Taiwan more than just a food haven
Published on: Sunday, October 01, 2023
By: Anthea Peter
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The majestic Shifen Waterfall in New Taipei City.
NIGHT markets, street food and XXL fried chicken fillets – these were the first things I used to think of whenever someone mentions Taiwan before ever setting foot there.
But after a six-day familiarisation trip there earlier this year, my limited perception of the country was aptly broadened and I discovered that Taiwan was so much more than just sinfully greasy fried food, stinky tofu or bubble tea.
Beyond food, Taiwan boasts picturesque scenes of nature with rich historic heritage across various destinations, each with its own unique story to tell.
As the world recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic, Taiwan has loosened its entry restrictions and it is now easier than ever for Malaysians to visit the country.
To date, Malaysians do not need to apply for a visa nor is Covid-19 testing mandatory before entering Taiwan.
AirAsia also offers direct flights from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah to Taiwan thrice weekly and it is only a three-hour and 15-minute flight away from Sabah. It’s an easy journey to make, just like travelling domestically!
We spent the first half of the trip in both the northern and central regions of Taiwan before heading down south for the remaining visit.
New Taipei City, an hour away from Taipei City, often draws many tourists as there lies historic gems in Pingxi and Ruifang District. It was reported that Pingxi, once a thriving coal mining district during the Japanese Occupation, saw a total of 6.41 million visitors from 2010 to 2016.
The entrance of Feng Jia nightmarket, claimed to be Taiwan’s largest night market.
An alleyway in Jiufen Old Street, similar to the setting in animated film ‘Spirited Away’.
Naturally, it was one of the first places we visited during our trip there. We were taken to three popular destinations – the Shifen Waterfall and Shifen Old Street in Pingxi and Jiufen Old Street in Ruifang.
The Shifen Waterfall falls majestically at 40 metres high and 20 metres wide. Amidst greenery and the resonant sound of water splashing, it was a spectacle to behold. We could not stop taking pictures.
It is affectionately dubbed “Little Niagara of Taiwan” due to its similarity to the Niagara Falls. One has to take about a 15-minute walk along the Shifen trail from the visitor centre before arriving at the viewing point.
Although that sounds like a little bit of effort, you would be too bedazzled by the lush greeneries and peaceful nature ambience to even notice how long it
takes. The view at the end will all be worth it.
Since Pingxi was a coal mining district, railway tracks were built around the area to transport coal from nearby mining towns. Today, the railway tracks are used primarily for tourism.
At Shifen Old Street, not too far from the waterfall, visitors can see the remains of the once thriving industry and watch trains pass through the historic Pingxi Branch Line railway. Beside the railway tracks there are an array of shops and stalls selling popular street food.
Pingxi is also synonymous to the Sky Lantern Festival, hence one of the popular activities there include releasing lanterns into the sky. One would write their wishes on the lantern and release it into the air, a symbolic way of sending your wishes or message to God.
Grandma Lai’s Sweet Taro Balls, a popular dessert in Jiufen Old Street
The Zhongshe Flower Market offers great spots for photo taking.
Old railway tracks in Shifen Old Street, once used to transport coal from nearby mining towns, but now used for tourism.
There are shops along Shifen Old Street offering the service on regular days so you don’t necessarily have to experience it during the festival. The media entourage took turns releasing lanterns into the sky, each with our own heartfelt wishes to God. It was a meaningful experience.
After Shifen Old Street we headed to another nearby popular tourist attraction in the mountainous Ruifang district, the historic Jiufen Old Street.
The atmosphere of the street was lively and vibrant with the multitude of shops, cafes and restaurants selling a myriad of things, including handmade crafts, clothes, street food, pastries and local delicacies.
Many visit the street due to its similarity to the setting of the famous Japanese animated film “Spirited Away” and to see the town’s uniquely rugged oriental charm, which makes for aesthetically-pleasing photos to share on social media.
I had a favourable experience trying out “Grandma Lai’s Sweet Taro Balls” somewhere along the street, a soupy sweet dessert that you can have either hot or cold. The business has been running for over 30 years. The soft and pillowy sweet potato balls are made fresh on site.
It was raining and 12 degrees celsius at the time, hence having a delectably hot dessert was tickling to the senses and a cosy comfort to have in the freezing cold weather.
After spending the day in New Taipei City, we headed back to Taipei and got ready to see the widely anticipated Taiwan Lantern Festival, the country’s largest annual celebration, held within the city.
