What kind of Taiwan do you like?
Exciting Taipei?
Scenic Hualien?
Rapidly developing Taichung?
Tainan with cultural connotation?
Or Kaohsiung under the southern sun?

Taiwan, the treasure island that I read in textbooks since I was a child, has so many places worth seeing and experiencing. Among them, Sun Moon Lake and Alishan should be the most yearning for everyone, especially Alishan. The song Alpine Blue lingers in my mind I couldn’t get it out of my mind, and when I thought about it, I sang along, “Girls in Alishan are as beautiful as water, and young people in Alishan are as strong as mountains…”


I like Taiwan because the people here are very enthusiastic and have a strong sense of service, and no matter which field or village you go to, there is no remote feeling. As long as there is a 7-11 or Family Mart (convenience store), you can make people feel happy. feel at ease. At the end of my 18th trip to Taiwan, I went from Taipei to Xitou in Nantou and Alishan in Chiayi, fulfilling my dream that I hadn't been able to realize in more than a dozen trips.

--- The first chapter of Nantou River ---
When I went to Nantou before, I either went to Cingjing or Sun Moon Lake. When the original niche attractions became popular, I started looking for new niche attractions, such as Xitou. There are no tourists in the mountains and plains here. Most of the surrounding residents come to relax during their holidays. Most of them are Changqing people. When they are older, they come to climb the mountains and breathe fresh air. It’s really good. The air here is slightly heavier than the smog on the side Taichung is much better!

It takes about 1 hour to drive from Taichung High Speed ​​Rail Station to Xitou, Nantou. Many accommodations provide carpool pick-up service. The cost is not high. You can consult the B&B and hotel you want to stay in for details. This time I stayed at the Shanti Hotel in Xitou. It looks very modern in appearance. There are two very powerful viewing elevators. After I moved in, I found that they were all original wooden decorations. When I checked in, I sent them with the room card. Many experience coupons, all of which are free! Including afternoon tea and dinner, instant photoshoot keychain and parent-child DIY experience, etc.

The room I live in is very big and has its own balcony. There is a cypress barrel on the balcony for taking a bath in the open air. The TV can be turned over and you can see it clearly while sitting on the sofa or lying on the bed. It is suitable for the whole family to live together. Open all the curtains, all you can see is green, especially eye-washing, very refreshing!

The hotel provided a half-day tour of Xitou Forest Recreation Area and Monster Village. I went up the mountain with the staff and walked into the misty forest in spring. It really looks like a fairyland described by Bandari music. Soaring into the sky, walking up the main road, there is a stone path that looks like a railroad track on the side of the road. The appearance of grandparents, uncles and aunts walking hand in hand is really touching.

If you don't want to climb the mountain, there are battery cars at the bottom of the mountain and at the top of the mountain, which will take you to several fixed stations. In the mountains, we met a group of students and a group of seniors. They all had a great time. The scenery is like a fairyland, the fresh air is worth breathing, and there are various signs that entertain and teach, and the patient explanations of the staff, regardless of gender Both young and old can find their own fun here.

The famous Xitou Monster Village is just down the mountain. When I first arrived, I thought I was in Japan. There are not only torii gates, cherry blossom trees, and kimonos for rent, but there are also local features here, such as the trash cans designed with dialect homonyms, There are also puppet shows that are popular in Taiwan, and the music performances of the aborigines in the square have also attracted the attention of many tourists. When you arrive at this street, you can go to the convenience store to restock, and you can also buy your favorite hand-cranked tea~

The highlight of Xitou Monster Village is the parent-child interaction between monsters every day, which is also the favorite part of the children. They sing and dance with the Golden Horn monsters, jump happily to the entrance of the village, and line up to draw a small Golden Horn and 200 Taiwan dollars in cash from the jar. Coupons, although it is just a small game, can entertain people of all ages, and everyone hopes that they can be lucky.

Staying at Xitou Shanti Hotel, you can not only enjoy a comfortable accommodation environment, but also have a lot of vacation and leisure games. They have planned the travel of tourists here. They arrive by car or car in the morning, and have lunch at the hotel or have a drink with their families. Afternoon tea, go to Monster Village in the afternoon, come back to take a photo of your head to make a key chain, dinner is a small table-top hot pot or a set meal, and participate in parent-child interaction with your family after dinner to make biscuits by yourself, and go to the forest recreation area early the next morning. The first floor is the gymnasium and the electric play area. I also met many repeat customers of the hotel there. Their service is really good. If I come to Xitou with family and friends next time, I will still choose Shanti Hotel first.


