Welcome to
Taiwan! In this edition of Travel in Taiwan, as always, we take you around this island and its offshore islands; but since most international travelers come in through Taipei and spend a good deal of their time in and around the city, this time we thought we’d spend more than the usual amount of time in the capital region. Our Feature is an in-depth exploration of a dynamic metropolis that has gone through a fundamental change in look and personality over the past two decades and more. The “Taipei brand” is today a strong one on the international stage. For travelers from places far away, the images that come to mind when the word “Taipei” pops up are likely to be of superb shopping, of deep culture – and even of romance. We show you where you’ll find all these, along the way also providing suggestions on fine places to dine, cup a good brew of coffee, and hug a pillow. In our Island Feast section our focus is on premium-quality Taipei restaurants serving international specialty fare. Head out on culinary-culture expeditions exploring the gastronomic gems that Turkey, the rest of the Mediterranean area, and the Caribbean region have presented to the world. Outside the city, we jump off a cliff – paragliding – at Green Bay on the north coast, we also explore the old mining settlements of Jiufen and Jinguashi on the northeast coast, which look down on the ocean and are today popular tourist destinations, we ride the touristoriented Pingxi Branch Line through a beautiful valley in the mountains inland from Jiufen/ Jinguashi, and we plunge into Leofoo Village Theme Park in northwestern Hsinchu County for a day, which presents you with “flying carpets, prehistoric creatures, jungle landscapes, and cowboy standoffs.” These exciting trips await, respectively, in our Adventure, 5 Things to Do, Railway Travel, and Theme Park Joy departments. Now, off to points more distant. In our A Day in the Big City segment the big-shouldered city of Kaohsiung, in the far south, is laid at your feet, with an emphasis on leisurely metro, bike, and boat-cruise travel. And furthest from Taipei, but in no way least, in Hidden Treasures we present the Kinmen Islands, just off the mainland China coast, a “treasure-house of traditional architecture and military history.” Enjoy your time with us!
Joe Y. Chou, Ph.D. Director General Tourism Bureau, MOTC, R.O.C.