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- What are Taiwan's most popular tourist attractions?
Taiwan offers a fascinating blend of traditional culture and modern conveniences. There are ancient buildings and historical sites; temples devoted to Buddhist, Taoist, and folk deities, as well as to Confucius; a variety of museums, including the famous National Palace Museum with the world's best collection of oriental art treasures; numerous restaurants that serve Chinese regional and international cuisines; an infinite range of folk arts and handicrafts; and people of unparalleled friendliness and hospitality.
As for natural scenery, Taiwan offers the highest and most spectacular mountains in Northeast Asia, awesome gorges, splendid stretches of seashore, tranquil inland lakes, swift rivers, and quaint offshore islands. Six national parks (Yangmingshan National Park in the north, Yushan National Park and Shei-Pa National Park in the center, Kenting National Park in the south, Taroko National Park in the east, and the offshore Kinmen National Park) and three national scenic areas (on the northeast coast, the east coast, and the Penghu Islands) provide some of the best scenery in East Asia.
The Lin Family Gardens on the outskirts of Taipei is a must-see destination for visitors and contains authentic classical gardens from one of Taiwan's most renowned families. The Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall complex in the center of Taipei includes the National Theater, the National Concert Hall, and the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Gallery, all of which are fine examples of Ming dynasty-inspired architecture. Those interested in seeing a classic temple will find that the Lungshan Temple in Taipei provides a fascinating glimpse of traditional religious worship.
Lukang, on the west coast of central Taiwan, is one of Taiwan's oldest ports and an important historical and cultural site. An hour's ride away is the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village, a re-creation of villages depicting the lifestyles of Taiwan's ten indigenous tribes. In the center of Taiwan is Ali Mountain, a popular mountain resort. At the southernmost tip of Taiwan is Kenting National Park, which has the best beaches on the island, protected coral reefs, and a verdant tropical forest.
The city of Hualien is located on Taiwan's east coast next to the stunningly beautiful Taroko Gorge, a 12-mile slice into the steep eastern mountain range. At the base of the towering marble cliffs on either side of the gorge is a rushing river fed by hundreds of waterfalls.
- Where can one obtain tourist information about Taiwan?
The Tourism Bureau maintains Travel Information Service
Centers at the Chiang Kai-shek International Airport in Taoyuan,
the Sungshan Domestic Airport in Taipei, and other locations
in Taichung, Tainan, and Kaohsiung. The bureau's Tourist Information
Hot Line (886-2-2717-3737) provides information to callers
anywhere in Taiwan or the world, and operates every day of
the year from 8 A.M. to 8 P.M., local time (UTC +8 hours).
Tourism information can also be obtained from ROC embassies,
consulates, and designated representative offices overseas.
The most up-to-date tourist information online is at http://www.tbroc.gov.tw.
- How does one apply for a visa to enter Taiwan?
Tourist visas can be obtained directly from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or through ROC embassies, consulates, and designated representative offices in foreign countries. The shortest tourist visa issued is for two weeks and the longest is for 60 days, and unless restricted, holders of these visas may apply for extensions. Visitors entering Taiwan on tourist visas are not permitted to work in Taiwan.
Citizens from 20 countries may enter Taiwan without a visa for up to 14 days as long as they possess onward or return tickets and their passports are valid for at least six months. These countries are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
- What types of hotel accommodations are available?
Taiwan has over 50 international-class hotels with over 17,000 rooms, and 25 tourist-class hotels with another 2,800 rooms. Most daily room rates are between US$100 and US$260, although smaller hotels can be found that offer good accommodations for US$50 to US$100. All major cities and resorts have hotels that provide exemplary service.
- What varieties of food are available in Taiwan?
A trip to Taiwan is enhanced by the island's wide variety of Chinese cuisines; because of its diverse population, all styles of Chinese cooking can be found in Taiwan.
Szechwan food is hot and peppery with its liberal use of garlic, ginger, scallions,
and hot peppers. Hunan style is closely related: foods are
either spicy and hot or sweet and sour. Beijing food is basically
a mild northern cuisine based on wheat rather than rice and
often includes meat-filled dumplings and scallion pancakes.
Cantonese food is colorful, less spicy, and often stir-fried.
A popular Cantonese meal is dim sum and tea. Shanghai cuisine
is renowned for its seafood--lightly spiced and with rich
sauces that are slightly sweet. Similar to its Shanghai cousin,
Taiwanese food features a variety of seafood and light seasoning.
Influence from Japanese cooking has made Taiwanese cuisine
light, simple, and easy to prepare.