--- Chiayi ---
Speaking of Chiayi, Alishan is the first thing that pops into my mind, followed by turkey rice. In my mind, playing is a little more important than eating~ This time, taking advantage of the opportunity of Heng Ru returning to his hometown, it finally came true. The dream of visiting Alishan in the cherry blossom season! The first thing I felt when I arrived in Chiayi was that there are many palaces and temples here, and there is one within a few steps. The believers are pious. Chiayi is also a place where Mazu in the south-central part of the country will definitely pass by.

The urban area of ​​Chiayi is very small. When walking on the road, there are signs saying "Alishan" everywhere. It seems that you can walk all the way, and you can reach it within a short distance. In fact, there is still a long way to go to the scenic spots. Hengru picked me up at the hotel and helped me plan the itinerary. From Huiyi Senhuo Village to Railway Art Village, to the Wenhua Road Night Market with a lot of food, there are many good attractions in the city.

Hinoki Senhuo Village is said to be the best-preserved group of Japanese-style buildings in Taiwan. According to local Heng Ru, when she was a child, there were more Japanese-style buildings. It has been changed into a specialty shop, and many known and unknown Chiayi specialties can be found here.

Some retired locomotives are placed in the Railway Art Village. You must know that the slope of Alishan is not small, and the small mountain-climbing train must slowly climb up along the narrow track. Now it still uses the previous energy power, that’s all. It has been wobbly and open for decades. Now the art village has become the best place to take pictures with the locomotive, even if you don't get on the small train, you can still take a beautiful group photo.

We stayed in Chiayi Leke Business Hotel. This hotel was renovated from an office building, so the internal configuration is very new and quite special. It has a bathroom with excellent lighting and a bedroom with a fairly large space. The most important thing is that the price is cheap. It only costs more than 200 to stay in a standard room including buffet breakfast for one night. It doesn’t take long to walk to various attractions, and it is also very close to the Wenhua Road Night Market.

We went to the night market mainly to eat the famous turkey rice. It’s great to have local people bring it. It tastes different from other places. It’s the first time to try various soups. After that, we ate bean curd and bought it. Mikaya, which locals like to drink very much! When the real ingredients are solid, suck them into your mouth, and your mouth will be full of freshly squeezed fruit!

Early the next morning, we took the Taiwan Haoxing bus to Alishan. There was about an hour of winding roads on the way. Children who suffer from motion sickness should pay attention. The bus finally stopped at the entrance of 7-11 in the tourist center. Convenience stores can be found everywhere in Taiwan. We then went to the station to take the Alishan small train up the mountain. It was the first time I took the mountain-climbing train, and I was a little excited.


From Alishan to Zumping Station, when you get off the bus, you will be greeted by beautiful cherry blossom trees. Although they have not fully bloomed, the clusters of cherry blossoms in front of you are still very beautiful. Coupled with the rare sunny weather, they are floating The blue sky with clouds is really beautiful. Under the cherry blossom tree in the square in front of Shouzhen Palace, we ate a bento that can only be found in the mountains, and watched the petals of the cherry blossoms falling with the wind in front of our eyes. It is said that this is also a must-experience item in Alishan.

When you come to Alishan, you must see the sacred tree. Now there are fewer and fewer living sacred trees. On both sides of the mountain road, we can still see some tree stumps that have been cut down. Due to the age, they are covered with moss. Under the sunlight, it looks very aura. A few of our little friends couldn’t take a break in front of the 2,300-year-old Shenmu. It was very interesting to try to capture several ourselves in the same photo with a mobile phone, and the children around us started to play with the lively squirrels in the forest.

Going down the mountain seems to be a little faster than going up the mountain. We came to Lichuan Golden Pot located in Houzhan, Chiayi. This small table-style hot pot has a variety of varieties. You must try the Golden Clam Pot! Boiled in clear water is full of umami! At the beginning, you have to drink the soup first, and then add other ingredients. I ordered duck meat (because I have never tried using duck meat for hot pot), and the result was a plate of sliced ​​meat rolls, which could not be seen as duck meat at all! All the ingredients are exquisite, including those staple foods, desserts and fruits on the self-service counter, all you can eat! We all ate to the wall and walked away...

Since there are not many people who take the bus in Chiayi, the train station is full of car rental companies, so the government has introduced a lot of measures to encourage people to take the bus, such as using the Easy Card to take the bus for free, and you can get on the bus to and from the high-speed rail station to pick up the card. Free ride.

--- Taipei Chapter ---
After seeing the "Taiwan Lantern Festival" in Pingtung, I continued to enjoy the lantern festival in Ximending and Provincial City God's Temple in Taipei~ The original Taipei City is really not big, and it takes a short walk from Ximen to Beimen. Taipei's Lantern Festival is exactly It is located on both sides and surroundings of this section of the road. To be honest, I admire the Taipei government for daring to hold a lantern festival in such a bustling city center. Everywhere I go is a commercial street, and there are many people even on rainy days. Indeed, I have deeply experienced it since the first time I came to Taiwan for New Year’s Eve. They have excellent control over large-scale events, from entering to exiting, they are orderly and undisturbed, and they have full experience in organizing other events.

