Add to the color of your day with a visit to Yin Yang Sea (陰陽海) in the nearby Changren community (長仁社區). The name of this site refers to the two opposing principles of light and dark in Chinese philosophy, and refers to the striking contrast in the colors of the cove.
The water may be beautiful but its toxicity makes it unsafe even for touching.
Address
Ruifang District, New Taipei City 224, Taiwan (ROC)
 |
 |
 |
A nice route to follow is first disembark at Shifen Station (十分) to visit the old streets town area and waterfall. Continue on the train towards the terminal station, Jingtong (菁桐), to visit the town and its historical attractions. Finally, walk back along the tracks to Pingxi (around 20 mins) to enjoy a nice snack and set a lantern into the sky. Hopefully by then it will be dark enough for you to light your lantern and watch it fly over the horizon. Don't forget to stand on the train tracks as you let your lantern go!
In 2018, the Lantern Festival (元宵節, Yuanxiaojie) will be held on 2 March.
Pingxi at night time is a very different experience than that during the day. Many visitors choose to stay overnight in Jiufen prior to visiting due to its closer proximity, or Keelung for its amazing night market.
 |
Shifen is well known for the Shifen Waterfall (十分大瀑布), a 20 meter tall waterfall that creates a rainbow as it splashes into the lake, widely regarded as the most scenic in all of Taiwan. The train station, originally built for transporting coal, was built right alongside the Shifen Old Streets (十分老街), and today stands as a reminder of Taiwan's history and culture. With the marketplace surrounding the train station and the openness in which people can freely cross the tracks running straight through the centre of town, the marketplace area of Shifen is definitely an interesting place for visitors to check out.
Pingxi is special for its unique architecture and design, as its market area, Pingxi Old Street (平溪老街), is built into a hill with a train track going overhead right through the middle with shops around selling local food and gifts. Visitors are able to check out shops built during the 1930s and 1940s, as well as wooden houses built during the Japanese occupation era.
 |
Douhua (Chinese: 豆花; pinyin: dòuhuā) is the short form of doufuhua (Chinese: 豆腐花; pinyin: dòufuhuā). It is a Chinese snack made with very soft tofu. It is also referred to as tofu pudding and soybean pudding.Jin Zhi Red Yeast Rice Meat Ball (Bawan) |
 |
Located in the Pingxi area (平溪), Pingxi Old Street is a collection of shops and xiaochi snacks located nearby the Pingxi railway station.
The old street is unique in that it is built into a hill with a train track going overhead right through the middle with shops around selling local foods and gifts. Visitors are able to check out shops built during the 1930s and 1940s, as well as wooden houses built during the Japanese occupation era.
The area is especially well known for setting Chinese lanterns, and visitors are able to stand directly on and along the track to set their wish-covered lantern into the sky!
Visitors are recommended first to travel along the Pingxi Line from Ruifang (瑞芳) to Shifen Old Streets and waterall before traveling to the end of the Pingxi Line at Jingtong and walking back towards Pingxi to set a lantern around dusk.
|
 |
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Taipei MRT Rapid Transit Subway
As the largest metro subway system in Taiwan, the Taipei MRT serves about 2 million riders daily. It is fast, convenient, and, most importantly, CLEAN! The subway system is very easy to navigate, and is both bilingual in Chinese and English (including the Chinese languages of Mandarin, Taiwanese Hokkien, and Hakka). Transfers between lines are relatively close to each other, and the stations serve most areas of Taipei.
MRT Transit Lines
One important thing to note in the Taipei MRT is that lines are rarely referred to by color name, instead they are referred to by their terminal station. This naming convention is a bit confusing for visitors who are not familiar with the city, so we will use line colors and numbers for simplicity.
Brown Line
This line is unique in that it is entirely above-ground and is a driverless system. Of interest to visitors along this line is Taipei Songshan Airport, Miramar Entertainment Park and Ferris Wheel (美麗華, Meilihua), Muzha District, Taipei Zoo, and access to the Maokong Gondola. Make sure to get a spot at the very front or very rear of the train to get a better view of the city. As a side note, the escalators connecting the brown and red interchange at Da'an Station are uniquely designed with a flat section in the middle.
