Six of the Best: Some Unfamiliar Proteins for Your Palate
May 20th, 2024
When a Taiwanese person talks about meat, they usually mean pork. If you spend a week or two in Taiwan, there’s a very high chance you’ll sample some of the island’s most popular pork-based dishes, such as braised minced pork over rice, spare rib and daikon soup (in case you don’t know, daikon is a […]
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Bigger and Better: Life of Taiwan’s Expanded Website
May 5th, 2024
We at Life of Taiwan are constantly updating, revising, and expanding the information and images we present on the 200-plus pages of our website. Some of these additions are made to save ourselves from answering the same questions again and again and to take some of the pressure off our hardworking itinerary-planning team. And from […]
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Is Taiwan Safe to Visit After the Earthquake? Yes! (Updated April 18, 2024)
April 8th, 2024
As most of the world now knows, just before 8 o’clock in the morning of April 3, the entire island of Taiwan was shaken by a powerful earthquake. The magnitude of the temblor was estimated at 7.2 by Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration and at 7.4 by the US Geological Survey, making it the strongest quake […]
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Let Snow-white Tung Blossoms Draw You into Taiwan’s Hakka Country
April 2nd, 2024
The Tropic of Cancer divides Taiwan into two parts. The south officially lies within the tropics, while two thirds of the island has a semi-tropical climate. The dampish conditions in the northwest have proved ideal for one particular tree species: Vernicia fordii, sometimes called the kalo nut tree but known to Taiwanese as the tung […]
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Tipples in Taiwan: The Island’s Surprising Booze Options
March 18th, 2024
In Taiwan, drinking revolves around food. There’s no pairing tradition like that in the West which recommends Cabernet Sauvignon and steak or Chablis and oysters, yet very few drinks are imbibed without some kind of solid food. During the warmer months, cold beer goes well with flavourful dishes like three-cup chicken (so called because it’s […]
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Six of the Best: Taiwan’s Most Amazing Churches
March 13th, 2024
Taiwan is one of the world’s most tolerant and religiously diverse societies. The majority of its nearly 24 million follow a mix of popular religion, Buddhism, and Taoism. Many of the gods and goddesses they worship are also venerated on the Chinese mainland and by ethnic Chinese communities in Southeast Asia. Some practise a ‘purer’ […]
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A Short History of Taiwan’s Spectacular Teas
February 19th, 2024
Taiwanese people love coffee and they enjoy a far greater range of alcoholic beverages compared to just a few decades ago. Yet tea still holds a very special place in local culture. Per capita tea consumption has grown fivefold since 1980. In every supermarket and convenience store, you’ll see dozens of milk teas, black teas, […]
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Back on the Tourist Map! East Taiwan’s Sanxiantai Bridge
February 5th, 2024
One of East Taiwan’s major attractions is fully reopening to the public today (February 5, 2024) following more than a year of inspections and repairs that were made necessary by the earthquake which shook the region near the end of 2022. The distinctive eight-arch footbridge at Sanxiantai (‘Terraces of the Three Immortals’, a name with […]
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Shopping for Souvenirs During a Taiwan Private Tour
January 22nd, 2024
Because there’s so much to see and do in Taiwan — stunning mountains, intricate temples, and delicious food — it can be hard to find time to shop for gifts and souvenirs. Nonetheless, clients who sign up for Life of Taiwan private guided tours sometimes ask us what’s good to buy here and which places […]
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Flower Power! Where to See Taiwan’s Dazzling Flowers
January 16th, 2024
Thanks to its position astride the Tropic of Cancer and plentiful rainfall, Taiwan is a place where foliage and flowers of all kinds thrive. Wherever land is left undeveloped and untilled, wildflowers quickly establish themselves, adding a range of colours to a natural environment that already features every possible shade of green. Many Taiwanese are […]
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Six of the Best: Taiwan’s Most Amazing Temples
January 3rd, 2024
More than 15,000 registered places of worship serve Taiwan’s 23.9 million people. The vast majority, over 12,200, are dedicated to mainstream beliefs, which in Taiwan means a blend of Buddhism, Taoism, and popular faith. Throughout the country there are also around 2,800 Christian churches and at least 10 mosques. Some of these buildings are new […]
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Yet Another Reason to Visit Taiwan: Tainan’s 400th Birthday!
December 27th, 2023
Next year, Tainan is throwing a big party! The place where Life of Taiwan was established back in 2012 is set to celebrate the 400th anniversary of its first steps on a journey through history that saw it transformed from a realm inhabited by Austronesian hunter-gatherers to a European trade outpost, and eventually to today’s […]
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