Taiwan is a wonderland – especially for foodies

“Wait where are you from again? Tibet? Thailand?”

“Taiwan. The island next to China.”

“Oh, so so just to clarify, you speak Taiwanese or Chinese?”

“I speak Mandarin. Most people in Taiwan nowadays speak Mandarin, but I speak Taiwanese with my grandmother.”

Sometimes I’m just tired of referencing my home country by the relative location of another country, or to have to explain everything that seems like common sense to me. Well to be honest, Taiwan is only 1/60 of the size of Texas, and if you’re a driver, it’s a 6-hour drive on the highway from the northern tip to the southern edge. Therefore, I shouldn’t be surprised that most people don’t know about my hometown, Taipei, and my motherland, Taiwan.

A foodie’s paradise

If you’re a foodie, Taiwan is the place you should grow up in. Night markets are the signature place to visit, tourist of local Taiwanese, and with less than 5 US dollars, you can obtain the gratification of trying a wide variety of traditional Taiwanese delicacies.

To whet your appetite, sizzling tea boiled eggs, egg tarts, fried chicken steaks, are only a few to name on the top of my head.

Breakfast is a personal statement

The breakfast you eat shows your identity, background and personality. Just like scrambled eggs and bacon, breakfast in Taiwan is served 24/7.

Sweet or salty, hot or cold, seasoned or bland, please take your pick.

Feeling classy? You have a place to go

Xinyi District is the Taiwan equivalent of  Buckhead in Atlanta or Hollywood in LA.

With celebrities dwelling in that area, movie theaters, shopping malls, night clubs, and restaurants, this vibrant area provides a snapshot of the vitality of Taipei City.

Fancy restaurants with French, Italian, and all the exotic cuisines you can think of. And unlike Panda Express, which sweetens the taste of Chinese food to fit the appetites of the general populace in America, the exotic cuisines you will find in Taiwan presents you the most authentic taste possible with no further modification.

Same old food served in creative ways

As more coffee shops emerge and as high tea and brunch swarms the markets of Taiwan, shop owners have come up with innovative ways for draw consumers’ attention.

Since the Taiwanese love taking pictures of food and with food, these well-decorated meals can make your dining experience an enjoyable and memorable one.

Go touristy

With its manageable size, Taiwan offers a wide range of entertainment and tourist attractions that appeal to people of different ages, tastes, and personalities.

Whether you’re a bookworm, an athlete, an anime fan, an environmentalist, or an architect, you’ll find your own paradise in Taiwan.

Mung bean tapioca tofu soup. A sweet treat you can get at the Eslite bookstore digging into piles of books for the entire day.

Church on water. Ideal location for a wedding

Elephant Mountain, a less challenging hiking trail in the heart of the city, provides you a bird’s eye view of Taipei City. If you’re planning for a longer stay and are physically competent, there are 100 peaks in Taiwan, compared to 48 in America for you to choose from to hike.

Aboriginal culture

There are 16 different native tribes scattered around the mountains in Taiwan, and each of them has its own language system, traditions, and festivals for you to relish the history and the diversity of Taiwanese culture.

Fun facts:

1. We’re the only country in the world that uses traditional Chinese characters. 
2. We’re americanized. Forever 21, H&M, Costco, Starbucks can all be found in Taiwan.
3. We’re named Formosa, meaning beautiful, by the Portuguese in the 16th century.
4. Jeremy Lin is Taiwanese