Hello faithful fans of the Foreigners in Taiwan website and blog.
I have some happy news! Our Facebook Page which was recently hacked and stolen has been recovered!
You can find our recovered page here: https://www.facebook.com/foreignersintaiwanblog. Please follow this new page to keep up to date with our blog, and share content to help promote the amazing free country of Taiwan to the world.

In this blog, I will tell you how I was hacked so you can avoid the same problem, and protect your business and assets that use Facebook Pages. 
I will also show you how our page was recovered (hint, it was not by using another hacker, those are all scams) and give you some ideas and effective methods you can try.
​The recovery process took about four months total for me (first hacked on September 30th, 2022, recovered on January 29th, 2023). 

Green World is an ecological farm in Beipu Township of Hsinchu County. It features over 70 hectares of open area, petting zoos, a reptile center,  butterfly area, bird park, swan lake, and features animal shows. It is the largest and most diverse tropical rainforest ecological area in Asia and is definitely worth a trip.

Background:​
Green World Ecological Farm was established in 2004 and covers roughly 75 hectares of land, making it the largest and most diverse tropical rainforest ecological area in Asia. Over 50 hectares of land have been left as a nature preserve. 
The park features six main areas: swan lake, butterfly ecological park, discovery land area, bird ecological park, water plants park, and biodiversity adventure area.
The park is popular with families and children and can get pretty packed on weekends and holidays.
Price:
380 NT per person

Hours:
8:30 AM to 5:30 PM

Website:
www.green-world.com.tw/en/about.php

How to get there:
By Car/Scooter: From Zhudong, take provincial highway three south until you reach the signs for Green World. You have to drive down a mountain road to get there. Parking is paid, even if you park on the side of the road. 
By Bus: Take bus 5608 from Hsinchu Station to Zhudong, then switch to bus 5626A which stops at Green World. The total bus journey takes about two hours. 

Map:
Please see below:

Hsinchu's Beimen Street is the oldest merchant street in Hsinchu, dating back to the Kindom of Tungming. Due to the completion of the railway and urban planning in the Japanese area, this street lost its importance, but many historical buildings here are still intact. It is one of the most impressive historical sites in Hsinchu and is worth a visit for anyone in the area.

Background:
After the settlement of the area by Han Chinese farmers in about 1711 during the Kingdom of Tungming, what was then known as Zhuqianshe became the most important economic area in northern Taiwan. By 1723, a walled city was built here out of bamboo, because brick walls were forbidden for fear of a revolt against the Qing authorities. The name Zhuqiancheng (竹塹城) literally means bamboo moat city. The bamboo-walled city had four gates and its perimeter was about 1.4 KM long. In 1806, the city was upgraded with earthen walls. 

Beimen Street literally means North Gate Street, because it used to lead out to the north gate of the city, toward Bangka (modern Taipei), along the main road linking northern Taiwan. It was the most important economic area in Hsinchu until the end of the Qing Dynasty. Goods were brought from the old harbor to this street, where they were then distributed to other places nearby.
Unfortunately, a fire took place here in 1901 which destroyed much of the original old wooden structures. After Japan took control of Taiwan, they created a new urban plan for the city. which moved the city center about 500 meters to the south around the East Gate. This along with the new Hsinchu TRA station meant that Beimen Street would gradually lose its economic importance. 
However many rich families still based their livelihood on this street, including the Beimen Gentry. There was also an incident during WWII when allied bombers attacked a mansion on the street, mistaking it for the Japanese governor's mansion. 
​
Hours:
24/7, but I recommend visiting at night when the night market it open. 

Price:
Free

How to get there:
The old street is within walking distance of Hsinchu TRA station.

Map:
Please see below:

​So here I am during the work make-up day on a Saturday. This is a fair and legal day for every company in Taiwan to exploit their workers because we get a “make-up day off” next Friday as part of the Dragon Boat Festival. But it is a dated, backward, and unproductive practice, and part of a broken labor system that demoralizes an already tired workforce, and it should be dismantled.
所以我現在星期六的補班日上班，在台灣這是一個合法壓榨員工的方法，因爲我們將在下週五可以放一個延長的端午節連假，來完成“彌補休假”。 但這是一種落後，老派，沒有效率的做法。這個做法是一個破爛勞動制度，使已經疲憊的勞動力士氣低落，台灣應該早日把“補班補課”的制度廢除。
 
Demoralizing an already tired workforce 
​讓已經疲憊的勞動喪失志氣

Tax season is here. In Taiwan, taxes must be filed before May 31st. As a foreigner, you might be wondering how to file a tax return and what the regulations are. Luckily Taiwan has made it easy by creating an online tax filing system that you can complete from your computer, although you do still have to physically send some forms to the tax office. Let us answer some common questions about tax filing that might come up:

Forward: The following is Q+A for tax year 2022 only, based on information provided on Taiwan's Ministry of Finance website for your reference only. Personal income tax can be a complicated issue; for specific answers regarding your tax situation please contact the Taiwan tax office: +886-2-2311-3711. Press 7 for English service. The ultimate decision for tax payable is up to the discretion of the Taiwan tax office.
 
