Michelin, publishers of the world’s best-known restaurant guides, included the south of Taiwan for the first time when researching the latest edition of their Red Guide gourmet bible. Of the 321 eating establishments featured in the Michelin Guide Taipei 2022, Taipei,...
Flying into Kaohsiung, it’s the city’s vast harbor and the glitzy buildings adorning the waterfront that’ll catch your eye. Yet, on the west and north sides of the urban core, there are rugged green hills equally deserving of attention. These tree-...
Once a year, a small town in southern Taiwan “explodes.” Or so it might seem to those fearless onlookers who subject themselves to the attack of thousands of mini rockets fired at random into the skies and into the crowds from...
Tainan is a city with an essence that never seems to change, yet somehow gets better and better. Taiwan’s political and economic capital for more than 200 years, until 1885, it’s rightly regarded as a bastion of traditional culture. In its...
Nantou County in central Taiwan is home to no coastline, but it has some of the island’s most magnificent scenery. Two routes into this mountainous county’s heart are Freeway 6 and Highway 14, taking you from Taichung City to the town...
The Chianan (Jianan) Plain in southwest Taiwan is one of the island’s key agricultural regions. So named because it is divided between Chiayi County, Chiayi City, and Tainan City, the plain is dotted with small towns, between which there are fields...
Pop-up restaurants have been a thing for a decade or so in Taiwan, and open kitchens have been a popular draw since the late 1990s, making it possible for diners to watch as their meals are prepared. These trends enjoy high...
Between the highly developed Keelung-Taipei-Hsinchu corridor, and the rapidly growing metropolis of Taichung – now Taiwan’s second most populous municipality – lies Miaoli County. The population density of Miaoli is just one quarter that of Taichung. Whether you approach from north...
[The following introduction was provided by Steven Crook, co-author of the book and regular contributor to Travel in Taiwan magazine and this website.] Photos: Vision NEW TAIWAN FOOD BOOK DETAILS CULINARY HISTORY AND TRENDS A Culinary History of Taipei: Beyond Pork...
A Tour of Tainan Tourist Sights on the Run Text: Steven Crook; Photos: Maggie Song The annual Love in Tainan Marathon is different from most marathons staged in Taiwan, in that it takes place in the hot summer month of August, and...
From the Taiwan Strait to the Pacific Ocean Text: Steven Crook; Photos: Vision Taiwan’s first railway line, between the cities of Taipei and Keelung, was established in 1891; but round-the-island rail travel wasn’t possible for another hundred years. The opening in 1991...
Delving into History “Hidden” in a Kaohsiung Suburb Text: Steven Crook; Photos: Vision Prospective visitors to Taiwan who’ve done a little advance reading are likely to recognize many of the places featured in this magazine. But, on opening this issue of Travel...
Old Neighborhoods and Windy Wetlands — Taking the Coastal Railway Line in Central Taiwan Text: Steven Crook; Photos: Vision Situated between the modern downtown core of Taichung City and the Taiwan Strait are a number of districts worth exploring. Wander through old neighborhoods...
The Windy City by Slow Train — Places of Interest Between “North Hsinchu” and “South Hsinchu” Text: Steven Crook; Photos: Vision Located on Taiwan’s northwest coast, Hsinchu is known as Taiwan’s “Windy City” thanks to its salient coastal position and prevalent winds sweeping...
Yilan-Hualien by Slow Train Text: Steven Crook; Photos: Vision Getting tickets for the fast Puyuma and Taroko express trains, which shuttle from Taipei down the east coast of Taiwan, can be a challenge. If you are not in a hurry, consider using...
Visiting Changhua, Yuanlin, and Douliu Text: Steven Crook, Photos: Vision Head south of Taichung City in central Taiwan and you’ll come to Changhua and Yunlin counties. While not known as first-tier tourist hotspots, these counties indeed offer a number of intriguing places...