Travel in Taiwan(NO.129 2025 5/6)

EXPERT TALK

MAJI TREATS

CITY WALKS

TAIPEI’S XINYI DISTRICT

GOOD FOOD

LATE-NIGHT AND EARLY-MORNING TAIPEI DINING OPTIONS

Taichung

Dasyueshan National Forest Recreation Area Hakka Culture in Dongshi and Shigang Districts Wineries in Taichung

Enjoy a combination of Character and Quality! Taiwanese Japanese

The first

hotel

of the Mitsui Garden Hotels chain outside Japan

A new Taipei landmark, MGH Mitsui Garden Hotel Taipei Zhongxiao has an interior design inspired by Taiwan’s natural beauty with artwork created by Taiwanese designers. The guestrooms are relaxing spaces that stand out for their exceptional Japanese quality.

On the top floor you will find a Japanese-style bath area with breathtaking views of the city.

Enjoy a delicate buffet breakfast prepared with carefully selected fresh ingredients from Taiwan.

Conveniently situated just a few steps from Exit 3 of MRT Zhongxiao Xinsheng Station (Blue and Orange lines).

Publisher's Note

Dear Traveler,

Welcome to Taiwan! And if still at home overseas and considering overseas travel possibilities – We invite you to Taiwan! We offer the Travel in Taiwan pages that follow as your window into the world of cultural, culinary, recreational, and natural-world experiences that await you, unique to this friendly and easy-to-navigate land of islands.

Our regular triumvirate of feature articles looks at central Taiwan’s sunny Taichung region, which runs from the Taiwan Strait to the foothills and up to the high central mountains. In our main feature, you’ll revel in the scenic glories of the mountainous Dasyueshan National Forest Recreation Area and in foothills Dongshi District, enjoying “walks, wildlife, and a whistle-stop tour of Taichung’s former logging industry.”

In another Taichung outing, the focus is the culture of the Hakka people in Shigang and Dongshi districts, where you’ll visit the highly informative Dongshi Hakka Cultural Park and “find heritage houses, curious temples, and a way of life that has remained little changed by the passage of time.” And in our final Taichung exploration, it’s a happy tour of three premium wineries spread out across flatter areas between the foothills and the Taiwan Strait, producing winners of prestigious international awards since the early 2010s – makers of everything from grape wine to sake to shochu to taro and sweet-potato wine, built on the best of local farm produce.

Elsewhere, in our regular City Walks file, take a stimulating walkabout through Taipei’s Xinyi District, Taiwan’s most stylish city quarter, bristling with “sleek big and bold architectural statements and sophisticated malls/ department stores, restaurants, cafés, nightspots, theaters…” – and nationally important heritage-architecture complexes.

In Good Food the delicious theme is Taipei late-night eats, with an introductory jaunt to night-owl-favorite joints for beef noodles, barbecue skewers, cold noodles, congee, soy milk soup with fried pastry stick, four-herb soup, and other classics. And in Expert Talk , meet the innovative CEO of Maji Treats, one of the country’s young and growing legion of select shops “breathing new life into Taiwanese food products and crafts, working closely with local artisans and small farmers,” preserving the island’s rich cultural traditions with the demanding modern consumer segment as target.

Intrigued? Whether just-arrived or soon on your way to our beautiful home, the people of Taiwan welcome you with open arms and an early-summer smile!

TAIWAN TOURISM ADMINISTRATION

MOTC, R.O.C.

台灣觀光雙月刊

Travel in Taiwan

The official bimonthly English magazine of the Taiwan Tourism Administration (Advertisement) MAY/JUNE, 2025 Tourism Administration, MOTC First published Jan./Feb. 2004 ISSN: 18177964 GPN: 2009305475 Price: NT$200

中華郵政台北雜字第1286號執照登記為雜誌交寄 Copyright @ 2025 Tourism Administration. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form without written permission is prohibited.

MAGAZINE IS SOLD AT:

1. Wu-Nan Culture Plaza, No. 6, Zhongshan Rd., Central Dist., Taichung City 40043 886-4-2226-0330   http://www.wunanbooks.com.tw/

2. National Bookstore, 1F., No. 209, Songjiang Rd., Zhongshan Dist., Taipei City 10485 886-2-2518-0207 http://www.govbooks.com.tw/

PUBLISHER

Taiwan Tourism Administration

EDITING CONSULTANT

T. C. Chou

PUBLISHING ORGANIZATION

Taiwan Tourism Administration, Ministry of Transportation and Communications

CONTACT

International Division, Taiwan Tourism Administration Add: 9F, 290 Zhongxiao E. Rd., Sec. 4, Taipei City, 10694, Taiwan

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E-mail: tad@tad.gov.tw Website: http://taiwan.net.tw

PRODUCER

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ADDRESS

1F, No. 5, Aly. 20, Ln. 265, Sec. 4, Xinyi Rd., Taipei City 10681, Taiwan

Tel: 886-2-2325-2323 Fax: 886-2-2701-5531

E-MAIL

editor@v-media.com.tw

GENERAL MANAGER

David Hu

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Johannes Twellmann

ENGLISH EDITOR

Rick Charette

DIRECTOR OF PLANNING & EDITING DEPT

Joe Lee

MANAGING EDITOR

Anna Li

EDITORS

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CONTRIBUTORS

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PHOTOGRAPHERS

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DESIGNERS

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ADMINISTRATIVE DEPT

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WHERE YOU CAN PICK UP A COPY OF TRAVEL IN TAIWAN

ABROAD

Offices of the Taiwan Tourism Administration in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Frankfurt, and London. Overseas Offices of the Ministry of Economic Affairs; Overseas Offices of the Central News Agency; EVA Air, and other selected international airlines; selected travel agencies in Asia, North America, and Europe; and other organizations.

IN TAIWAN

Tourism Administration Visitor Center; Tourism Administration; Taiwan Visitors Association; foreign representative offices in Taiwan; Tourism Administration service counters at Taiwan

Taoyuan Int’l Airport and Kaohsiung Int’l Airport; major tourist hotels; Taipei World Trade Center; VIP lounges of international airlines; major tourist spots in Taipei; visitor centers of cities and counties around Taiwan; offices of national scenic area administrations; public libraries

This magazine is printed on FSC® COC certified paper. Any product with the FSC® logo on it comes from a forest that has been responsibly maintained and harvested in a sustainable manner.

This magazine was printed with soy ink. Soy ink is said to be more environmentally friendly than petroleum-based ink and to make it easier to recycle paper.

ONLINE

Read Travel in Taiwan online at www.travelintaiwan.net. Find back issues (PDF version) on the publication platform issuu at issuu.com/travelintaiwan

(PDF)

Dongshi Forestry Cultural Park (photo by Ray Chang)

Cities, You Can Get Your

Fix Almost Anywhere

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©Penghu County Govt.

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©Penghu County Govt.

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©Changhua County Govt.

Festive Fun During the Hot Summer

Happenings and Events in Taiwan

PENGHU COUNTY 1

Mar 5 – Jul 29

PENGHU INTERNATIONAL FIREWORKS FESTIVAL

澎湖國際海上花火節

Each year highly anticipated, the Penghu International Fireworks Festival will feature a Snoopy theme in 2025, celebrating the beloved cartoon character’s 75 th anniversary. Fireworks shows will be held at the Guanyinting Recreation Area in Magong City on Mondays and Thursdays throughout May and June and on Tuesdays in July. A trial fireworks display is scheduled for April 28. www.penghu-nsa.gov.tw

CHANGHUA COUNTY 2

May 30 – Jun 1

LUKANG DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL 鹿港慶端陽系列活動

This is a vibrant and historically significant annual event held in Lukang, Changhua County. It is celebrated for its traditional rituals and thrilling dragon-boat races on the Fulu River, which attract both local and international participants. The festival features exciting competitions and showcases the region’s rich cultural heritage through artistic displays and festive community gatherings.

tourism.chcg.gov.tw; lukang-dragonboat.net (Chinese)

TAITUNG COUNTY 3

Jun 21 - Sep 9

TAIWAN EAST COAST LAND ARTS FESTIVAL – MOONLIGHT SEA CONCERT 東海岸大地藝術節暨月光・海音樂會

The Moonlight Sea Concert series, part of the Taiwan East Coast Land Arts Festival, offers a unique blend of art, music, and coastal beauty. Held under full moons from June to September, it features diverse artists performing against the backdrop of the Pacific Ocean, creating a magical atmosphere. These concerts connect audiences with nature, promoting harmony and showcasing the region’s artistic and cultural vibrancy. www.eastcoast-nsa.gov.tw

©East Coast Nat. Scenic Area

This festival is an effervescent celebration of global cultures, specifically designed for children and families. The festival brings together international performing groups, artists, and educators to share traditional music, dance, games, and folklore. It fosters cross-cultural understanding and provides a fun, interactive learning experience encouraging children to explore and appreciate the world’s diverse cultural heritage.

www.yicfff.tw

TAIPEI CITY Aug 6-30

This fun happening, held in Taipei City’s Yanping Riverside Park (Dadaocheng Wharf), boasts a shimmering waterside light corridor, dazzling fireworks displays, and vendors selling delectable foods and refreshing summer drinks. One of Taiwan’s premier summer festivals, it attracts both local and international visitors who come to savor the historic charm of Taipei’s old neighborhood of Dadaocheng and its picturesque riverside setting. www.travel.taipei

TAITUNG COUNTY 6 May 17 – Sep 21

Held at the Green Island White Terror Memorial Park of the National Human Rights Museum, this event commemorates Taiwan’s White Terror period (1949-1991), during which political prisoners were forcibly detained on Green Island and subjected to “ideological reform” and forced labor. Through art, it confronts the historical trauma of this era, seeking to resist the erasure of memory and foster international dialog. www.nhrm.gov.tw

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©Yilan County Govt.

©Wang Te-Yu

©Rawus Tjuljaviya

©Taipei City Govt.

MORE THAN SUN AND SEA

EDUCATIVE MUSEUMS AND CULTURAL SITES IN THE SOUTH/SOUTHEAST

To boost tourism in the south and southeast of Taiwan, the Taiwan Tourism Administration is currently promoting ten educational venues south of the Tropic of Cancer. These cultural sites offer visitors exploring the southern half of the island, which is best known for it’s hot weather and attractive beaches, additional options for in-depth, slow-travel experiences, showcasing the region’s diverse artistic and cultural appeal.

Chiayi County

Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum

國立故宮博物院南部院區

This museum, an architectural masterpiece, showcases Asian art and culture, emphasizing Buddhist art and artifacts from southern Asia. Its design integrates elements of traditional Chinese calligraphy and inkwash painting. south.npm.gov.tw

Tainan City

Chimei Museum

奇美博物館

Renowned for its extensive collection of Western art, musical instruments, and natural history artifacts, this privately owned museum provides a grand and impressive experience, reminiscent of a European palace. It notably houses one of the world’s largest violin collections. www.chimeimuseum.org

National Museum of Taiwan Literature

國立臺灣文學館

Dedicated to preserving and promoting Taiwan’s rich literary heritage, this museum offers insights into the island’s history and culture through its writers and poets. It is housed in a historic building that served as a police station during the Japanese colonial era. www.nmtl.gov.tw

Museum of Archaeology, Tainan Branch of National Museum of Prehistory

國立臺灣史前文化博物館 - 南科考古館

This museum displays archaeological findings discovered during the Southern Taiwan Science Park development process, showcasing the area’s history before modern civilization. It features numerous burial artifacts. www.nmp.gov.tw

Kaohsiung City

National Science and Technology Museum

國立科學工藝博物館

Ideal for families and science enthusiasts, this interactive museum features engaging, hands-on exhibits. One of Taiwan’s first and largest science museums, it makes learning fun. www.nstm.gov.tw

National Kaohsiung Center for the ArtsWeiwuying

衛武營國家藝術文化中心

A modern architectural marvel, this stunning performing arts center hosts a wide range of performances, including music, theater, and dance. Its design draws inspiration from Kaohsiung’s ubiquitous banyan trees. www.npac-weiwuying.org

Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum

佛光山佛陀紀念館

A major Buddhist cultural center, this impressive museum is home to a towering Buddha statue and numerous exhibits on Buddhist art and history. Its main Buddha statue is among the world’s tallest. www.fgsbmc.org.tw

Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum

Pingtung County

National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium

國立海洋生物博物館

A must-see for marine-life lovers, this world-class aquarium facility showcases a wide variety of animals, including sharks, whales, and penguins. It also has one of Asia’s largest underwater tunnels. www.nmmba.gov.tw

Taitung County

National Museum of Prehistory, Kangle Main Building

國立臺灣史前文化博物館 - 康樂本館

Focusing on Taiwan’s indigenous cultures, this museum introduces visitors to the island’s prehistory, offering a fascinating glimpse into its earliest inhabitants. Its collection features artifacts from the Beinan culture, a key prehistoric culture in Taiwan. www.nmp.gov.tw

National Museum of Prehistory, Peinan Site Park

國立臺灣史前文化博物館 - 卑南遺址公園

The important Beinan archaeological site, the remains of a major Taiwan prehistoric settlement, is preserved in this park. The site is notable for its numerous slate coffins and artifacts, offering insights into the Beinan culture. www.nmp.gov.tw

National Human Rights Museum, Green Island White Terror Memorial Park

國家人權博物館白色恐怖綠島紀念園區

This memorial park commemorates the victims of Taiwan”s White Terror period (1949-1991). An important historical site, it allows reflection on human rights. The park is located on Green Island, formerly used as a base to detain political prisoners. www.nhrm.gov.tw

Penghu County

Xiaomen Geological Museum

小門地質探索館

This museum focuses on the Penghu Islands’ unique geological landscapes, offering a great opportunity to learn about the archipelago’s geological history. It is situated near the famous Whale Cave sea erosion landform.