Q: When should I file Taxes?
A: Between May 1st to May 31st after the tax year (tax year is same as calendar year).
If you are leaving the country and do not plan to return to Taiwan, you must file an early tax return within 10 days before you leave. We recommend going to the tax office in person for an early filing.

Q: When are Taiwan tax payments due?
A: Tax payments are due by May 31st, after which there will be penalties for late payments. 
 
Q: What makes me eligible for paying Taiwan taxes (or what makes me a tax resident)?
A: You become a Taiwan tax resident if you stay in Taiwan longer than 183 days, or if you are a Taiwan national and have household registration (戶籍)  in Taiwan and visit for at least one day. The address in your ARC is not household registration, it's a registration process from the local administrative office (戶政事務所）.
If you stay less than 90 days in Taiwan, in general, you do not have to file taxes, and VAT or sales taxes are reimbursable.
If you worked in Taiwan and stayed over 90 days but less than 183 days, you need to pay taxes on your Taiwan-based salary even if your income came from overseas, and you will pay a fixed rate of 6% or 18% income tax (your company may have deducted this from your salary already).
If you have Taiwanese dual citizenship and Taiwanese house registration, then you need to pay taxes if you have stayed in Taiwan for over 31 days. Days are cumulative in a tax year, and it doesn't matter what you came for during these days.
​
Q: How do I count the days I stayed in Taiwan?
A: Please note that the day you come to Taiwan doesn't count, but the day you leave does. It's a good idea to keep track of the number of days you have been in Taiwan via the stamps on your passport.

​Q: What is the income tax rate?/ How much is Taiwan tax?
A: The income tax rate for non-residents who earn at least 1.5 the minimum wage per month (39,600 NT as of 2023) is 18% (you can get a tax refund if you pay 18% taxes and then become a tax resident). 18% usually is applicable to white-collar foreign workers. 
For non-residents who earn less than 1.5 the minimum wage per month (39,600 NT as of 2023), the income tax rate is 6% (you can get a tax refund if you pay 6% taxes and then become a tax resident). 6% is usually applicable to most blue-collar foreign workers. 
The 2022 tax rate for residents (staying over 183 days in Taiwan) is as follows (source: Taiwan Ministry of Finance):

The four furthest directional points in Taiwan are some of the most beautiful places in the country, and they should definitely be part of every Taiwan traveler's bucket list, or stops along your round-island trip. Each of them has a lighthouse, and all of them lie near the ocean. 

The four furthest directional points in Taiwan are as follows:
1. Most Northern point: Fugui Cape Lighthouse, New Taipei (富貴角燈塔, 新北市, 台灣東北極點)
2. Most Eastern point: Sandiao Cape Lighthouse, New Taipei (三貂角燈塔, 新北市, 台灣東極點)
3. Most Southern Point, Eluanbi Lighthouse, Pingtung (鵝鑾鼻燈塔, 屏東, 台灣南極點)
​4. Most Western points: Guosheng Lighthouse, Tainan (國聖燈塔, 台南, 台灣西極點).

Please see below for a map of the four points:

Hsinchu City God Temple, or Chenghuang Temple, dates back to the Kingdom of Tungming and was built in the middle of the old bamboo-walled city of Zhuqian. Currently, it is the religious center of the city and also has its own night market. It is one of the most impressive historical sites in Hsinchu and is worth a visit for anyone in the area.

Background:
After the settlement of the area by Han Chinese farmers in about 1711 during the Kingdom of Tungming, what was then known as Zhuqianshe became the most important economic area in northern Taiwan. By 1723, a walled city was built here out of bamboo, because brick walls were forbidden for fear of a revolt against the Qing authorities. The name Zhuqiancheng (竹塹城) literally means bamboo moat city. The bamboo-walled city had four gates and its perimeter was about 1.4 KM long. In 1806, the city was upgraded with earthen walls. In 1748, the Chenghuang City God temple was completed, being built in the center of the city.

The temple was refurbished and restored in 1792, 1799, and 1924. 
In 1891, the Guangxu Emporer visited Taiwan and held a prayer meeting here. He left a plaque that still stands today which reads "Golden Gate Protection (金門保障)," which is meant that the temple would provide protection to the entire island of Taiwan. The temple also features six different halls. Parades and activities are held regularly at the temple. 
There is also a night market that surrounds the temple known as the Chenghuang Temple Night Market (新竹市城隍廟夜市).

Hours:
24/7, but I recommend visiting at night when the night market is open. 

Price:
Free

How to get there:
The temple is within walking distance of Hsinchu TRA station.

Map:
Please see below: