The elders of the previous generation have a kind of "Taiwan complex". Today, when the freedom of travel is open, they are more willing to visit the treasure island of the motherland. I just used the remaining annual leave to accompany my parents to fulfill the old man's wish. So there was this 9-day tour of Taiwan Island that spanned about 1/5.
2 episodes
Because of my father's health, our trip almost fell through. Dad suddenly suffered a cerebral infarction in December 2017. Not only did he enter the ICU for rescue, but the hospital also issued a critical illness notice. After he was discharged from the hospital, we didn't know whether Dad would be able to travel far away, so we didn't start to apply for the Taiwan entry permit until he finally expressed his willingness to visit Taiwan while he was still able to leave. Of course route design, especially the mode of transportation becomes important. And I also cherish the opportunity to walk with my parents more.
What attracts me most in Taiwan is the natural scenery of Hualien and the cultural atmosphere of Taipei. As old-fashioned traditional Taiwanese attractions, Alishan and Sun Moon Lake were not within the scope of my itinerary at first. However, because of the Hualien earthquake in February, the theme of safety first made me have to adjust the itinerary at zero time. The final itinerary became: Taipei - Taichung - Nantou (Qingjing Farm, Sun Moon Lake) - Tamsui (including Yehliu) - Taipei. Moreover, when I take my parents on a trip, the old man always finds it hard to justify not going to Alishan and Sun Moon Lake when he hears that he will go to Taiwan.
Air tickets
It was not easy to go up the mountain and down to the sea with two old people. So the itinerary is in and out of Taipei. Book early, Eastern Airlines, direct flight time slot is good, the price is also cheap, 1600 yuan per person round trip including tax.
documents
Taiwan Entry Permit: The Taiwan Entry Permit is processed relatively quickly. If the information is complete, it will basically come out in 2-3 working days. The travel agency will send the completed Taiwan Entry Permit to the mailbox and print it out by laser color.
The information provided by the Taiwan Entry Permit is much more convenient and simpler than that of a foreign visa. If a group of immediate relatives goes to Taiwan, one of them can be used as the main applicant. You only need to provide the main applicant's financial proof (such as a bank's gold card or platinum card), and then provide other people with the main applicant. Proof of the relationship between them (only child certificate, birth certificate, marriage certificate, or the same household registration book, or the kinship certificate issued by the police station is acceptable). What needs to be reminded is that if the main applicant has a Taiwan Entry Permit, the accompanying personnel need to travel on the same flight as the main applicant.
And my parents' household registration book no longer has my record, I don't have a birth certificate myself, and I don't have time to go to the police station to apply for a kinship certificate. So in the end I applied alone and my parents did it using my sister as an emergency contact. Otherwise, the procedures for entering Taiwan can be described as extremely simple.
hotel
Because of the elderly, we choose the hotel mainly considering the convenience of transportation, hotel facilities and sanitation, and then choose the best cost-effective one with breakfast included. Personally, I feel that big cities like Taipei prefer to stay in hotels, while places like Sun Moon Lake and Cingjing Farm prefer homestays, not to mention that Taiwan’s homestays have a long-standing reputation. How can we miss a good opportunity to experience them? !
The booking of B&Bs in Cingjing was the most difficult, because in addition to the beautiful scenery in Cingjing, the B&Bs are also a major attraction. The European-style B&Bs in the whole building caught my eye.
On March 3, our trip officially started
Taipei
When the plane landed at Taipei Songshan Airport, what we saw in front of our eyes was an old airport with only 2 luggage belts. It was quiet, clean and the transportation was convenient. I found a bank counter at the airport and exchanged NT$5,000. The exchange rate and handling fee are the same, so there is no need to worry. Facts have proved that other than Taipei, other places prefer cash, especially small restaurants, homestays, etc. Within a few days, we went to the ATM of 7-11 to withdraw cash several times. The handling fee is well received in China and is acceptable.
On the first night in Taiwan, I stayed at the Grand Hotel with a strong political and semi-official background. Back then, only dignitaries were entertained, and the two large walls on the second floor of the hotel were covered with photos, which my parents watched with gusto. The overall architectural style and decoration are all classical Chinese style, super classical, magnificent, and the red columns are festive. A large number of dragon-shaped carvings are used in the building. It is said that there are more than 220,000 "dragons", large and small. Therefore, the Grand Hotel is also called "Dragon Palace". The hotel has a free shuttle bus cycle pick-up station at MRT Yuanshan Station and Jiantan Station, which is very convenient.
After checking in at the hotel, we went to Ximending. This is the most important consumer business district in the West District of Taipei. Ximen Red House and all kinds of boutiques can be seen in Ximending. It is full of hipster energy, and various movie promotions, street performances and other activities are often seen here. When we went there, it happened to be the Lantern Festival event celebrating the Year of the Dog, and it was very lively.