National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium

National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts - Weiwuying

National Museum of Prehistory, Kangle Main Building

National Museum of Taiwan Literature

Culture & Art

Editor's Choice

Concerts, Theater, Exhibitions, Festivals, Shows

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Music

2025

JU

PERCUSSION

GROUP 《PERCUSSION AND FRIENDS》

2025朱宗慶打擊樂團第二季音樂會《打擊 樂與他的好朋友們》

May 17 ( National Concert Hall, Taipei City )

Jun 7 ( National Taichung Theater, Taichung City )

Jun 8 ( National Kaohsiung Center for the ArtsWeiwuying, Kaohsiung City )

Ju Percussion Group, a world-renowned Taiwanese ensemble celebrated for pushing the boundaries of percussion music, presents its 2025 Percussion and Friends concert series. This annual highlight showcases the group’s virtuosity and innovative spirit through vibrant, dynamic performances that blend diverse musical styles, cross-genre collaborations, and guest artists, promising an unforgettable experience. jpg.org.tw

2

THEATER OF THE TIMES: CONTEMPORARY IMAGES AND THEIR MANY INTERPRETATIONS

時代劇場：當代影像的複數演繹

Mar 29 – Jul 13

Taipei Fine Arts Museum ( Taipei City )

Theater of the Times examines reportage photography’s evolution from analog to digital, highlighting contemporary photographers’ “antireportage” approach. Using Hiroshi Sugimoto’s photo series Theaters and drawing on Susan Sontag and Solomon LeWitt, the exhibition showcases 17 artists exploring themes like Hidden Protagonists and Visual Landscapes, questioning how modern documentary images reflect reality. www.tfam.museum

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GODS AND ALL SENTIENT BEINGS

諸神與眾生

Jan 23 – Jun 29

National Museum of Fine Arts ( Taichung City )

Japanese artist Kusama Yayoi (b. 1929) is a leading figure in contemporary art, renowned for her vibrant and immersive works. Spanning painting, sculpture, performance, and installation, her diverse practice is showcased in this exhibition of creations from 1951 to 2005. Featuring 70 works, including Dots Obsession , the exhibition invites visitors into Kusama’s world of infinite dots, exploring her artistic journey and celebrating the transformative power of art.

www.ntmofa.gov.tw

Exhibition

Exhibition

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5

Editor's Choice

Opera/Concert 4

LES MISÉRABLES STAGED

CONCERT SPECTACULAR

音樂劇《悲慘世界》40周年紀念版音樂 會世界巡演

Jun 11 – Jul 6

( National Concert Hall, Taipei City )

This is a large-scale, concert-style rendition of the renowned musical Les Misérables , prioritizing the powerful score and vocal performances over traditional staging. Featuring a massive orchestra and a star-studded cast, the production brings the iconic songs of the musical to life in a grand and immersive experience, designed for large venues and emphasizing the emotional depth of the story and music. The production is currently touring the world to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the musical.

npac-ntch.org

Festival 5

TAIWAN TRADITIONAL THEATRE FESTIVAL

臺灣戲曲藝術節

Apr 11 – Jun 8

( National Center for Traditional Arts, Taipei City )

This annual festival, organized by the National Center for Traditional Arts, showcases established and emerging groups, highlighting the rich heritage and evolution of Taiwanese performing arts. A key draw is its innovative reinterpretations of classic stories. For instance, the 2025 festival blends time travel and AI with traditional opera, demonstrating the festival’s commitment to both preservation and evolution.

tttc.ncfta.gov.tw

LOUISE BOURGEOIS

路易絲．布爾喬亞

Mar 15 – Jun 30

( Fubon Art Museum, Taipei City ) Exhibition 6

This is the first major exhibition in Taiwan featuring works by French-American artist Louise Bourgeois (1911-2010). Presented are over 60 of her iconic creations, including her Spider sculptures and Cells series. Organized thematically around motherhood, family, and healing, the exhibition reveals how Bourgeois transformed personal pain into powerful art. Visitors will witness her unique ability to express deep emotions through enduring works, a testament to her lifelong exploration of the human psyche. www.fubonartmuseum.org

Out and About in Dasyueshan

Walks, Wildlife, and a Whistle-stop Tour of Taichung’s Former Logging Industry

TEXT AMI BARNES PHOTOS RAY CHANG

Remote and rugged, Taichung’s Heping District stretches deep into Taiwan’s mountainous interior. Travelers who wend their way up its winding backroads will soon find themselves dwarfed by seemingly endless forests. Up here, the views are fresh, the air is tree-scented, and a wild avian chorus provides the music — in short, it’s the perfect place for quiet communion with nature.

The border between the Taichung City districts of Dongshi and Heping delineates two areas of distinct character. Genteel Dongshi offers mile after mile of easy bike trails and Hakka settlements with many temples, fruit farms, and filling food. Higher-elevation Heping, meanwhile, is wilder. Up here, maples and cherry trees mark the passage of time, and as you ascend, the hiking trails quickly begin to outnumber the roads – and this also happens to be one of Taiwan’s premier bird-spotting locations. The thread marrying these two contiguous but contrasting districts is the vestigial presence of the region’s long-defunct logging industry. Over the following pages, you will find more than enough tangentially logging-related attractions to fill a varied two- or three-day excursion.

Dasyueshan National Forest Recreation Area

If you open up a map and trace a finger up the winding route of Dasyueshan/Daxueshan* Forest Road, you’ll see that it quickly leaves the urban parts of Dongshi behind, then passes through a few agricultural areas before diving headlong into the unbroken mass of green stretching along Taiwan’s mountainous north-south spine. Replicating this finger-walking journey by car or bus brings an added dimension. As your vehicle climbs, you’ll pass orchards with oranges and peaches – the slopes ensnared in a messy spiderweb of trellises and waterpipes. Crack open a window and you’ll notice the atmosphere begin to shift. First, the mix of birdsong changes, then gradually cooler air begins to slip through – its earthy-sweet coldness a blessing for anyone prone to motion sickness. By the time you arrive at the entrance to Dasyueshan National Forest Recreation Area, you’ll find yourself surrounded by dense forest and greeted by temperatures a full ten degrees Celsius lower than the urban areas you’ve just left behind.

Logging equipment exhibit inside the Dasyueshan Visitor Center

Mountain scenery in the Dasyueshan National Forest Recreation Area

This part of Taiwan was first inhabited by members of the Atayal indigenous people. Indeed, a significant proportion of today’s Heping District’s inhabitants – a little over a third – classify themselves as Atayal. To their ancestors, the area around Mt. Dasyue was known as “Babo Rinisan” or “The Mountain of Tearful Farewells,” recalling the southern sub-tribes’ tradition of escorting young women on their way to marry into the northern sub-tribes. Upon reaching the point where the two groups’ hunting grounds met, they would say their goodbyes to the brides-to-be and head home heavy-hearted. The mountain’s current official name, although inarguably less poignant, also reveals a snippet of Taiwan’s history; it was bestowed by the Japanese during their colonial rule of Taiwan (1895-1945), who decided the grasslands up near the summit of Mt. Dasyue resembled the landscape of Hokkaido’s Daisetsuzan Volcano Group**.

Despite leaving their toponymic mark on the map, the Japanese left the forests here relatively untouched – they had enough on their hands with the extensive logging operations in other areas like Alishan and Taipingshan. Instead, it was the post-war Kuomintang (Nationalist) government that designated Dasyueshan a forestry operation zone and – with assistance from the U.S. – set about establishing Taiwan’s first industrialized lumber extraction facility. At its peak, Dasyueshan was the largest timber producer in East Asia, but gradually production declined, and after logging ceased in 1988 management was turned over to the Forestry Bureau (www.forest.gov.tw, renamed Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency in 2023), which transitioned the area into a recreation and conservation zone. Today, this national forest recreation area is one of 19 scattered across Taiwan’s main island, its seasonal beauty and biodiversity abundance drawing visitors from near and far.

After entering the area, the Dasyueshan Visitor Center presents the logical jumping-off point for your adventures. Located an 8km drive from the forest recreation area’s ticket gate, this is where you can find maps outlining the park’s trail network, get advice from knowledgeable staff, fill your water bottle, pick up leaflets introducing the local wildlife, and check out which species have been spotted where on an interactive sightings chart. The center also has displays detailing the park’s flora, fauna, and history, as well as a little glimpse into the work undertaken by park rangers. And if you scale the steps leading to the exterior fourth-floor viewing platform, you might be able to watch the sea of clouds lapping at the lower elevation slopes as the sun sets behind Mt. Yuanzuei.

*Tongyong Pinyin romanization (“Dasyueshan”) is used for place names within the forest recreation area; elsewhere you might see Hanyu Pinyin (“Daxueshan”/“Mt. Daxue”).

**The Kanji characters for Daisetsuzan are identical to the Chinese characters for Dasyueshan

Skidway Trail

Hiking the Trails

One primary attraction for visiting Dasyueshan is the area’s network of hiking trails. Even if you stay a couple of nights, you would struggle to explore all of them in satisfying depth. The longest walk within the confines of the park is the 9.2km Shaolai-Siaosyueshan National Trail (part of an even longer national trail that connects to the dramatically exposed peak of Mt. Yuanzuei). This route kicks off close to the ticket gate and climbs through a dreamy forest populated by huge hemlocks and proud pines. On clear days sunlight filters through the upper canopy, casting the forest floor in dappled shade and warming the pine duff so it emits a sweet woody scent, while on days when the clouds hang low the trail scenery is transformed into something out of a fairytale. The trail climbs to pass first Mt. Chuansing and then Mt. Anma before eventually descending to the Siaosyueshan Travel Information Station, where you can top up your water bottle and use the bathroom facilities before hopping on a bus back down (final departure 4:45pm daily).

If you’re looking for a similar forest bathing experience with a slightly lower kilometer count, the Skidway Trail is a great choice. It starts at the Dasyueshan Visitor Center and comes in at just under 4km, plus an additional 2.7km to loop back along the road. As you climb, look out for the remains of the logging-era electricity poles – their skeletal frames standing at wonky angles – then, as the trail levels off, you’ll pass a demonstration skidway installation showing how workers in the past transported felled logs using nothing but ingenuity and brawn. The remainder of the walk is either flat or downhill and leads you past some magnificent giant trees that somehow escaped the rush to plunder the forest’s treasures.

Remains of a giant tree on the Skidway Trail Old sledge used for transporting logs

Yakou Scenic Trail lookout pavilion

Taking the road that runs between the Dasyueshan Visitor Center and the Siaosyueshan Travel Information Station, you will pass the trailhead for the Yakou Scenic Trail. This short out-and-back walk is just 1.5km and can easily be completed in under an hour, but don’t let its diminutive stats put you off – if you’ve got a hankering for big views, this trail is one you can’t miss. The walk climbs to a three-tier lookout with panoramic prospects over Mt. Dasyue to the east, sweeping south to take in Mt. Hehuan, and over several of the Guguan Seven Heroes, before being cut off by the trees just west of Mt. Shaolai. If you’re staying the night in the park and there’s a clear morning forecast, this is also an ideal spot to catch the sunrise.

