Thursday, May 28, 2020

Shilin Night Market, Taiwan



Shilin Night Market is one of the most popular markets in Taiwan. I should say it is the biggest night market of all night markets in Taipei.  It is a must visit in Taiwan. 

The easiest way to get to Shilin Market is through LRT train Red Line to Jiantan Station.  Walk at exit 1 then cross the street to the left.  Shilin Market is located near Jiantan Station and not at Shilin.

We stopped at Shilin LRT train station and not Jiantan during our Taipei visit.  From Shilin Station, we just followed our very reliable google map to get to the night market, it was a long walk indeed.

If you have already exited Shilin Station. Take a long walk from here.  There are signs at streets that will lead you to the market.



We arrived at around 5pm and there are a fewer people buying snacks, souvenirs, clothing, footwear, toys and all others.  When 7pm striked, the streets got really crowded!



 Shilin has a full variety of mouth-watering street food at an affordable price...
Foods to try at Shilin Night Market:
1.  Hometown barbeque chicken
2. Oyster omelette
3. Scallion pancake
4. Stinky tofu
5. Mee Sua
6. Grilled squids
7. Taiwan sausages
8. Sugar-coated fruits
9. Milk teas/bubble teas
10. Pepper beef buns
11. Fried baked potato
12. All others








Tips for those who plan to visit Shilin:
1.  Arrive earlier to explore more of Shilin
2.  It is where we bought the cheapest souvenir ref magnets, key chains and shirts so bring a lot of cash.
3. Try every food in Shilin.
4.  Dont miss the Hometown barbeque chicken, cheaper in price but bigger in taste!
5. You will always get lost, google map can be trusted.

 There is so much to see here at Shilin night market.  This is the perfect place to shop and eat!
Happy shopping!

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Shifen Waterfalls, Taiwan


Shifen Waterfalls is the little Niagara Falls of Taiwan.  This scenic waterfall is located in Pingxi District, New Taipei City, Taiwan.


The falls is 20 meters in height and 40 meters in width.  Shifen waterfall is the broadest waterfall in Taiwan and sits along with Keelung River.





We got this tour from Klook together with Yehliu Geopark, Jiufen Old Street, Shifen Waterfalls and Shifen Lanterns.  Klook package starts from Php762 (discounted from original price Php1693) and yes! this is worth it! Price vary from time to time.

Shifen Waterfalls walk area have a park where kids can play. There are shops for souvenirs and stalls selling food/snacks in between.
The walk area is open from 9AM to 5PM.

Tourist spots near Shifen Waterfalls walk area are:
1. Shifen Old Street
2. Jingan Bridge
3. Shifen Station
4. Sky Lantern Grandma
5. Shifenliao

 How to get to Shifen Waterfalls?
If you came from Jiufen Old Street, you can arrive in Shifen waterfalls walk area in 30 to 40 minutes.  From Jiufen head to Ruifang Station.  It is just 10 to 20 minutes travel time by bus and only 10 minutes by taxi.

From Taipei going directly to Shifen:
From Taipei Main Station head to Ruifang Station.  After arriving, ride a bus or a taxi going to Shifen.

Friday, May 22, 2020

Jiufen Old Street, Taiwan

Jiufen is a seaside mountain area in Ruifang District, New Taipei City, Taiwan.  Jiufen is a maze of narrow alleys, traditional stores, small shops, tea houses nestled into the mountainside.  Every alley is crowded.  We were given 2 hours including eating of lunch at Jiufen but still we rushed up to the last minute because the alleys are full of people and you can't even walk normally.  Prepare to climb a long fleet of stairs.
We got our tour package from Klook.  Tour includes Yehliu Geopark, Jiufen, Shifen (waterfall and setting off lantern).  Klook package starts from Php762 (discounted from original price Php1693).  We added entrance to Yehliu Geopark plus a chicken roll meal and peanut roll ice cream to be claimed at Shifen. Our Klook tour was Php907.  And this is so sulit!  Tour price may vary from time to time.


In front of the famous A-Mei Tea House
A-Mei Tea House was built originally as a blacksmith in the early 20th century. Jiufen has a considerable economic growth due to gold mining rush in the area. After the height of the gold rush, Jiufen turned into a touristic famous tea house.  A-Mei Tea House is located in the middle of the Jiufen Old Street Market.


In 1989, Hou Hsian-hsien's A City of Sadness, the first film to touch on the February 28 incident (The February 28 massacre was an anti-government  uprising in Taiwan that was violently suppressed by the Kuomintang-led Republic of China government, which killed thousands of civilian beginning on February 28, 1947.  The number of Taiwanese deaths from the incident and massacre was estimated to be 5000 and 28000).
It was then a taboo subject in Taiwan. A City of Sadness won acclaimed around the world.  As a result, Jiufen, where the film was set, revived due to the film's popularity.  The nostalgic scenery of Jiufen as seen in the film, as well as appearances in other media, charmed many people into visiting Jiufen.
For the beginning of the 1990s, Jiufen experience a tourist boom that has shaped the town as a tourist attraction.  Soon retro-Chinese style cafes, tea houses,a nd souvenir stores bearing the name "City of Sadness" were built.
Jiufen also became popular in 2001 due to its resemblance to the downtown in the Japanese anime movie Spirited Away by Studio Ghibli.  Jiufen soon attracted Japanese tourists.  Many Japanese travel magazines and guide books about Taiwan introduced Jiufen.  It became a must visit place among Japanese tourists.  However, Miyazaki himself denied that Jiufen was the model city of the movie.
At present, Jiufen is a renowned tourist attraction representative of Taiwan.  It draws many tourists from Taipei during the weekends.




in front of the famous A-Mei Tea House

Famous foods sold at Jiufen:
1. Taro balls
2. Peanut ice cream roll
3. Taiwanese sausages (that taste like Pinoy longganisa)
4. Fish balls
5. Rice cake
6. Fried squid

 Stores and shops here are open from 8AM to 7PM during weekdays and 8AM to 10PM during weekends.

