Yilan International Children's Folklore and Folkgame Festival (宜蘭國際童玩藝術節) is one of the largest children's festivals in Taiwan, occurring every year during summer break along the Dongshan River in Yilan. It features a large outdoor waterpark as well as musical performances, exhibitions, games, and cultural events. It has become a yearly tradition for many families in northern Taiwan.
Background: The festival first began in 1996 and has continued every year, except for 2008-2009 due to lack of funds, in 2003 because of SARS, and in 2020 due to COVID. The completion of the Hsueshan Tunnel in 2006 made it much easier for large amounts of people to travel quickly from Taipei to Yilan. The large event attracts many visitors from Taipei. During summer weekdays and weekends the venue can be expected to be totally packed with visitors. Hours: 10 AM to 8 PM (pool area closes at 6 PM), starting from the begining of July to mid-August every summer. Price: 350 NT on weekends and 250 NT on weekdays 50 NT parking fee for cars 20 NT parking fee for scooters Website: https://www.yicfff.tw/index.php?lang=5tKpKqHPsMZQ82iPyZj4TQ How to get there: By car/scooter: From National Highway 5 in Yilan, take provincial highway 7 east to Dongshan River Water Park. By bus: From Luodong TRA station, take bus GR21 to Dongshan River Water Park. Map: Please see below:
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This glass building in Budai is the highest high-heeled structure in the world. It is not actually a real church, it is a classic tourist trap that is slowly fading in popularity. There is not much here except this and some seafood restaurants, but it was still fun to visit.
Background: Budai is a fishing port village in Chiayi county and has the only ferry to Penghu from the main island of Taiwan. Construction of the high-heel church was completed in 2016. It is composed of 300 pieces of blue glass and is 17.76 meters tall, 12 meters wide, and 25 meters long. Many people were afraid that the building would be abandoned by tourists after completion because it is lacking in historical or cultural significance. It is said the chapel was built to honor the women that suffered a breakout of blackfoot disease which broke out in the area decades ago, which prevented them from wearing high heels and having a happy wedding. After construction, it received the Guinness World Record for the highest high-heeled shaped structure in the world. Even though the high-heeled building is used as a wedding venue, it is not a real church and is not related to any religion. Hours: 24/7 Price: Free How to get there: By car/scooter: Take provincial highway 17 or Expressway 61 to Budai along the coast in Chiayi, then head west to the coast. The high heeled church is near the ocean in Budai and is hard to miss. By bus: You can take bus 7209H from Chiayi HSR station, which takes about an hour and a half to reach Budai. Map: Please see below: 
Every time I see a stock photo of Taipei shot from Elephant mountain, a little part of me dies inside because Taipei has so many other beautiful viewpoints and vistas. If you are looking for stock photos of Taipei, consider going to one of the following locations to take a less cliché photo.
The following blog is a list of places I have been with the best views of Taipei. When I say Taipei, it means the Taipei 101 is somewhere in the photo, so you could say these are the best views of the Taipei 101 or something like that. There are literally infinite views of Taipei for you to discover, this is only a list of some. I am also sure that I will add to this list in the future. Map: Please see a map of most of the places in this blog below: 
Hualien's Nanbin Park is one of the most accessible beach location in Hualien. It also features a night market and a large grassy park and bike path to enjoy the oceanside views. It is definitely worth a stop on your next trip to Hualien.
Background: In the 1800s, Nanbin Park was the first area that Han Settlers landed their boats, and began to farm the local land. Later, the harbor was moved further south where it was less windy. Nanbin Park covers about 1 KM of coastline near Hualien City. It includes a bike path, camp ground, palm trees, a playground, sand pit. At night there is also a small night market here in the parking lot. Hours: 24/7 Price: Free How to get there: By car/scooter: From central Hualien, take highway 193 south along the coast until you get to Nanbin Park. By bus: Sadly there are no bus stops near Nanbin park. The closest bus stop is at Dongdamen Night Market. Map: Please see below: 
Chiang Wei-shui Memorial Square in Xinyi District of Taipei commemorates a pioneering Taiwanese physician and notable activist against the Japanese rule in Taiwan. The park also has some of the best views of Taipei anywhere in the city.