Heading even further along the road, there are two more trails to explore close to the Siaosyueshan Travel Information Station. The Heavenly Pond Trail brings you to a small alpine lake tucked into a pine-ensconced depression. A path encircles the lake, and as you traverse it you can watch the shifting reflections of sky, clouds, and the Rueisyue Pavilion dance across the surface of the water. The lake is accessed either via a gently sloping path leading uphill from the information station or via a much steeper flight of stairs from the parking lot for the final route detailed here, the Syueshan Sacred Tree Trail. This last walk is an almost entirely stepfree route following an old forestry track that descends for 1.5km to visit a millennial Formosan red cypress tree, or – to be precise – a nonad of red cypresses that have grown locked together in a process called inosculation.

Sacred tree

Heavenly Pond

Formosan Reeve's muntjac

Wildlife Spotting

The second main draw for travelers coming to Dasyueshan National Forest Recreation Area is its abundant and easily sighted wildlife. In particular, the forests up here are blessed with a turbo-charged diversity of bird species – so much so that Dasyueshan Forest Road has become a hotspot for birders. The forest recreation area even hosts an annual contest in which teams of bird spotters race to photograph or record the greatest number of species in a 24hr period.

Of the 674 bird species that can be found in Taiwan, 225 have been sighted in the Dasyueshan area, including 28 of the nation’s 32 endemic species. You barely need to break a sweat to get started on your bird-spotting adventures – it’s common to see bird lovers hunkered down on camp chairs just beside the road, long lenses at the ready. Even us non-pros ended up with a healthy haul of sightings on our recent Travel in Taiwan visit to the area. We were barely out of our car at the Yakou Scenic Trail car park when we spotted the first of many white-whiskered laughing thrushes. On the short Heavenly Pond Trail, I saw a flock of Taiwan fulvettas, a couple of comically angry-looking black-throated bushtits, and a Eurasian nutcracker. The Syueshan Sacred Tree Trail added yellow-bellied bush warblers and coal tits to my lifer list, and from the visitor center’s viewing platform, I watched a flurry of greyheaded bullfinches chatter in the treetops.

To get the most out of your visit to Dasyueshan National Forest Recreation Area, it’s definitely worth staying a night there. Not only does this allow you to maximize time spent exploring the trails, but it also means you get to experience the different faces the park presents at different times of day. You can enjoy the morning apricity as the sun chases away the chill, watch the afternoon clouds roll in and cut the park off from the world outside, and then stargaze under the clear night sky. Rooms in the park’s rustic accommodation facilities are simple but cozy and can be booked by email (tsfs@forest. gov.tw; prices start at NT$2,400 for a double room including dinner and breakfast), but you’ll need to make sure you bring your own towel and toiletries.

One especially neat perk of staying the night is that it means you can meet the park’s nocturnal wildlife – often just meters from the front door of your accommodation. During our visit, we tagged along on a night tour conducted in Chinese by the knowledgeable and talented guide Zhuang Yi (the deputy manager of the forest recreation area). Ostensibly, we were out there hunting for red and white giant flying squirrels, but as we embarked upon a short wander around the trails close to the visitor center, we were treated to Zhuang’s impressive repertoire of animal calls – birds, deer, monkeys, and frogs were all replicated with uncanny accuracy – interspersed with a slew of groan-worthy dad jokes. Even if we hadn’t spotted any of the elusive nocturnal gliders (we saw several, as well as a serow and a couple of muntjacs), I’m pretty sure everyone would have walked away from the tour feeling greatly enriched.

The tours are run intermittently, mostly during school holidays, so it’s worth calling ahead to find out if one will be held during your visit. Yet even if there aren’t any organized activities, it’s still well worth taking a nighttime walk – all the creatures we spotted were seen from the paved and lit trails around the restaurant, staff dormitories, and guest accommodation buildings.

Red and white giant flying squirrel

White-whiskered laughing thrush

Dongshi District

The first sizable town you arrive at as you descend from Dasyueshan’s elevated forests is Dongshi, a Hakka-majority settlement beside the Dajia River. And –given that Dasyueshan is connected to the town with a purpose-built logging road – it should come as no surprise that Dongshi was once an important wood-processing hub. The timber industry is long gone, but the site previously occupied by the sawmill is these days enjoying a second life as Dongshi Forestry Cultural Park , and visiting it provides context to the decapitated stumps and logging leftovers littering the trails up in the mountains.

Opened in 1964, the mill was modeled on Seattle’s lumberyards and managed by the Tashushan Forestry Corporation – a government-backed enterprise that aimed to revolutionize Taiwan’s logging industry with its integrated forest-to-final-user facility. Among the site’s most enduring claims to fame is that in 1968 – when the newly introduced nine-year compulsory education policy spiked demand for school furniture – the company promptly churned out half a million chair-and-desk sets, meaning that the posteriors of most likely all Taiwanese of a certain generation have graced a Tashushan chair. However, the company’s attempts to introduce American logging and lumber-processing techniques were ultimately doomed to failure, and in 1973, a combination of mismanagement, declining revenue, and problems with ill-suited equipment led to the plant’s closure.

Some of the mill structures were lost to fire in 2006, but those that survived have been lightly spruced up and turned into a scenic, free-to-visit cultural park. The mill’s lumber pond – where logs would have been stored before being processed –is the park’s central feature, and as you wander the shady trails, you’ll encounter impressive wooden sculptures, all crafted using scraps left behind when the sawmills closed.

Taking an anticlockwise walk around the pool, you’ll come across a collection of preserved mill facilities. An A-frame building sits at the water’s edge, its sloping wooden sides forming pleasing reflections for anyone observing from the far side of the pond. This was where waste wood and sawdust were siphoned via a conveyor belt before being used to power the boiler. Nearby is the chip bin – a stilt-legged storage structure for holding paper-production-bound wood chips –and several hulking steel contraptions capable of transporting and processing massive logs. All are introduced with helpfully bilingual signage.

Steel construction for transporting logs

Exhibition space in former repair factory

The newest addition to the park’s attractions is an exhibition space occupying the former repair factory. This high-ceilinged hangar –which, at the time of our visit had only been open a month – is filled with displays documenting the rise and fall of Dasyueshan’s logging industry. Features like the old inspection pits and electricity boxes have been left in situ, and the exhibits include plenty of logging and mill equipment. Photos show the mill at work, but you might need a little interpretive help since the only English text on display is that in the 1960s machinery manuals.

The complex also has a couple of spots where you can grab a drink or bite to eat. A small office has been converted into the Dasyueshan Forestry Shop, a café-cum-store selling cute trinkets as well as local agriculture- and forestry-related products. Specialty items include cakes and drinks made with Cinnamomum osmophloeum (a Taiwannative close cousin of the common cinnamon), and ice lollies flavored with five-needle pine. On the opposite side of the pond, you’ll find Kuan Tea – a teahouse operating out of the renovated supervisor’s dormitory – which offers light meals inspired by Hakka cuisine paired with a tea menu featuring Taiwan’s top ten teas.

A-frame building at the log pond

Cute stuffed birds

Forestry Shop

Dongfeng Bicycle Green Way

For much of the wood extracted from Dasyueshan’s forests and processed at the Tashushan sawmill, the next step was a rail journey along the Dongshi Branch Line. This route – built in 1959 – connected Dongshi with Fengyuan, and from there the rest of Taiwan. Although primarily intended to serve the mill, it also offered passenger services and ended up outliving the sawmill by nearly two decades before low ridership forced it to close.

The line has since been transformed into a leisure bikeway – the first of many such railway conversion projects to have been undertaken in Taiwan – providing cyclists with 12km of gentle, well-surfaced bike trails. Public-rental YouBikes can be picked up and dropped off at both ends of the Dongfeng Bicycle Green Way, and there are rental operations offering tandems, e-bikes, and quadricycles at various points.

From Dongshi Hakka Cultural Park (see page 27), the bikeway’s leafy corridor skirts around the town. Small-scale farms can be seen to either side and, depending on what time of year you visit, you might come across farmers hawking honey pears, strawberries, or persimmons.

When the line was in operation, there were three smaller stations between Dongshi and Fengyuan – Meizi, Shigang, and Puzikou – and these are still some of the liveliest spots along the route. Meizi Station is now a shady bikeway rest stop, with a nearby roadside store offering refreshing treats like brown sugar shaved ice and tofu pudding. Near the Shigang Station site, you’ll pass the Zero Egg Platform , which –despite the name – is not an actual platform. Instead, this nickname

Old railway cars at Zero Egg Platform

Biking on the Dongfeng Bicycle Green Way

the dam was rebuilt incorporating a fish ladder –something that had been absent from the original design. When we visited, we found a barrage of birders lined up along the dam-top walkway with their cameras trained on a pair of ospreys (common winter visitors) that were unobligingly mooching around on sandbars instead of fishing for their supper.

comes from the fact that this was a gathering spot for vendors hoping to catch the business of rail passengers (in Taiwanese, “zero egg” and “retail stall” are homonyms). Zero Egg Platform is marked by a pair of blue-liveried train carriages from the line’s original rolling stock, while the site of Shigang Station – just 100m further down the route – has been converted into a play park. Viewed from the cycle path, this seems like an entirely unassuming little spot, but if you alight and take a wander to the platform’s eastern edge, you’ll find yourself confronted by the jarring sight of twisted tracks – a scar from a massive 7.3-magnitude earthquake that rocked Taiwan in September of 1999, causing this section of the track to be uplifted.

Continuing westward, you’ll pass the Shigang Dam . Built for flood prevention and irrigation purposes, it cuts across the Dajia River. The dam also sustained damage during the earthquake. The mangled remains of an exceedingly solid intake pipe and a collapsed section of concrete wall have been left on display in a park on the river’s right bank, although, on a positive note, at least the local migratory fish population benefited from the earthquake, since

ENGLISH AND CHINESE

Atayal | 泰雅族

Dajia River | 大甲溪

Dasyueshan Forest Road | 大雪山林道

Dasyueshan Forestry Shop | 大雪山林業直販所

Dasyueshan National Forest Recreation Area | 大雪山國家森林遊樂區

Dasyueshan Visitor Center | 大雪山遊客中心

Dongfeng Bicycle Green Way | 東豐自行車綠廊

Dongshi District | 東勢區

Dongshi Forestry Cultural Park | 東勢林業文化園區

Dongshi Hakka Cultural Park | 東勢客家文化園區

Fengyuan | 豐原

Guguan Seven Heroes | 谷關七雄 Heavenly Pond Trail | 天池步道

The Dongfeng Bicycle Green Way ends close to the site of Puzikou Station , but if you still have a little steam in your legs, it’s worth powering on to explore the adjoining Houfeng Bikeway (so-named because it connects the districts of Houli and Fengyuan). Although less than half the length of the Dongfeng bikeway, it packs in a couple of photo-worthy stops, including the dramatic Hualiang Steel Bridge and the cool, 1.2km Tunnel No. 9.

Heping District | 和平區

Houfeng Bikeway | 后豐鐵馬道

Houli | 后里

Hualiang Steel Bridge | 花樑鋼橋

Kuan Tea | 寬茶

Meizi | 梅子

Mt. Anma | 鞍馬山

Mt. Chuansing | 船型山

Mt. Dasyue | 大雪山

Mt. Hehuan | 合歡山

Mt. Shaolai | 稍來山

Mt. Yuanzuei | 鳶嘴山

Puzikou | 朴子口

Rueisyue Pavilion | 瑞雪亭

Shaolai-Siaosyueshan National Trail | 稍來小雪山國家步道

Shigang (Dam)| 石岡 ( 水壩 )

Syueshan Sacred Tree Trail | 雪山神木步道 Siaosyueshan Travel Information Station | 小雪山旅遊資訊站

Skidway Trail | 木馬道

Syueshan Sacred Tree Trail | 雪山神木步道 Tunnel No. 9 | 九號隧道

Yakou Scenic Trail | 埡口觀景步道

Yi Zhuang | 莊議

Zero Egg Platform | 0 蛋月台

MAP

Shigang Dam

Lofty Dining Above the Metropolis

Where “A Meal with a View” Is Taken to the Next Level

With relatively few very tall buildings in the city, Taipei’s skyscrapers particularly stand out, some of them housing fine restaurants with sweeping vistas that reach all the way to the surrounding mountains. Taipei 101 is an obvious choice, but other highrises also offer unique views and cuisines that make them worth checking out.

TEXT HAN CHEUNG PHOTOS CHEN CHENG-KUO

INPARADISE

While the panoramic vistas from this 46 th -floor buffet restaurant are impressive, one window adorned with a love heart is particularly popular as it provides a direct view of Taipei 101, Taiwan’s iconic tallest skyscraper. The table in front of it is perfect for romantic confessions and marriage proposals.

Located in the ritzy Breeze Xin Yi, INPARADISE is popular with younger diners and tourists due to its affordability and sheer variety of international gourmet fare. Opened in 2017, this place pioneered the “one food station, one famous shop” concept, treating each of its eight sections as independent eateries.