The Taiwan Lantern Festival, held for the past 34 years as a celebration of blessings to usher the Lunar New Year’s first full moon – was an exuberant affair with the colourful innovative lighting technology from over 300 lantern displays, each with its own meaning.
The festival is held in different cities every year, and after 23 years it was Taipei’s turn to host it again.
It was massive. With four main display zones, the lantern exhibition spanned some 168 hectares with the theme “Light Up the Future”. The festival was essentially a celebration of new hope and Taiwan’s return to pre-pandemic normalcy.
Since the festival ushered in the Year of The Rabbit, the centrepiece was a 22-metre lantern taking the form of a robotic rabbit, called the “Brilliant Light of the Jade Hare”.
Crowds of people visiting the 2023 Taiwan Lantern Festival, themed ‘Light Up The Future’ as a celebration of new hope upon returning to pre-pandemic normalcy.
Entourage members writing wishes on a sky lantern in Shifen Old Street.
A picturesque sunset scene at Gaomei Wetlands.
Designed by a Taiwanese artist Akibo Lee, the robotic lantern came alive with lights and music every 30 minutes. It was fascinating and entertaining to watch because you do not see these kinds of things in Sabah.
After two days in Taipei, the entourage headed down to central Taiwan, namely Taichung, which took about two hours on the road. Taichung may not be as much of a tourist buzz word as Taipei, but it does have some unique attractions of its own.
Our first stop in Taichung was the Zhongshe Flower Market, spanning some six hectares featuring a variety of vibrant and colourful flower gardens – comprising tulips, roses, sunflowers and lavender, among others.
The flower market would be a haven for tulip lovers, with some 150,000 bulbs blooming in a variety colours from January to March. We were told that a special refrigeration technique is used to guarantee that these tulip bulbs blossom during these months.
There are many spots for picture taking with offbeat props placed around the gardens, making for quirky photos to look back on. In essence, the Zhongshe Flower Market was a world of its own, as if you were suddenly existing in a surrealist painting.
Our next destination was the Gaomei Wetlands on Taiwan’s western coast in Qingshui District, Taichung. It is popular for watching the sunset whilst strolling on the 800-metre wooden boardwalk built over the mud flat.
While most people go there to see the sunset, it is also a place to see migratory birds, crabs and mudskippers that inhabit the ecological site.
The view was indeed charming with the silhouette of coastal wind turbines in the distance contrasting against the blue and orange gradient of the setting sun.
In what felt like 20 degree celsius weather, the atmosphere was hazy and dream-like, almost romantic like something out of a love drama scene. Once again, it is not something you usually see in Sabah as there are no turbines here, so it was quite a sight to behold.
But the winds were very, very strong! Which was thrilling and amusing. We had to walk very cautiously so as to not be thrown off by the wind.
Later on that evening, we made our way to what is deemed as one of Taiwan’s tourist destination icons – the Fengjia Night Market, claimed to be the largest night market in Taiwan.
Located in Taichung City itself, it is said to house some 15,000 shops, food stalls and eateries, where you can find Taiwan’s food icons, such as stinky tofu, grilled squid, bubble tea and XXL fried chicken. Besides food, there were also shops selling clothing, souvenirs and accessories.
The massive market was truly alive and a heartbeat of its own, with its bright lights, striking shop signages and crowds of people. I was enchanted by the atmosphere like a moth to a flame.
A haven for foodies and shoppers, it is also popular for its nightlife and definitely a prominent destination you would want to check out whenever you’re in Taichung.
The next morning, the media entourage was brought to the Cycling Culture Museum which was the last stop in our visit to Taichung. It is Taiwan’s first museum solely dedicated to cycling culture.
As someone who does not cycle, I learned a lot about cycling. The tour through the museum was incredibly informative on the history of cycling and how its culture came about. We were not allowed to take pictures in the museum, however.
The museum showcased an extensive range of bicycles, from vintage to modern types which displayed the evolution from the first bicycle ever invented to the high-tech bicycles that we see today. It was fascinating.
There was also a section of the museum explaining the science and physics of cycling, the mechanics of how a bike is built and set up, as well as the fitness aspects of the sport.
My favourite feature of the museum was the Virtual Reality (VR) cycling game, where you immerse yourself in a cycling competition on a VR bike and cycle your way against your opponents. It was such a treat to experience, because once again, you don’t find these in Sabah.
The overall experience goes to show that you do not need to travel that far to see, taste and feel different heritages, cultures, lifestyles and food.
With just a three-hour and 15-minute AirAsia flight away, from Sabah to Taiwan, you can step into a whole new world.
