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After a windy day people can realise how nice is the surrounding of Taipei. Usually Taipei is very grey because of the polution in the air mixed with clouds and humidity ... that can be really depressing after a while ... but when the wind comes people just start to make pictures about the what they can see ... Leave a Comment
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If you are taking your pets through Taipei Taiwan, you'll need a transit permit. You'll need to send them your pets' certification, approved by the USDA (if traveling from the US) and vet's records. But they're nice about it. When I moved to Thailand for a teaching job, I took my two cats, and we were routed through Taipei. Martin and Thomas survived the trip. Leave a Comment
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The island of Taiwan is adrift 160km (99mi) off the coast of mainland China. The island's total area is 35,563 sq km (13,869 sq mi) - it's 394km (244mi) long and 144km (89mi) wide. Taiwan's spine is a ridge of steep mountains, falling away to a rocky coastline on the east and a narrow, fertile plain (where 90 per cent of the population lives) on the west. Mount Yushan is, at 3952m (12,963ft), the highest peak in North-East Asia outside of Tibet. The small islands of Penghu, Lanyu, Green, Liuchiu, Kinmen, Matsu and Wuchiu are controlled by Taiwan.
The island's high mountain forests are predominantly cyprus, although camphor used to grow in abundance. Taiwan was once home to many endemic species, including the Formosan black bear, the Formosan Sika deer and the Formosan landlocked salmon. In its headlong scurry towards economic prosperity, Taiwan has managed to destroy most of the western coast's habitat and wipe out a species or two, although the inaccessibility of the rest of the island has made it a natural wildlife reserve. But in the last 20 years Taiwan has declared 67 reserves, including six national parks, and instituted some fairly hefty environmental legislation.
Although Taiwan is subtropical, the mountains can be chilly in summer (June to August) and snowy in winter (December to February). During winter it rains pretty much non-stop in the north-east, while the south-west is much warmer and drier. Summer is hot and sticky all over the low parts of the island, with drenching rains in the mountains. Daytime temperatures in Taipei are around 30°C (86°F) in summer and 20°C (68°F) in winter. Leave a Comment
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Traditional Taiwanese culture is very similar to that of China. Chinese opera, and its half-sibling Taiwanese opera, are an integral part of the culture: you probably won't understand a word, but the costumes, music, acting and atmosphere are beautiful nonetheless. Most Chinese music is made with string instruments or flutes, but you'll have to go out of your way to hear the delightful melodies these produce. You're far more likely to hear the strident noise of temple trumpets and gongs.
The Taiwanese take health and longevity very seriously. Many practise taijiquan - slow motion shadow boxing - for exercise and as an art form. If you're an early riser, you will often see groups of people gliding through the graceful motions of taijiquan as the sun rises. Chinese medicine, acupuncture and faith healing - quigong - provide an alternative to a growing western medical system. Superstitious about death, the Taiwanese avoid its symbols - white and the number four - and never talk about dying or accidents. Despite this, people do die, and when they do the tip-toeing attitude goes out the window. Taiwanese funerals are reminiscent of a Saoshing-soaked night in a karaoke bar: electric organs belt out funeral tunes, bikini-clad women sing songs (and sometimes strip) and everyone eats a great deal.
Taiwan can be a cultural minefield for the uninformed visitor. As in China, 'face' is vital, and destroying someone's face is surprisingly easy to do. In order to save the face of others, the Taiwanese rarely express their emotions or speak frankly: smiles and politeness all-round are the norm. Gift-giving - especially when the gift is prestigious - flattery, self-deprecation and flowery rhetoric are an everyday part of Taiwanese interaction. As well as saving face, this rigmarole creates guanxi, a relationship of two-way obligations which allows participants to ask the most outrageous favours of one another.
The Taiwanese love to eat, and they love to feed guests. Food here is much the same as in China, with dishes from Beijing-Shandong, Sichuan-Hunan, Shanghaiese and Cantonese-Chaozhou cuisine. The Taiwanese have added a subtropical flavour with plenty of seafood and the liberal use of sugar. Eating out can be another excuse for a display of face-making, with everyone ordering exotic, high-priced dishes and competing with each other to pay the entire bill. Although the Taiwanese use many ingredients which seem implausible to westerners - dog, snake, bear organs - these are usually medicinal and expensive, and you'll be unlikely to encounter them in an everyday dish. Special foods to keep an eye out for include moon cakes (made during the Moon Festival in Autumn), spring rolls (sold in April), rice dumplings (made for the Dragon Boat Festival) and red turtle cakes (for birthdays and temple worship). Leave a Comment
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Visiting Taiwan?
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Well thanks for all those responses. Just to answer some of your questions - I am a citizen from Hong Kong with a US green card (US permanent resident) and I reside in Los Angeles.
Also, it is to my knowledge and experience that you can visit Taiwan without a visa with my Hong Kong SAR passport (or passports from other nations)by filling out some paperwork at the immigration office at the airport which will grant you 2 weeks of stay. Also you are allowed to renew your stay by filling out new paperwork and I don't think it is a crime if I had extended my stay. Leave a Comment
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You must go and try the following---Pork Chop Rice, Oyster Mee Suan, Muai Chee(from Ma Zu), Meat Balls(the HUGE ones--Bak Wan), Xian Su Chicken, Sticky Rice with mushrooms and Gao Shan Cha(tea from the mountains).
Xi Men Ting Night market is good place to shop. You can bargain your way through and should.
You can also try the fortune teller fron Long2 Shan1 Shi4...Very Interesting..Accuracy--No guarantee!!
For the food, you must go to "Shilin" night market. Try the Oyster Pancake and Squid Soup.
"Dan4 Shui3 Lao3 Jie1" is also a good day time shopping area.
For seafood lovers, you must go to Ji Long. Cheap and good.
Unforgettable Memory:
* Hiding myself in the basement when they set off the fire crackers at the entrance of the stairways. Blame it on not being able to experience fire crackers in Singapore---"kidding"
* Experiencing earthquake in Taiwan and refusing to get out of the building because it was very cold.
Best Memory:
Rearing silkworms, climbing mountains and setting off firecrackers with my cousins.
I missed the food................Muai Chee and Oyster Mee Suan
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