Red Line
This line travels the entire north-south distance between Tamsui north of Taipei City and Xinyi District. Please check the destination name of the train as it arrives at the station. If you wish to travel to Tamsui, board a Tamsui train instead of a Beitou train (as this train terminates a few stations before and you will have to change). Same for Xiangshan- and Da'an-bound trains. Taipei Main Station is the main interchange station for red and blue. Beitou Hot Springs are located around Xinbeitou station. Interesting destinations around Line 2 also include Yongkang Street, Taipei 101, and Taipei Expo Park (花博).
Green Line
This line travels from Songshan Railway Station and Raohe Night Market looping the city down through Ximending, Shi-Da Night Market, and Gongguan to Xindian District and Bitan (碧潭) riverside area, with a bus connection to Wulai Atayal Aboriginal Village and Hot Springs (烏來).
Orange Line
This line is primarily for commuters living in New Taipei City, and travels from Nanshijiao in the south to both Xinzhuang and Luzhou Districts in the west, looping through downtown Taipei. The orange line branches at Daqiaotou station, so if you wish to travel past this station, please be aware of which train you are boarding. Huilong (迴龍) trains travel south towards Xinzhuang, and Luzhou (蘆洲) trains travel north towards Luzhou.
Blue Line
This line travels from the southwest edge of Taipei to the east through Banqiao, Ximending, Taipei Main Station, and all of Taipei City's downtown areas past Dongqu (East) and Xinyi Districts nearby Taipei 101 (Taipei City Hall Station) out to Nangang District. This line, along with red, will be the most frequently utilised by travellers visiting Taipei, and is frequently congested due to its role as the main line in the city. West-bound trains terminate either at Far-East Hospital or Dingpu, however, generally visitors will never travel that far out into the suburbs, so it's not really necessary to focus on which specific train you are boarding, unlike Red Line 2.
Maokong Gondola
This line is a gondola cable car service that runs from Taipei Zoo Station (Brown Line 1 terminus) up the mountain to the top of Maokong, a mountain-top tea destination.
Light Colour Lines
The light colour lines are temporary, short-distance branch lines, hence the light colour. These lines are of limited interest to visitors except possibly the Xinbeitou Branch of the red line to visit hot springs.
Where are the Best Attractions?
How to Purchase a Ticket
There are multiple ways of buying a ticket for the MRT: The most popular being single-use Token and the recommended EasyCard.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Taipei National Palace Museum is a world-class museum that hosts an eclectic collection of treasures kept by generations of Emperors ruling from the Forbidden City. In WWII, Nationalist troops seized the most important pieces in order to prevent invaders from ransacking China's national treasures. A twist of fate eventually brought these treasures to Taiwan.
The Taipei National Palace Museum is designed in the style of a Northern Chinese palace. The museum is home to hundreds of thousands of historical relics that make up the world's most comprehensive and precious collection of ancient Chinese artifacts. The entire collection covers 5,000 years of China's historical and artistic achievements.
The museum provides Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese, Spanish and Korean language guides and museum-related literature. The museum is a must- see on any visitor's itinerary.
Opening Hours
09:00 - 17:00 (Sunday ~ Friday) 09:00 - 20:30 (Saturday)
Services & Facilities
Transportaiton
 |
xi meng ding Ay Chung Rice Noodles 阿宗麵線 – The Must Have Street Food At Taipei Ximending
The queue for Ah Zong Mian Xian(or Ay Chung Rice Noodles) 阿宗麵線 was long in the past, but it had extended to a lengthier line with a throng of crowd surrounding the shop at Ximending.
If there is a list of “10 Must Have Food From Taipei”, this will be a shoo-in for one of the spots.
Every time I come to Taipei and if I make it to Ximending, I would have a bowl of this Taiwanese style vermicelli, which the locals call Mee-Sua.
Ay Chung Rice Noodles has no tables to place your food. No chairs for you to seat.
You will just see lots of lots of people surround the shop, one hand holding a big bowl, the other slurping furiously. And for me, also wiping my sweat away if it is in summertime.
In winter, it would be a totally shiok feeling.
