Tourism

Traditional architecture found on Kinmen adds a bit of nostalgia to the otherwise modern island. (Courtesy of Chen Huei-hwang, Tourism Bureau, Ministry of Transportation & Communications)

Fascinating culture, breathtaking scenery, artistic masterpieces, delicious cuisines, and friendly people make Taiwan an ideal destination for tourists. In addition, the island’s convenient transportation, excellent hotels, and outstanding restaurants allow travelers to explore these many attractions in comfort.

In 2002, over 2,726,411 people visited Taiwan. Japan provided the largest number of visitors, with 986,053 or 36.17 percent of the total. Hong Kong and the United States were the second and third largest sources of visitors that year, numbering 435,080 (15.96 percent) and 354,087 (12.99 percent) respectively.

Major Tourist Sites

Northern Taiwan

Many temples and traditional-style houses are scattered throughout Taipei. Longshan Temple 龍山寺 is the city’s oldest and most famous temple, and the Lin Family Garden 林家花園 is the island’s finest example of classical Chinese landscaping and architecture.

Taipei’s leading attraction is the majestic National Palace Museum 國立故宮博物院, which houses the world’s largest and finest collection of oriental art treasures. The Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall 中正紀念堂, the island’s most impressive monument to the late president, has a beautiful Ming-style arch at its main entrance that is flanked by the National Theater 國家劇院 and the National Concert Hall 國家音樂廳. In addition to numerous other attractions, Taipei is well known for its excellent restaurants, though many visitors also enjoy eating local delicacies at the city’s lively night markets.

Northern Taiwan is rich in natural beauty. Towering over Taipei to the north is Yangmingshan National Park 陽明山國家公園, where well-maintained walkways and trails lead visitors to scenic spots such as waterfalls, volcanic craters, lakes, and hot springs.

On the northeast coast, just west of Keelung, are the amazing natural rock formations of Yeliou 野柳, while to the east of Keelung is the Northeast Coast National Scenic Area 東北角海岸國家風景區, whose rugged beauty makes it a popular destination for both local and international tourists. Two of the more notable features of the latter are the magnificent sandstone promontory that rises from the sea at Longdong 龍洞 and the wooden pavilions and walkways at Yanliao Seaside Park 鹽寮海濱公園. Boats are now available to take visitors on “blue highway” tours between Yilan and Taipei County.

At Wulai 烏來, just south of Taipei City, there is an indigenous village where visitors can enjoy the traditional dances and ceremonies of Taiwan’s Atayal 泰雅people, as well as the beauty of a magnificent waterfall cascading through lush vegetation.

Central Taiwan

Central Taiwan displays the full range of Taiwan’s natural beauty. Although the massive earthquake of September 21, 1999, seriously damaged many resorts surrounding Sun Moon Lake, other resort areas, such as the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village 九族文化村 and Sitou Forest Recreation Area 臺大溪頭實驗林場, were less affected. All of these resorts, however, have already recovered and re-opened. Other scenic spots along the Central Cross-island Highway 中橫公路 include Hehuanshan 合歡山, Lishan 梨山, and Cingjing Farm 清境農場.

Taichung, the largest city in central Taiwan, is one of Taiwan’s main business centers and offers many high quality hotels, museums, and parks. Located near Taichung is Lugang 鹿港, which still has many old temples, traditional shops, and colorful festivals.

The nearby resort at Mount Ali 阿里山 is famous for its view of the sunrise over a sea of clouds. Some 15 kilometers away from Mount Ali is Mount Jade (Yushan 玉山), East Asia’s highest peak; which, at 3,952 meters, is covered with snow for most of the year. Yushan National Park 玉山國家公園, the island’s largest park, was established in 1985.

Southern Taiwan

Southern Taiwan is a land of contrasts, where bustling modern cities are surrounded by verdant rice paddies. Tainan City is filled with myriad old temples and historic sites, including its Confucian Temple 孔廟, built in 1666; the elaborate new Temple of the Goddess of the Sea 聖母廟, located at Luermen 鹿耳門; Fort Zeelandia 安平古堡 and Fort Provintia 赤崁樓, both constructed during the Dutch occupation in the 1600s; and the Eternal Fortress 億載金城, erected in 1876.

South of Tainan is Kaohsiung, Taiwan’s second largest city and largest international port. Offering excellent shopping, dining, and nightlife, Kaohsiung is close to many tourist attractions. Just north of Kaohsiung is Chengcing Lake 澄清湖, which features a stately pagoda, peaceful islands, beautiful pavilions, tree-lined pathways, and a variety of recreational facilities. An hour’s drive northeast of the city is Mount Foguang 佛光山, home to one of Taiwan’s largest temple complexes, including a monastery with a dazzling 120-meter-tall gilded Buddha surrounded by 480 life-size Buddhist statues.

Located about two hours south of Kaohsiung on the island’s southern tip is the Hengchun Peninsula 恆春半島. Kenting National Park 墾丁國家公園, which covers much of the peninsula, offers spectacular shorelines, interesting coral and rock formations, and some of Taiwan’s best beaches.

Offshore Islands

The Pescadores (Penghu Islands) 澎湖群島, located midway between Taiwan and China in the Taiwan Strait, offer a wide variety of sightseeing opportunities, including ancient temples, picturesque farms, windswept fishing villages, and fine beaches along a rugged coastline.