Each section is named after a geographic feature. The culinary journey begins at the Abundant Great Ocean , which, as its name suggests, is all about seafood, from snow crab legs and abalone to sushi items such as broiled salmon and grilled flounder. Hop ashore in the Seasonal Plains (Appetizer) section, which offers chilled salads and appetizers such as cuttlefish with pineapple salsa and oyster in yuzu tosazu sauce. Move on to the Grain Cooking Lake (Soup and Porridge), where the abalone congee soup reigns as one of the restaurant’s superstar items. Watch the chef concoct the mouth-watering bowl, and add in whitebait, XO hot sauce, scallion, and other morsels to taste.

The next land section is the Big Fast Land (European Cuisine), where tender ribeye, lamb chops, juicy scallops, and other meat items delight. The steamed egg, which is contained inside an eggshell with caviar or salmon roe, is worth a try. Scale Imperial Mountain to reach the capital, where rewards await such as Peking duck, which can be enjoyed in numerous ways, whether it be in slices, wrapped with scallion and sweet sauce, on sushi, or in congee. Cantonese-style dim sum and other regional Chinese and Asian dishes can also be sampled. The Flaming Hills (Yakitori) section is laden with Japanese deep-fried, grilled, and steamed delectables, including fried shrimp tempura, crispy sweetfish, and oysters from Hokkaido’s Lake Saroma.

Quench your thirst at Long Drink River (Beverage Bar), which offers Taiwanese-style cocktails by Perry’s Palate Plan, sparkling red wine and white wine, draft beer as well as juices, coffee, and tea.The final stop is Sweet Fields (Dessert), where you can have a freshly made souffle or café au lait parfait, enjoy the mini-chocolates and French-style desserts, and top it off with gelato.

In 2022, a second IN PARADISE restaurant was opened on the 39 th floor of the Hongwell i-tower, in New Taipei City’s Xinzhuang District, providing a different elevated experience on the opposite side of Taipei City.

Note: The available dishes can change from season to season.

INPARADISE (XINYI) | 饗饗 ( 信義 ) (02) 8780-9988

F46, No. 68, Sec. 5, Zhongxiao E. Rd., Xinyi Dist., Taipei City ( 台北市信義區忠孝東路五段 68 號 46 樓 ) inparadise.com.tw

INPARADISE (XINZHUANG) | 饗饗 ( 新莊 ) (02) 8522-9232

F39, No. 555, Siyuan Rd., Xinzhuang Dist., New Taipei City ( 新北市新莊區思源路 555 號 39 樓 )

A Joy

Located on the 86th floor of Taipei 101, A Joy is a self-proclaimed “love letter to Taiwan,” infusing the island’s unique flavors and ingredients into its sumptuous buffet for the senses. Opened in July 2023, the restaurant deconstructs traditional dishes from the collective Taiwanese memory and reinterprets them using different culinary techniques. For example, Tainan’s famous eel noodles use pasta instead, topped with “flavor pearls” filled with black vinegar from the centuryold Gao Ji Wu Yin Vinegar brand.

This creative undertaking goes beyond the food, from the decor incorporating Taiwanese mountain plants to staff uniforms that reflect the island’s natural imagery and incorporate traditional indigo dyeing and banana fiber techniques.

The space is divided into four areas representing the island’s geography: mountain, sea, plains, and city, and is adorned with Taiwanese artworks and appliances crafted by notable artisans. With just 282 seats in the 1,835-square-meter space, there’s plenty of elbow space and diners don’t have to queue too long for the popular items. Take the time to read the labels to see where the ingredients come from, listen to the enthusiastic servers and chefs explain the essence of the dishes, and savor the complex flavors while indulging your other senses.

The Mountain section features an artistic landscape and the windows beyond provide sweeping views of the actual mountains encircling the sprawling metropolis nestled in the Taipei Basin.

Favorites from the Ocean section include the tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelet) cooked with broth, as well as the hand-rolled sushi crafted on the spot, coming in three varieties: scallop and crab roe paste, bluefin tuna and shiso miso, and uni and sweet shrimp.

The Plains area turns up the heat – the grilled sweetfish packed with eggs and Taiwanese fried chicken are hits, as well as other curious fusion dishes.

The City stalls offer classic street snacks and simpleeatery dishes such as fried rice and vermicelli, all with a creative twist. Highlights include a Buddha jumps over the wall dish served French-style in a puff pastry, and Peking duck flame-roasted with aged wine.

Save room for dessert, which changes by season. The chocolates contain improbable Taiwanese ingredients such as fermented bean curd, fried shallot as well as parsley and peanut. The Drinks section goes full local, with only classic Taiwanese sodas and beers, and Taiwan-themed cocktails by Perry’s Palate Plan. Also, don’t miss the selected teas from Zen Zen Thé and coffee by the world-class coffee brewer Simple Kaffa.

Zhi Yun

Visitors step through a fiery red brick and stone corridor to reach this wide-open, elegant dining room kept warm by the decor’s flowing orange, maroon, and blue hues, accentuated with subtle greenery.

Opening in May 2024 on the 38 th floor of Xinzhuang District’s HongWell i-Tower (one floor below the !NPARADISE Xinzhuang branch), this luxurious teppanyaki restaurant offers just 62 seats around six grilling stations, with three of them in cozy private rooms. Located just west of central Taipei City, the windows here offer a unique perspective of the sprawling cityscape on the other side of the Tamsui River, surrounded by majestic mountains and highlands that encircle the Taipei basin. As the sun sets, the restaurant’s mood shifts, with sultry lighting accentuating the glowing lights of the metropolis.

The chefs put on a show at each iron griddle, recontextualizing French-style dishes to the oftenspectacular Japanese cooking style that’s popular across the world. The seasonal surf-and-turf set feast, made with the finest ingredients, contains 14 courses, with professional sommeliers and tea masters suggesting pairings to further enrich the palate. After the main meal, diners are led to a spacious, cozy lounge to enjoy dessert, unwind, and fully take in the vistas.

The main party kicks off with an ice-cream cone topped with truffle cream egg, flower crab meat, and roe, followed by a “burger” with seared scallop as the bun, filled with sea urchin, caviar and wrapped in dried seaweed.

One favorite is the “tipsy rib-eye roll,” featuring prime ribeye wrapped around fresh grapes that are soaked in red and white wine for 12 hours, enhanced with subtle hints of creamy cheese. The sweet and tangy notes of the grapes balance out the astringent tannins in the wine, resulting in a smoother alternative to traditional red wine sauce.

Another star features A5 beef and ribeye aged for four days, dried for 24 hours then grilled and seared to crispytender perfection, accompanied with magao (Taiwanese mountain pepper) salty egg yolk and slow-baked kale chips. The meat is best enjoyed with Zhi Yun’s signature raw garlic and egg white sauce, topped with a slice of slow-baked garlic.

ZHI YUN | 旨醞 (02) 2278-6688

38F, No. 555, Siyuan Rd., Xinzhuang Dist, New Taipei City ( 新北市新莊區思源路 555 號 38 樓 ) www.zhi-yun.com.tw

ENGLISH AND CHINESE

Abundant Great Ocean | 豐大海

Big Fast Land | 大快地

Breeze Center Xinyi | 微風信義

Buddha jumps over the wall | 佛跳牆

Flaming Hills | 炙丘

Gao Ji Wu Yin Vinegar | 高記五印醋

Grain Cooking Lake | 禾烹湖

Imperial Mountain | 京山

Long Drink River | 長飲川

Seasonal Plains | 旬巧原

Sweet Fields | 甜田

Tamsui River | 淡水河

TURTLE CAKES AND DRAGON LORE

Exploring the Hakka Heritage of Urban Taichung's Borderlands

The districts of Dongshi and Shigang form a Hakka enclave at the border between Taichung City’s Hokkien-speaking coastal conurbation in the west and its mountainous area in the east. Just a short bus ride from the regional transport hub of Fengyuan Railway Station, here you’ll find heritage houses, curious temples, and a way of life that has remained little changed by the passage of time.

TEXT AMI BARNES PHOTOS RAY CHANG

Tuniu Hakka Cultural Hall

Dongshi Hakka Cultural Park

This park sits near the southeastern end of the Dongfeng Bicycle Green Way (see page 20). Previously, this place was home to Dongshi Station, the final stop on the Dongshi Branch Line, and though the old station building was torn down long ago, those with a keen eye for the historical will spot several salvaged elements. The interior space of the rebuilt station building is broken up by the top-heavy columns that used to bear the platform roof, while outside, discarded sections of track have found a second life edging herbaceous beds and paths.

The park’s primary purpose is to serve as an active hub of Hakka culture, and to that end, the building is filled with displays introducing the local Hakka population. Surrounding the building are vendors selling drinks and snacks, plenty of photogenic Hakka-themed installations, and a side exhibit detailing the region’s camphor trading industry. This year, Dongshi’s annual Sindingban Festival was also held here – a fertility festival that sees residents compete in making creatively molded giant red turtle cakes to welcome new births (there are humungous wooden molds on display).

Tuniu Hakka Cultural Hall

A second Hakka highlight, the Tuniu Hakka Cultural Hall, can be found a 10min bike ride from the cultural park in Shigang District. Housed in a courtyard-residence compound belonging to the Liu clan – a prominent local Hakka family – the main buildings of the complex are by far the most impressive feature. They were reconstructed after the large 921 earthquake of 1999, and consist of three interconnected wings arranged around a courtyard. Out front, koi swim in a crescent-shaped pond, and dotted around the gardens you can find a well, aged fruit trees, and a ritual-paper-burning pagoda.

Exhibits fill the side halls, while the central hall houses the clan’s altar, complete with ancestral tablets and imposing portraits of the founding paterfamilias. The displays cover some of the same points as those in Dongshi Hakka Cultural Park, but what this site manages to do well is show the artifacts in context using photos and videos. The exhibits provide an insight into how Hakka folk ate, lived, studied, and worshipped in the past – and judging by some of the more recent photos included in the displays, much of the culture remains unchanged. Indeed, the side buildings of the complex remain inhabited by Liu clan descendants.

DONGSHI HAKKA CULTURAL PARK | 東勢客家文化園區 (04) 2588-8505

No. 1, Zhongshan Rd., Dongshi District, Taichung City ( 台中市東勢區中山路 1 號 ) www.facebook.com/fantasy.dons

TUNIU HAKKA CULTURAL HALL | 土牛客家文化館 (04) 2588-8505

No. 10, Decheng Ln., Fengshi Rd., Tuniu Borough, Shigang District, Taichung City ( 台中市石岡區土牛里豐勢路德成巷 10 號 ) www.facebook.com/tnhakka

Tuniu Hakka Cultural Hall

Dongshi Hakka Cultural Park

Traditional Hakka life exhibition

House altar

Damaopu Settlement

The Hakka identity is one that was forged in the fires of hardship and necessity. Migrating south long ago from China’s central plains, the ancestors of today’s Hakka often found their new neighbors reluctant to shuffle over and share the land, and consequently tended to end up eking out a living in inhospitable fringe regions. This gave rise to the persistent image of Hakka being a resourceful, hardy folk with strong intra-community bonds. It also left its mark on the group’s cultural practices and spiritual beliefs – particularly when it comes to customs governing the delicate balance between humans, nature, and space.

When Hakka pioneers began arriving in Taiwan in the 1600s, they brought with them a belief in dragons. As they saw it, the spirit of the land was embodied in dragon form, and when choosing where to build they sought out these dragons in the landscape, inviting the mythical beasts’ energy into their homes. Many believed the presence or absence of food in their bellies hinged on their ability to coexist harmoniously with these tutelary deities, and to this end, numerous rituals and standards were established. In modern-day Taiwan, the settlement of Damaopu in Dongshi District offers one of the best places to get a feel for what this looks like.

Before Hakka settlers moved in – in the early 1800s –this area was not exactly prime real estate. The animosity of the indigenous Taiwanese inhabitants and the lack of a

consistent water source meant that the incomers faced hostilities both active and passive. Villagers built a thick living fence of thorny bamboo, a dense grid of streets, and a three-meter-wide moat to defend against the former, and the moat handily doubled as an irrigation canal, allowing the dragons’ wealth-bringing lifeblood to flow through the heart of the community.

Religious sites are a key feature of Damaopu. Taixing Temple – with its three altars sitting one behind the other – occupies the grid’s center, the focal point of village life, while around the outskirts you’ll find smaller shrines, serving as guard posts from which the generals of the cardinal directions provide spiritual protection. Elsewhere, there are several Bogong (Hakka name for the Earth God) temples and a Stone Mother shrine, the latter evidence of a unique Hakka practice that involves presenting colicky babies and tantrum-prone toddlers to these literal rock goddesses in the hopes that the deities will agree to shoulder a share of the parental burden.