Surprising, while there were at least 40-50 people in front of me, the line cleared fast. Within 10 minutes.
The changes over the years: Prices have gone up to NT$50 and NT$65 (SGD$2.30 and SGD$3.00 respectively for the small and large bowls.
(The uniforms, I noted, have changed from a white to black polo. Probably looked ‘cleaner’ as the servers normally would have brown gravy on white.)
If you are saving space for other street food, get the small bowl of comfort. If this would be your first time, experience the large bowl in its fullest glory. Then find a standing corner to slurp.
Do not miss the condiments corner where you can add combinations of 3 sauces of vinegar, chili oil and garlic, which could elevate the taste even further.
The chilli oil made a whole lot of different, but go easy on the portion (half a teaspoon will do?) as it could be extremely spicy.
Compared to other Taiwanese mee sua which would probably include oysters, Ah Zong’s version had large intestines which were soft yet chewy.
he gravy looked like a gooey mess, but taste-wise savoury-spicy goodness with silky thin vermicelli. (Disclaimer lah: Mian Xian is really not everybody’s cup of tea, especially if you are not comfortable with pig’s intestines.)
However, I did feel that Ah Zong did taste much better in the past, and had somewhat gotten more diluted.
You can find Ah Zong at Xi Men Ding 西门町 (E-mei street across rows of sports shops), Zhong Xiao Fu Xing 忠孝复兴 (behind Sogo) and Shilin Market 士林夜市. Xi Men Ding is the branch most would go to.
Ay Chung Rice Noodles 阿宗麵線 – Xi Men Ding
No. 8-1 Emei Street, Taipei Wanhua District, Taipei City (East XMD Pedestrian Area, Xi Meng Ding Station Exit 6) 台北市峨嵋街8號之1 Tel: 02 2388 8808 Opening Hours: 10am – 10:30pm (Mon – Thurs), 10am – 11pm (Fri – Sun)
Ay-Chung Rice Noodles – Xinyi
No.2, Lane 17, Sec. 4, Zhongxiao E. Rd., Xinyi District, Taipei City 台北市忠孝東路4段17巷2號
Ay-Chung Rice Noodles – Shilin Branch
1F., No.24, Lane 101, Wenlin Rd., Shilin District, Taipei City 台北市文林路101巷24號1樓  |
 |
 |
XI MEN DING he "Harajuku" of Taipei, this pedestrian shopping haven is one of the city's culture centres, hosting a massive variety of fashion clothing shops, eclectic restaurants, clubs, and bars.
Located just west of Taipei Main Station in the historic Wanhua District, Ximending was founded during the Japanese colonisation era as a recreation district, and today has grown into a cultural icon with inspiration drawn from its Japanese roots.
One of the most popular destination for tourists, the Ximending Pedestrian Area is the centre of the district, and accessible from Exit 6 of Ximen Station. The area is very popular with tourists and Taipei youth, and, along with shopping and restaurants, also hosts street performances and exhibitions.
|
 |
or the best view of Taipei City, make a hike to the top of Elephant Mountain!
Also known as the Nangang District Hiking Trail and Xiangshan (象山), the hiking trail is located close to the Xinyi Shopping Districtand Taipei 101.
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, however the trail can get relatively crowded during the weekend.
The hike takes a total of around 15-20 minutes to the top, and includes lots of stairs! Remember to take a left at the fork in the path. After around 8-10 minutes, there will be a landing area with facilities and restrooms where the path branches off in multiple directions.
HOW TO GO ?From Taipei 101:
From the base of Taipei 101, walk east on Xinyi Road (信義路) for two blocks until you reach MRT Xiangshan Station, only a 15 minute walk from 101 and completely worth it. To get there faster, take a YouBike from the station across the street from 101 (MRT Exit 2), then return the bike at the park nearby the trail entrance.
By MRT
After arriving at Xiangshan station (象山), the terminus of Red Line 2, leave from Exit 2 and continue walking alongside the edge of the park. At the end of this road, take a left and follow until the entrance for Xiangshan Hiking Trail (象山登山步道), total 650 metres, around 20 mins.
