 10pm). (www.birdingintaiwan.com or en.wikipedia.org).
Hot springs to dip into
For many locals, hot springs are a way of life, the prime method of relaxation – besides meditation, of course. Some hot springs are organised as large pools for both sexes wearing bathing suits, others are divided into men’s and women’s compartments and do not allow bathing suits, and others again have small family rooms. The water ranges from the highly sulphurous to solutions containing less smelly minerals. Around Taipei, the main areas are Yangmingshan (high altitude, sulphurous), Xin Beitou (accessible by metro) and Wulai (no smell). See smarttravelasia.com/taipei.htm
Flowers to pick (or perhaps not)
In April, the Taiwan tung oil tree (images.google.com) blossoms in Northern Taiwan, especially along the coast, while lilies (images.google.com) flourish in the beautiful Taroko Gorge on the east side of the island.
Culture to enjoy
On the one hand, Taiwan is renowned for its tasteless, but exceedingly charming popular culture: synthesised pop music, neon-lit night markets selling an unimaginable variety of rubbish, striptease of all kinds and for every occasion (including weddings, funeral processions or celebrations of popular gods!), not to mention karaoke and its variant KTV.
On the other hand, there is no lack of culture catering for more sophisticated tastes. The National Concert Hall stands on one side of the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, while the National Theatre stands on the other. Performances ranges from the traditional Chinese, sometimes even aboriginal, to Western classics or modern pieces. If you ever have a chance to watch and listen to the Han-Tang Yuefu ensemble (see www.youtube.com), you will not have lived in vain.
People to meet
Taiwan has a population of 23 million, most of whom stem from mainland China and speak some variety of Chinese – either Taiwanese (the majority), Hakka or usually strongly accented Mandarin (which is the major official language). Less than 300,000 people belong to the 13 Malayo-Polynesian tribes that inhabited Taiwan before the Chinese began to seep in 500 years ago, and these are now strongly encouraged to preserve their dying languages. In addition to a considerable number of Westerners, you will also often see foreign workers from the Philippines, Vietnam or Indonesia. Most visitors to the island receive a very warm welcome.
Mountains to climb
Taiwan is extremely mountainous, with more than a hundred peaks above 3000 m, including the highest of them all, the beautiful Jade Mountain (3950 m). For a survey of walking trails, see trail.forest.gov.tw.
Even in Taipei, you are never far away from mountains. In just half an hour you can climb the range that goes from Wuchang Street to Nangang and see the entire city in one direction and an unbroken landscape of mountains in the other. It takes only a little longer to get to the beautiful Yangmingshan mountain trails.
One way of seeing Taiwan’s mountains is to take a plane from the north of the island to the south.
Politics to grind your teeth at
Taiwan has a new and very vibrant democracy, so vibrant that you are quite likely to witness a demonstration or two during your visit. After more than 50 years of Kuomintang rule, the Democratic Progressive Party took over in 2000, but a reformed Kuomintang is now back in power, and the former president has been arrested on charges of corruption, money-laundering and other crimes. One of the controversial issues regards the status of Taiwan. Its official name is Republic of China, but most governments around the world do not recognise this country at all, and due to pressure from mainland China it can only participate in international sports events and organisations under the name ”Chinese Taipei”. The current president is trying to manoeuvre within these limits to create a workable relationship with China and the rest of the world, while his opponents accuse him of selling out.
Acem Meditation retreat in Taiwan 2009