Wandering around the village, glimpses into the quiet loveliness of daily life can be snatched at every corner. An elderly resident parked in a sunspot for a snooze; basketfuls of freshly pulled radishes awaiting a scrubbing; a row of tiny, well-dressed grandmas gathered for gossip while in another village corner the menfolk and their cigarette smoke fug huddle around a game of mahjong under a temple awning. This settlement is a study of the beauty of the mundane.

Sacred longan tree behind Taixing Temple

Irrigation channel

Typical small shrine in Damaopu

TAICHUNG Dongshi/Shigang

If this sounds like the kind of place you’d be interested in exploring, it might be worth looking into the DragonSearching Adventure tour organized by the Daomaopu Research Team. This activity has been designed to introduce people to the life and culture of Damaopu, and the Hakka community at large. The precise content of a tour varies depending on the needs or interests of a group, but it generally involves a guided walk with an emphasis on explaining how the village was shaped by Hakka beliefs as well as multisensory activities such as clam picking and tubing in the canals that allow kids to interact directly with the arteries of the settlement’s old dragons. At the moment, tours (bookable by phone) are better suited to educational groups than independent travelers since they’re only available for larger, Chinese-speaking groups of 15-20.

Dragon God Mountain and Water Festival

Held each October, this is a one-day event welcoming outsiders to greet the town’s old gods. Festivities begin with mask painting, followed by a procession that sees Taixing Temple’s dragon deity borne aloft through the winding streets by masked participants, and the day culminates in the memorable sight of glowing, handfolded paper boats sailing along the town’s irrigation canals at dusk.

DAMAOPU VILLAGE | 大茅埔聚落 0975-208-397 romantichakka.com/en

ENGLISH AND CHINESE Bogong | 伯公

Damaopu Research Team | 大茅埔調查團 Dongfeng Bicycle Green Way | 東豐自行車綠廊

Dongshi District | 東勢區 Dragon God Mountain and Water Festival | 龍神山水祭 Dragon-Searching Adventure | 一日尋龍冒險王 Fengyuan Railway Station | 豐原火車站 Liu clan | 劉家族

Shigang District | 石岡區 Sindingban Festival | 新丁粄節

Stone Mother | 石頭

Taixing Temple | 泰興宮

MAP

Taixing Temple

Mazu altar

PREMIUM TAICHUNG WIN E RIES

The Best in Local Farm Produce In, Award-Winning Vintages

TEXT RICK CHARETTE PHOTOS VISION

Since time immemorial, Taiwan has been a crossroads of cultural influences. This is reflected in its spirits realm. The island’s varied indigenous peoples have made millet wine. Han Chinese immigrants brought their rice wine traditions in the 1600s. The Japanese introduced sake when in control of Taiwan 1895-1945. They also introduced grape-growing and -winemaking, on a limited scale. Today the island is home to a small, highly successful, and steadily expanding grape wine industry that proudly sees its vintages now finding their way to the tables of Michelin-starred restaurants in Paris, London, and New York. Following, we visit leading Taichung wineries using multifarious local crops, which have been steadily racking up prestigious international awards since the early 2010s.

Shu-Sheug Leisure Domaine

It can be said that Taiwan’s modern era of making grape wines started right here. The family-run Shu-Sheug Leisure Domaine operation, now in fourth-generation hands, is on the north-facing slope of a low ridge running east-west through Taichung’s rural Waipu District. Before 2002 and Taiwan’s WTO entry, winemaking was a government monopoly, and grapes were grown (up to 1997) by contracted farmers. As this system ended, most turned to other fruit crops, but ShuSheug’s then-in-charge third generation wanted to continue the founder’s legacy, and opened a boutique winery.

The founder began his government-contracted cultivating in 1957 – the two grapes chosen, after much government experimentation, were a white, Golden Muscat from New York, and a red, Black Queen from Japan, found best able to handle the challenges of subtropical Taiwan’s heat, humidity, and typhoons. (Decades later the government developed six hybrids, also today being utilized in the industry.)

The government brought inexperienced ShuSheug together with a man today celebrated as the father of modern Taiwan viniculture/ enology, university professor Chen Chien-hao, who now works intimately with various boutique

operations. Chen saw the similarities between the conditions in Madeira (the Portuguese archipelago off the northwest coast of Africa) and Taiwan (save the rainfall), and helped ShuSheug develop a special Madeira-style-mimicking thermal maturation process using oak barrels to create two fortified wines, Moscato Oro and Formosa Rosso Vino Fortificato NV, that put Taiwan on the global wine-connoisseur map with wins in elite international competitions starting in the early 2010s.

Chen and Shu-Sheug continue to innovate, introducing the dry ice soaking method, the gravity-flow winemaking process, and the exciting young “wine of the sea” process recently developed on the Adriatic. Shu-Sheug places bottled wine 20m down in the Taiwan Strait, in cages, for seven months; the special conditions create a hyper-accelerated aging process, making the wine smoother, more mellow, and less tannic, with a more complex flavor profile.

Winery tours are offered (Chinese), with advance notice. There’s also a combination café/ restaurant/retail shop/tasting counter. The kitchen serves “red wine cuisine,” such as redwine beef noodles.

Wu-Feng Farmer’s Association Distillery

Wu-Feng Farmer’s Association Distillery, a maker of award-gathering sake, shochu, and fruit wine, is located in Wufeng District, an agricultural area southeast of Taichung’s urban core, tucked up against the base of the central mountains. Wufeng has a reputation for some of Taiwan’s highest-quality and most aromatic rice, perfectly suited for the production of the winery/ distillery’s libations. The fruit wines showcase such highgrade Wufeng agri-products as lychee, pomelo, plum, and honey. Management also proudly proclaims the purity of the water it uses, brought in from the nearby mountainous Puli Township in Nantou County, known island-wide for its sweet, pristine spring waters. The operation is in a large facility, originally the Wanfeng Old Granary, which has been attractively renovated with a dashing modern look.

The collective enterprise has been creating sake/ shochu since 2005, cooperating with the aforementioned Professor Chen’s National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism, known for its expertise in wine and spirits production. Personnel spent time in Japan learning ancient Japanese hand-production techniques, bringing back the famed Japanese “sake toji” (brewmaster) spirit, which the team defines as “soulful dedication to the

aesthetics and legacy of sake.” The operation won its first of many international medals in 2010.

The complex has an impressively large and attractive showroom (with an attached café) that is more like a mini-museum. Along one wall is a detailed illustrated explanatory tour of the sake-brewing process, and there’s a stylish sampling bar where your guide explains the many different choices available. Another section displays myriad other Wufeng Farmers’ Association products, from wine/spirit-infused noodles to jams to dried fruit and vegetable snacks to vacuum-packed rice.

Currently being specially promoted are the distillery’s “San Jin” or “Three Golds” – vintages that have captured gold in top international competitions. These are its Taiwan Sake, Rice Shochu, and Honey Wine (which is also made with lychee).

WU-FENG FARMER'S ASSOCIATION DISTILLERY

霧峰農會酒莊 (04) 2339-9191 No. 345, Zhongzheng Rd., Wufeng District, Taichung City ( 台中市霧峰區中正路 345 號 ) twwfsake.com (Chinese)

Daan Wineland

Taichung’s Daan District is west of Waipu District, abutting the Taiwan Strait, the Daan River on its north, Dajia River on its south. As with the Wufeng venture just visited, Daan Wineland, run by the Daan Farmers’ Association, is a showcase operation for the varied top-notch produce harvested by the district’s tapestry of small-scale farms.

Its most distinguished creations, winners of its highest number of local and international awards, are its brandy created with Black Queen grapes along with its Japanese-style shochu crafted with taro. Other offerings include wines made with Golden Muscat grapes and plums, shochu made with both taro and sweet potato, and traditional Chinese-style rice wines.

Daan is a key hub for taro cultivation. All around the winery are farm fields thick with the unmistakable oversized leaves of taro plants, forming mini-seas of green waving in the breezes off the strait. Taro and sweet potato are farm products of iconic Taiwan cultural character, and here they are proudly used to produce one-of-a-kind shochu – Daan says the only such spirits of these flavors in Taiwan – which the team pridefully declares to be “of Japanese origin with true local Taiwan personality.” The master distiller specially studied shochu-production techniques in Japan.

For Daan’s grape wines and brandies, classical French technique is meticulously employed, and premiumquality winemaking equipment from France is used. An elite-level copper pot imported from Italy is used for distilling, and the wines and brandies crafted are stored in barrels of superior-grade American oak produced by the distinguished World Cooperage company.

In recent promotions, a key has been Daan’s selection as a Taiwan rural winery of excellence for 13 consecutive years by the Ministry of Agriculture’s Agriculture and Food Agency. Among other supports, the AFA helps local rural wineries enter international competitions. If you cannot visit in person, note the best of rural winery products are showcased at the annual Taipei International Wine & Spirits Festival (Pavilion of Rural Wineries).

DAAN WINELAND | 大安農會酒廠 (04) 2671-0909

No. 92-1, Zhongsong Rd., Daan District, Taichung City ( 台中市大安區中松路 91 號 )

ENGLISH AND CHINESE

Chen Chien-hao | 陳千浩

Daan District | 大安區

National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism | 高雄餐旅大學

Puli Township | 埔里鎮

San Jin | 三金

Waipu District | 外埔區

Wanfeng Old Granary | 萬豐舊穀倉

Wufeng District | 霧峰區

Taiwan’s Poshest City Quarter

Getting to Know Taipei’s Xinyi District

Taiwan’s epicenter for consumer glamour is eastern Taipei’s Xinyi District. Teeming day and night with folks on shopping/entertainment outings – a “must” destination in all international travel guides – it bristles with sleek big and bold architectural statements and sophisticated malls/department stores, restaurants, cafés, nightspots, and theaters. Harmoniously blending with the predominant posh ultra-modern are important heritage complexes metamorphosed into trendy glam-life gathering spots. TEXT

Like a giant lighthouse, the heaven-searching Taipei 101 tower acts as a beacon to people traveling the city. Its most iconic landmark, the massive spire climbs skyward 508m and, yes, has 101 floors. Taiwan’s fastest elevators, racing along at 1,010m per minute, fly you to the Observatory (entry fee) on the 89 th floor in just 37 seconds. Apart from the indoor observation deck, there is also access to an enclosed outdoor deck (91st floor). As you’d imagine, the views of the humming Taipei Basin floor and surrounding mountains are extraordinary.

Spice up the thrill further with the test-your-courage Skyline460 experience (separate fee) – a safety-harness excursion on an open outdoor deck on the 101st floor. Observatory entry also lets you examine the mindchallenging tuned mass damper, the world’s largest winddamper sphere (weight 660 tons, diameter 5.5 meters).

Elsewhere, the tower is sprinkled with high-end restaurants and cafés offering terrific eagle-eye vistas. Especially recommended is Taipei’s highest café, the artdéco Simple Kaffa Sola , on the 88th floor. Most visitors also spend time in the chic Taipei 101 Mall , which takes up the multi-story “pedestal” at the tower’s base.

Four Four South Village

A short walk west from Taipei 101, just south of Xinyi Road, is a time portal into Taiwan’s past, Four Four South Village. This heritage complex is a remnant section of a military dependents’ village – the first built in Taipei – constructed for military personnel and their families when the Nationalists vacated China with the Chinese Civil War’s denouement. Saved from the wrecking ball after the turn of this century, it has been transformed into a cultural park. The sheeny Taipei 101 monolith looming over the village provides for captivating old/new photo juxtapositions.

New village “residents” in the tight-packed concrete-building enclave include a compact museum with a military village theme; Good Cho’s (www.goodchos.com.tw), a café/diner long in place and famous for its fresh-made bagels, which sell out quickly, and with both a retail space for local, sustainable handicraft products and a section for local craft-beer maker Taiwan Head Brewers; a tea drinks and desserts shop; a performance theater; and an irregular weekend indie handicrafts/food market.

TAIPEI 101 OBSERVATORY (02) 8101-8800

No. 45, Shifu Road, Xinyi District, Taipei City ( 台北市信義區市府路 45 號 ) 11am-7pm, Sat, Sun, and holidays 10am-7pm www.taipei-101.com.tw

View from Taipei 101 Observatory

Xinyi Commercial District

This area – Taipei 101 its crown architectural jewel – framed by Zhongxiao (north side), Keelung (west), Xinyi (south), and Songde (east) roads, is sometimes called “Taipei’s Manhattan.” It’s part of the larger Xinyi Planning District, a low-density development initiative launched in the 1990s to transform the area east of the National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall into an international shopping/entertainment/recreation/financial zone. Today the country’s highest property values are found here, and the city proudly proclaims that the area has the world’s highest density of malls/department stores.

