Discover Taiwan

We spent a couple of hours viewing the exhibits, but this remarkable collection, so very well presented deserves more like a full day. Travelling around Taiwan this taste of Europe and the rest of the world has got to be in the top ten attractions. Last stop today is Cijin Island, a long narrow island situated almost within a stone’s throw of the mainland with a population of about 30,000. It is connected by a tunnel at one end, while a ferry services the other end. We poke our nose along various narrow streets in the car, appears to us that it is quite poor and a bit of a backwater compared with at least some parts of Kaohsiung City.
Anna reminds of Penglai in Shandong, but here the name Sanxiantai means “three immortals platform”, referring to the island with three large standing rocks. We walk out to and onto the bridge for photos, but don’t go far as the rain starts again. That’s fair justification given that during the cultural revolution in China, temples where looted, relics, scrolls, and books containing vast amounts of 台東伴手禮 cultural heritage were burned and destroyed. Libraries were ransacked, monuments destroyed or severely damaged, and religious sites and tombs of historical figures were looted and desecrated. The red guards also destroyed many priceless artifacts, like those from the tomb of the Ming  Dynasty emperor, Wan Li. In Beijing, the remains of the emperor and empress were publicly denounced and burned.

Didn't expect for such short leg to be so expensive. Just be very careful when riding, as people tend to just take any possible gap and I've definitely had a few near misses. On that note, when hiring scooters, is it compulsory to have an international drivers permit?
When I was there a couple of years ago I was very surprised at how nice Puli was, a small city, but very focused on tourism. Anyway, i came here from Kaosiung, i just stayed there 1 day. Taiwan no way can do 3-4 places if you wanted to. I'll pay for experiences but not go shopping, eating is somewhere in the middle.
Dulan - this artistic community is centered around an old Sugar Mill and offers both surfing and swimming opportunities at the nearby beach. Hualien Bus and Dingdong Inland Bus offers transfers between Hualien and Taitung, with the journey taking 4.5 hours and costing NT$250. Express trains from Taipei Main Station to Taitung take around six hours and cost NT$700. Visit SuSu Second-Hand Bookstore & Guesthouse in the city center and play with the local owners' two pet cats who call the shelves their home.

Sun Yat-sen was first president of the Republic of China from 1919 to and the first leader of the Kuomintang the Nationalist Party of China. He was referred to as the Father of the Nation and is revered apparently more so now in Taiwan than in China. Given the nationalistic, even jingoistic nature of modern China, it is difficult to see how anybody espousing democracy and livelihood, could still be revered in communist China. Capitalism, hard work and a natural entrepreneurial bent – and certainly not communism – has been responsible for improving China’s infrastructure and the livelihood of hundreds of millions of its citizens. Socialism and the Chinese Communist Party’s doctrine, demonstrated unequivocally, as if the message was ever needed’, via the great leaps forward and its cultural revolution, exactly how to wreck a once proud nation.
This lighthouse is cylindrical shaped coloured in white and is also renowned as “the Light of East Asia” for its strong optical power of light that can reach 20 miles at most. Kenting Street is where visitors are offered with a complete selection of foods while embraced by enjoying a relaxing holiday ambience. In addition, fresh tropical fruits and seafood can also be found along the street.

It provides complimentary Wi-Fi, an express check-in and check-out feature and a 24-hour reception. There are many taxis in Taitung, however a majority tend to congregate around the Old Railway Station. Tariffs start at NT$85 and cost around NT$150 for a ride within the city center.
We fought over parking with several other drivers, eventually finding a space and after quite a long walk, found the fort. Originally built in 1634 as Fort Zeelandia by the conquering Dutch, the Qing Army later demolished it and instead built the Eternal Golden Castle. This was gradually abandoned until the Japanese occupation when it was rebuilt as Anping Fort.

I'm currently thinking about one week in Taipei (e.g. 4 days at the beginning of the trip, and 3 days at the end) and maybe 4 – 5 days in Hualien. We will be there for 4 weeks, which is enough time to go from north to south and back again. But we like to take our time with each place, and it looks like there is a lot to see just in the north and the central areas of Taiwan.
Today the only remains of the original fort are the southern brick walls of the outer fort. There are modern buildings constructed inside the fort and so the whole thing looks incongruous from the outside. We travel on into the Yangmingshan National Park through winding roads gradually ascending until we reach the park’s Visitor Centre. It appears that the Centre is primarily there  to give guidance to people hiking and there are many trails within the park and up the mountain. But the officers were also very helpful in directing us on to our next spot and the Centre has a wide range of exhibits on the history of the park and area, wildlife and volcanic activity.

Also getting to the east coast isn't serviced by high speed rail so it takes a couple of hours by train if you do so that way. Tho' the relatively recent modern subway is the easiest to contemplate for getting around Taipei – local buses tend to be cheaper and you get to see more if you're a tourist. I really do enjoy visiting there – seems less "spoilt" than certain other Asian countries.
Kenting National Park, known for its white-sand beaches, caves, coral reefs and spectacular mountain scenery, is next on your tour. A night will also be spent in Taitung County in a hot-spring-and-spa hotel. First stop today thermal valley located on the outskirts of the Yangmingshan National Park.
The old railway station in town plays host to Taitung Railway Art Village, which features rainbow-coloured paper lanterns and the works of local artisans. Pick up handicraft souvenirs and check the schedule for live aboriginal music shows. Visit Ata Aboriginal Culture Craft to watch handmade glass bead creation and to buy textiles, bead art and leather goods. Inn by the Village is set in Taitung City and is within a short walk of nearby landmarks, including Tiehua Music Village. In addition to free private parking on site, the hotel offers comfortable 3-star rooms and a bar.