In Part 2 of my Taiwan blog, we had a look at some famous Taichung eateries – Lai Lai Soya Bean Milk, Chun Sui Tang and Ding Wang. The amazing Miyaharu (Gong Yang Yan Ke) – a delightful local speciality and snack “hub”, Mushroom Garden and Lavender Cottage at Sinshe county. The gorgeous Sun Moon Lake, Rainbow Village, Qing Jing Highlands and of the fabulous mountain scenery of Taroko National Park.
This final blog, marks the descend from the peaks of Hehuanshan to the coastal lowlands to Hualien, then up north to the seaport town of Keelung and final destination of Taipei, which is our final leg of our 10 days trip.
Sunrise at Hehuanshan
In the previous blog, we got to experience the sunset at Hehuanshan. Now, we savour the awesome sunrise. This activity required waking up at 3.00am, checking out of our ming su (homestay) at 4.00am and enduring a 2 hours drive to the vantage point.
It took sheer determination and enthusiasm as we had to ignore fatigue from the previous day activities, leaving the cosy warm bed and brave the -5’C morning freeze. But it was definitely worth it as the stars and the mesmerizing colours of dawn are simply beyond words.
A simple cup of hot Milo prepared by our guide brought untold comfort as we waited for sunrise.
Here comes the sun, bringing some slight relief from the sub-zero temp. In the right of the picture, you can see the highest ming su in the the entire park. It has a long waiting list if you intend to book a stay there.
Taroko Gorge
The spectacular Taroko Gorge is a huge national park that spans Taichung, Nantou and Hulien and a big portion of those the rocks are actually marble, which Taiwanese call “Da li shi”! So you realise why many of Taiwan parks have marbled benches, walkways, buildings, etc.
Talk about a gift from nature! And every time there is an earthquake, part of Taroko gets a “free remodelling” as new rocks are pushed up the earth surface.
Taroko famed “Toad Prince” Pavillion. Can you spot the toad prince?
The immense scale of the Taroko Gorge humbles all that visited her.
With all of her natural beauty, Taroko is not without risks at times. This was the site of a major landslide in May 2013 that paralysed land travel from east to west. At the time of our visit, on-going debri and clearance work using explosive were still in progress.
ChiShingTan beach (Hualien)
This is one of the most awesome beaches in Taiwan, translated literally, it means “Seven Stars Bay”. There is no sand to get in between your footwear but an entire bay of pebbles. And you won’t spot any ships or oil tankers crowding out the blue horizon.
Hualien is a picturesque laid back seaside town on the east of Taiwan. However, to visit Hualien, it is highly recommended that it be part of a round trip en route from Taichung and not an end destination by itself. That is because, very few drivers/guide will bear the 4 hours drive (1 way) from Taichung to Hualien just for a day trip. Taiwanese have this joke about Hualien – “Hao Shan, Hao Sui Hao Wu Liao” – “Nice mountains, nice Beaches but very boring”. The only setback of Hualien is its “awkward” distance from Taichung and Taipei.
The wide expanse and awesome blueness of the Pacific Ocean. You will want to stay here longer than usual.
The simple pleasures of life at the beach with our guide, Ah Hui. Trying to form the highest pebbles stack.
Preparing to launch our own fireworks at a beach in Hualien… yes, our very own fireworks. No license is needed. Generally, fireworks are sold openly in street market and can be released in parks and open area. Just be mindful of safety to people in the vicinity.
Just 20 seconds of fireworks with 20 types of flare patterns. The cost is NT250 (S$9.90) per pack of 20 launches. We launched 2 rounds of fireworks with some sparklers given with compliments from the shop owner. It was pure “liberation” that evening. Yes, PURE liberation. No permit, no paperwork, no authorisation needed.
Eateries at Hualien City
Handmade dumplings, steamed buns, soya bean milk are some of the specialities of this 2 stalls. Looks the same but the one on the left is the most famous in Hualien. Each bamboo basket of 10 steamed dumplings (sui jiao) is just NT30 (S$1.26)!!!
