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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Taipei (Muzha) Zoo – One of the Largest Zoos in Asia

It was Sunday, my second day in Taiwan. I attended a personal activity in the morning before I started my adventure in Taipei. Because I only had half day left, instead of walking somewhere in the city like what I did in my first day, I planned to visit Taipei Zoo and Maokong for the rest of the day. But unfortunately, I wasn’t able to visit Maokong because the rest of my half day was spent in Taipei Zoo or Muzha Zoo. I thought that my visit in zoological garden will be a quick one, but I was wrong because I did not expect that I will be enjoying my visit in the zoo. My heart for biology beats again and my interest in science triggered again after I saw the animal diversity that Taipei Zoo is currently taking care of.

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Taipei Main Station

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Taipei Zoo Station

From Taipei Main Station, I took Bannan Line and transfered in Zhongxiao Fuxing Station for Wenhu Line to reach Taipei Zoo Station. From the station, I walked towards the entrance of the zoo. When I entered the park, I saw a lot of people, a surprising thing for me to see because I did not expect huge crowd of visitors in a zoo, I just thought that it will be fewer people,  that being said, zoo can have a lot of visitors because there’s something on it that people eager to see.

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Entrance and Ticket Booth

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Taipei Zoo

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Taipei Zoo Stage and Open Ground

I had lunch in one of the food chain inside the park before I started my adventure in the zoo. I checked the map that was handed to me when I bought my ticket. While I was looking at the map, I was wondering how I will plan to roam the park as quick as possible because I still wanted to go to Maokong. But, while walking around it and as many unique and interesting animals that I found in the zoo, I gave up the idea of visiting Maokong.

In this post I will just emphasize some of the animals that were unique for me and some that was first time that I saw for real, I will still put the different photos of animals that I captured in one of the largest zoo in Asia. I honestly enjoy seeing and discovering the animals while I was wandering in the park. But because the zoo is so huge for me, there are other animals that I haven’t seen as the park was about to close.

And here were the different kinds of animals that I got a chance to see inside the zoo.

Giant Panda – Tuan Tuan or Yuan Yuan?

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The first thing that I saw when I was inside the zoo was the Giant Panda. Maybe because it’s popular and it’s the nearest animals to me when I started to wander the park while I was looking at the map in my hand. When I reached Giant Panda House, I saw a bearable number of people outside the glass wall of its house, watching the panda. I approached its house and found one huge panda lazily lying at the wooden floor attached to the tree branches. Unfortunately, I just saw one panda. Taipei Zoo is taking care of two giant pandas named as Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan. Since I haven’t able to book a ticket for a more up close visit to the panda, there is no way for me to identify if the panda that I saw is Tuan Tuan or Yuan Yuan and with that, I leave it thinking it’s one of the two.

After I was satisfied looking a bit of Panda, I passed the Solar Energy Clock before I walked towards Asian Tropical Rainforest Area.

Asian Tropical Rainforest Area

Pygmy Hippopotamus

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Siamang

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Malayan Tapir

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On the spot that I saw these Malayan Tapir, I also found a note on it, that it’s the school of the said animals, which means that their weight are being measure and being trained to follow the keeper. At the same time, its the opportunity to know if the female Malayan Tapir is pregnant.

Malayan Sun Bear

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Malayan Sun Bear are known as good tree climbers.

Asian Elephant

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Bengal Tiger

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Black Swan

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Desert Area

Bactrian Camel

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Besides living in deserts and grasslands, most Bactrian camels live in Asian mountain wastelands and can endure the intense summer heat and the cold winter.

Dromedary Camel

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Dromedary camels are social animals, led by a male camel. Although they can adjust to dry environments, they cannot live in the mountains like the Bactrian camels.

Australian Area

Emu

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There are more than 600 locales and towns in Australia named after the emu. The general public considers this bird its national bird.

Aboriginal mythologies
1. wearing sandals made from emu feathers can hide one’s footprints
2. The sun is said to have been created by an emu egg being thrown into the sky

The emu is curious by nature. It would peck anything that reflects light. This animal would come to close to humans; even follow man around, just to find out what he is doing.