Youbike
The closest station is located along the street next to the park at the base of the trail. Another station is located across the street from Taipei 101.
|
 |
| PICTURE TAKE AT ELEPHANT MOUTAIN |
The observatory is spread over 4 floors where visitors can enjoy the fantastic scenery and learn about the engineering marvel that is Taipei 101, the tallest green building the world.
5F Taipei 101 Mall - Here, visitors purchase tickets and take the Guinness World Record breaking high-speed elevator to the observatory on the 89TH floor, traveling at 1,010 metres/min (60.6KPH), taking only 37 seconds to ascend to the observatory at the 89TH floor.
89F Indoor Observatory - At 382 metres above the ground, the observatory deck provides an unobstructed view of the city in all directions. The observatory deck also houses a museum where visitors can learn about the design process and construction of Taipei 101 and other similar large-scale construction projects around the world, including a free audio tour in eleven languages, as well as high-powered binoculars, refreshments, and professional photography service.
88F Beauty of Taiwan Multimedia Corridor, Super Big Wind Damper, Treasure Sky - The corridor connecting the two decks is designed to showcase the natural beauty of Taiwan, providing 270-degree views of well-known scenic locations in Taiwan, leading to the engineering marvel known as a wind damper, a 5.5 metre diameter, 660 ton weight suspended within the building to offset the force of wind and help 101 stand upright. Also included is Treasury Sky, a collection of unique jewel crafts.
91F Outdoor Observatory - The outdoor observatory is accessible by stairs from the 89TH floor. From the outside, it's possible to view the spire at the 508 metre high apex, but watch out for the strong winds! Inside the building on the 91ST floor is a small theatre showcasing films about the construction and the annual New Years fireworks display. 91F is only open on days with favorable weather conditions.
How much is the Taipei 101 Observatory ticket?
General Ticket
NT$600
Student (with valid ID)
NT$540
Child (under 115cm)
FREE
Reserve a ticket online with our partner Klook for only NT$510! Benefits of reserving the ticket online include a discount and not having to wait in the long line to purchase the ticket.
Take the Red Line 2 (Xiangshan train) to Taipei 101 station (台北101). After entering Taipei 101, head up to the 5TH floor to purchase a ticket for the observatory.
 |
Qixing Lake (Qixingtan) is a poetic name in Chinese. It is said that there were lakes scattered around the National Hualien University of Education and Hualien Airport. They were filled in later as a result of construction. Today, the Qixing Lake (Qixingtan) area refers to the district located in the north of Meilun Industrial Park and Hualien Airport. There are sea valleys formed by faults and elegant bays with rich natural landscapes and cultural resources. From Qixing Lake (Qixingtan) people can look over the Qingshui Cliff. At night, people can appreciate the lights of the new city and Zongde District. There are many sightseeing spots in the area for recreational and educational trips.
The Qixing Lake (Qixingtan) Scenic Area is designated for the bicycle touring. Along the 21km tour from Nanbin Park in Hualien City to the scenic area via Hualien Harbor and the 48 Highlands, there are different views and scenes. The Hualien County Government even built a number of recreational facilities, such as the Stone Sculpture Park, the Star Watching Plaza, the Sunrise Building, and the children's playground. Explanatory notes on the seaside ecology are available near the fishing site. A windbreak forest is used to separate a seaside botanical garden where there are rich resources of seaside animals and plants. You will always be rewarded when traveling here.
 |
Address：Transportation：
 |
 |
 |
| Carved by the Liwu River, Taroko Gorge sits within a national park known for its many marble rock formations. Examine the imposing rocks while driving on the serpentine mountain road, possibly the easiest way to enjoy the beauty of exotic jungles and beaches. Wear quality walking shoes during your treks across this rugged landscape, especially if you go off beaten paths. A visit to Taroko Gorge represents just the start of the adventure when you use our Hualien County trip generator to plot your vacation. |
 |
        |
Yun Shan Shuei Ecological Farm
 |
 |
| A popular Taiwanese drink that you'll find street vendors selling is Papaya Milk. It's kind of like a tropical papaya Smoothie or Shake. |
 |
 |
 |
| TAO YUAN AIRPORT transit |
No comments:
Post a Comment