Ted's Page

北埔 or Beipu, Hsinchu

2010-05-20T12:57:00.003+08:00

I visited Beipu, a region with a rich history located in Hsinchu County. Initially, this area became populated due to the coal miners who moved in to work on the coal mines. This led to a surge in business for local, restaurants, bars and hotels. During the Japanese occupation Beipu was one of the wealthier areas in Taiwan.

There are a lot of vendors who sell a lot of traditional Haka foods. We visited the local temple and historic buildings. The buildings in this area are not as old as Tainan but, some of the buildings in the area are older than what you will generally see in Taiwan. This area is known as a hotbed of Haka culture. A lot of families tend to come out, shop and eat so the shops are all pretty crowded.

If you're looking for a location with cultural significance to spend your weekend, this is definitely worth the visit.

高美溼地 Gaomei Wetlands

2010-04-01T17:17:00.000+08:00

This past week I visited the Gaomei Wetlands located in Taichung County. The range of creatures which reside here include; crabs, fish, birds and invertebrates. Locals and tourists who visit the wetlands usually enjoy snacks from the various vendors as they stroll along the beach. I noticed that there were windmills in the distance which provided source of alternative energy since this area was windy. However, I felt that these structures broke up the natural beauty of the region.

Since this is one of the last major wetlands in Taiwan, it is an important region for conservation. There is a lot of ongoing research attempting to determine how scientists can save the wildlife. The Gaomei Wetlands are important because several species reside here. This region is essential because the Black-faced Spoonbill a bird native to Asia spends its winter in three locations; Hong Kong, Vietnam and Taiwan. The Chinese Egret also breeds in this area and a have a population of roughly 100,000. Additionally, several different species of waterfowl reside in this area. It’s always good when people can get a closer look at the environment and or creatures that we are trying to preserve. This will ensure that the public is more attentive in respect to nature conservation.

陽明山 or Yangmingshan

2010-03-15T17:42:00.000+08:00

Yang Ming Mountain National Park is roughly located forty minutes from Taipei Main Station. The park was proposed in 1981 and was formally established on September 16, 1985. If you do not have a car and wish to go the best way to get there is to catch a bus by Taipei Main Station for about thirty NT.

    There is a large flower clock located not too far from the visitor center and there are various hiking trails that connect the mountains. Additionally, there are tea houses in on the mountain where people can rest and enjoy some Taiwanese Tea. There is an abundant amount of hot springs and cherry blossoms (depending on the season) on the mountain which attracts a lot of visitors annually.

    Furthermore, Qixing Mountain the highest extinct volcano in Taiwan is located here. The climate in this area is also unique; ranging from temperate to tropical due to the location of the park and the elevation within the park. If you are looking for a more breathtaking view I suggest that you stop by Xiaoyukeng. This area is also dotted with hot springs. The Erzihping Trail is popular because there are trails that you can explore, a Gazebo and picnic benches.

    Due to the proximity to Taipei, urban youth like going to Yamingshan to relax in the hot springs. If you are in Taipei and want to get away from the hustle and bustle of urban life Yang Ming Mountain is worth the trip.

Alishan or 阿里山

2010-03-10T16:09:00.000+08:00

Located in Chiayi County is the Alishan National Scenic Area. This area is noted for its breathtaking views, mountain ranges, waterfalls and tea plantations. This is definitely one of the most popular tourist locations; attracting people from all over the world in addition to tourists from all over Taiwan. The railway line on Alishan was initially used to transport wood when the logging industry was booming in this area.

Today this line is used as a tourist attraction. Tourists can get a better view of the area by going for a ride on the Alishan Forest Railway. The locomotives on this line used to be steam powered but are now diesel powered. However the line is currently damaged due to the effects of Hurricane Morakot.

The view from the top of Alishan is amazing; you can see the peaks rising through the clouds. On a clear morning you can see the sun rising through the blanket of clouds. There are days where the clouds resemble waves breaking across the horizon. People who have gotten the privilege of visiting Alishan agree that you have not visited Taiwan until you visit Alishan.