Before going on an in-depth walkabout exploration, a good idea is to visit the multi-floor Discovery Center of Taipei (www. discovery.gov.taipei ; free entry) off the main lobby inside the Taipei City Hall, which engagingly explains the city from premodern days through to the projected future through visually dynamic exhibits, many interactive, and well-done films in the 360-degree Discovery Theater.

Now, a walk through the district’s heart. Like the Taipei 101 Mall, other department stores and malls are chocker with supernal international and domestic brands. At the quarter’s core are multiple Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Xinyi Place buildings aligned north-south along Chianti Avenue . These are giant, very long low-rise structures of gleaming glass and exposed steel girders that have the look of a small fleet of cruise liners heading off to sea in formation. Chianti Avenue is a multi-block pedestrian-only thoroughfare lively with musicians, buskers, and other entertainment on weekends and, more quietly, weekdays.

Chianti Avenue in the Xinyi Commercial District

Kuai Chao restaurant

Salt-baked Taiwanese Tilapia

At its south end, it pierces the two lengthy low-rise buildings of Vieshow Cinemas Taipei Xinyi . Vieshow screens the cream of regional filmmaking as well as all the latest Hollywood blockbusters. Its Chianti promenade area is a top choice for releases of new music, concerts, movie promotions, and autograph signings.

At its south tip, Chianti Avenue T-intersects with a wide, tree-lined east-west pedestrian avenue-cum-plaza. On its south side is another architectural spectacle, Taipei Nan Shan Plaza (you’re right beside Taipei 101 now). This locale is especially popular with expats and foreign travelers because, along the east-west plaza, the Vieshow buildings and adjacent ATT4FUN building are lined with outward-facing eateries, cafés, and bars with comfy tree- and umbrella-shaded outdoor seating, creating what is perhaps Taipei’s best and quietest people-watching hotspot.

The grandiosely conceived Taipei Nan Shan Plaza complex has three structures: a 48-story, 272m-high office tower with some commercial floors (Taipei’s second-tallest building), the 7-story Breeze Nan Shan mall, and a diamondshaped entrance building with an open cultural-arts space. The mall building consists of a series of stacked cubes of varying dimensions, like building blocks, their staggered positioning creating a series of rising terraces greened with trees; the overall visual effect of the three structures is of a forest-splotched mountainside, consciously celebrating Taiwan’s soaring mountainous terrain.

Time for a lunchtime sit-down. Your list of possibilities falls just short of endless. Two especially tasty choices are Kuai Chao and Sinchao Rice Shoppe. Kuai Chao , in the Far Eastern Department Store Xinyi A13, serves creative

upscale Taiwanese-style dishes built on classic stir-fry cuisine amidst upscale trappings featuring mood lighting from small European-style chandeliers and bright light-tone Scandinavian-style wood furnishings. Among the most indemand – and enticingly named – chef works are the Typhoon Shelter Soft Shell Crab (fried pork version available) and Stirfried Crispy Chicken with Hua Diao Wine.

In the Breeze Xin Yi mall, overlooking its spacious covered square in front through almost full-wall glass, Sinchao Rice Shoppe is a Michelin Bib Gourmand selection. The darkwood decor emulates US Chinatown diners of the early 20 th century. The cuisine liberally reinterprets the “old and new Taiwanese cuisine” of Kaohsiung, a port city in Taiwan’s deep south, with many distinctly European haute cuisine flourishes introduced. Exemplary signature creations include the Fresh Lobster Butter Fried Rice with Fennel and Sauteed Beef Ribs with Fermented Chinese Cabbage, and the stir-fry creations are consummately wok hei.

KUAI CHAO | 筷炒 (02) 2758-0520

14F, No. 58, Songren Rd., Xinyi Dist., Taipei City (inside Far Eastern Department Store Xinyi A13 Store) ( 台北市信義區松仁路 58 號 14F) kuaichao.taipei www.facebook.com/kuaichao.taipei

SINCHAO RICE SHOPPE | 心潮飯店 (02) 2723-9976

2F, No. 68, Sec. 5, Zhongxiao E. Rd., Xinyi Dist., Taipei City (inside Breeze Xin Yi) ( 台北市信義區忠孝東路五段 68 號 2 樓 ) www.facebook.com/sinchaoriceshoppe

Sinchao Rice Shoppe

Cold smoked squid

Prime ribeye steak fried rice CITY WALKS

Songshan Cultural and Creative Park

Let’s now walk ten minutes from the commercial district’s northwest corner, along Zhongxiao West Road, to Songshan Cultural and Creative Park, located across Zhongxiao from the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall grounds. The dense constellation of concrete and wood-built heritage buildings here formed a tobacco factory complex opened by the colonial Japanese in 1937. Production eventually ceased in 1998, and the compound was alchemized into a hub for cultural-creative exhibits, performances, and retail operations in 2011.

The park’s one newly constructed structure is the 14-story Taipei New Horizon Building, designed as a “cultural-creative factory,” home to the elegant Eslite Spectrum Songyan , exhibition and performance facilities, offices for cultural-creative concerns, and a hotel. The Eslite operation is a combination of a bookstore and department store; founded in 1989, the Eslite group introduced the refined retail experience to Taiwan. Its large bookstores are exquisitely designed; this outlet is now open 24hr.

Within the department store, Kinjo is a Taiwanese metalwork jewelry brand that offers regular silversmith experience workshops. Kun’s Crystal supplies glassblowing sessions enabling you to take molten glass right from the furnace and fashion your own vase, glass, or plate/dish.

Sui Sui Life, in one of the former warehouses, is another outlet of a Taiwan brand chain. This retail operation is set up as a cultural-creative market and performance space, providing local indie handicraft designers with a display platform and inviting music creators, street performers, and other artists to showcase their talents.

The enchanting time-travel Not Just Library, located in the former women’s bathhouse facility, calls for visitors (small entry fee) to “immerse” themselves in reading, serving as a “bathhouse of books” to calm the mind and cleanse body and soul. A unique sunken reading section has been built into a former bathing pool cavity, and a large inner doorway leads into the original enclosed courtyard-style garden.

The large former boiler-room building is now occupied by a Cama Coffee Roasters outlet, part of a local coffee shop chain. The boiler room supplied thermal energy to the full complex, along with steam for tobacco fumigation and boiled water for the bathhouses.

Building of the former tobacco factory

Sui Sui Life cultural-creative market

Taipei Dome

The gleaming metallic exterior of Taipei Dome, which seats about 40,000, is a spanking-new architectural icon added to the cityscape in late 2023. The multipurpose stadium – the Chinese name translates as “Taipei Big Egg” – is on the Zhongxiao/Guangfu roads intersection, on a plot carved from the original tobacco factory grounds. There is unobstructed access between the dome grounds and the park. At exterior ground level, a necklace of stylish-façade/-interior eateries and bars is strung out around the dome’s base. Below ground, a wide, curving corridor runs from the metro station under Zhongxiao Road to the main dome entrance area on the stadium’s east side, along the dome’s south-side base, lined with such casual-service operations as a McDonald’s, MOS Burger, and FamilyMart convenience store. All these businesses operate normally, i.e., not just during events inside the dome.

Pashih

Finish up your long walking day with a unique East Asia refreshment. Pashih is a cozy, bright, airy eatery in the grid of lanes and alleys east of the cultural-creative park, brimful with boutiques, cafés, and eateries.

An outlet of a well-known Taiwan brand, it’s a “Mesona Specialty Store” selling mesona – i.e., grass jelly/herb jelly – treats. Grass jelly is served cold to cool in summer and hot to warm in winter, and is also believed to have medicinal benefits, birthing a Chinese name that translates as “immortal/celestial jelly.” The menu categories are Grass Jelly, Grass Jelly Ice, Grass Jelly Tea, and Winter Limited.

SONGSHAN CULTURAL AND CREATIVE PARK 松山文創園區 (02) 2765-1388

No. 133, Guangfu S. Rd., Xinyi Dist., Taipei City ( 台北市信義區光復南路 133 號 ) www.songshanculturalpark.org

TAIPEI DOME | 台北大巨蛋 (02) 2722-8811

No. 515, Sec. 4, Zhongxiao E. Rd., Xinyi Dist., Taipei City ( 台北市信義區忠孝東路四段 515 號 ) www.farglorydome.com.tw (Chinese)

PASHIH | 八時神仙草

No. 12, Aly. 22, Ln. 553, Sec. 4, Zhongxiao E. Rd., Taipei City ( 台北市信義區忠孝東路四段 553 巷 22 弄 12 號 ) pa_shih_shen www.facebook.com/godlike1019

ENGLISH AND CHINESE Chianti Avenue | 香堤大道

Eslite Spectrum Songyan | 誠品生活松菸店 Four Four South Village | 四四南村 Good Cho's | 好丘 grass/herb jelly | 仙草

Kinjo | 草山金工

Kun's Crystal | 坤水晶

Not Just Library | 不只是圖書館 Sui Sui Life | 水水生活 Taipei 101 | 台北 101

Taipei Nan Shan Plaza | 臺北南山廣場 Taiwan Head Brewers | 啤酒頭釀造 Viewshow Cinemas Taipei Xinyi | 台北信義威秀影城 Xinyi Commercial District | 信義商圈

Pashih

Taipei Dome

Taipei Dome below-ground area

GOOD FOOD Nighttime Eateries

Whether you are bar-hopping or clubbing into the wee hours, hanging out at a friend’s place well past the Taipei Metro’s closing time, or happen to be a garden-variety insomniac, some nights in Taipei never seem to end – and neither does your chance to enjoy some incredible Taiwanese eats. Whether you're craving hearty beef noodles, sizzling barbecue skewers, or the most famous cold noodles in the city, Taipei’s late-night food scene offers local flavors far beyond the usual overpriced bar snacks.

TEXT JENNY LYNN CODY PHOTOS CHEN CHENG-KUO, VISION

Xiao Ping Kitchen

When the line starts forming in the early evening before Xiao Ping Kitchen’s wooden façade, it’s a sign to passersby that this minimalist eatery is something special. A Michelin Bib Gourmand recommendation that operates through the night, Xiao Ping has become a haven for late-night diners.

Dozens of home-style Taiwanese dishes are prepared daily, which can be paired with congee or white rice and a daily soup. Both congee and xiao chi or “small eats” side dishes are typical of Taiwanese cuisine, with the former commonly used to either settle the stomach or as a base for other items. In rural areas, congee is a ubiquitous breakfast dish.

Signature small plates include dry-braised eggplant, Kung Pao century egg, scrambled eggs with tomato, green beans, and spicy diced chicken.

The eatery is especially renowned for its red-braised pork trotter, which is imbued with complex flavor from being slow-cooked in a soy sauce base. Produce-based dishes vary seasonally, ensuring the highest quality. Located near nightlife hotspots at the northern end of central Taipei, Xiao Ping’s exterior resembles an old Japanese wooden house, while the interior is clean and minimalist, featuring wood-trimmed Formica tables and traditional Taiwanese rattan stools.

XIAO PING KITCHEN | 小品雅廚 (02) 2592-9924

No. 130, Zhongyuan St., Zhongshan Dist., Taipei City ( 台北市中山區中原街 130 號 ) 6pm-5am guide.michelin.com/tw/en/taipei-region/taipei/ restaurant/xiao-ping-kitchen

TAIWANESE-STYLE

BREAKFAST

Lao Jiang’s House Soy Milk Shop

When you hear someone suggest having “soy milk,” especially after staying out very late, they’re probably suggesting finishing the night (or starting the morning) with more than a drink. Soy milk shops are known for their breakfast-style food available at all hours. Of these, Lao Jiang’s House on Yanji Street in the heart of Taipei’s bustling East District is one of the best-known. Open 24 hours, Lao Jiang’s offers a comforting spread of Taiwanese breakfast classics. The savory soy milk soup is a must-try: it’s served in a bowl and topped with slices of fried pastry stick (sometimes called a “Chinese cruller”) and tangy pink pickles. If that’s not your thing, traditional soy milk and tea drinks are available; or try the peanut soy milk, served hot or cold in a mug.

The menu doesn’t stop there, though. Their rice rolls are stuffed with high-quality pork floss and a variety of other filling options. For those craving something starchy, buns, baked sesame shaobing (a flatbread), and egg rolls all have a variety of filling options. Also, don’t miss the soup dumplings and pan-fried turnip cake, rounding out a meal that feels like a warm hug at any hour.

