Must See Things to See and Do in Taiwan

  1. Watch a 24-hr movie, listen to a show at the Red Envelope Club

Ximenting becomes the famous movie street in Taipei since 1930. Now, it has more than 20 movie theaters. If you want to watch the movie premiere, you can definitely find it here in Ximenting. The Red Envelope Club is a type of cabaret in Taiwan, mainly distributed on the Hankou Street, Emei Street, South Xining Road. The cost is not very high. The singers are mostly dressed in gorgeous dresses, interact with audiences enthusiastically, which is a unique cultural experience in Taiwan.

  1. Take a cable car in Maokong, drinking tea under the sky of “Maokong”

Maokong is the place where people from Taipei relax themselves. Sit a little while, and drink some tea. You can see the Taipei 101 and Danshui (if the weather is good without frog). The air is fresh. It might be the best place to watch the star. (If you want to watch the fireworks in Taipei 101 here, you need to book one month ahead of time.) “Maokong” is located in Zhinan Raod of Wenshan district. On the side of mountain roads, there are at least 50 to 60 teahouse, mainly Tieguanyin. When it’s night, after you had enough food, drive to the top of the Qingshan. Pour yourself a cup of Tieguayin and watch the lights turn off one by one. This may be the life.

  1. Eat the king of squid in Raohe night market

The king of squid in Raohe night market is very famous. Even though the stall is in back of the Raohe Street, people’s enthusiasm in search for it is not reduced. There is always long waiting lines where guests are ready to pay. On the red sign of the stall, you can see the owner’s promise that “unique sauce, guaranteed good taste.”

  1. Go to Estlite in the night for book and pretty girls

The Estlite store in Dunnan opens for 24-hour. The one in Xinyi opens till mid-night. The emerging of Eslite has changed the schedule of Taipei. The News Director of Eastern Television, Zhang Yulin will go to Eslite to spend some time there if she works until mid-night and have meeting to attend next morning.

  1. Enjoy the Joel Robuchon’s afternoon tea with celebrities in Bellavita

Bellavita is a super luxury general merchandise store located in Xinyi business district of Taipei, having brands like Hermes, Van Cleef & Arpels, Bottega Veneta and other famous brands. The Salon De the De Joel Robuchon is the only restaurant of the Michelin Chef Joel Robuchon. It is also the places celebrities in Taipei like to go for their afternoon tea.

  1. Have a green tea mojito at the W Hotel Taipei

The newly opened W Hotel can be counted as the new fashion landmark in Taipei. It’s not surprising to see Little S or Lin Chiling here. The Woobar located on the 10th floor or the YEN Bar on the 31st floor are both the good place to grab some drinks. The first one is for people watching, the second one for view seeing.

  1. Have noodles at the Flat Duck Meat that only sells goose meat

The most frequently asked question must be that the name of the store is Flat Duck Meat, but why only sells goose meat? This old restaurant of “name falls short of the reality” only sells three things: noodles, goose meat and goose gut. The goose gut tastes the best.

  1. Eat Ta-a noodles at Duxiaoyue

The Ta-a noodles at Duxiaoyue is the most famous snacks in Tainan with an over hundred year’s history. The biggest feature is the meat. In the early time, the owner carried the bowls, chopsticks and pans to sell on the street. People would eat the noodles either crouch on the street or sit on a stool. Now, every store still have a chef boil the meat in front of the store with a stove. After finish, they won’t forget to add a tasty shrimp. Even though it is just a small bowl, the taste is so unique and make it hard to forget.

  1. Try the authentic bubble milk tea made of fresh milk

The milk tea is originated from Taiwan in 80s of last century. But now, when you try the milk tea in Taiwan, it is no longer the flavor you used to. The most famous brand is the Ten Ren Tea, which have half sweet, sweet, and extra sweet to choose from. Each cup is freshly handmade. The flavors of milk and tea are lighter now, but the bubble is very sweet.