Green Island 綠島, located off Taiwan’s Pacific coast, is known for its saltwater hot springs and fantastic coral formations. Just south of Green Island is Orchid Island 蘭嶼, named for the beautiful wild orchids that cover its hills. Orchid Island is home to the Yami 雅美族, Taiwan’s most isolated indigenous tribe.

The fortress islands of Kinmen 金門 (Quemoy) and Matsu 馬祖 were opened to tourism in 1992. Kinmen, which is situated less than two kilometers off the coast of China, is a fascinating repository of traditional Chinese architecture and culture. In 1995, Kinmen National Park 金門國家公園 was established to serve as both a war memorial and nature reserve.

Major Festivals and Holidays

The Lunar Calendar is crowded with traditional festivals, with the first and most important one being the Lunar New Year 春節. Beginning on the first day of the first lunar month, the Lunar New Year ends with the Lantern Festival 元宵節 on the first full moon (15th day) of the Lunar Calendar. Every year, lantern displays and other activities are held in major cities around the island to celebrate this festival, including a large-scale government-sponsored festivity held in the courtyard of Taipei’s Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall that consists of a giant lantern depicting the year’s zodiac animal, ceremonial processions, folk arts demonstrations, and thousands of colorful lanterns. To promote a more balanced development in Taiwan, however, the government held its 2002 and 2003 Lantern Festival activities in Kaohsiung and Taichung, respectively.

Filial piety and careful attention to funeral rites are manifested on Tomb Sweeping Day 清明節 in early April, when families get together to clean their ancestors?gravesites and make offerings to venerate them.

Since summer is the time when diseases are most easily spread, the Dragon Boat Festival 端午節─which is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month─first began as an occasion for driving off evil spirits and pestilence. The festival was later enriched by the legend of the patriotic poet Cyu Yuan 屈原, who drowned himself in despair for the country. Highlights of the festival include dragon boat racing and eating zong zih 粽子, which are sticky rice balls stuffed with meats or sweets that have been wrapped in bamboo leaves and then steamed.

The Mid-Autumn Festival 中秋節, or Moon Festival, occurs on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month and celebrates the annual harvest. Families view the full moon during this holiday while eating rich pastries known as “moon cakes.” Double Tenth National Day 雙十節 commemorates the anniversary of the Wuchang Uprising started by Dr. Sun Yat-sen on October 10, 1911, which led to the overthrow of the Cing dynasty and the founding of the Republic of China. Celebrations include a large parade held in front of the presidential office in Taipei that is broadcast on television nationwide, and the holding of fireworks displays in major cities.

Cuisine

For the connoisseur of fine food, dining in Taiwan is truly a wonderful experience, as all of the regional Chinese cuisines and a multitude of local Taiwanese dishes are readily available.

The dishes of Sichuan and Hunan Provinces favor the liberal use of garlic, scallions, and chili peppers. Shanghai cuisine, renowned for its superb seafood, is lightly seasoned, and uses sauces that are rich and slightly sweet. A good representative of northern Chinese cuisine is Peking duck, although noodles, steamed breads, and various “buns” and “dumplings” are also common to Peking-style meals. Cantonese cuisine, which tends to be more colorful and less spicy than other styles and is usually stir-fried to preserve texture and flavor, is most famous for its dim sum 點心, a multitude of snack-sized delicacies served with tea for either breakfast or lunch. Taiwanese cuisine is an interesting branch of the eastern Chinese style of cooking, meaning it is light, simple, easy to prepare, and features lots of excellent seafood. Numerous Taiwanese snacks can be sampled in night markets around the island.

General Information for Visitors

Tourist visas for the Republic of China can be obtained from the ROC Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ROC embassies, consulates, or representative offices in foreign countries. Both single- and multiple-entry visas are available and are valid for between 14 to 60 days. In certain cases, one or two 60-day extensions may be granted to visitors, allowing a maximum stay of up to 180 days.

Citizens from 21 countries are permitted to stay in Taiwan for up to 14 days without a visa so long as their passports are valid for at least six months from the date of entry and they have an onward or return plane ticket with confirmed seats. These 21 countries are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The Republic of China’s unit of currency is the New Taiwan Dollar (NT$). The exchange rate as of December 2002 was around NT$35 to US$1 and is subject to fluctuation. Foreign currencies can be exchanged at government-designated banks, hotels, and shops. All major credit cards are accepted in Taiwan, and traveler’s checks may be cashed at large hotels, tourist-oriented restaurants, souvenir shops, most department stores, and local branches of the banks that issued them.

Banks are open from 9:00 _A.M. to 3:30 _P.M. Monday through Friday. Most commercial firms operate the same hours as banks, except they close two hours later. Department stores are open daily from 11:00 _A.M. to 9:30 or 10:00 _P.M., while most other stores are open daily from 9:00 or 10:00 _A.M. to 9:00 or 10:00 _P.M. Government offices are open from 8:30 _A.M. to 5:30 _P.M. Monday through Friday except during lunch hour, which is from 12:30 to 1:30 _P.M.

All territories under the ROC government’s jurisdiction follow one time standard, which is UTC GMT +8:00 hours. There is no daylight savings time. Accommodations available around the island include international tourist hotels, standard tourist hotels, hostels, and youth activity centers. The electricity used throughout Taiwan is 110-volt, 60-cycle AC. The drinking water served in hotels and restaurants is usually distilled or boiled.