SITES & TOURS

The most prominent historical landmark in Taiwan, the CKS Memorial Hall was erected in honor and memory of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, the former President of the Republic of China, and was opened in 1980 as part of a national park and gathering area.

The name of the square is officially Liberty Square (自由廣場), as seen above the front gate, however the name change was politically motivated and most people in practice still refer to the entire complex as CKS Memorial Hall.

The octagon-shaped white building rises 76 meters and is covered with blue tiles and red accents, echoing the flag of the Republic of China. The eight sides represent the Chinese cultural symbolism of the number eight which is traditionally associated with fortune and wealth. The two sets of 89 steps represent Chiang’s age of death and lead up to main hall housing a large bronze statue of Chiang protected by military personnel which change hourly.

The characters behind Chiang’s statue read “Ethics”, “Democracy”, and “Science”, and the inscriptions on the side read “The purpose of life is to improve the general life of humanity” and “The meaning of life is to create and sustain subsequent lives in the universe”.

Below the hall is a museum documenting Chiang’s life and career, as well as exhibits about Taiwan’s history, pan-Chinese culture and history, and the ROC’s development after moving to Taiwan.

Feel spirited away in this decommissioned gold mining mountain town, originally built by the Japanese and now a maze of lanes and alleyways with rich history and culture.

Founded during the Qing Dynasty, this small town was a relatively isolated village until the discovery of gold during the Japanese occupation in 1893, quickly developing the town due to a gold rush. Many buildings in the town remain unchanged to this day, reflecting the Japanese influence on both architecture and culture on the island. During World War II, the town housed a Japanese prisoner of war camp where captured Allied Force soldiers (mainly British) were forced to work in the gold mines. After the war, gold mining activities declined, and the town today exists mainly as a tourist destination remembering and celebrating Taiwanese history and culture. The majority of attractions are concentrated along the cobblestone steps boasing a wide variety of shops, restaurants, and cafés.

Named after the local Truku aboriginal tribe, Taroko National Park is one of Taiwan’s most beautiful sights. Created by the continual rising of the mountains combined with the erosive power of the Liwu River, Taroko Gorge with its tall, almost flat walls are a true marvel to view. Besides the gorge, other attractions include aboriginal settlements, temples, museums, and numerous hiking trails for visitors to experience the true beauty of mountainous Hualien County and eastern Taiwan.

Around 4 million years ago, the Philippine Oceanic Plate and Eurasian Continental Plate collided, rising thick layers of limestone rock from the ocean high up into the sky to heights over 3,000 metres. This phenomenon, combined with high pressures from the reactions, caused the original limestone rock to turn into marble through the process of metamorphism, with the erosive power of the Liwu River (立霧溪) forming the gorge valley. To this day, the walls of gorge are still rising at the rate of about 0.5CM per year, while the river basin has become deeper and deeper.

Nestled in the western foothills of Taiwan’s Central Range, Sun Moon Lake is a world unto itself, renowned for both its natural beauty and cultural heritage. Each day casts the lake in a different light, and every so often, some claim, the mountains that tower above it take the shape of two dragons fighting over a pearl. Sun Moon Lake has bicycle paths, boat tours, and a cable car that provides stunning panoramic views of the lake and mountains.

For the best view of Taipei City, make a hike to the top of Elephant Mountain!The best time to hike the mountain is during late afternoon, this way you can catch the sunset as well as a daytime view and stunning nighttime view of the city.The hike takes a total of around 15-20 minutes to the top, and includes lots of stairs!

The National Palace Museum, located in Taipei, Taiwan, has a permanent collection of nearly 700,000 pieces of ancient Chinese imperial artefacts and artworks, making it one of the largest of its type in the world. The collection encompasses 8,000 years of history of Chinese art from the Neolithic age to the modern. Most of the collection are high quality pieces collected by China’s emperors. The National Palace Museum shares its roots with the Palace Museum in the Forbidden City, whose extensive collection of artwork and artefacts were built upon the imperial collections of the Ming and Qing dynasties.

The Taipei 101, formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center – is a landmark supertall skyscraper. The building was the world’s tallest building in 2004, and remained such until the completion of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010. In 2011, the building was awarded the LEED platinum certification, the highest award according to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, and became the tallest and largest green building in the world. It used to have the fastest elevator in the world, traveling at 60.6 km/h (37.7 mph) and transporting passengers from the 5th to 89th floor in 37 seconds. Construction on the 101-story tower started in 1999 and finished in 2004. The tower has served as an icon of modern Taiwan ever since its opening. The building was architecturally created as a symbol of the evolution of technology and Asian tradition. Its postmodernist approach to style incorporates traditional design elements and gives them modern treatments. The tower is designed to withstand typhoons and earthquakes.

The distillery is named after the indigenous Kavalan people, who originally inhabited the Kabalan Plain of modern-day Yilan County. The distillery was completed in December 2005, produced its first spirit in March 2006, and released its first bottling in December 2008.

In January 2010, one of the distillery’s products caused a stir by beating three Scotch whiskies and one English whisky in a blind tasting organised in Scotland.

The distillery was named by Whisky Magazine as the World Icons of Whisky “Whisky Visitor Attraction of the Year” for 2011, and its products have won several other awards.

In Taipei, shopping is pretty much a national sport. No plans for the weekend? Shopping. Bored on a cold rainy day? Shopping. Hanging out with your bestie? Shopping. The city is filled with shopping malls, local markets and boutiques, selling anything and everything you can think of: high-end designer brands, handpicked vintage European jewellery, popular Korean skincare. There are a large number and variety of shopping streets, markets and malls and has been known to tourists as one of the main “shopping city” in Eastern Asia along with Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur.

Shopping malls in Taipei are mainly concentrated in the Daan and Xinyidistricts. Most malls are located along Zhongxiao East Road or in the newly developed Xinyi District. Malls are generally the source for high-end shopping, while markets are for less expensive items. Due to its high population density and lack of space, Taipei also has many underground markets and malls that also serve as connections between metro stations.

Taipei has many night markets, the most famous and busiest of which is the Shilin Night Market.

Night markets are a popular place for low price eating and shopping. Most night markets in Taiwan open around 4pm and crowds reach their peak between during the late evening hours. Businesses continue operating well past midnight. Shilin Night Market has become the largest and most well-known night market in Taiwan, especially with regards to food, and is a favorite focal point for Taipei’s night lifeamong residents and visitors alike.

Other notable night markets in Taipei include the Raohe Street Night Market (Songshan), Tong Hua Street Night Market (Daan), Huaxi Street Night Market (Wanhua), Wanhua Night Market (Wanhua), Gongguan Night Market (Zhongzheng), Shida Night Market (Daan), Jingmei Night Market (Wenshan), the Nanjichang Night Market (Zhongzheng), Ningxia Road Night Market (Datong), and the Shuangcheng Street Night Market (Zhongshan).