Taiwan offers all of China's regional cuisines at prices affordable to everyone. In addition, there are many specialized restaurants featuring items like Mongolian or Korean barbecue, Japanese food, Indian food, and western (European or American style) dining. Eateries offering cuisines from other Asian countries have also proliferated during the past few years, among them Thai, Vietnamese, and Indonesian. Fast-food outlets from pizza to burgers are a growing feature on many of the major streets.
At home, the average person may eat a breakfast that includes one or more of the following: steamed rolls, pickled vegetables, rice gruel, fried eggs, soy bean milk, fruit, or a variety of breads. However, simple Western-style breakfasts such as toast or cereal are also becoming popular.
Lunch is usually eaten outside the home. The typical lunch box consists of a bed of rice with stir-fried vegetables, a portion of meat (beef, pork, fish, or chicken), and some stewed peanuts or pickles on top.
Dinner can be eaten at home or at any of the thousands of small eateries that are located on every street. Home-cooked dinners almost always include either rice or noodles. In addition, fried, stewed, baked, boiled, or steamed vegetables and one or two meats are usually served, along with a hot soup, in an endless variety of delicious combinations.
- What is the standard tip for service in Taiwan?
Tipping is not common in Taiwan. However, the standard tip in hotels is about NT$50 per piece of luggage. A 10 percent service charge is automatically added to hotel charges and meals at international-class restaurants. All other tipping is optional.
- What are the major festivals in Taiwan?
Festivals mark different seasons in the lunar calendar. Their origins stretch back into history, and yet their essential flavor remains the same. Four of the largest and most popular festivals are briefly described below.
The Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is the biggest event
celebrated in Taiwan. On the Lunar New Year's Eve, every member
of the family returns home for the family feast, which includes
fish, dumplings, and other foods with symbolic meaning. Children
receive hung-pao (red envelopes with spending money)
from their elders, and firecrackers are lit to usher in the
New Year. Most people go back to work on the fourth day of
the Lunar New Year.
The Lantern Festival is celebrated 15 days after the Lunar New Year. During this festival, people make their way to public parks to admire the glowing displays of lanterns. Riddle-solving contests are also held in temples and parks, with the public invited to solve clues written in poetic couplets.
The Dragon Boat Festival is held on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. People attend dragon boat races and eat rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves in memory of Chu Yuan, a patriotic scholar-statesman and poet of the Kingdom of Chu who drowned himself in 290 B.C.
The Mid-Autumn Festival was originally a harvest festival signaling the end of another year's toil in the fields. It is observed on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, when the moon is at its largest and brightest. People celebrate by eating moon cakes, holding outdoor barbecues, and admiring the moon.
- What are the major national holidays?
National holidays cover a wide variety of events and dates, such as National Tomb-sweeping Day and Labor Day. Three major national holidays derive from traditional culture, and therefore are based on the lunar calendar: Lunar New Year, Dragon Boat Festival, and Mid-Autumn Festival. Although many popular holidays are celebrated in Taiwan, the government and businesses usually continue to operate as normal on most of them.
Some of the national holidays were originally absorbed into the alternating
five-day workweek that started in January 1998. Beginning
in 2001, government offices, banks, and many businesses close
on all Saturdays and Sundays. The dates of the major national
holidays on which government offices and most businesses close
in 2002 under the new plan are listed below (with the exclusion
of holidays based on the lunar calendar, which are subject
to change).
| January 1 |
Founding Day of the Republic of China
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| February 28 |
Peace Memorial Day |
| April 5 |
National Tomb-sweeping Day |
| May 1 |
Labor Day (only for workers) |
| June 15 |
Dragon Boat Festival |
| September 3 |
Armed Forces Day (servicemen may arrange
leave) |
| October 10 |
National Day |
- What particular social customs should be observed when
visiting Taiwan?
Visitors to Taiwan soon learn that the people are extremely warm and friendly hosts. The form of hospitality that visitors are most likely to encounter is a raucous dinner party with lots of new friends and good food.
People are accustomed to international customs, such as shaking hands; thus, in general, visitors need not worry about the detailed rules of local etiquette.
There are two basic principles to observe, however. First, a big smile is a gracious way out of all sorts of awkward situations.
Second, in general, do as your host does. If your host leaves his napkin on the table, feel free to do the same. If your host toasts you in his language, feel free to toast him back in your own language. However, if your host downs an entire glass of liquor while toasting you, feel free to just take a sip. Likewise, if your host eats something you cannot, it is perfectly acceptable to decline.
If you visit someone's home in Taiwan, it is considered polite to bring a small gift, such as some flowers, fruit, cake, or even a trinket you've picked up while traveling. Do not be offended, though, if your host does not open a wrapped gift, while you are still in his home. By opening a gift in private, hosts can avoid embarrassment if you gave something too expensive or something that doesn't appeal to their tastes.
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