Background: Chiang Wei-sui was born in 1890 in Yilan during the Qing Dynasty. He later studied medicine at Taiwan Medical College, and started a Ta'An hospital in Taipei. He would later go on to found the Taiwan Cultural Association and Taiwan People's Party, and protest against Japanese colonial rule. He was imprisoned over 12 times. In 1931 he died of typhoid and the Taiwan People's Party was disillusioned by the Japanese government. He was later known as the Sun Yet-sen of Taiwan, and is respected by all political spectrums. In 2006, National Freeway 5 was named after him. When he died in 1931, Chiang Wei-shui was buried in Neihu, and later in 1952 his bones were moved to a gravesite at the current location of this memorial square, probably to be closer to Taipei Medical University. However in 2012 his bones were moved back to Yilan, his place of birth. Despite this, the park was renovated in 2019 and still commemorates this fighter for democracy and freedom. How to get there: By Car/Scooter: From central Taipei, take Keelung Road south until you get to Liuzhangli MRT station, then turn right. Take a small alley up the mountain on Chongde Road. There should be free parking on the side of the road. By MRT: The park is within 5 minutes walking distance from either Liuzhangli MRT station or Linguang Station on the brown line MRT. Map: Please see below: 
Neihu Sports Park is one of the best parks in Taipei. Besides a rock climbing wall, skate park, track, water splashing area, baseball fields, a large playground area, and plenty of grass, there is also a viewing platform directly in front of the Songshan Airport that lets you see airplanes land and take off from a close distance.
Background: Neihu Sports Park was completed in 2002, and was built above the Neihu Wastewater Treatment Plant. It features a rock climbing wall, skate park, rubber track, water park, baseball fields, a large playground area, sand pit, and plenty of grass. There is also a viewing platform directly in front of the Songshan Airport that lets you see airplanes land and take off from a close distance, which connects to the Keelung Riverside Park. Price: Free Hours: 24/7 How to get there: By Bus: From central Taipei, take bus GR16 to the park. By Car/Scooter: From central Taipei, go on Minquan Road east until you pass the bridge into Neihu. Then turn left on Jiuzong Raod. There is limited scooter parking at the entrance. There is also paid car parking on the opposite side of the park. Map: Please see below: 
Fudekeng Environmental Restoration Park is one of the best parks in Taipei City. The park is built on top of a used landfill, and many parts of the park are made out of recycled materials. There are also solar panels in this park. The best parts about this park though is the large green spaces, lack of people, and amazing views of Shenkeng and Wenshan Districts. Other popular activities here are sledding down grass hills, flying remote control airplanes and drones, kite flying, and dog walking.
Background: The landfill at Fudekeng was created in 1980 to relieve capacity at Neihu's garbage mountain (also now a park). It was filled in and discontinued use in 1994, and was replaced by the Shanzhuku landfill which is still in use. In 2004, it officially was transformed into Fudekeng Environmental Restoration Park. In 2017, many solar panels were installed at the park. Hours: 24/7 Price: Free How to get there: By car/scooter: From central Taipei, take highway 106 to Shenkeng and head up Muzha Road Section 5 Lane 43 up the mountain to the eco park. There is plenty of parking inside the park. It never gets full. By bus: From Taipei Zoo MRT Station, take bus S12 Extend Zoo to Fudekeng Environmental Protection Repopulation Park bus stop. Map: Please see below: |
Author 作家We are US Expats that have extensive experience living, working, and travelling in Taiwan. In our day, we had to learn many things about Taiwan the hard way. But we have come to learn that Taiwan is one of the best places in the world for Foreigners to live. Our blog does not represent the opinions of every foreigner in Taiwan. We are just trying to help others learn more about this beautiful country. Archives 檔案
January 2023
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