The Caoling Historic Trail, which offers some of Taiwan’s most spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean, provides hikers with a rare glimpse into Yilan County’s early Chinese colonization. The Caoling Historic Trail (草嶺古道) is over two centuries old. The path, which today is 10 kilometers long and crosses the border between New Taipei City and…
Freediving, paragliding, canyoning, and rock climbing are exhilarating and easily accessible ways to discover more of Taiwan. Taiwan offers plentiful natural beauty. You can drink in the green just about anywhere here, whether by hiking up a mountain or glancing up at one from the city streets. But if you’re feeling a bit more adventurous,…
Whether you are a fastidious gourmet, a shameless glutton, or somewhere in between those extremes, if you enjoy food, your taste buds are sure to rejoice at the Taiwan Culinary Exhibition (TCE). A celebration of Taiwan’s multifaceted food scene, from fine dining to the simplest of street snacks, the 2023 edition of the TCE will…
When it comes to sightseeing in Taiwan, each season has its distinct themes and particular advantages, and summer is no exception. Between May and September, if you can handle sea-level temperatures that often top 34 degrees Celsius (93 degrees Fahrenheit), you can enjoy the wonderfully vivid outdoors. The skies are bluer, the rivers are fuller,…
Many of Taiwan’s landscapes are deeply inspiring. The country has East Asia’s tallest mountains, its most spectacular gorge, and stretches of dramatic coastline. The unspoiled eastern part of the island has long been a favorite of both domestic and international tourists. The counties of Hualien and Taitung account for more than a fifth of Taiwan’s…
Straddling the Tropic of Cancer, Penghu is less than 50 km west of Taiwan’s main island, yet this stunning archipelago looks completely different. For a start, it’s quite flat, whereas much of Taiwan is ruggedly mountainous. The islands used to be almost treeless, but afforestation programs have changed this. And perhaps most impressively – and…
Veteran reporter Mike Chinoy’s new book offers a curated collection of interviews with and testimonials from American journalists on the difficulties faced in reporting from the People’s Republic of China. Mike Chinoy has observed China from both within and just outside its borders for over five decades. As CNN’s first Beijing bureau chief in the…
If you are a fan of sakura – the cherry blossoms that draw legions of adoring sightseers to parks and hillsides throughout Japan – plan your next visit to Taiwan to coincide with the Hakka Tung Blossom Festival. The festival, which takes place in April and May, celebrates the beauty and beneficence of Vernicia fordii,…
Though not technically legal, off-road driving and motorcycling are popular activities among certain outdoor enthusiasts in Taiwan, where rugged jungle and mountainous terrain still constitute a significant portion of the land. When it comes to taking his 1993 Jeep Wrangler off the beaten track in Taiwan’s remote wilderness, Dave Johnson is the first to admit…
“The industry of fun” – travel and tourism – is given its own annual issue of TOPICS. I look forward to the articles and images each July but am disappointed to see the sector largely neglected by Taiwan. Taiwan is no “tourism country,” we hear. The sector is not among the “Six Core Strategic Industries,”…
