Itinerary Brief Day 1 Arrive Taipei Day 2 Taipei City Tour Day 3 Taroko Gorge Day 4 Jiufen and Tamsui Day 5 Depart Taipei |
Yet for all Taipei's superlatives and futuristic flourishes, the city charms most thoroughly with time-honored touches -- the little lanes, tiled roofs and Buddhist and Confucian temples of the historic Wanhua quarter along the Danshuei River; the energizing urban hustle and flow and squadrons of motorbikes all over town; the toothsome cuisine, drawn from every region of mainland China. The city also has retained some positive legacies from Japan, which occupied Taiwan from 1895 to 1945 and left high-quality Japanese cuisine and a thriving onsen culture that prompts Taipei "spa-hotels" to pipe in water from nearby mountain hot springs. This is a busy city that never sleeps, hosting residents and visitors to learn their history, explore their spirituality and, most of all, satisfy their taste buds.
A mountainous island roughly the size of Vermont, Taiwan lies just 50 miles off the southeast coast of mainland China, yet is politically worlds apart. But in many ways, Taiwan is China in miniature, home to only 2.6 million people. Much of the culture, cuisine and landscapes (save for desert) found in mainland China are also in Taiwan. And because it is so much more compact than its giant, cross-strait relative, Taiwan is easier to access and digest.
During these short trip, explore the cultural highlights of the capital city and in the countryside, Taiwan's prized geographic and cultural treasures, Taroko Gorge and historic towns of Jiufen and Tamsui.
