Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Taiwan - The Land of Beautiful People

The best thing i wanted to highlight here is that Taiwanese are generally kindhearted, polite and so friendly that you can even simply approach a person on the street and start chatting. Trust me, I have tried that a few times ;) and had a pleasant conversation. Taiwan too is a developed country ,but Taiwanese don't seem to have the arrogant attitude or as materialistic as mega cities people

Fruits here are fresh and affordable. Peaches, plums, mangoes, grapes, Lai chi, guavas, cherries, apples, pineapples and many many more. It is a heaven of fresh fruits. Local food and snacks are tasty too with great packaging.

Infrastructure in general are better than the Singapore self claimed world class transportation. The bridges, the road system and the road condition, the bus service, the underground rail service as well as the fast train service are clean well managed, and most of all cheap and public oriented (unlike singapore's corporate and profit oriented)

Another highlight is the 'Villa 32' hot spring located at the xin bei thou (新北投) area. The super luxury hot spring spa is worth a try at a very affordable fee of tw$1700. (Please be assured that i was not given a single cent to advertise for the facilities) With free flow of Evian water, full range of Dermalogica products, super nice relax area, super clean hot spring facilities, and superb customer service. This indeed a world class spa

Finally to all Taiwanese who have shown your kindness to me, young or old, pretty or handsome, I would like to say 谢谢 to you all ;) you guys have made my Taiwan trip a memorable one ;) Taiwan is no doubt a beautiful country, but Taiwaneses are even more beautiful ;)


Tao Yuan International Airport
 


 Handmade Sun Cake
 Sample tasting time :)



 Bing Lang Plantation
 Sunflower Plantation
 Pineapple Plantation

The sky bridge


Huan Ying :) (Welcome)
 Great View from Ching Jing

The Ching Jing Farm - breathtaking views come with complimentary fresh air












Sun Moon Lake (南投)
As the name goes :- The east side of the lake resembles a sun while the west side resembles a moon. It is the largest body of water in Taiwan, and also the home of the Thao Tribe.




The Thao Tribe Gallery
 The Thao Tribe Traditional Dance








The Hakka Musuem
Solar Powered Bus Station




Flower Plantation



Long Shan Temple





 Fruits are cheap and fresh around long shan temple :)












 The Sun Yet San Memorial Hall
Sun Yat-sen - one of the most recognizable founding fathers of the Republic of China. Majority of the exhibits displayed were revolutionary events of the national founding fathers at the end of the Qing Dynasty.







Taipei 101
Taipei 101 is among the top ten tallest buildings, and it offers 360 degree of breathtaking view of the energetic city. With tw$500, one can access the observation deck, the anti-earthquake damper chamber, as well as the sky roof. Or alternatively, one can choose to sit back, relax and enjoy a cup of freshly prepared coffee while mesmerizing the great view at the coffee bean cafe, reservation is required. The fireworks displays every New year eve celebration is spectacular.


The Anti-Earthquake Damper


 Night View From Taipei 101
Palace Museum
is an art gallery and museum built around a permanent collection centered on ancient Chinese artifacts. The collections were divided in the 1940s as a result of the Chinese Civil War. The National Palace Museum in Taipei now boasts a truly international collection while housing one of the world's largest collections of artifacts from ancient China.(wiki) However, please dont compare this museum to the Forbidden City in Beijing, but try your very best to relate the items/collection with the Forbidden City where the collections are truefully belong.








The Famous Taipei Arena (小巨蛋)

Tam Sui - 渔人码头(Fisherman's Wharf)



Bus route is clearly displayed and being announced by bus driver








 
Shilin Night Market




 


Tian Hou Temple at Ximen




Food
 Lu Rou Fan (滷肉飯) with 3 eggs salad
 Mian Xian
 Delicious Lai Chi and Grapes
 Mr. Brown Cafe
 Stir fried Pig Kidney -at Shilin Night Market
 Bigtom ice cream and mango shake :)
 Shan Xi Tang Beef Noodle
 Lu Rou Fan (滷肉飯) with Lu Tan
 Cold Noodle
 Ma La Mian (Spicy noodle)
 Mango Shave Ice in Dongmen
 Pai Gu Mian (Noodle in Pork Rib soup)
Saio Long Pow and dumpling