  1. Eat featured breakfast without repetition at different corners of the streets.

“So many breakfasts here/in the breakfast stores we are most familiar with/no matter how later you stay up or how late you wake up/the beauty of morning is always here to welcome you.” The Breakfast song sung by Crowd Lu illustrate the breakfast culture in Taipei perfectly. The exclusive homemade sandwich, rice and egg rolls, fried dumplings, fried fritters, pancakes, wonton soup, salty soy milk …

  1. Order a lunch takeaway in Taiwan

A small bowl of braised pork rice costs 25 NT yuan, the fish ball soup costs 40 NT yuan, which is 14 RMB. This is basic lunch combination in Taiwan. Even it is during the rainy season, the delivery staff will deliver normally. The rice is still hot with the dry lunchbox. The taste reminds same. You can pay at the delivery. Every time you mention the lunch takeaways in Taiwan, the lunch takeaways on the Taiwan Railway are the best. A pork steak meal is only 16 NT yuan, which you cannot have elsewhere.

  1. Live in a western styled Bed and Breakfast, not just a farmhouse

The tourism bureau of Taiwan has conducted preference survey on attractions targeting the foreigners that have stayed in Taiwan for over half year. The results show Kenting is the top choice. The charm of Kenting is not just the surfing on the beach or the fresh seafood. It is about the various themed Bed and Breakfast. Each one is different than other. Such as Shangri-La, cow, jasmine, orange moon, Aegean Sea, Warner villas and others.

  1. Eat Lady Chiang’s breakfast at the Grand Hotel

The first thing you will see once you entered Taipei City from Taoyuan Airport is the Grand Hotel, next is the Taipei 101. If you are lucky enough, the general manger at the Grand Hotel will show you the presidential suite, which costs 178,000 NT yuan (approximately 38,000 RMB) for a night. He will tell you that there is painting from Zhang Daqian on the wall. The dresser and the jewelry box is the private collection of Lady Chiang.

  1. Hot spring at the most awesome hotel

The Japanese styled hot spring in Beitou gives you a feeling of time traveling. The most worth going is the private villa of Qiu Minhong, who is the one of the four stock geniuses in Taiwan – Thirty-two villa, which has been listed on many global rankings. The hotel has only five rooms, which is the only member of the Relais & Chateaux hotel group. The hotel is called as the “No. 1 place for hot spring in Taiwan”.

  1. Take the most beautiful section of the subway

Majority of the Taiwan subway are underground, only part of which are on the ground or highway route, where you can see the fascinating view of Taipei. Such as the section from Da’an Station to Exhibition Hall of Nangang, you can see the flight take off and land in the Songshan airport. Take the Muzha line to go to Muzha, turning around at the “Science Building” Station, passing through the section two of South Dunhua Road. It is the most beautiful scene of Koelreuteria elegans under two commercial buildings.

  1. Hunting for cool clothes in Wufengpu

The biggest wholesales market for clothing in Taipei. Once you walk inside the area, no matter which corner you are standing at, all you can see is clothing. Many stalls simply packed clothing in large plastic bags, sitting on the floor.

  1. Try local designers

Shopping in Taiwan might give you wrong perception of thinking you are still in Beijing or Shanghai because the layout and brands are way too similar, including the lights and atmosphere. But if you dig a little bit carefully, you might have some different shopping experience – many malls have floors designated for designers, such as the underground floor of Eslite Dunnan, where they only sell creative products of designers from local or all over the world.

  1. Do whatever you like at 7-11 as you are at home

7-11 in Taiwan is called Supermarket. Here you can not only solve your meal issues anywhere anytime, but also gives your other convenience in your life. You can make copy, send fax and make phone call in 7-11. There is free Wifi, you can mail stuff, pay for your utility, pay tax or uses credit with the store to exchange. You can also wash your clothes, toll up your phone and game account, or purchase movie tickets, concert tickets, train tickets, even rent DVD. Also, the 7-11 can be used as the sending or receiving address for your delivery. If the product you ordered did not arrive on time, 7-11 will give you’re a cup of Hagen Daze ice-cream for free. You can also call the taxi, yes, the taxi will arrive at the door of this 7-11 to pick you up.

  1. Eat oden at 2 in the morning and watch a late night TV shows

By two to three in the morning, most of the stalls in the night markets are closing up. However, you can still find yourself a bowl of hot oden in 7-11. The special about the oden here is they not only offering Fish Ball Tofu, you can also purchase a bag of instant noodles. So, you can have a taste guaranteed bowl of noodle with oden.