A basket of 10 pork buns (xiao long bao) just NT50 (S$2.15)!!!! Our group of 5 spent just about S$10 for a delicious full dinner. You can’t miss this stalls located at a main street junction where the night market is located.
Hualien is great place for beef dish eateries. I have forgot the name of this eatery but seriously speaking, you can’t really go wrong. Just look for signboards that looked old, you know are in the right place 🙂
Want one? Come to Hualien 🙂
Zi Qiang Night Market
A BBQ foodtall in ZhiQiang Night Market. This stall proclaims itself as the No.1 BBQ food stall in Hualien. It’s not an empty boast.
The famous morbidly named “Coffin Bread”…a thick slice of bread is deep fried/toasted and can be ordered with various options of stuffing in the bread’s hollowed center. We had black peppered pork.
The Taiwan version of what we call “popiah”. Not bad, but the Singapore version can hold its own place in the popiah race, if there is one.
Taiwan’s most BBQ sweet corn snack company – Ling Ji. Farm fresh sweet corns are charcoal grilled with it’s skin till cooked, then the de-skinned sweet corn is further BBQed with your preferred choice of sauces.
Our ming su (homestay) in Hualien. It was like a 3500sg ft 5 bedrooms intermediate terrace house. We did not meet the owner, who stayed elsewhere. Upon arrival, my guide called the owner on his mobile phone, retrieved the password and punched in the code at the auto gate.
The owner will drop by to do housekeeping the next day when we leave for the day activities. The house comes fully furnished like our stay-in house -TV, WiFi, washer/dryer, fridge, water dispenser, etc. Upon checking out, we just left the payment on the table. The owner even left 2 bags of famous local snacks on the door as gifts. Such is personalized Taiwanese service.
The charges are based on per head, which in our case was a reasonable NT500 (S$21.25)per pax/night. The Ming su nearer the beach charges more.
A last look at Hualien as we travel up north via the Ching Shui Cliff coastal highway. In the picture above, you can observe camouflaged military aircraft bunkers in the background, just beside ChiShingTan beach. Military buffs can spot warplanes taking off and landing on certain timing.
Ching Sui Cliff (Su Hua Highway)
A picturesque drive on the Su Hua highway as we make our way to the seaport of Keelung.
The whitish portion of the sea comes from run-off in the streams or ground water that traverse the marble quarries that dominate the inland.
Keelung City
Keelung, officially known as Keelung City, is a major port city situated in the north-eastern part of Taiwan. An different adventure awaits all who visits her.
Hobbyist fishermen along the port of Keelung. It’s leisurely pace of life that city dwellers would like.
Silvery fishes spotted for sale at the Keelung fish market. Perhaps part of Iron Man’s diet ?
Many fishball vendors shops dot the Keelung fish market fringe. One of the most popular is that of Ah Rong Fishballs. The fishballs are made from Dorado fish (see the signboard how the fish looked like), handmade, cooked on the spot and served piping hot.
Certainly a tasty and healthy snack, just NT30 (S$1.26) for a bowl of 5. Slightly firm, chewy and served in a hot clear MSG-free broth.
Taiwan famous ice cream roll dessert with shaved peanut brittles. According to my guide, this lady was Taiwan no.1 “La Mei” (hot beautiful girl) during her younger days many decades ago, pioneering this type of ice cream dessert.
What? Cilantro herbs added to ice cream? Yes, it’s this that adds the unique flavour to the ice cream, served wrapped with rice paper. Taiwan is certainly a food adventure too!
Chilling out at the Keelung beach. When a family plays together, they stay together.
Suao Cold Spring (Yilan County)
The Su’ao cold springs have a temperature of less than 22°C and the water from these springs are clear, colourless with no smell. This rare type of cold springs are only found at a few places around the world, like Italy and Japan and it is suitable for bathing and consumption.
You can see a layer of “fizzles” on our feet as we placed it in the water. The spa is somewhat run down and quiet during our visit (we were the only visitors). It is most popular in the hot summer season when the whole is swarm with visitors escaping the heat.