African Area

Chapman’s Zebra

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Common Eland

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Common elands are the largest antelopes who move in groups through savannas or open wooded areas. Although they appear to walk slowly, these animals are alert at all times. They rest in shady cool places during the day and come out to feed at twilight or a night

Hippopotamus

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Spotted Hyena

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While I was exploring Taipei Zoo, one of the animals that I saw was Spotted Hyena. This animal is said to be a great hunter on land and a great swimmer. They can control their buoyancy and discontinue their breathing to walk under water.

Grevy’s Zebra

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Grevy’s zebra is the largest zebra, with black and white stripes ditributed on the body and legs. They stay in herds and live in dry grassland, shrub grassland and semi-desert areas.

White Rhinoceros

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Western Gorilla

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Auodad

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The photos above of Auodad reflects its notes that I found near wherein they form a group in rock formations.

The beard of the male Aoudad droops from the throat, chest area all the way to its forelegs. During the fight for females, the males use its horns to hit their opponents. They form groups in rock formations and dessert areas. Vegetation is scarce and water is obtained from plants and dew.

Chimpanzee

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Bongo

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An interesting facts that I read about Bongo

The bongo is difficult to find in the African forest due to its rare coat hues and stripes. When running, the bongo move its horns backwards to the back to avoid being entangled by vines, plants and tree branches.

Patas Monkey

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A discovery learned about Patas Monkey

The patas monkey is the fastest running primate moving on the ground during the day. When one observes, one will see the monkey using its hind legs to stand up to see more clearly. They climb trees when danger approaches. At night, they rest spread out in trees, hoping to avoid being attacked simultaneously.

Temperate Zone Area

Przewalski’s Horse

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American Bison

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Black Prairie Dog

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Black prairie dogs live with approximately 170 types of animals; for instance, ants, beetles, crickets, mice, rabbits, salamanders live in the tunnels that prairie dogs dig; spiders net at cave entrances, they are also the food for eagles, bobcats, foxes, and weasels

Mountain Lion

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Puma

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Asian Black Bear

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Red Panda

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Another interesting animals that I found in Taipei Zoo was Red Panda which came from Hino Japan. Honestly, I had a hard time to see this one in close proximity from the viewing deck of its natural cage because it used to walk from behind of some plants and branches almost not visible except for its back. I waited for few more minutes, the other visitors just left without seeing it and to my surprise it shows itself and I captured snapshot as I can. Though it’s not that clear in my iPhone, but I felt relieve that I saw the Red Panda with my own eyes.

Penguin House

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Life Of Others : Taipei Zoo – Red Panda

Life Of Others (Post#9) : Taipei Zoo – Red Panda

Another interesting animals that I found in Taipei Zoo was Red Panda which came from Hino, Japan. Red Panda which also known as Lesser Panda are nocturnal and crepuscular animals living on trees. These photos are part of Taiwan Experimental Travel Adventure Photo Collection January 2017.

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Discovery : Taipei Zoo – Spotted Hyena

Discovery (Post#23) : Taipei Zoo – Spotted Hyena

While I was exploring Taipei Zoo, one of the animals that I saw was Spotted Hyena. This animal is said to be a great hunter on land and a great swimmer. They can control their buoyancy and discontinue their breathing to walk under water. Looks like they are better than me in the water.

A unique physical body features of this species is having presence of a pseudo-penis in the female that makes it only mammalian species to lack an external vaginal opening (from Wikipedia). A very special kind of animals indeed.

These photos are part of Taiwan Experimental Travel Adventure Photo Collection January 2017.

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Life Of Others : Taipei Zoo – Giant Panda (Is it Tuan Tuan or Yuan Yuan?)

Life Of Others (Post#8) : Taipei Zoo – Giant Panda (Is it Tuan Tuan or Yuan Yuan?)

When I visited Taipei Zoo during my second day adventure in the city, one of the interesting animals that I got a chance to see was the giant panda came from China as a gift to Taiwan last 2008. But during my visit, there was only one panda visible to me. Because of that, I didn’t knew if the one that I saw was Tuan Tuan or Yuan Yuan. So please bear with me on that. These photos are part of Taiwan Experimental Travel Adventure Photo Collection January 2017.

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