LAO JIANG'S HOUSE SOY MILK SHOP | 老漿家 (02) 2779-0602

No. 110, Yanji St., Da'an Dist., Taipei City ( 台北市大安區延吉街 110 號 ) 24h guide.michelin.com/tw/en/taipei-region/taipei/ facebook.com/topsoymilk

Green beans

Savory soy milk

Rice rolls

Pork trotter

GOOD FOOD Nighttime Eateries

Liu Mama Cold Noodle

With just three main menu items and a few tables along a quiet stretch of Civic Boulevard, Liu Mama is an unlikely candidate for cult-like status in Taipei. But when most restaurants are closing, this eatery is just getting started, and the plastic stools at the simple metal tables are always in demand. Taipei night owls come here for the cold sesame noodles – large or small servings, with slivered cucumber and the option of chili sauce – and meatball miso soup with or without egg.

On particularly busy nights, this roadside noodle eatery might well seem to buzz with more life than whatever bar or club patrons have just left, with a rainbow of order tickets from the drinks shop next door adorning the walls. It’s a short walk north of Songshan Cultural and Creative Park and the Taipei Dome, and just east of a cluster of popular bars and restaurants, but Liu Mama predates them all, having served up simple yet delicious fare for about half a century.

Cold sesame noodles are a staple in Taiwan’s humid, subtropical climate. The dish is so simple that it is the quality of ingredients that most matters, and Liu Mama doesn’t disappoint. The sauce is rich and complex, and the noodles al dente, with just the right amount of that chewy “Q” texture so popular in Taiwan. Adding miso and an optional egg drop to an otherwise simple meatball soup creates a memorable depth.

SIMON NOODLE SHOP | 西門麵店 (02) 2375-3712

No. 35, Neijiang St., Wanhua Dist., Taipei City ( 台北市萬華區內江街 35 號 )

Mon 12am-3:30pm

Tue 12am-3:30pm, 4pm-12am

Thu-Sat 24hr

Sun 12am-5am

www.facebook.com/simonnoodleshop

LIU MAMA NOODLE | 劉媽媽涼麵 (02) 8787-2093

No. 37, Sec. 5, Civic Blvd., Songshan Dist., Taipei City ( 台北市松山區市民大道五段 37 號 )

Wed-Mon 9:30pm-9am (Tue until 5am) instagram.com/explore/locations/13466/liu-ma-ma-liang-mian

PORK KNUCKLES AND SIDE DISHES

Simon Noodle Shop

Just steps from the bustling Ximending Commercial District, Simon Noodle Shop has been a local institution for over 60 years. Open through the night most nights, this unassuming hole-in-the-wall draws lines of people well past midnight. The interior boasts retro hand-painted movie posters, including a mural of the Taiwan 1959 classic Brother Wang and Brother Liu Tour Taiwan adorning the back wall.

With just eight tables, bar-hoppers, teens studying late for exams, graveyard-shift workers, overflow from nearby karaoke joints, and Wanhua District’s insomniac aunties and uncles sit cheek-by-jowl to gulp down not only noodles but pork trotters, rice dishes, and wontons as well. Those in the know also pick up some of the shop’s pineapple cakes or other small pastries.

The trotters, served over rice or à-la-carte and labeled as “soul-stirring” on the menu, are the true star of the show here, with some reviewers describing their dark braising as “black gold.” Other popular dishes are braised pork rice with poached egg, cold sesame noodles, spicy wontons, beef noodles, and beef noodle soup. Side dishes are unapologetically old-school: think braised tofu or duck egg, tofu with tiny anchovies, boiled peanuts, and century egg.

Cold noodles

Pork knuckle

BEEF NOODLES

Xiao Wu Knife-cut Beef Noodles

At the other (north) end of Ximending, close to the North Gate heritage attraction, a clutch of beef noodle stalls is found around the block on the east side of the Luoyang Street/Xining Road intersection. Each has its loyal customers, but Xiao Wu stands out for its 24hr service and generous portions.

Although beef noodles originated with Chinese immigrant communities who settled in Taiwan after 1949, they have become a hallmark of Taiwanese cuisine and are popular with locals and tourists alike. Today, Taiwanese beef noodles pair Sichuan-style braised beef with local flavors and variations, including dry versions, beef offal soup, tomatobased broth, or beef soup with noodles but no meat slices.

Of the various types of noodles that may be used, knifecut noodles are likely the most popular. Xiao Wu’s knifecut beef noodles are known for their chewy “Q” mouthfeel, tender cuts of beef, and a well-balanced broth fragrant with Chinese spices. Small side-dish plates are also available, and their beef dumplings are another popular choice. The main dining area is mostly taken up by a long, communal table flanked by stools. On these tables, you’ll find black vinegar, chili bean sauce, and pickled green vegetables, all popular additions to beef noodle soup. Xiao Wu’s signature accouterment, however, is the spiced “beef butter,” rendered from beef fat and packed with umami. The bright-orange version adds a savory, spicy kick; the darker version is packed with chili and not for the faint of heart.

XIAO WU KNIFE-CUT BEEF NOODLES | 小吳刀切牛肉麵 (02) 2371-3201 No. 45-11, Luoyang St., Wanhua Dist., Taipei City ( 台北市萬華區洛陽街 45-11 號 ) 24h

Beef noodles

FOUR-HERB SOUP

A-Tong A-Bao Four-Herb Soup

For those who want a healthier late-night meal, A-Tong A-Bao Four-Herb Soup serves up its signature dish until 5am, closing for only a few hours in the morning. Located in Taipei’s historic Dadaocheng neighborhood, the eatery has been in business since 1977, keeping it old school with white-tiled walls and stainless-steel tables.

Four Herbs Soup (also called Four Gods Soup) is an herbal medicine concoction that has become a comfort food staple, especially during Taiwan’s short but damp winter. The “four herbs” refer to the medicinal properties of lotus seeds, Chinese yam, poria mushroom, and prickly water lily seeds, which are said to aid digestion, reduce excess moisture in the body, support kidney function, and combat fatigue. Although variations exist, in Taiwan

Four Herbs Soup is typically fortified with a type of barley called Job’s tears and either pork intestine or ribs.

Unlike more filling meals such as sesame or beef noodles, dumplings, and rice rolls, the soup is rarely eaten on its own. A-Tong A-Bao lets you pair your soup with pork buns, dumplings, leaf-wrapped rice dumplings, or fish balls. The pork buns and rice dumplings are packed with flavor and are especially popular.

A-TONG A-BAO FOUR-HERB SOUP | 阿桐阿寶四神湯 (02) 2557-6926 No. 151, Minsheng W. Rd., Datong Dist., Taipei City ( 台北市大同區民生西路 151 號 ) 11am-5am www.facebook.com/atongabao

Four-herb soup

Rice dumpling

BARBECUE

Xie Xie Barbecue

A retro neon sign bearing the restaurant’s name – “Xie Xie,” meaning “Thank You” – greets patrons at this popular Taiwanese barbecue joint in an alleyway near Neihu District’s Huguang Market. Xie Xie looks new, but the original shop opened over thirty years ago in the central city of Changhua. The son of the original owners opened his own restaurant in northern Taipei, and they’ve been selling some of the best Taiwanese barbecue treats here ever since.

The interior is a modern take on 1960s design, with terrazzo-like mosaic-tile floors, plants, midcentury chairs, and pendant lights. The dining process is similar to street-stall barbecue: choose your items from trays piled with skewers, paying NT$20-70 per item. Xie Xie holds the time-honored tradition of offering just about every part of the chicken, including drumsticks, wings, and lean meat, but also chicken feet, gizzards, hearts, and skin. Taiwanese-style tempura, Kaoliang sausage, bacon rolls, meatballs, and various tofu and vegetable options are also available.

Drinks at Xie Xie lean towards the traditional: osmanthus plum oolong tea, roselle tea, grass jelly tea, and soda are among the non-alcoholic options, with Taiwan Gold Medal Beer and craft beer available for those who imbibe.

XIE XIE BARBECUE | 謝謝台味炭烤 (02) 2792-5586

No. 7, Aly, 25, Ln. 61, Sec. 4, Chenggong Rd., Neihu Dist., Taipei City ( 台北市內湖區成功路 4 段 61 巷 25 4pm-11:30pm www.facebook.com/hsiehhsiehU

ENGLISH AND CHINESE

Brother Wang and Brother Liu Tour Taiwan

王哥柳哥遊台灣

Dadaocheng | 大稻埕

egg rolls | 蛋餅

Four Herbs Soup | 四神湯

Huguang Market | 湖光市場

knife-cut | 刀切

North Gate | 北門

rice rolls | 飯糰

shaobing | 燒餅

soy milk soup | 豆漿

Songshan Culture and Creative Park | 松山文創園區 "soul-stirring" | 銷魂

Taipei Dome | 臺北大巨蛋

xiao chi | 小吃

Ximending | 西門町

Bai

Worshipping in Taiwan Temples

Beyond their beautiful architecture and intricate decorations, Taiwanese temples are visually lively centers of faith. For visitors unfamiliar with local customs, the practices and diverse deities can be a bit perplexing. This article briefly introduces the practices and key figures commonly observed in Taiwanese temples.

TEXT & PHOTOS VISION Bai

Fu'an Temple in Checheng, Pingtung County

Guanyin (Bodhisattva of Compassion)

The central practice for worshippers visiting Taiwanese temples is known as bai bai, which is the act of honoring deities (or ancestors if in a family shrine), often involving incense and offerings. Temple visitors generally follow a specific series of steps. First, they typically purchase incense sticks, offerings (such as fruits, snacks, or flowers), and symbolic paper money. Entry into the temple is usually made through the right-hand entrance, and stepping on the threshold in any doorway is generally avoided. Next, incense sticks are lit, which are traditionally held with both hands.

Worshippers then approach the main altar, holding the burning incense sticks, to pay respects to the main deity. They bow and offer prayers, silently stating their name, address, and the purpose of their visit. The number of bows may vary, but is often three. Finally, they place the incense sticks in the main censer.

Following this, worshippers may pay respects to other deities. Most temples feature multiple altars dedicated to various gods. The choice of which altars to visit depends on individual beliefs and needs. Worshippers move from altar to altar, repeating the bowing and prayer process. If a temple has separate censers for different deities, it’s essential to place one’s incense sticks in the appropriate burners.

After the worship ritual, symbolic paper money is burned in a designated furnace to send it to the deities or ancestors. Often sold by vendors outside the temple, what is also commonly called spirit money comes in a wide variety, each with specific designs, colors, and purposes. Some are intended for deities, others for ancestors, and some for particular occasions.

To seek divine guidance on important life decisions, Taiwanese worshippers often perform the throwing of divination blocks. These crescentshaped wooden blocks, with one rounded and one flat side, are tossed after offering prayers and clearly stating a yes-or-no question to a deity. The position of the two blocks after landing determines the answer: one rounded and one flat side facing upward signifies “yes,” two rounded sides indicates an unclear response, and two flat sides means “no.” Repeating the toss, with the same result three consecutive times, confirms the answer. This practice serves as a direct communication with deities, providing guidance on various aspects of life, and reflects a deep belief in their influence in the mortal world.

Taiwanese temples house a diverse pantheon of deities, each offering unique assistance. Common figures include:

• Wang Ye: Protectors against plagues and bringers of peace

• Tudi Gong (Fude Zheng Shen): Earth god, granting prosperity and security

• Guanyin: The compassionate Bodhisattva, offering salvation and healing

• Mazu: The sea goddess, safeguarding sailors and fishermen For specific needs, worshippers may turn to:

• Caishen: God of wealth

• Yue Lao: Matchmaker god

• Medicine gods: Healers of illnesses

• Wenchang Dijun: Patron of scholars (i.e., students)

• Zhusheng Niangniang: Goddess of fertility

Animal deities like the Tiger God , Monkey King, and others are also revered.

ENGLISH AND CHINESE

bai bai | 拜拜

Caishen | 財神

Guanyin | 觀音

Mazu | 媽祖

Tudi Gong | 土地公

Medicine gods | 藥王

Monkey King | 齊天大聖

Tiger God | 虎爺

Wang Ye | 王爺

Wenchang Dijun | 文昌帝君

Yue Lao | 月老

Zhusheng Niangniang | 註生娘娘

Mazu (Goddess of the Sea)

Tudi Gong (Land God)

Yue Lao (Matchmaker God)

Convenient Coffee In Taiwan’s Cities, You Can Get Your Caffeine Fix Almost Anywhere

TEXT VISION

Although coffee aficionados might turn up their noses at convenience-store coffee, those urgently needing a caffeine boost will find the ubiquitous chain outlets, with their behind-the-counter brewing machines, a welcome relief. And this relief is usually readily available in Taiwan’s urban settings.