A typical mobile roadside BBQ stall. The place of business is fixed, legally registered and the owner pay taxes.
Fruits stalls in Taiwan are typically brightly lit, attracting customers like bees to a flower.
Ping Xi Branch Rail Line (Shi Fen)
Ping Xi Railway with it Wishing (Sky) Lanterns guarantees its position in visitors’ heart as a fun and memorable venue. Just choose from one of the many shops selling the lanterns (NT200/S$8.50) for all types of wishes – 4 coloured sides lanterns or NT150/S$6.40, for the 1 coloured lantern).
Write in all your wishes, lit the lantern and send it to the skies. The further and higher the lanterns go, the better the chances your dreams will come true…
Better school results, health, happiness, more holidays, more iPad time, Strike Toto, Strike 4D,buy condo, get COE, etc. You can tell who are the Singaporeans are by the wishes written on the lanterns. But ours are just simple wishes, for great health, happiness.
Air clearance not needed for lantern launches,…..
Airborne! The lanterns are lit up with joss papers soaked in kerosene and stuck into the receptacle within the lantern. If the lanterns did not get airborned properly for some reason, the shop owner will replace it with another one till your lantern ascends the skies at no extra charge.
You can also pen your wishes on bamboo stems and hang it on the line parallel to the side of the railway.
A 15 min walk from the railway bring you to the scenic Shi Fen Waterfall. Entry charges applies.
Houtong Cat Village
Houtong, a small town in New Taipei City that has become famous for its large feline population in recent years. The town encircled by hills, was once a Taiwan major coal mine and now houses a museum to showcase its mining heritage.
But visitors come mainly to photograph the 120 or so cats, who laze around “their village” and get all the treats (some even pick and chose treats!). In the pic above, a couple of cats were squaring each other in an “alpha male or hierarchy rite” purring and staring into each other’s eyes.
During cold wintry spells or nights, the village cats will gather together on the “Cats” bridge. Since it was fairly cool and sunny when we visited, we spotted only 1 at the bridge :-/
Cat lovers will appreciate this visit to the village. Remember – the cat biscuits are not as well received by the cats. So buy the canned food instead, if you want more cats to come to you.
Golden Waterfall (Jiu Fen)
Jinguashi is located in the Rueifang Township of Taipei County, the area became famous for its goldmines. Situated between the mountains and the coastline, the local scenery is exceptionally beautiful, plus the abundance of historical relics from the mining day. At the right moment during sunset, this waterfall will be bathed in the golden hue of dusk, hence it’s name.
Evening came to the beautiful town of Jiu Fen, where the quaint old alleys along the hill, with many a tea house and eateries that will excite any visitor. Indeed, my guide commented that all visitors to Taiwan seemed to converge on Jiu Fen at some point to their itinerary.
Shuinandong Smelter, located above Liandong Bay on the Coastal Highway, was the ore sorting and smelting plant for the Taiwan Metals Mining Corp. It is built into the hillside and old miners and local people usually call it “13 stories.” Built in 1933, the Shuinandong Smelter (13 stories) is a landmark bearing the passing of an bygone era of gold-rush. Looks quite spooky really.
Lao Jie (Old Street) , Jiu Fen
Dusk comes to Jiu Fen. From this path at the highest point of the Old Street, is where we began an adventure in the quaint old street. Those with old folks or who have weak knees, would do well to commence their walk from here, strolling down the street.
Jiu Fen, is one of the most interesting places to visit in northern Taiwan. It’s old streets are filled with exotic eateries, tea houses, local produces, etc. But be forewarned, since all tourists to Taiwan converged on Jiu Fen, as part of their itineraries. So you may experience claustrophobia and definitely frustration.
Visiting during early weekday evenings would be a wiser option and even better during wintry months from Nov-Jan. The hot summer months are best avoided, at all cost. This is the venue that inspired the winning 2003 Academy Award animated movie – “Spirited Away“, written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki.
Take a rest, have tea and snack at one of the quaint eateries.