Following the route in the reviews, I found the famous A Zong noodles. There are always many people standing at the door, holding a bowl of noodle noodles to feast on. This is a feature that can only be seen in Ah Zong’s noodle soup. The noodle soup made of stewed large intestine, noodle noodles, coriander, garlic and black vinegar is very special. can have a try
The dinner is at the Golden Dragon Hall of the hotel. The quality of Cantonese cuisine is high, the price is good, the environment is great, and the service attitude is very good. We walked around the hotel garden after dinner. It happened to be the 16th day of the first lunar month. We talked and looked at Taipei 101 and the full moon in the distance. Our trip to Taiwan had a good start.
Hotel: Grand Hotel Taipei
Features: classical atmosphere, historical charm
March 4 Taichung
I bought a ticket to Taichung at Taipei Main Station the day before, so that I could guarantee a seat. In fact, there are quite a lot of people without seats along the way. After checking out in the morning, I had breakfast next to the Yuanshan MRT station and went straight to the train station. Each area of the waiting hall has its own independent rest area, which is small and quiet. Watching the cleaners carefully remove the stains on the ground, compared with domestic casual wipes, I feel that there is still a big difference in professionalism. I spent 2 and a half hours on the train. It was clean, quiet, and spacious. I felt the scenery from Taipei to Taichung along the way. They are all buildings that have been baptized by the years, and there are no trendy buildings.
Our hotel is just opposite Taichung Railway Station, very convenient. Since it was not yet check-in time, we walked to lunch after sending our luggage. Opposite the hotel is the famous Miyahara Ophthalmology Clinic. The store was full of people. Although the building was beautiful, they couldn't appreciate it quietly, so they left quickly.
After passing N shops that claim to be famous sun cake shops, we went to Chunshuitang for lunch, the originator of pearl milk tea. The original origin of pearl milk tea came from his family in Taichung. In addition to the must-try bubble tea, we also ordered beef noodles. The noodles have a bite, the soup is rich and mellow, and there is no MSG seasoning. It is very delicious to bring out all the flavors of the beef. A meal cost NT$900.
Our only experience of taking a taxi was from Chunshuitang to Rainbow Military Village. The Rainbow Village is the result of graffiti by a local veteran. Although the scope is not large, the walls and the ground are covered with colorful and interesting patterns, all of which are kind and beautiful hopes, as beautiful as a rainbow. Although there are only a few small and old houses, which occupy a small area, they are full of childishness, vitality and touching after Mr. Huang Lao painted them with brilliant colors. A very worthwhile attraction.
The taxi driver who took us to Rainbow Military Village reminded us that the taxis waiting at the entrance of the military village usually don’t use their meters. So we walked for 10 minutes and caught a bus at the nearby bus stop to Tunghai University.
Tunghai University is a well-known private university, but it is actually relatively ordinary, and the scenery is also ordinary. Walking around the campus, I saw Japanese-style low buildings among the trees, and there were people sitting on the grass with puppies and children. What is more special is that the school has a pasture and raises some cows, which ensures the freshness of the dairy products here. . We walked along the road signs to the Dairy Inn to taste the thick and mellow fresh milk. A large bottle of milk only costs more than RMB 20, and considering that some people don’t like such cold milk, there is a self-service microwave oven on site, which is really considerate.
We took the on-campus shuttle bus to the most prestigious Louis Church, which was designed and built by I.M. Pei. The curved sail roof looks like hands folded in prayer. The unique architectural style can be said to be the spirit of the school. symbol.
In the first two days of our trip to Taiwan, we were deeply impressed by Taiwan's motorcycle culture. Taiwanese love to travel by motorcycles, and the mighty army of motorcycles is a sight to behold. Taiwanese ride bicycles at an unexpected speed. When waiting for a signal light, the stop line for motorcycles is in front of cars. When the red light at the intersection turns green, with the roar of "sudden, sudden, sudden", motorcycles waiting at the intersection rush out before the cars, and the scene is spectacular. Let those of us who are first-timers feel intimidated. The only ones who are slow are those who drive. Almost 99% of motorcyclists wear helmets, which can be hung on the handlebars when parking, and there is no fear of being stolen.
Also, at first we felt that there were no people on the bus, train, or street. But when we took the bus to Fengjia Night Market for dinner, when we got off the bus, suddenly there were so many people out of nowhere. , although it was already late at night, people seemed to have no sleepiness, as if the nightlife had just begun.
Obviously this is not something my parents can adapt to. I quickly bought large intestines wrapped with small intestines, and after walking two streets, I hurried back to the hotel while waiting for the car.
Hotel: Taichung Formosa 53 Hotel
Features: Just opposite Taichung Station. Clean and reasonably priced. Disadvantages: The bathroom door is only half way, and the water is easy to splash out.