So, what can you expect from a coffee costing less than NT$50 prepared by a multi-tasking shop clerk pressing a few buttons, not a dedicated barista in a fancy café? While excellence is in no way expected, some coffee experts consider the brews drinkable and worth the price. And to be fair, due to the highly competitive market out there, convenience-store chains like 7-Eleven and FamilyMart have somewhat elevated their coffee game by introducing coffee beans of higher quality for their “gourmet coffee” offerings.

Higher in quality and price, local café chains like Louisa and Cama have become a good and easily found alternative (in urban settings) to these chain stores over the past two decades. Following in the footsteps of Starbucks, but offering lower prices for a comparable coffee experience, they present coffee lovers with affordable quality coffee. In terms of number

of branches in Taiwan, Louisa, with a business model that stresses rapid growth, has already surpassed Starbucks. Over the past 20 years, the number of chain coffee shops in Taiwan has grown by more than 800%, and the coffee market in Taiwan is still steadily growing. Considering that on average every person in Taiwan drinks about 120 cups of coffee per year, a total of 2.8 billion cups annually, it’s no surprise that enterprises are eager to get a piece of the pie.

For long-established local brands such as Dante Coffee, Ikari Coffee, and Mr. Brown, this has presented a huge challenge. Young consumers are drawn to the new shops on the block, and dominating the market these days, apart from Starbucks, are mostly chain operations that were launched in the early 2000s, including the following:

• Louisa : Over 550 branches (since 2006; larger locations, similar in size to Starbucks stores; louisacoffee.co)

• 85°C: Over 350 branches (since 2004; focuses equally on coffee, cakes, and pastries; more than 1,000 branches worldwide; 85cafe.com)

• Cama : Over 150 branches (since 2006; mostly smaller branches, features cute mascot Beano, on-site bean roasting; camacafe.com)

• HWC: Over 40 branches (since 2016; internationally certified baristas; owns a specialty coffee plantation in Panama; a branch in Malaysia; hwcroasters.com)

• Donutes Coffee: Over 40 branches (founded as a cake and bakery store in 1989; café operation expanded in 2006; donutes.com.tw)

• OKLAO: Over 30 branches (since 2006, participation in international coffee contests; focus on specialty coffee; oklaocoffee.net)

• LAOO: Over 30 branches (began as a roadside vendor in the town of Tamsui in 2002; owns a roasting factory; laoo-coffee.com.tw)

• Peter Better Café: Over 20 branches (started in 2008, only in north Taiwan, light meals; pbcafe.com.tw)

• CAFÉ!N: Over 20 branches (started in 2018, growing rapidly; cafein.com.tw)

Taoyuan International A Flying Visit to Downtown Taipei

Does the thought of waiting for half a day at an airport for a connecting flight fill you with dread? If that airport is Taoyuan International, Taiwan’s main international hub, consider entering the country and taking a quick trip to the heart of the capital. There’s lots to see, even if you have limited time.

The Taoyuan Airport Metro (www.tymetro.com.tw) whisks you in no time to central Taipei. Note that there are two types of train, Express and Commuter, the first being the faster option, getting you to Taipei Main Station in just 35 minutes. After arriving there, you can leave the station and explore the immediate area, where there are quite a few tourist attractions within walking distance. Or you can connect to one of three Taipei MRT (Taipei Metro) lines – Green, Blue, and Red – taking you quickly and conveniently to many of the city’s other tourist hotspots.

Around Taipei Main Station

For a quick photo op at a Taipei landmark, the North Gate (Beimen) is just a 5min walk from the airport metro terminus. If you have more time, explore the historic area immediately south of Taipei Main Station. It features numerous long-standing restaurants and shops, the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Taipei Station outlet, the National Taiwan Museum (www.ntm.gov.tw), and 228 Peace Memorial Park .

Red Line

Green Line

Several of the aforementioned attractions are also accessible via the Green Line. To avoid the bustling Taipei Main Station complex upon arriving at the Taoyuan Airport Metro terminus, simply walk a short distance west to the more tranquil MRT Beimen Station. From there, you can quickly reach Ximending and CKS Memorial Hall, as well as stations connecting to other metro lines. The metro system is well-integrated.

The modern, clean, safe, and efficient Taipei Metro system offers an ultra-convenient way to navigate the city and visit its tourist attractions, even with limited time. Alternatively, for a chauffeured sightseeing experience, consider taking a Taipei Sightseeing Bus (www.taipeisightseeing.com.tw), which can be boarded at Taipei Main Station as well.

From the memorial park, the Taipei Metro’s Red Line (MRT NTU Hospital Station) is easily accessible. This line connects the coastal town of Tamsui in the north to the city’s vibrant Xinyi District in the east, home to Taipei 101, along its length offering access to many of Taipei’s famous sights. Notable stops include CKS Memorial Hall , Yongkang Street, Daan Park , the Zhongshan commercial district, and the history-rich Dadaocheng neighborhood.

Blue Line

Alternatively, from Taipei Main Station the Blue Line offers quick access to MRT Ximen Station, to the southwest, from which you can explore the young and trendy pedestrian area of Ximending , and to MRT Longshan Temple Station, steps from Bangka Lungshan Temple, one of Taiwan’s oldest and most impressive places of worship. Heading east along the route, the Blue Line follows Zhongxiao E. Road , a major Taipei thoroughfare. MRT Zhongxiao Fuxing and MRT Zhongxiao Dunhua stations are ideal if you are intent on shopping. Further east, you can get some fresh air on the grounds of the National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall (station of the same name), and then continue your shopping and entertainment spree in the Xinyi Commercial District (MRT Taipei City Hall Station), Taipei’s most modern area. (You can easily walk south to Taipei 101 on the district’s south side and, from there, take the Red Line back to Taipei Main Station).

TEXT & PHOTOS VISION

Xinyi Commercial District

Over the past decade, a growing number of businesses have been breathing new life into Taiwanese food products and crafts, working closely with local artisans and small farmers. These vendors often market the goods in trendy, creative ways, helping to keep them relevant to modern customers and in turn preserving the island’s rich cultural traditions.

TELLING FOOD STORIES

The Ideas and Creativity Behind the Popularity of a Celebrated Select Shop

Maji Treats

Fan Jiang Qun-ji, CEO of Maji Treats, doesn’t want to hear about how delicious a tea is, or at what altitude it was grown. “I can’t picture anything from that,” he says. “I want to hear stories. Tell me about each product as if it were a contestant in a beauty pageant. Who is she, what are her talents, what’s her family background? There must be many fantastic things that set her apart – let’s put the spotlight on those.”

Full of quirky, artistic ideas and adept in business strategy, Fan Jiang speaks in a relaxed, humorous tone, describing how he overturned conventional supermarket operating methods and built up Maji Treats, a select shop packed with all sorts of Taiwanese artisanal food and household products.

“I told the staff, I don’t want you to run a supermarket,” the CEO says. “See yourself as a fashion designer. You must be the one who’s most sensitive to the current trends, and be highly aware of the land and environment.”

Opening in 2018 in the Eslite Spectrum Nanxi store, in Taipei’s trendy Zhongshan Commercial District, the brightly lit market space is located on the “Taiwanese Aesthetics of Living”-themed fourth floor, alongside startup fashion and designer brands, instead of in the usual basement location with the other food shops. Despite the modern, minimalist decor, visitors will find all sorts of nostalgic snacks and household items such as baskets, scissors, and zinc watering cans – even toys straight from their childhood neighborhood corner store. Maji Treats expanded to Japan in 2021, bringing its unique Taiwanese flavors overseas. There is also an enterprise outlet in Taipei Expo Park’s Maji Square (see below).

The company’s philosophy is “L.E.S.S. (Local, Essential, Seasonal, Suitable) is more,” targeting younger, imageconscious customers who may not have time to cook full meals every day but still hope to add a bit of comfort, style, and quality to their lifestyle. The store’s “one-day rice,” contained in 150g packets, addresses exactly this demographic, relieving them from having to finish off a large bag and allowing them to try out different grain varieties. It also carries rice grown in fields plowed by water buffaloes – an old-time method that is almost unheard of these days in Taiwan, revived by an artistturned-farmer in Hsinchu County.

Maji Treats is not for big grocery trips to feed the family, but for relaxed browsing and “treasure hunting,” Fan Jiang says, hoping that customers can explore every inch of the store and take away items they truly like.

Nostalgia has long played an integral part in Fan Jiang’s personal and professional life. He spent his early years in a traditional Hakka communal house, but he later moved with his family to another township. With his siblings much older than him and his school being far from home, he spent much time alone, running wild with his imagination.

As a young adult, he expended great effort collecting vintage toys and other childhood objects, amassing a collection

that he says was at one point the most extensive in Taiwan. He also once moved into a run-down brick courtyard residence in rural Taoyuan and began fixing it up. This type of nostalgia was not yet fashionable at the time, and few understood why he was drawn so much to the past.

Eventually, however, his passion brought him success when he opened a retro-style Hakka restaurant in 1990 that proved to be very popular, and later launched a lucrative venture designing and manufacturing retro-style products – most notably souvenirs for the Taiwan Railways Administration. At the same time, he stayed in tune with societal trends while also working for an ad agency, and for a period delved into such “fashionable things” as Japanese pop culture and cycling.

“I don’t just dip my toes into something,” he says. “I completely immerse myself in it and then I climb out.”

Products sold at Maji Treats

Nostalgic household items

"One-day rice"

In 2017, Fan Jiang became the CEO of Maji Treats, which at the time operated the Maji Food & Deli, an upscale select market offering Taiwanese food items, located in Taipei Expo Park. For their Eslite expansion, Fan Jiang decided to go beyond the kitchen and build a lifestyle shop, showcasing quality and selling seasonal products that tell a good story.

Instead of simply researching online and making a spreadsheet of items they wanted to carry, he and his staff traveled around Taiwan, visiting the producers and experiencing their craftwork firsthand, such as drying noodles in the sun with them.

Eslite Spectrum Nanxi being a major Taipei hotspot, the Maji Treats operation is frequented by both locals and tourists. Among the most popular souvenirs are tea sets with one can of leaves and two teacups. The dainty vessels are sculpted and hand-painted by an experienced artisan in the ceramics mecca of Yingge, a district in New Taipei City, and no two are the same. The dried mango, which contains an entire fruit in one packet, is also popular, the packaging bearing the catchphrase “There will always be sweet moments in life” (in Chinese). The Alishan drip coffee, sourced directly from the indigenous Tfuya village, is also a favorite, spotlighting a lesser-known product with unique flavors that has quietly snatched up several awards in the past few years.

While planning the Eslite store, Fan Jiang also set his sights on the adjacent space. He wrote up the winning proposal

within one week for a Taiwanese home-cooking eatery, Have a Seat, and concocted a hysterical menu based on his childhood memories, in particular things his mother would say to him. The original menu included such creations as “Do not open the pot lid while it’s cooking” steamed meat with pickled vegetables and lotus seeds and “Don’t watch TV while eating” crystal chicken. It has since evolved in a different direction, but the spirit remains the same.

Fan Jiang hopes that his business can continue to expand the spirit of “food stories” and branch out to other aspects of people’s lives: “In the future, instead of a supermarket company, I want us to be a ‘life experience’ company,” he says.

MAJI TREATS (ESLITE SPECTRUM NANXI)

( 神農生活 誠品生活南西門市 ) (02) 2563-0818

4F, 14F, Nanjing W. Rd., Zhongshan Dist., Taipei City ( 台北市中山區南京西路 14 號 4 樓 ) Mon-Thu 11am-10pm; Fri-Sun 11-10:30pm www.majitreats.com

ENGLISH AND CHINESE Eslite Spectrum Nanxi | 誠品生活南西

Fan Jiang Qun-ji | 范姜群季 Have a Seat | 食習 Maji Food & Deli | 神農市場 Zhongshan Commercial District | 中山商圈

Braised lion's head

Taiwanese home-cooking eatery Have a Seat

Dried mango

Hand-painted teacups

A Joy, located on the 86th floor of Taipei 101, is a high-altitude buffet restaurant offering panoramic views of Taipei City. The restaurant's design integrates mountains, seas, plains, and cities, beautifully capturing the artistic essence of Taiwan's eastern, southern, western, and northern regions. Sumptuous and luxurious

采．寓 HALO HOUSE