Taiwan is a beautiful island that is located in East Asia and the territory comes under the administration of the Republic of China. It is situated at the south eastern coastal region of China.
The most favorable time to visit Taiwan is the months from October till December which is considered to be the most soothing and pleasant months of the country.
Places to see
Taiwan is considered as one of the best visited locations of the world. There are various tourist locations in the country that is visited by the locals and the tourists’ in the same way. Some of the favorite places to visit in Taiwan are National Palace Museum, Taipei 101, Sun Moon Lake, Taroko Gorge, Shilin Night Market, Lungshan Temple and many more. Some of the other places to go are the Yangmin Mountain and the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Shrine.
Hotels
Visiting to a place surely calls in for the necessity of accommodating in some hotel. This awesome and exotic country has got a number of great hotels ranging from the cheap ones to the star rated ones.
Some of the most important hotels in Taiwan are:
- Landis Taipei Hotel-that is located in Taipei
- Far Eastern Plaza Hotel- is also situated in Taipei
- Riviera Hotel- in Taipei
- The Sherwood Hotel- is also located in Taipei
- Grand Hyatt – is a popular hotel present in Taipei
- Les Suites Taipei Ching Cheng- in Taipei
- Grand Formosa Taroko- located in Taroko
Tourism Bureaus
There are varieties of travel agents and tourism bureau’s that organizes trips to make a visit to Taiwan. Some of them are Tourist Service Centre that is near to the Kaohsiung International Airport. Another centre is located near the Taiwan Taoyan International Airport. These undoubtedly serve as a great help to the tourists’ and they can enjoy it to the utmost.
History Of Taiwan
The beautiful Taiwan is an island in the Eastern region of Asia. It is one of the territories that comes under the administration of the Republic of China and is one of the two provinces of the Republic of China. The major island of Taiwan is also known popularly as Formosa.
Humans were first raced in the region of Taiwan some thirty thousand years back and the then inhabitants may not be persisting in Taiwan till this age. The aboriginal people of the Malay and the Polynesians are said to be the first citizens of this land. The Han Chinese ruled this place for three kingdoms. In 1544 Portuguese came to Taiwan and tried to colonize it.
Government was set up in the European style was developed by the Dutch East Indies Company in the year 1624. The Dutch imported Chinese workers at a good number and established their colonial capital at Taiwan. The Spanish had captured the north of Taiwan and ruled for seventeen years but was ultimately pushed away by the Dutch.
The Dutch were defeated by the Fujian forces in 1662. Then in 1887, the government of Qing slowly improved the condition of Taiwan and made its capital at Taipei. Then Taiwan was ruled by the Japanese who were defeated in the war against the Chinese Nationalist Party. But they again lost the Chinese Civil War against the Communist Party of China.
Ultimately it was taken over by the Republic of China and it aimed at making it an industrialized country with all modern facilities and infrastructure. After 1990, the Republic of China was transitioned to a democracy and in recent times around the year 2000, Chen Shui-bian is elected as the President serving the nation of Taiwan.
Culture of Taiwan
Taiwan is a potpourri of various cultures. The Taiwanese culture is essentially a rich blend that has evolved out of various cultural influences.
The aboriginal culture of Taiwan of Taiwan was marked by certain spiritual and totemic rituals like snake worship. Taiwanese culture originally thrived in 11 different forms as followed by the 11 indigenous groups. The different aboriginal tribes like the Saisiyat, the Atayal, the Amis, the Bunun, or the Puyuma followed the strange traditions of the land, though most of the traditions had been considerably altered later with foreign influences.
The culture of Taiwan, as it exists today, was born out of interactions with diverse ethnic communities. Taiwan had come into interactions with American, Spanish and Dutch culture, which gave the traditional Chinese culture a different edge. In fact, colonial influences are still evident in different parts of Taiwan. East Asian influences of the southern Fijians, the Hakka immigrants, the Japanese, etc also added to mold the authentic culture into a new and richer one. Over the years, Taiwan had adapted to the reshaped culture, which retains certain facets of the aboriginal traditions and incorporates the foreign influences as well.
The richness of Taiwan's culture is prominent in its various art forms like woodcarving, weaving, cane work, and pottery. Wood carvings of the Paiwan and Rukai tribes of southern Taiwan are particularly celebrated across the globe. Dance and music are intrinsic parts of Taiwanese culture. The traditional dance forms of the Taiwanese people are elegant performances by musical instruments like drums or simple wind or string instruments.
Taiwan thus stands today as a fascinating mixture that caters to every cultural enthusiast.
Taiwan Popular Destinations
With its hills, waters and its lush vegetation therefore, Taiwan offers an array of exquisite locales. The island is blessed with a coastline that not only provides an azure beauty, but also helps in maintaining a temperate climate that makes a visit to the island even more pleasurable. The Central Mountain Range runs along a part of the island providing a perfect backdrop to the hillside towns. The island produces an opulent store of natural vegetation that is home to a variety of insects and animals while the waters of the Pacific bear a vast resource of marine animals and valuable corals. It is located in a position that exposes it to a variety of natural landscapes, thus creating a number of destinations, each promising different levels of experience.