Taitung or 台東

2010-03-03T11:25:00.002+08:00

Taitung city is located in South Eastern Taiwan was initially developed by the Japanese. Due to its location Taitung is surrounded by mountains on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other. The magnificent scenery in this area along with the various hot springs attracts a plethora of visitors annually. Furthermore, Green Island and Orchid Island are a part of Taitung County. You can get to Green Island from Taitung city via a 12 minute plane ride or via a local ferry. Generally, Green Island is noted for the prisons located on the island. Tourists usually travel to Green Island to scuba dive. Orchid Island is located off Taiwan’s south-eastern coast. This island is accessible by sea or air. The flight from Taiwan takes about half an hour.

Taitung County produces a lot of rice and fruit due to the fertile soil in this area. The most noted beach in this area is Taimali beach, which has aqua blue water. Most of the scenery in this area has not been disturbed by urban development. If you are looking to get away from the hectic schedule of Urban life for a nice vacation Taitung is definitely worth a visit.

Keelung or 基隆

2010-02-24T11:40:00.000+08:00

Keelung is a port city located to the north of Taipei. We traveled to Keelung by car but several bus companies provide service toward this port city. This city is also the second largest port city after Kaohsiung. If you do not have a car, you can take a Bus or Train from the Taipei Main Station.

If you are interested in historical sites you can tour many of the forts that were built in Keelung due to its strategic location. Ershawan Fort overlooks Keelung Harbor. This fort was built in 1840 and was a stronghold that was used to protect the Harbor. During the Ching Dynasty, Gongzih Liao Fort was built in the northeastern part of the city. This fort was used by the government until the past few years. Dawulun fort was integral in the defense of the western side of Keelung harbor. Baimiwong Fort was responsible for guarding the northwestern section of Keelung harbor. Shihciouling fort was built in 1884 and provided costal defenses with the best vantage point due to its elevation.

The most popular night market in Keelung is called Miaokou or temple’s entrance. According to Keelung residents vendors began to sell food in front of the temple as early as the late Japanese period. Each stand has a number and corresponding name. If you’re looking historic sites this is definitely worth the visit.

Tainan or台南

2009-12-09T14:38:00.001+08:00

Tainan City is the fourth largest city in Taiwan located about an hour from Khoushuing. It is fairly easy to get to Tainan. There are several bus companies who provide service, you can take the train, fly into one of the regional airports or take the brand new high speed rail line. The trip from Tainan to Khoushuing takes about fifteen minutes.

This city has a lot of historic buildings and remnants additionally, Tainan once served as the capital of Taiwan. If you get a chance to visit Anping Fort this is a notable area of historical significance in Taiwan. It took the Dutch ten years to build this fort. (1624-1634) Anping fort was surrendered to General Zheng Cheng-gong on February 1, 1662. Another notable site is the Old Tait & Co. Merchant House. Which was founded in 1867 and primarily traded; sugar, opium and camphor.

Another interesting point of interest is that Tainan is the oldest city in Taiwan and is home to more than 300 temples. There are more temples in Tainan than any other city in Taiwan. However, Tainan is especially noted as the snack capital of Taiwan. Some of the most popular dishes include dan zi noodles, shrimp and meat dumplings , coffin bread which is essentially a piece of bread with a hole and ingredients filled in the center and shrimp crackers.

The largest night market in Tainan is the Flower Night Market which is located near Section 3, He Wei Road and Section 3 Hai An Road. There are various street vendors, games and local delicacies. If you like history, Tainan is definitely worth the visit.

Hualien or 花蓮縣

2009-12-04T15:38:00.002+08:00

Hualien County is located on the East coast of Taiwan. The views in this region are unique because you will be surrounded by mountains on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other side. The average temperature in this area is 72.4 degrees. If want to get to Hualien there are three methods, you can take the train from Taipei Main Station, Fly into Hualien Airport or take a bus.

Hualien is unique because most of the region has not been disturbed. The scenery in this county is pretty amazing. In my personal opinion the best national park in Taiwan is located here. Taroko National Park was established on November 28, 1986, this area is known for its abundant supply of marble. For example, several million tons were extracted a few years ago. Some of the more famous areas within the park include the Paiyang Waterfall and the Tsingshui Precipice. The other aspect of this park which impressed me was that a significant amount of the roads were built by creating a passage through the mountains.

