Slowing Down: Enjoy Taiwan at a Gentler Pace
October 17th, 2024
Taiwanese are famous for their industriousness. Thanks to their efforts, since World War II the island’s economy has been transformed from one which depended on agriculture to a powerhouse of manufacturing and technology. Not everyone is obsessed with work and business, however. As Taiwan has grown richer, its people have learned to appreciate the importance […]
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Double Ten: Taiwan’s National Day (sort of…)
October 7th, 2024
The tenth day of the tenth month, October 10, is one of the oldest established public holidays in Taiwan — yet it celebrates an event that happened outside Taiwan and which didn’t impact the island until decades later. On October 10, 1911 opponents of the Qing Dynasty, China’s last imperial government, launched an uprising at […]
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Drinking the good black stuff at the 2024 Taiwan Coffee Festival
September 18th, 2024
Temples, mountains, tea plantations, markets… there’s so much to see and do in Taiwan. But even if you’re eager to soak up every experience this amazing destination can throw at you, there’s bound to be a time or two when you just want to sit down and enjoy a good cup of coffee. Taipei: A […]
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Taiwan tidies up after Typhoon Gaemi
July 29th, 2024
Less than four months after Taiwan was rocked by the region’s strongest earthquake in a quarter of a century, the island was soaked by torrential rains accompanying Typhoon Gaemi. Even though life has returned to normal for almost everyone, tourists heading to the Hualien area may have to adjust their plans. All of Taiwan’s counties […]
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Take the Train to Alishan: Full Service Resumes!
July 16th, 2024
The uplands of Taiwan are astonishing yet vulnerable. At least once a decade, typhoons blowing in from the Pacific dump such huge amounts of water on the island’s rugged interior that landslides destroy roads and cut off remote communities. One of the most serious typhoon disasters in the island’s history occurred in August 2009 when […]
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What’s the Best Time of Year to Visit Taiwan?
June 19th, 2024
Taiwan is as close to a year-round destination as exists on our planet. It’s never too cold to have fun, and even when the weather is at its hottest there are enough air-conditioned spaces and delectable cooling treats to keep everyone happy. Sometimes it’s wet, so wet in fact that forays into Taiwan’s spectacular mountains […]
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Taiwan Is a Fantastic Place to Bring Your Kids
June 11th, 2024
For those travelling with children, Taiwan is one of the world’s best destinations, and for many of the same reasons that make it a superb place for so many other tourists. It’s an exceptionally safe country with dazzling scenery, delicious food, rich culture, modern infrastructure, and welcoming people. Parents keen to visit Taiwan, but having […]
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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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