How to get here?
Bus from Taipei:
Take bus No. 1062 from near MRT Zhongxiao Fuxing Station (Exit 1) in downtown Taipei to Jiufen and Jinguashi.  The ride takes about an hour.

Train plus bus: 
The nearest train station is Ruifang Station of the TRA Yilan Line, which is 15 minutes away by bus.  Take a bus bound for Jiufen or Jinguashi or further on to Fulong passing the Golden Waterfall.

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Taipei 101

The Taipei 101 formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center, is a supertall skyscraper designed by C.Y. Lee and C.P. Wang in Xinyi, Taipei, Taiwan.  This building was officially classified as the world's tallest from its opening in 2004 until the 2010 completion of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, UAE.
Its elevators, capable of traveling 60.6 km/hour and used to transport passengers from the 5th to 89th floor in 37 seconds, set new records upon completion.  In 2011 Taipei 101 received a platinum rating under the LEED certification system to become the tallest and largest green building in the world.  The structure regularly appears as an icon of Taipei in international media, and the Taipei 101 fireworks displays are a regular feature of New Years's Eve broadcasts.
Taipei 101's design incorporates a number of features that enable the structure to withstand the pacific ring of fire's earthquakes and the regions's tropical storms.  
Taipei 101 is owned by Taipei Finacial Center Corporation.  The skyscraper opened on December 31, 2004 in time of celebration of New Years's eve.


Taipei 101 Observatory is located at the 89th floor (indoor observation deck).  Outdoor observation deck is at the 91st floor.  The admission fee for the Taipei 101 Observatory is NT$600.  Visit this place on a sunny day to capture great view of the city.

Click here for restaurants near Taipei 101 Observatory.

Nearby places at Taipei 101:
1. Xin-Yi Shopping District
2. a hike at  Elephant Mountain (Xiangshan Hiking Trail)
3. The National Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall 
4. Linjiang Street Night Market
5. Dun' an Park
6. Tonghua Park
7. Songshan Cultural and National Park
8. Nangangshan Hiking Trail
9. Fuyang Eco Park
10. Moon Bus

The Moon Bus
How to get to Taipei 101?
Take the MRT Red Line (Xin-Yi Line) to Taipei 101 station and exit #4 or the Blue Line (Bannan Line) to Taipei City Hall Station then walk South to enter the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Complex (Xin-Yi Shopping District) towards Taipei 101.

Monday, May 18, 2020

Green Fantasy Forest in Taichung, Taiwan


Green Fantasy Forest is exactly located at Miaoli 36843, No. 7 Wowo Village, Gaohu Village, Xihu Township, Miaoli Country, Taiwan.  It can be reached by riding a public train vehicle from Zouying HSR Station to Miaoli HSR Station then transfer to Fengfu station to Tonglou station.  From here, ride a taxi and tell the driver to drop you off at Green Fantasy Forest.


Tourists with very tight itinerary won't be able to make it at Green Fantasy Forest and other areas located at Taichung.  Taichung is an industrial city located in central Taiwan.  It is two (2) hours drive or train away from Taipei. Good thing that I did a lot of research before going to Taiwan.  For a hassle-free tour going to touristic places in Taiwan, check out facebook page Mga Pasyalan sa Taiwan.  Members of this group are mostly Pinoys who shared tips and photos of their trips around Taiwan.  The admin, Sir Joven Morcillas Embate, organizes group tours for others to join in.  And from my own experience, it is really hassle-free, we were even picked-up at our rented house at Tucheng District though pick-up places are usually in Ximen or Taipei Main Station.

The tour costs NT$1200 each, it already includes a visit to Houli Farm, Miyahara Ice Cream, Rainbow Village and Green Fantasy Forest.


Entrance fee costs NT$300 each.  I paid half for my 2 year-old baby NT$150.

 Our pictures inside Green Fantasy Forest....

Julia and grandma 

mama Ebeng and her first grandson
















I planned for this trip for almost 5 months.  I prepared our itinerary for our 6 days stay and I must say, a planned and organized itinerary can be enjoyable and fulfilling. I booked our sim cards with wifi and some tours with Klook and with Mga Pasyalan sa Taiwan admin, booked our hotel at Airbnb, our airfare was bought 5 months ahead of time with Airasia, it was Php6k roundtrip, a bit costly because it is Christmas season when we got here.  Super sulit coz we were able to use our thick jackets. Masaya mamasyal pag malamig.  I am with my 5 kids, hubby and mom-in-law.  Everything was well budgeted and though we did not explore much of the country, we were fortunate enough to experience Taiwan.



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