Hualien City is the largest city located within Hualien County. This city is noted for Muaji a glutinous rice filled dessert. There come in several different flavors such as sesame, peanut, red bean, green bean, fruit or coconut. The other local specialty is Zhu tung fan which is rice steamed in a bamboo container. Finally, if you get a chance the wontons in Hualien are really good.

Kaohsiung or 高雄

2009-11-24T16:09:00.003+08:00

Kaohsiung, the largest city in southern Taiwan is also a major port city.
It is extremely easy to get to Kaohsiung; you can take a bus, train or the new Taiwanese high speed rail line. This is the quickest form of transportation by far and a ticket from Taipei to Kaohsiung costs around $40.00 US. For example a trip from Taipei to Kaohsiung by car can take up to six hours. However, if you take the High Speed Rail this trip takes one hour and thirty six minutes to two hours depending on which train you catch.

The layout of the Kaohsiung high speed rail line is convenient because the Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit line or subway line has a stop at Zuoying station.
It took only a few minutes to take the subway to the Love River. The Love River in Kaohsiung is a major tourist attraction and has recently been cleaned up. There are coffee shops, restaurants and hotels located near the river.

At night we headed over to the Liuhe night market (六合夜市) a popular tourist market in the area. This area is packed with street vendors selling clothes, toys and Taiwanese snacks. Additionally, the Khoushuing KRT makes travel relatively easy even if you do not have a car.

We headed to the Hwananh Motel which is located roughly ten minutes from the night market. This establishment is the paradigm of true luxury. The outside of the enterprise surrounded with marble statues and there are fountains that are visible on the outside. Additionally, the garage floors, the stairwells and the entire room are covered with marble. Each and every room has been carefully designed and decorated. It is fairly obvious that they did not cut costs when they were working on this project. Finally, this motel is conveniently located next to both of Kaohsiung’s major night markets.

Kenting or 墾丁

2009-11-03T11:30:00.003+08:00

Kenting is located at the southernmost tip of Taiwan and is noted for its white beaches, boardwalk atmosphere and street vendors. When I went, this reminded me of the boardwalks that are prevalent at the beaches in the United States. This is one of the top vacation destinations in Taiwan because of Kenting’s laid back, easy going atmosphere. The scenic area of Kenting has become more accessible these past few years due to the introduction of the High Speed Rail Line. Just, take the HRT to Zuoying then take bus number 88 to Kenting. If you have the time, there are locations where you can rent scuba diving gear or scuba diving gear. The water is aqua blue in this area, it kind of reminded of the water in Hawaii. Additionally, the beaches in this area are unique in that most of the sand consists of different percentages of seashells. The highest percentage of seashell sand is located in Shadao with a 97.7 percent calcium content. Another unique landmark, Chuanfanshih was given this name because it resembles the sail of a sailboat. Some people also feel that this rock resembles the silhouette of former US President Richard Nixon.

We wandered to the Kenting Main Strip which is packed with different restaurants. You can find several different types of cuisine here from Thai to American cuisine. Three of the more popular restaurants in Kenting include Amy’s Cucina which is a chain store which serves Traditional Taiwanese food. If you are looking for Mexican and American food Smokey Joe’s does a real good job. The interior decorations resemble Mexican architecture. When I sat down for lunch, it did not feel like I was dining in Taiwan. I felt like I was eating at a restaurant in the United States, they play a lot of popular music and the food actually tastes authentic.

There are also several different vendors packed along the Kenting Main strip offering food, games and merchandise. This is where I went to enjoy the evening and walk off my dinner. We stayed at the South Beach Hotel which is only a few minutes away from the Kenting Main Strip. The rooms are not as large as traditional motel rooms. However, the rooms provide you with a magnificent view of the ocean.

