Taipei
The best known Taipei attractions include:
- Taipei 101 - until recently the world's tallest building (now second, after Dubai's Burj Khalifa), offers breathtaking views from The Observatory, located on its top floor.
- Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall - a memorial and a museum dedicated to the memory of Chiang Kai-shek, the former president of the Republic of China
- National Theater Hall and National Concert Hall - both located in the grounds of the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial.
- National Palace Museum - exhibits contain the world’s largest collection of Chinese artifacts.
- Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall - constructed in 1972 in the memory of Sun Yat-sen, political leader and first president of Taiwan (the Founding Father of Republican China).
- Bao-an Temple - build in 1830, a temple dedicated to the god of medicine.
- Confucius Temple - build in 1879, just next to Bao-an Temple.
- Longshan Temple - build in 1738, dedicated to Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy.
- Peitou Folk Art Museum - situated inside a Japanese style garden, this museum displays aboriginal art and every day live items related to Peitou as well as information on the history of Taipei.
- Peitou Hot Spring Museum - former hot spring public baths, converted to a museum displaying documents, pictures, and items describing the history and culture of Peitou.
- Shihlin Night Market - located just minutes away from Taipei's downtown area, it's city's largest and oldest market, offers great selection of shops and local food.
- Taipei City Zoo - situated in mountainous area in Mu Zha
East Rift Valley
The East Rift Valley is situated between the Central Range and the Coastal Range in the eastern part of the island. As Taiwan’s largest fault line, it offers stunning geological features, including canyons, waterfalls and river rapids as well as plenty of hot springs. It's a very popular tourist destination, featuring forest trails and recreation and camping areas, aboriginal cultural sites or recreational farms.
The Liyu Lake (Carp Lake) in particular gives tourist opportunity to enjoy boating, rowing, or fishing, while admiring breathtaking views of the mountains. The area also hosts some bigger resorts (like the Promise Land Resort or Shin Kong Chao Feng Ranch) for travelers who want to enjoy more comfort and modern amenities.
Basalt Cliffs of Penghu
The Penghu archipelago is located in the Taiwan Straits between Taiwan and mainland China. It consists of three main islands: Penghu Main Island, Jibei Island and Qimei Island, and many smaller islands, with the main city Makung.
The islands' coastlines feature astonishing basalt rock formations and cliffs formed from lava eroded by wind and water. The archipelago is also home to one of the best beaches in Taiwan.
Tainan
Tainan is the oldest city on the island and fourth largest. It is famous for its temples, historic buildings; it is even known as the 'City of 100 Temples' - featuring best examples of Confucian architecture in Taiwan. Best known landmarks and attractions of Tainan include: Eternal Golden Fortress, Chikan Towers, Confucius Temple, the ruins of Anping Fort or Tainan's night markets selling clothing, shoes, jewelry, toys, food and drink.
Taroko Gorge
The Taroko Gorge near Hualien, called one of the seven wonders of Asia, should not be missed by any visitor to Taiwan. It's the best-known Taiwan's natural attraction. This impressive ravine is famous for its towering marble cliffs, deep tunnels, and the Liwu River, which flows through the gorge.
Hot Springs
There are several hot springs destinations throughout the country. The most popular include Wulai and Yangmingshan.
Hiking and Mountain Climbing
National parks are popular nature attractions and vacation destinations for many travelers who want to enjoy a bit of wilderness and beautiful landscapes as well as many available recreational facilities. Taiwan has eight national parks: Kenting, Yushan, Yangmingshan, Taroko, Shei-pa, Kinmen, Dongsha, Taijiang and the best known - Kenting National Park.
Taiwan's terrain features a lot of mountains, giving tourists opportunity to admire stunning scenery and breathtaking views. The highest peak in north-east Asia, Yu Shan (Jade Mountain) is a favorite peak for mountain climbers.