Walking from Ximending to Taipei Main Station is only one stop away. There are many well-known shops in Taiwan in this short distance. No matter how many times you come here, it is worth staying. Last time I lived in Ximending, this time I chose The vicinity of Taipei Main Station is also for the convenience of taking the bus the next day. I arranged two different accommodations at the beginning and end of the trip, one is Taiwan Youth Hostel and the other is Pinge. The price is around 100 yuan, which is very suitable for solo travelers or traveling with friends.

Taiwan Youth Hostel is only a 5-minute walk from Taipei Main Station. There are not only wall paintings designed by friends who are changing places, but also free one-day tours for mainland tourists. There is a small concert that starts on time at 9 p.m. Tenants, there is also super delicious free lemon tea! The bed room can be walked in, the space in the room is not too small, the locker can be put in small luggage, and it can be locked! The sink in the kitchen is filled with ozone water which is very effective in disinfection and maintenance~ There is a very good social space here, but it is a pity that we only stay for one night, otherwise we may meet many interesting friends.

My dinner in Taipei was Shangyin Fisheries not far from the Taiwan Youth Hostel. This restaurant in the Taipei Fish Market has its own unique charm. Not only is there a large platter full of seafood, all of which are made from the fresh seafood of the day, but even the salads are very tasty! The seafood bowl with sea urchin is piled up with a mountain of ingredients, and it took a long time to eat the rice inside~ What surprised me the most was the miso soup. It was the first time I saw such a big bowl of miso soup with such a large slice of meat. It was piping hot. The fragrance is full. Many guests in the restaurant eat standing up, which is also one of the characteristics.

Pingezi is based on low price and affordable, each room is very small, but all internal organs are complete, washing towels are complete, and there is even a TV! There is a well-decorated public area on a specific floor, with a kitchen, a drying area, a living room, and a dressing table. I live in the girls’ area, and the bathroom feels very pink. There are mirrors, hair dryers, and shared shampoo and shower gel. It is very neatly placed, and it is indeed a place with good service, and accommodation at any price is very good.

In Taipei, I met the little beauty I met at the weekend market in Bangkok, as well as my old friends Theresa and Iris. I was lucky enough to drink Mikexia’s soy milk black tea, and I also ate delicious Internet celebrity Thai dishes, chicken chops The ingredients are really reliable. After eating a big bowl, my stomach is already very full.

For this trip to Taipei, we chose Sisi South Village as the scenic spot. It is really difficult to keep the shelter of the Military Military Village in the bustling Xinyi District. Since it has been left, it must have a new role. In addition to repairing the old as it is, In addition to the rejuvenated cultural and creative park, it can also be a museum or a nursery school. Those air-raid shelters and bomb boxes have also taken on a new look.

After watching the videos in the exhibition hall, watching this small military dependents' village again has new gains. The "outsiders" who thought they could go home in five years never thought they would never be able to go back. The bitterness and sadness, as well as the deep homesickness, are beyond our imagination. From Sisi South Village, we can see that the current Taipei is no longer the original capital of Taiwan Province, but a place where various cultures are integrated.

--- Dry goods strategy ---
1- How to go to Taiwan?
Direct air tickets from major cities in the mainland to Taiwan are around 1000-2000 all year round, and occasionally there are special offers, which are even more cost-effective than the stable price of the mini-three links. There are many options for departure from Xiamen, and the air tickets are cheap. Another way is to transfer from Hong Kong, which will be cheaper than the direct flight.

2- How to apply for tax refund?
All the goods purchased in Taiwan’s designated stores can be processed at the counter of the service center as long as the total amount of TWD 2,000 is collected. When leaving the country, you can directly refund cash or refund to a credit card at the airport with the receipt. Some large department stores such as Xinyi Eslite can directly refund tax in the store, which is very convenient! The tax refund counter at Taoyuan Airport is outside the security check. Remember to complete the tax refund first before entering the waiting hall!

3- How to surf the Internet in Taiwan?
(1) Open mobile phone roaming directly, China Mobile and China Unicom have global packages, the price is more expensive
(2) Using mobile WIFI, this time I still use my old friend Roaming to surf the Internet, the speed is fast and the performance is stable
(3) Buy a local mobile phone card. Both Chunghwa Telecom and Taiwan Mobile have launched all-you-can-eat data packages. If you stay for a long time, you can also buy a special WeChat card. NT$250 can be used for 15 days+, including 1G data and 100 TWD call fee (if you don’t make frequent calls, it’s really enough)