Taiwan certainly has plenty to offer, from truly unique scenery to exciting sporting activities and colorful festivals, not to mention the most varied Chinese food on earth; Taipei is a gourmet’s paradise, boasting cuisine from every region of China. Boutique hotels and trendy bars have sprung up in a flurry of construction, which culminated in the opening of the world’s tallest building, Taipei 101.

Think of Taiwan and the first thing that will spring to mind is probably the ‘Made in Taiwan’ labels attached to so many clothes purchased in the Western world, which will have no doubt contributed to the perception of Taiwan as some industrial landscape defined by hundreds of factories and warehouses, and precious little else to offer visitors. Taiwan might have been known as one of the ‘tiger’ economies of Asia, but few people, until recently at least, thought of this small island off the southeast coast of China as a tourist destination.

Taiwan is relatively small (only a little over half of Sri Lanka’s size), but its population numbers almost 23 million, making its population density second only to Bangladesh. A gateway to the massive Chinese market, it has a strong relationship with the West and is keen to increase links with Europe.

Formerly called Formosa (Portuguese for beautiful), Taiwan was originally inhabited by mainland Chinese until the 17th century, before being occupied by the Dutch and Spanish for a while. It then fell under Chinese rule again for a couple of centuries, before being occupied by the Japanese from 1895 until the end of WWII.

The Chinese Civil War, which had already been in progress for some years, came to a head in 1948.
The nationalist forces of Chiang Kai-Shek were defeated by Mao’s Communists, and the nationalist leadership, along with thousands of supporters, fled to Taiwan. Here, their political vehicle, the Kuo Min-Tang (KMT) rapidly came to dominate Taiwanese politics. The KMT was spectacularly successful at developing the economy and, in less than a century, Taiwan made a successful transition from an agricultural-based economy to an industrial one. In March 2000, however, the main opposition party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), gained control of the presidency through its candidate Chen Shui-Bian, and for the first time, the KMT was completely excluded from political power.

For all practical purposes, Taiwan has been independent for half a century, but the fledgling democracy is still regarded by China as a renegade province that must be reunited with the mainland. The political issue of its relationship with China remains a sticking point in international relations, with both sides prone to exchanging rhetoric and political point-scoring on a regular basis.
More than 700 Chinese missiles are aimed at the island but the military threat is partly offset by the pivotal relationship between Taipei and Washington (the US, which has no diplomatic ties with Taiwan, is nevertheless the main provider of arms to the island – one of the world’s big arms purchasers).

Food and Drink

The Chinese, never at a loss for vivid description, refer to their cuisine as an ’ancient art of ultimate harmony: pleasing to the eye; mouth-watering; and a delight to the palate’. Culinary styles come from all over China including Canton, Hunan, Mongolia, Peking, Shanghai, Szechuan and Taiwan.
Most hotels have restaurants offering both Western and Chinese cuisine and some of the larger hotels offer several styles of Chinese cooking (the Chinese word for hotel, fan-dien, means ’eating place’).

Tipping: Tipping is not an established custom, although it is on the increase. Taipei hotels and restaurants add 10% service charge and extra tipping is not expected.

Nightlife

Taiwan has an abundance of nightlife, and Taipei in particular is lively at night. Western-style entertainment can be found in hotels, and in the many discos, clubs, restaurants and cinemas in Taipei.
Popular amongst local people are KTVs, a type of sing-along club modelled on Japanese karaoke bars; and beer houses, which sell draught beer and snacks. The northern district of Tienmu contains a street of open-air beer houses.

The visitor can also sample both traditional and modern tea houses, open all day and in the evening.
In the tea-growing countryside around Mucha, it is possible to visit all-night tea houses and sip locally produced teas such as ’iron Buddha’ tiehkuanyin tea. High-quality meals and snacks are also provided. These tea houses are popular with local families, particularly on special occasions.

Back in Taipei, there are night markets selling a variety of items, both modern and traditional.
These are bustling with browsers and bargain hunters, whose persistence can be spectacularly rewarded.
It is advisable to take a pen and paper to assist in the bargaining process, as most vendors speak only Chinese. Taipei’s largest night market is probably Shihlin Night Market, famous for its good-value clothing and food. Many shops are open at night.

Shopping

One of the best ways to shop is to visit the night markets (see above). Purchases include Formosan sea-grass mats, hats, handbags and slippers, bamboo items, Chinese musical instruments, various dolls in costume, handpainted palace lanterns made from silk, lacquerware, ceramics, teak furniture, coral, veinstone and jade items, ramie fibre rugs, brassware, handmade shoes, fabrics and chopsticks (decorated, personalized sticks of wood or marble).

Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 10.00-22.00. Some convenience stores are open 24 hours per day.

A subtropical climate with moderate temperatures in the north, where there is a winter season. The southern areas, where temperatures are slightly higher, enjoy sunshine every day, and there is no winter season. The typhoon season is from June to October.

Required Clothing

Light- to mediumweights, with rainwear advised.

Getting There by Air

The national airline is China Airlines (CI) (website: www.china-airlines.com).

Departure Tax

None.

Main Airports

Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) is 40km (25 miles) south of the city
(journey time – 30 minutes). To/from the airport: Buses depart for both Sung Shan (domestic) airport and the main railway station. Taxis and buses are available to the city center. Facilities: Duty-free shop, post office, car hire, bank/bureau de change, bar/restaurant and tourist information.

Kaohsiung International (KHH) (website: www.kia.gov.tw) is 9km (4 miles) from the town center. To/from the airport: A regular bus service is available (journey time – 30 minutes). There is a taxi service to the town. Facilities: Duty-free shop, car hire, bank/bureau de change, post office and bar/ restaurant.

Getting There by Water

Main ports: Keelung and Kaohsiung (website: www.khb.gov.tw).
Ferries run regularly between Keelung and Kaohsiung ports (Taiwan) and Okinawa (Japan). There are also sea links between Kaosiung and Macau.

Currency

New Taiwan Dollar (TWD) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of TWD2,000, 1,000, 500, 200 and 100. Coins are in denominations of TWD50, 20, 10, 5 and 1.

Currency Exchange

All travelers are required to make a currency declaration in writing together with the baggage declaration. Unused currency can be reconverted on departure, on production of exchange receipts.

Credit/Debit Cards and ATMs

American Express, MasterCard, Visa and Diners Club are accepted in most hotels, restaurants and shops.

Traveller’s Cheques

Cashed in most hotels, restaurants and shops. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travelers are advised to take traveller’s cheques in US Dollars.

Banking Hours

Mon-Fri 09.00-15.30.