TAIWAN
Country Overview:
"Everything that the Mainland is missing; and more”
I love Taiwan. It was such an eye-opener to travel there after dealing with all the “negative” press about Taiwan on the Mainland. The food is delicious, the people are friendly, and the island is gorgeous. Though definitely a political stance, I strongly believe that Taiwan is not a part of China, not only because it has a president, a different form of writing, competes separately in the Olympics, and basically doesn’t want to be a part of China, but because it is so fundamentally and drastically different from the country claiming it to be a “runaway province.” If you visit Mainland China, I strongly recommend you check out this little slice of paradise if you have the chance.
Taiwan Thoughts
Taiwan was great. The food, the people, the weather, the public transportation - everything was just so nice. Maybe I’m easy to win over having come from Beijing where things are loud, noisy, and not so clean, but having spent a week in Taipei, I was really impressed with the city
As everyone kept telling me, the food was amazing. The city has a large Japanese and southeast Asian influence, especially on the food. There were a ton of Japanese restaurants, as well as curry places, fried chicken, and tons of street vendors selling an assortment of both sweet and salty snacks.
In addition to Taipei, I also took a day trip to Jiufen, a small village situated in the green hills of Northern Taiwan, overlooking the ocean. It’s especially popular with tourists as it resembles the village from the anime Spirited Away. There are lanterns, tall staircases, and shops packed together selling tasty treats to the throngs of tourists. It was windy, beautiful, and somewhat serene when imagining where exactly I was.
Whatever preconceived notion I had about Taiwan before I went there was shattered as soon as I landed. When walking through the streets, I imagined my life living there and of all the places I’ve traveled in Asia, I could see myself starting a life there. Lots of people speak English, there is a good mix of cultures, there’s no need for a VPN, and it’s an island, which ticks off my “close to the ocean” box for potential places to settle down
As expected, the controversy or “sensitivity” concerning China and Taiwan is alive and well. Both Taiwanese and Chinese have opinions about the island, as do I. However, since I work for Xinhua and was told to keep my blog “appropriate” and refrain from controversial opinions, I’ll keep it to myself. Regardless of the political nature concerning Taiwan, I can’t recommend it enough. I spent a week doing the sightseeing thing and there was plenty to do, including memorials, temples, night markets, and food/bars.
Now I understand that Taiwan is unique, but here’s how I would describe it: a cleaner Hong Kong, a less busy Tokyo, a more fun Singapore, and a more polite mainland. There are less people than the aforementioned places, which obviously makes things easier, but the combination of culture, unique architecture, and the people make Taiwan a must-see travel destination.
Food in Taiwan
“The food in Taiwan is great!” was repeated to me almost immediately after saying I was headed there. And they had a point - the food in Taiwan really is super tasty. There’s a big mix of Taiwanese food, Japanese food, Southeast Asian food, and Chinese food. Since it’s an island, there’s also a lot of seafood, which was a nice change coming from Beijing where you constantly question the freshness of anything from the ocean.