  1. Go to the temple in “Taiwan”

When you are in Taiwan, you should experience a culture of temples in Taiwan. Because you will find temple every few steps on the street, where you can burn a joss stick. Everywhere is remind you the important thing of pray for the god’s protection in temple. For a local young adult, once they become an adult, every time they goes home, they need to go to the temple.

  1. Experience the fashion of farming in Hwataoyao

The Chief Executive Officer of Hwataoyao Chan Yuping explained. Hwataoyao have vacation restaurant. The soup are made from the sweet spring water. The vegetables are washed in the clean creek. The dead wood and dry wood are picked up and used as firewood. The fried vegetables, boiled vegetables, bamboo soup and others are all enjoyment, which is the combination of nature and freedom.

  1. Five Dime Restaurant

If you need to nominate the top 10 craziest person in Taiwan, Xie Lixiang is definitely one. Her Five Dime Restaurant (one in Taipei, one in Taizhong) is famous for irregular and grotesque. It is a restaurant, but it look more like a museum. The displays include Buddha statues, pagodas, stone figure, stone horse, animal stones and others.

  1. Go to Modern Art Museum in Taipei for once

Even though the Taipei Modern Art Museum is founded in 2001, its architecture has a history of more than 90-year. Its architect also designed the “Governor’s House”. The red bricks, red tile and bell tower, making it the cultural landmark in Taipei.

  1. Collecting stamps

In Taiwan, the culture of stamps is part of the creative cultural industry. The souvenir holiday stamps, tourists attraction stamps, traditional cultural stamps, special shaped stamps, geographic stamps and others. You can find them in the Tourists Service Center, various attractions, Eslite bookstores, Customer service in the shopping Mall, noodle restaurant, 7-11, temples, fire department, and train stations.

  1. Surfing at Cape No. 7 and welcome to the “Kingdom of Kenting”

Many people know this place from the Movie “Cape No. 7”. Professional surfing belongs to minority. Majority people would took the motorboat or jump into the water with shorts. The awkward thing happens often. The waves hit the shorts or the glasses, making you the laughing stock of others. Who cares? The unique surfing feeling: the meaning of surfing is not about conquering, but waiting. You cannot predict the next move of your life, just like you cannot predict how excitement it would be for the next wave. Or will you lose your pants.

  1. Watch the firefly in Ali Mountain

It is said during the Firefly Festival in Taiwan, there will be flying fireflies in Ali Mountain – like sea of lights – even though the lights of the firefly is weak, it make people want to stay here to find a tunnel to walk inside their soul.

  1. Watch the sunset at Jilong

It is a romantic custom to watch the sunset in Jilong. The Jilong harbor is right next the train station. You can watch the sunset from the ship, harbor while drinking coffee. You can also sit in the square, watching students in uniform sitting in the wind or the kids enjoy themselves. After the sunset, you can go to the night market at the entrance of the Jilong Temple or look for something else far away from the coast.

  1. Eat a bowl of Taro ball in Jiufeng

Jiufeng is a city in the air, one side is mountain, and one side is the view of the sea. The house is built around the mountain, facing the Jilong Mountain, where you can see the water of Jilong Harbor. The scenes in the morning, night, and different seasons are different. However, the most pretties’ moment is its night view. When the red lanterns light up, you will feel like inside the mysterious towns in the Spirited Away of Hayao Miyazaki. Don’t forget to have a bowl of the old lady’s Taro ball. The taste is definitely better than the MeetFresh.

  1. Not necessarily for the fireworks in Danshui

October 10th’s fireworks used to be exclusive in Danshui. Beside that day, Danshui is a quiet place for the most of year. It is suitable for hiking, or you can rent a bike to ride along the Danshui River. So, when a people from Taipei says he want to go for a ride, the first thing comes into mind is Danshui.

  1. Experience vacant house in busy Taipei

In Taipei, you have to walk in the backstreet alleys. There are always surprises there. From Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall to Yongkang Street, avoid the major road but walk into the alleys. Both sides of the alley are mainly vacant houses. It feels like the empty city with people vanished. Randomly, there are houses with opened windows, exuding the smell of dirt and rotten wood. The door has a notification issued by the court, indicates that the house is vacant, you should not walk inside or stack goods here.

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