Generally, life in Taiwan is pretty fast paced and can be crazy at times dealing with the traffic and mopeds racing all over the place. If you get the chance to go to Kenting, I highly recommend it. In my personal opinion Kenting not as beautiful as the Bahamas or Hawaii but, it’s the only place in Taiwan where you can explore beaches. If I’m not mistaken, this is the only place in the world that has this high of a percentage of seashell sand. The lifestyle here is laid back and is a good change of pace for a lot of the locals and their hectic lifestyle. If you are planning on getting away from work for a few days, this is definitely a location that I would highly recommend.

Taipei or 台北

2009-10-23T12:12:00.002+08:00

This past week I had the opportunity to go to Taipei, one of my favorite cities in Taiwan. It is extremely easy to get to Taipei. There are several bus companies who provide service, you can take the train, fly into one of the regional airports or take the brand new high speed rail line. Furthermore, Taipei is well organized because everything arrives and departs from Taipei Main Station.
Taipei is the largest city in Taiwan for example; one in eleven people in Taiwan live here. In the last ten years the subway system has expanded exponentially to the point that you will not need a car to get around in a few years. For example, if you were arriving from Taipei, Taoyuan international airport you can take a shuttle bus from the airport to the high speed rail station in Taoyuan. Upon your arrival you can head toward the Mass Rapid Transit Station (or Subway) that will take you into the heart of the city. This city is unique in that you can find something to do twenty four hours a day. On this trip I went to the National Palace Museum which opens at 9:00 am and runs till 5:00 pm. The unique aspect of this museum is that you can see over 620,000 artifacts that are over 5,000 years old under one roof. This statistic makes this collection of Asian artifacts one of the largest in the world. Due to the sheer size of this collection only a small percentage is on display at a given time. This does not bother me because I can go several times a year and see different artifacts.
Whenever I go to Taipei I usually spend a good amount of time looking for food. As I previously mentioned night markets are great if you are looking for local delicacies at decent prices. Usually, I’ll visit Shi Da Night Market (師大夜市) located near Guting Station (古亭站), Tai Da Night Market (灣大夜市) located near Gongguan Station (公館站 ) or Shilin Night Market located across the street from Jiantan Station exit). But, if you would rather sit down and eat at a more traditional restaurant Taipei also offers several different options. If I have the time I’ll head over to Ding Tai Fung which is usually pretty packed. The only advice that I can give is get there early if you want to avoid the lines. For example, there was one occasion when I arrived around 4:45 pm and the store was completely empty because people had to wait till 5:00 to get off of work. If you are looking for a shopping district with less expensive restaurants Taipei has that to offer as well.
Ximending is a shopping district in Taipei that is frequented by high school and college students. I usually, stop by this area with friends to grab food, catch a movie or browse around a bit. However if you are in Ximending be vigilant for pickpockets. If you are in Taipei I would not pass up the opportunity to stop by Taipei 101 and Warner Village. The quickest way to get here is to take the MRT to the Taipei City Hall Station (市政府站) then look for exit 2 which will take you toward Taipei 101. Once you exit the station, there is a bus stop on the left hand side where you can catch a shuttle bus to Taipei 101. If you do not mind walking walk straight then take the first right this will take you past Elise Bookstore one of the largest book stores in Taiwan. (If you’re looking for a decent Thai restaurant there is one located on the top floor. I’ll talk about this at a later date) Once you pass the book store, Taipei 101 will be right in front of you it shouldn’t be too hard to miss. There are a lot of luxury items for sale inside of Taipei 101. If you’re looking for food, there are restaurants located at Warner Village located next door or within Neo 19 next door.
At the end of the night we stayed at the Burgary hotel located at No.168 Changhua Road, Section 1, Wanhua District, Taipei, Taiwan. The motel was conveniently located in Ximending. The rooms are not particularly large however I found this location to be extremely convenient. However, if you’re interested in hot springs this company has another location in Beitou. Spring City Resort is located at No.18 You Ya Road, Taipei 112, Taiwan 02-2897-9060. There is a large community spa area where customers can go to enjoy the local hot springs.

