Top 17 Places Visited in Taiwan (v 1.0)

Have you been in Taiwan? Do you have top list during your trip in the said country? Here are the top places that I visited during my first trip in Taiwan. What are yours?

Top 1 – Taroko National Park

During the first visit in Taiwan, my favorite place that I fall in love with is Taroko National Park. The mountains that surround the park is the main reason why I love it. Next is the Liwu River where most of amazing gorges can be found. Another reason are Shakadang Trail where I love its river, Swallow Grotto where cliffs and Indian Chief rock formation can be found, Tien-Hsiang village surrounded by mountains and of course the Eternal Spring Shrine, the temple with a falls underneath.

I will not specify anymore which area in Taroko National Park are my favorites as I like all of what I had seen in the park.

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Top 2 – Hualien Der-yen beach

Though the visit in Hualien Der-yen beach was most likely a side trip part of my tour in Taroko National Park, I like to see this kind of places in Taiwan. It always nature wins my heart in my travel.

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Top 3 – Taipei Zoo (Wensha District)

I like zoo, but I never realized that I will be enjoying so much while visiting Taipei Zoo not only because of Giant Panda and Red Panda but because of its animal diversity that will be discovered here and the natural setting of the park.

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Top 4 – Taipei 101 (Xinyi District)

Xinyi District is the financial district of Taipei where Taipei 101 is located. A symbolical building of Taipei or let’s say Taiwan as this is unique tower in the world.

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Top 5 – Shin Kong Mitsukosh (Xinyi District)

One of the luxurious shopping area of the country that can be enjoyed in Taipei. Walking here is already entertaining though there are lots of people during my visit, I found amazing that Taipei has such places like Shin Kong Mitsukosh.

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Top 6 – Ximending (Wanhua District)

These pedestrian area where surrounded by markets, shopping stores and cinemas that change the way I think about market place. My walks here was so relaxing.

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Top 7 – Shilin Night Market (Shilin District)

My last minute walk was spent here before I went to Taoyuan International Airport. And I like the ambiance of this night market.

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Top 8 – Bopiliao Historical Block (Wanhua District)

A historical block that made me realize how amazing if different culture aspirations has been put into architecture.

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Top 9 – Red House Theater (Wanhua District)

Though I was sad at first because the main building of Red House Theater is under renovation, I had a good time walking in one of the cultural and creative store to be found inside the building.

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Top 10 – [Bangka] Mengxia (Mengjia) Longshan (Lungshan) Temple (Wanhua District)

My favorite temple that I saw while walking around Taipei. The architecture design and its colorful buildings are so inviting that anyone will enjoy just to look at them.

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Top 11 – [Bangka] Qingshui  (Chingshui) Temple (Wanhua District)

The first temple that I had seen during my walks in Wanhua District. A distinguishable temple of its kind.

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Top 12 – [Bangka] Qingshan Temple (Qingshangong) (Wanhua District)

Another interesting temple that I found but I haven’t got a chance to get inside.

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Top 13 – Taipei City Hall (Xinyi District)

A government building at the middle of Xinyi District significantly shows its simplicity and can be an outlier because of its exterior design but its impression made on me was plain but authoritative.

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Top 14 – Taipei Jen-Chi Hospital (Wanhua District)

A discovered historical building that I found while walking in Wanhua District.

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Top 15 – Bangka Park (Mengxia [Mengjia] Park) (Wanhua District)

A relaxing place found during my walk where I found Taiwanese enjoys the weekend.

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Top 16 – Lin Jiang (Linjian) [Tonghua] Street Night Market (Daan District)

A discovered night market after spending walking time at Xinyi District, I found myself here when I felt hungry.

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Top 17 – Huaxi Street Night Market (Wanhua District)

Another night market that I passed by while walking in Wanhua District, but because its after noon, most of the stores are still close at the time I went here.

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3 Days – Taiwan Experimental Travel Itinerary

The first time I traveled in Taiwan, my itinerary was not really planned. I called it as experimental travel because it’s the first country that I visited using a visa exempt policy. So, in nature, there is possibility that my entry will be denied if there is something wrong how I understand Taiwan’s policy regarding visa-exempt. But I was thankful that my first entry was smooth as I dreamed of it.

Without further ado, here are the 3-Days Itinerary that I had during my first time visit in Taiwan. Please use the itinerary as reference as the list are not necessarily in order the way I visited them. I myself checks other itineraries from other travelers but in the end, I still created my own itinerary based on budget, time frame, availability and more of my preferences. There are different reasons and considerations for my list so you can use it at your own discretion.