The fascinating past which Taiwan had witnessed makes the island even more attractive to the tourists. Taiwan had been home to the aboriginal tribes until the foreign settlers moved into the island to influence it with their cultural heritage. The island had experienced Dutch, Spanish, French, European and Japanese influences which impressed the traditional Chinese culture to give it a distinct and enriched shape, as it exists today. The remnants of these past settlements are still visible in Taiwan, thus adding a different charm to it. With its picturesque landscapes and its ancient culture, Taiwan is today a land to cater a variety of attractions
Taiwan Tourist Attractions
An island of redoubtable beauty in East Asia, Taiwan has long history of colonization which has left deep and enduring impressions on its landscape. Subsequent occupation by the Imperial Chinese, the Japanese, the Dutch and the Spanish meant that Taiwan's architecture swept along with the flow of power. The regime changes impinged largely on Taiwan's culture as well. Taiwan is presently administered by People's Republic of China.
Apart from the richness of its architecture in the form of temples, palaces and historic buildings, Taiwan's wealth as a tourist destination encompasses national parks, delectable cuisines, shopping places and numerous sight seeing places. Taiwan appears magnanimous in its wealth, welcoming one and all to come and partake of its wealth packaged in the form of glittering memories.
One of the most visited places in Taiwan is undoubtedly National Palace Museum. The Museum is both an art gallery and a museum. National Palace Museum is believed to house the largest number of Chinese artifacts in the world.
The National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall also commands a lot of attention from the tourists in Taiwan. The Memorial Hall was built soon after the death of Chiang Kai-shek. The architecture of the Memorial is solemn yet grand- a true tribute to a great leader.
Sightseeing in Taiwan
Taiwan is a beautiful island located in East Asia. It is situated in a picturesque setting with mountains regions along with the coastline. It has a harmonious mixture of both the elements of nature. This island is very rich in natural and scenic beauty as well. There are various places of sightseeing destinations in Taiwan. In order to view all the desired destinations in Taiwan, train tours are available. This is probably the easiest and the simplest way to visit the numerable sightseeing places in Taiwan. Some of the sightseeing destinations of Taiwan will include:
There are quite a few offshore islands that are present in Taiwan. These are major tourist attractions and are very popular sightseeing places as well. The off shore islands will include, Orchid Island, Little Liuqiu, Penghu, Mazu, Green Island, Turtle Island and Kinmen. These are the most important offshore islands of Taiwan.
The village of Dona is a very important tourist attraction. This village is home to the aborigines of Taiwan. The other popular tourist attraction of this place is the Hot Springs. It is a natural outdoor hot springs.
The temple town of Taiwan is known as the Tainan. It is a popular sightseeing destination as well. It is a hub of culture and tradition of Taiwan as well.
The city of Taipei is another very popular place among the tourists of Taiwan. This is the most important place of Taiwan and is always filled with activity. This place has got museums, numerous temples etc. as well.
Taiwan Festivals and Events
Festivals and special events are a part and parcel of everyday lives and every country has its own set of festivals to break free from the mundane world and add some spice to their lives. It doesn't come as a big surprise that the country of Taiwan has it own set of events and festivals which they commemorate with big fervor.
The festivals and events in the country of Taiwan can be divided into two major categories where the festivals are associated with the traditional lunar calendar whereas the holidays are in synchronization with the Western calendar.
The lunar festivals can be attributed to the country's lineage with China which gives an opportunity to the people to relieve their past and revive the bondage with a country with which they shared some common cultural traits. These lunar festivals also have a mythical importance and all hold a special significance in the lives of the ordinary Taiwanese.
The official commemorative days which are based on the western calendar are usually there to celebrate the achievements of those people who have left a mark in the history of the nation. Some days are usually marked to remind the ordinary citizens about the important landmarks of history and the importance they have in the growth and development of Taiwan.
Some important festivals and Events of Taiwan
January
- Spring Festival
February
- The Lantern Festival
March
- Youth Day
- Birthday of Kuan Yin Goddess of Mercy
April
- Tomb Sweeping Festival
- Festival of the God of Medicine
- Birthday of the Goddess of the Sea
May
- Buddha Bathing Festival
June
- Dragon Boat Festival
September
- Ghost Month
- Mid-Autumn Festival
October
- Double Tenth National Day
How to Get in
The beautiful island of Taiwan is located eastern region of Asia. In the northern side the East China Sea is located along with the Sea of Philippines in the east. The beautiful Taiwan is worth visiting because of its varied beauty. There are various modes of getting there to Taiwan.
By air:
Traveling to Taiwan has become cheaper and easier than it used to be before. Taiwan has two major international airports. One of them is the Kaohsiung Airport Taiwan (KHH) and the other is Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. The latter one is the main airport of Taiwan. The two main airline services are China Airlines and EVA Air.
As Taiwan is located at northern side of China Sea so ferry service is another cheap mode of getting to Taiwan. There are bi-weekly passenger services between some islands of Japan and of Taiwan.
Hotels in Taiwan
