[Taiwan Trip] Little Tips for Traveling in Taipei and Taiwan East Coast

This post is the collection of the Taiwan trip suggestions to my Dutch friends in 2012.
During the search, I do realize it's quite difficult to find good English trip guide of Taiwan.

so below are my tips. Enjoy and have fun in Taiwan! with native information~


Taipei:

For inner Taipei:
1. temples:(for traditional/ historical building of Taiwan) 
a. 行天宮(Orange line:MRT Hsing Tian Kong station)
b. 龍山寺(Blue line: Lung shan Temple ) together you can visit http://goo.gl/maps/PRa5C 

剝皮寮(Bopiliao HistoricHistoric Block) just in the east side of Lung shan temple.


2. Miaokong from MRT taipei zoo station you can take Gondola to see the whole taipei area. when you reach the top there are some good tea house to enjoy Taiwan tea.


3. Huanshan creative park(華山藝文特區 http://www.huashan1914.com/en/index.html )
It's in between shandao temple station and Zhiongxiao-xinsheng station on MRT blue line. Art and performance events always happen there with nice small shops and restaurants.


4. Jianguo Brewery (建國啤酒廠)
Yes! There is a brewery in Taipei City with a snack night bar inside. it's also near Zhiongxiao-xinsheng station.


5. National Taipei University of Technologh/ the tree wall 
Also just in the exit4 of Zhiongxiao-xinsheng station you will find a nice huge tree wall~ and you could talk a walk in the school.


6. Taipei 101~for once in life to experience the fastest elevator in the world~


7. Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall (red and orange line MRT Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall station)
you could see the change of Guards in front of the hall~ really popular spots~
change time: 09:00、10:00、11:00、12:00 、13:00、14:00、15:00、16:00、17:00 


8. Traditional Breakfast 阜杭豆漿 Fu-hang Soy Milk LOCATION
if you could wake up really early in the morning, Try Fu-hang Soy Milk~
the waiting line will start from 5 AM (weekday might be less busy)~ It's located in the second floor of Huashang Market building. you will find it easily by the long waiting line.
there are some picture for it.

9. Night Market:

http://www.taiwan.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=28469&ctNode=1985&mp=1002

In Taipei, you could visit this one: Raohe Street Night market.

Not so many foreign visitors there, much much better than Shihlin (really too crowd and too many tourists) 

North of New Taipei City:

nice official website

from New Taipei City http://tour.tpc.gov.tw/page.aspx?wtp=1&wnd=62

1. 九份 (Jiufen) (Location:http://goo.gl/maps/r5IkU)
is a very beautiful hill town with gold mine in Japanese time.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/weiworld/5063550780/
It takes about 1 and half hour by train and bus from Taipei Station.
http://wandering-taiwan.blogspot.tw/search?q=Jiufen
By Train & Bus: To go there, take a train from Taipei Railway Station to Ruifang, then transfer to a “To Jinguashih” (金瓜石) bus, alight at the 7-11 at “Jiufen” stop.
Click http://twtraffic.tra.gov.tw/twrail/English/e_index.aspx (English) for time table.

By MTR & Bus: From the Exit #1 at MTR Stop: Zhongxiao-Fuxing, You can take a Keelung Bus to Jiufen and Jinguashih.


2. 平溪(Pingsi) (location:http://goo.gl/maps/vwlFk)
http://wandering-taiwan.blogspot.tw/2010/03/ping-si-stationping-si-branch.html
I find a nice article about Pingsi in English. You two can visit Pingsi and Jiufen together by train.

East North
1. Yilan is a lovely countryside with great architectures.

since you are heading east coast and some free time before that
I suggest that you could visit some nice architecture in Yilan.
It's the very north county of east coast and in the north side of Hualian.


You could find the location here: http://goo.gl/maps/t0kAu
but there are not so many info in English about this...but you could see them first on google map.
Lanyang museum http://www.lym.gov.tw/eng/index_en.asp had english information, you can check it out.


2. Hostel( CYH 救國團青年活動中心):

Taiwan got really traditional youth hostel used to run by our government.
http://www.cyh.org.tw/index-e.php
I love its breakfast in very Taiwanese family style, big round table :)
Some of them even have hot spring.



East Coast

1. Camping in Police station

official site (please read the regulations in the end of web page)

The google map link shows the 4 locations that you could camping in police station in Taitung county. I marked them on http://goo.gl/maps/38Kf6 .






圖片來源: 台東縣警察局全球資訊網http://www.ttcpb.gov.tw/chinese/content/img/img_16.png


2. Have Taiwan style Breakfast:
with attchment you will find the typical shop sign for breakfast shop~
the breakfast3.jpg is the chinese character of breakfast shop (早餐店).
They all look the similar all over Taiwan. You could find them easily.




Penghu Island:

1. Black sugar cake in Penghu


Location: http://goo.gl/maps/nzIwa
about NTD100 a box but only could last for 2 days. Enjoy there~
http://www.blackcake.com.tw/product.asp?s=2&gid=7&id=53


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9HmKPiA7qY
This video introduce several good food in Penghu (in Mandarin )
but might give you a brief idea about what's most famous food there ~


Enjoy~~~