Day 1 – Taipei City

Wanhua District (Part 1 & Part 2)

Ximending

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Huaxi Street Night Market

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Red House Theater

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Bopiliao Historical Block

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Taipei Jen-Chi Hospital

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[Bangka] Qingshui  (Chingshui) Temple

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[Bangka] Mengxia (Mengjia) Longshan (Lungshan) Temple

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[Bangka] Qingshan Temple (Qingshangong)

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Bangka Park (Mengxia [Mengjia] Park)

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Xinyi District

Taipei 101

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Taipei City Government and City Hall

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Shin Kong Mitsukosh

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Daan District

Lin Jiang (Linjian) [Tonghua] Street Night Market

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Day 2 – Taipei City

Wenshan District

Taipei Zoo

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Day 3 – Hualien County

Taroko National Park (Part 1 & Part 2)

Taroko National Park East Entrance Arch Gate (East Gate)

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Shakadang Trail

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Yanzikou (Swallow Grotto)

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Tunnel of Nine Turns

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Tien-Hsiang

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Cihmu (Cimu) Bridge

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Eternal Spring Shrine (Changchun Shrine)

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Hualien Der-yen beach

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Day 3 – Taipei City

Shilin District

Shilin Night Market

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Taipei (Day 1 – Part 3) A Bit of Xinyi and Daan District

From Longshan Temple Station, I took Bannan Line to reach Taipei Main Station and from there I change to Tamsui-Xinyi Line train to reach Taipei 101 / World Trade Center Station. I get off the station and saw a different kind of world compared to Wanhua District.

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Taipei 101

First thing that I saw was Taipei 101 Tower which famous in the world. Though I was already in the ground just outside of the building, I  never went inside the building nor I visited its observation deck to see the city from the top,  at that time it’s not my plan, I just wanted to walk around the place. The ground was my starting point to see the district and took some photos of art works being displayed just outside the tower.

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Taipei 101

Some of the public artworks that can be seen outside the tower are “Infinite Life” by Kang Mu-Hsiang and “The Rising Sun-The Shooting Stars” by Doug Duff. Below are the photos of the art and its description.

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“Infinite Life”

The tightly coiled lines of 「Infinite Life」trace out the image of life in its original form, a steel embryo reborn from the towering structure from which it came. As a reflection on the circle of life, using retired cable from the TAIPEI 101 Observatory high-speed elevator to create beauty from otherwise discarded material, the sculpture stands as testimony to TAIPEI 101’s philosophy of environmental protection.

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“The Rising Sun-The Shooting Stars”

An egg-shape waterscape occupying the gentle slope on Sung-Ren Road, water forms different flows along the angles the leaning egg-shaped fountain creates. On the top, a 90cm- diameter granite ball rolls as water whirls. Around the egg, water jets light up the night. The waterscape is formed by a three-dimensional granite assemblage, of human height and proportioned to create a congenial atmosphere that puts pedestrians at ease. A wind speed sensor is included to turn down the jet power during windy times.

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“Partners” by Taipei Financial Center Corp

Additional art that I captured has title “Partners”. These are colorful blocks stands in the front and made by Taipei Financial Center Corp.

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Some snapshots taken just outside the tower

Taipei 101 was formerly known as Taipei World Financial Center and was once the Tallest Tower in the world from 2004 to 2009 until Burj Khalifa broke the record. But the tower still holds the record as the Tallest and Largest Green Building in the World. Another interesting note that I learned about it is, it holds the Platinum Certification which is Highest Certification in (LEED) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design with that said, I truly respect government and businesses that considers environmental design in every infrastructure they built.

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Taipei 101 from a distance

Taipei City Government and Shopping Areas

I walked from Xinyi Road and then turned left to Songzhi Road not knowing what to see. While walking along Songzhi Road, I found the Taipei City Hall. I reached the end of Songzhi Road which is Songgao Road where Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Mall (Xinyi Place) is located. I walked in the walkway between buildings and I felt overwhelmed because I found a lot of high-end boutique stores in the area which I can say a haven for people who love shopping.

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Looking towards ATT 4 Fun Shopping Mall along Songzhi Road

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Taipei City Government Park

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Taipei City Hall

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Songzhi Road towards Songgao Road

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Songzhi Road corner Songgao Road

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Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Mall (Xinyi Place)

After my eyes had been blown-away by high-end international stores in Shin Kong Mitsukoshi, I walked to another area not really far from where I came from which is Vie Show Square Taipei Hsin Yi where I witnessed a public entertainment show of some kind of anime character (forgive me if I cannot identify the character, its familiar to me, but not sure who is the character it portrays).

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Vie Show Square Taipei Hsin Yi

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Photos while walking at Vie Show Square Taipei Hsin Yi

Lin Jiang (Linjian) [Tonghua] Street Night Market

From Vie Show Square Taipei Hsin Yi, I took a bus going to Lin Jiang Street Night Market because I was already hungry from walking.  I get off at Sanxing Elementary School near the night street,  just a few steps away from it. So I passed the street and walked back. I ate some meats and veggies while walking on the street and bought some sweets to take home as my snacks.

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Lin Jiang (Linjian) [Tonghua] Street Night Market

So, overall I enjoyed my first day in Taipei walking around in Wanhua and experiencing a bit of Xinyi and Daan District. I know that these are not all what these districts has to offer but I just have limited time in Taiwan. Until then.