Custom-made clogs for my daughter, ready in just 5-7 minutes.
Delicious red-wine fermented meat pudding in a chewy dough. I love it !
Cute figurines and memorabilia to buy home.
Peanut vendor at Jiu Fen – one of the most tasty peanuts I tasted ever! Bought a few bags. But was told by my wife it’s available in Singapore Chinatown (but only during Chinese New Year). LOL
Addiction Aquatic Development
This amazing eatery warrants special mention and is definitely worth a visit when in Taipei. Located at the Taipei Fish Market on Minzu East Road near Songshan Airport, a portion of the traditional fish market was revamped by Mitsui Food and Beverage Enterprise Group and transformed into one of Taipei’s newest and hottest places to eat.
Many of the older traditional market stalls are still around, and they are a great sightseeing spot before heading on to the chic Addiction Aquatic Development to enjoy the freshest sashimi and sushi.
The freshest abalones at very reasonable prices. During off-peak hours, diners get to enjoy great discounts!
My family and guide, Ah Hui, tucking in the fresh Salmon and Abalone Sashimi. You can choose to dine on your purchase at the standing counters upon paying and checking out (cheaper, self-serve) or feast within the eatery (also on standing pedestal, with service).
For non-seafood lovers, you can feast on roasted meat dishes in al fresco setting or steamboat within the aircon enclosed dining section. Certainly an unbelievable set-up. There’s also a wine section, interior decor, supermart, etc. You will be “addicted” to this place.
As a parting shot with our guide, Ah Hui brought us to this “secret” location near Songshan Airport, where we could observe landing commercial airliners, just 30m directly above us… truly an awesome finale to our guided trip.
Yehliu GeoPark
For all who have not visited Taiwan, I am sure will not not be stranger to the following picture of the Queen’s Head, a naturally formed rock structure. An awesome venue to visit, especially when you are in Taipei city.
All hail the Queen! But alas!The rock has developed a crack at the base. And time is ticking as in a matter of time, it will collapse, if the Taiwanese voted in favour not to meddle with nature, in a national referendum.
Long queue just to take a picture with the Queen’s Head, expect at least 30 minutes!
Tamsui (New Taipei City)
The Lovers’ Bridge at Tamsui. Nice peaceful venue for all other than lovers, of course. Accessible by an MRT ride, bus or via a ferry to the vicinity.
Tamsui Old Street (Lao Jie). Another night market to fire up a night of binging and shopping. Plenty of opportunities for you to part with your NTs.
Shihlin Night Market. Many reviews decried this night market as touristy and more expensive compared to most night market . It was indeed so (other night basic snack is NT30 per order, but it is NT35-40 here) , but just watch out when you in this venue. And stay away from the fruits stalls. Other than that, it’s still a fun venue.
Ladies delight venue….bags, bags, bags
BBQ stinky toufu, awesome not to be missed snack. So tuck in if you go there.
Traditional fare are also available, like this steamed meat pudding.
Ai Yu Iced Jelly. A refreshing dessert to cool down your throat after all that street side binging with deepfried, roasted, fried food.
Taipei 101
The new landmark of Taiwan. It cost NT500 (S$21.25) to visit the observation deck. A great time to go would be at late afternoon, so that you take in the day and evening view. 2 for the price of 1.
The trick to take in the whole building is shoot at least 4 streets away…
Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall
A landmark not to be missed for it’s scale and historical significance. Entry is free.
The hourly change of guards is not really an adrenaline rushed event but its interesting all the same.
View from atop the CKS Memorial Hall. An awesome view of scale and grandeur.
Our aerial gateway to Taiwan…great price and flight schedule.
The End!
So there you have it, the final travelogue to my Taiwan trip!
I hope that readers had a great time getting reference points for future Taiwan trips if you have not been there. After my 10 days in Taiwan, my guide estimated that we have perhaps covered about 5% of Taiwan. Yes, 5% at best!
Thank you for coming along with me for the pixel journey. Do share your Taiwan vacation too, if you enjoyed your trip there (^___^)//