Taichung or 台中

2009-10-12T16:54:00.013+08:00

We visited Taichung, Taiwan the largest city in central Taiwan. It is fairly easy to get to Taichung since the new high speed rail, traditional Taiwanese rail road from the Japanese era and various bus companies provide service to Taichung. This city is sometimes known as the motel capital of Taiwan due to the sheer number of motels located here. Motels in Taiwan are not the same as motels in the United States where the rooms tend to be smaller. Generally rooms range from 215 square feet to 1076 square feet. The larger rooms might have a swimming pool built into the room, KTV facilities, in house movies, hot tub, tv in the bathroom and a living room. The standard rooms have a built in hot tub, TV built into the bathroom and cable television.

Furthermore, Taichung is known for its restaurants and its famous Fengjia night market 逢甲夜市. This night market is located next to Fengjia University where you can find traditional Taiwanese food such as stinky tofu, tempura, roasted Peking duck wrapped in a traditional Taiwanese bun or Pearl Milk Tea. If you’re looking for more traditional restaurants, there are a lot of upscale establishments located on Gongyi Road 公以路 .

If you plan on visiting Fengjia night market Enjoy Motel is located about five minutes from the night market and is also conveniently located next to Shin Kong Mitsukoshi a famous Japanese department store based in Taiwan. Additionally, there are batting cages located around the corner if baseball interests you. Enjoy Motel is located on No.19, Shihjheng N. 7th Rd., 408 Taichung, Taiwan 04-22597799.

YiLan or Elan 宜蘭

2009-09-30T15:24:00.003+08:00

        Yilan city is located in the Northeast corner of Taiwan. The drive from Taipei used to be time consuming and treacherous. However, once National Highway No. 5 opened up the drive time was reduced to about thirty minutes.   The scenic beauty of this city has not been affected by urban developers.   As you are exiting the highway majestic mountains surround you on both sides.   Our first stop was the National Center for Traditional arts.

         The layout of the National Center for Traditional Arts was designed to resemble older Taiwanese streets. Additionally, we toured the exhibition halls displaying various forms of Traditional Taiwanese art along with traditional shops which line both sides of the streets. Furthermore, there is also a temple located next to an intricate maze of walk ways which allow you to walk over the pond. Next, we visited the Yilan Bike trail and their famous bike park. The bike trail is about 13.6 miles long.   Furthermore, there is also an outdoor water playground and outdoor sports facilities.

          We spent the evening touring the famous Rodon night market in Yilan looking for local delicacies. When everyone was satisfied, we headed to E.Lan Boutique motel to spend the night. The drive was under ten minutes and it was nice staying in a brand new motel that just opened last year.

E.Lan Boutique Motel
怡蘭精品旅館宜蘭縣五結鄉鎮安村舊街路108號

Hsinchu 新竹

2009-09-29T15:16:00.009+08:00

Upon my arrival in Hsinchu I headed over to the City God Temple where most of the local delicacies including rice noodles, shaved ice or meat balls (in Taiwanese “ba wan”) can be found. If you’re looking for local cuisine another good place to go are restaurants and night markets located near local universities. The prices are reasonable since these patrons cater to college students who generally do not have as much money. Generally speaking, Hsinchu does not have a night market in the traditional sense but if you head over to Tsing Hua University there are a lot of vendors in this area.

The local scenic areas in Hsinchu include 18 peaks mountain which is located in the southeastern part of the city. If you do not mind driving the Lion’s head mountain scenic area is also an area that I highly recommend. Generally, I usually visit these places either in the morning or at night when it’s not has hot. If you would rather stay indoors, the Hsinchu Glass Museum is another area of interest that I visited. This museum features a variety of glass sculptures which are on display to the public.

I stayed at the Sun-View Motel which is located a few minutes from downtown Hsinchu away from the tussle of urban life. The sizes of the rooms vary; the largest room also has a living room, an additional sitting room along with a double hot tub. These rooms are about 80 square meters or 861.112 833 34 square feet. If you’re not looking for something quite so extravagant, the smaller rooms are about the size of your typical motel rooms back at home in the United States.

TEL：03-5203000　No.1001, Minghu Rd., Hsinchu City 300, Taiwan