For centuries, the Central Mountain Range that stretches nearly the length of Taiwan blocked the eastward progress of Han Chinese pioneers settling the western lowlands. As a result, the traditional cultures and lifestyles of the Austronesian indigenous people in the east remained largely intact until the 1895-1945 period of Japanese colonial rule. Some of the…
The story is one that people working in Taiwan’s tourism industry hear again and again. A visitor had stopped to look at a map, take photos, or adjust a bicycle chain when passers-by came over to offer assistance. The end of the story is always: “The people here are incredibly kind and friendly.” You don’t…
There is something about eastern Taiwan that brings out the best in artists. It may be the sheer sense of space and striking scenic beauty that inspires them. The mountainous counties of Hualien and Taitung are thinly populated by comparison with the island’s western lowlands, and life in the East moves at a much slower…
Taiwan’s emergence as a world-class cycling destination is no surprise. The island boasts a fabulous diversity of coastal, lowland, and highland environments. Thanks to the subtropical location, it is possible to go cycling almost every day of the year. The highway network is extensive, and because so many Taiwanese commute by motorcycle or scooter, motorists…
For many Taiwanese, as well as for thousands of international visitors and foreign residents, the east coast is their favorite region of Taiwan. On the western half of the island, the bustle is nonstop. The east, by contrast, is the very definition of bucolic. With 652 people per square kilometer, Taiwan is one of the…
By the standards of Taiwan’s vertiginous interior, neither Greater Taipei nor neighboring Yilan County are especially mountainous. Even so, visitors who confine themselves to the north never lack opportunities to hike, mountain bike, or simply enjoy scenery through the window of a car or a bus. At 1,120 meters (3,675 feet), Mount Qixing, the no….
When the Japanese conducted the first comprehensive topographical survey of Taiwan, shortly after seizing control of the island in 1895, they were stunned to discover that their new colony had at least three mountains higher than their own beloved Mount Fuji. The island’s tallest point was given the Japanese name Niitakayama (“New Highest Mountain”), and…
Any traveler with the good fortune of a window seat when flying through clear skies into Taiwan will catch alluring glimpses of the island’s dramatic topography. Rugged mountain landscapes more than 1,000 meters above sea level account for 32% of Taiwan’s land area. A similar proportion is taken up by hills and other uplands at…
Tainan is a tourist magnet that deserves every bit of attention it gets. In addition to a stupendous number of ancient shrines, the heart of the city boasts imposing landmarks from the 1895-1945 period of Japanese colonial rule, and a maze of alluring alleyways. Even though the city lost its status as Taiwan’s administrative capital…
In terms of economics and population, Taoyuan has become one of Taiwan’s key municipalities. Improved transportation infrastructure has reduced commuting time to central Taipei, about 27 kilometers away, attracting an influx of families. Major projects like the Taoyuan Aerotropolis are helping this bastion of manufacturing reinvent itself. Taoyuan is the location of Taiwan’s principal international…
