The Taipei Zoo is not only the largest and most varied zoo in Taiwan, it is also one of the best zoos in Asia, and at the same time has an extremely affordable price of only 60 NT per adult. If you have time you should definitely stop by and visit this zoo, if not for anything else but to see Taiwan's ingenious animals like the Formosan Black Bear and Sika Deer which are hard to see in the wild. 

Background:
The Taipei City Zoo was originally established during the Japanese Era in 1914 near the Yuanshan Hotel. After the ROC took control of Taiwan, elephants, lions, and bears were added to the zoo in 1952. Because there was not enough land to expand the zoo, it was moved to Wenshan District in 1986. Two employees have been killed by animals, one from an elephant and one from a black bear both in the 1970s. There have been no fatalities at the zoo since. The Maokong Gondola was built next to the zoo in 2007, connecting Taipei Zoo with Maokong.
 
The current zoo includes a Taiwan indigenous animal exhibit, children's petting zoo, tropical rain forest exhibit, desert animal exhibit, Australian and African animal exhibits, tropical animal exhibit, petting zoo, insect exhibit, and bird exhibit. There is also indoor Panda exhibit, insect exhibit, amphibian and reptile exhibit, koala exhibit, and penguin exhibit. 

Hours:
9 AM to 5 PM, tickets are not sold after 4:00 PM. 
Sometimes in the summer twilight hours are extended to 9:00 PM, but it's not worth going as most all of the animal exhibits are closed after 5:00 PM. 

Price:
60 NT per person

How to get there:
By MRT: Take the brown line MRT to the Taipei Zoo station, then walk north a few hundred meters until you reach the zoo entrance. 
By Car/Scooter: Drive to the Taipei Zoo (via highway 3 or county road 106), and park somewhere on the street or in a parking lot, then walk to the zoo entrance.  

Map:
Please see below:

My wife's mother was born in Erlun Township, Yunlin County, Taiwan (二崙鄉, 雲林縣) in the 1960s. When she was a little girl, she  was raised in a Sanheyuan (三合院)  owned by her grandfather. Her father owned a spot of land next to the elementary school. When she was in elementary school her father built this house. Originally it was two stories. The house was built for about 100,000 NT at the time.

This abandoned and decaying house is nothing special; there are thousands of similar abandoned houses throughout Taiwan, especially in rural areas. However, it's story perhaps can shed some light on the individual struggles of the Taiwanese people as well as the changes going on in Taiwan society as a whole. 

Maokong is only one of a few Gondolas in Taiwan, but it is the most accessible. You can get there via the Taipei MRT. After embarking on the Gondola, you can view grand vistas of Southern Taipei, and then explore the mountainous streets of Maokong, which has tea shops, street food, restaurants, temples, hiking trails, and great views. 

Background:
The Maokong Gondola was completed in 2007 to improve transportation to Maokong, a tea growing area in Southern Wenshan District of Taipei City. Before, the district could only be reached by small mountain roads.
The Gondola was closed from 2008-2010 due to Typhoon damage.
Popular activities in the area include tea drinking, hiking, and picture taking.
There are four stations on the Gondola: Taipei Zoo Station, Taipei Zoo South Station, Zhinan Temple Station, and Maokong Station. A one way trip takes 12 minutes, and gondola cars which can fit up to eight people (five people in glass cars) come every few seconds.
 
Maokong gets its name from the eroded holes in the rocks around the area; the name literally means “Cat Hole.” The area has been one of the largest areas for tea production in Taipei since the Qing Dynasty. After the completion of the Gondola in 2007, tourists to the area have increased significantly. 

Hours:
9 AM to 9 PM

Price:
120 NT per person one way from Taipei Zoo Station to Maokong Station. 

How to get there:
By MRT: Take the brown line MRT to the Taipei Zoo station, then walk south a few hundred meters until you reach the gondola station on the east side of the main road. 
By Car/Scooter: Drive to the Taipei Zoo, and park somewhere on the street or in a parking lot, the walk to the Gondola Station. 
(You can also take the Gondola from the southern station inside the Zoo or from Zhinan Temple)

Map:
Please see below:

Being an American Expat abroad can be a scary prospect when it comes to taxes. Worldwide banks have implemented FACTA reporting which means that big brother knows how much money you have overseas for accounts you opened using your American passport. Also, the USA is one of the few countries that exercises a worldwide tax system. Not to mention, for tax year 2017 the individual mandate for health insurance is still in effect, so if you don’t declare to the government that you were out of the country, you’ll be slapped with a fine for not having health insurance.

But don’t let those things get you down! The overseas exemption is pretty high (102,000 USD as of 2017) and if you make more than that you should be investing some money into to a professional to do your taxes for you anyway. If you are making lower than that, filing your taxes is easy!
 
You may try to file taxes online using Turbo Tax or something similar, but once you declare you have an overseas bank account, you will run yourself into trouble. The tax software will only be able to process this if you pay an extra $50 or something for the “professional version.” Who wants to pay $50 on a tax form that you are declaring nothing on, right?
 
The simple and free solution is to send in your tax form via pencil and paper. The government has made this relatively simple for us foreigners abroad. And they give us an extra 3 months to file! Below is a rough guide on completing your taxes via pencil and paper from overseas.
 
Paper and Pencil Tax Filing Guide

Disclaimer: I am not a professional in US tax. Below is simple a guide that follows the tax instructions given by the IRS. If you have complex overseas tax issues, I would suggest you seek professional advice. If you file yourself, you need to read the IRS instructions carefully and make sure you do not misreport anything. I cannot take responsibility for any tax misfiling on your part..
 
With that in mind, I am going to assume that you are:

• Single or have a foreign spouse with no US children.
• You own an overseas bank account
• You make less than the equivalent of 102,100 USD a year
• You don’t have any US income to declare

I will walk you through the following 6 steps:

1. Fill Out Schedule B of Form 1040
2. Start filling out Form 1040
3. Fill out Form 2555 – EZ
4. Fill out Form 8965
5. Finish Form 1040
6. Correct Mistakes With Form 1040X

 
Step 1: Fill Out Schedule B of Form 1040

Yes, before you even start on Form 1040, you need to begin with Schedule B of Form 1040. This is because you have a foreign bank account; you must declare it as well as other foreign assets. Because of FACTA, the US has forced banks worldwide to share the account information of American citizens. Big brother knows, so you might as well declare. 
Click here for Schedule B instructions and here for the Schedule B itself. Be sure to print it out and read the instructions carefully.

Jingtong Old Street is the heart of the historic mining town of Jingtong, in Pingxi District of New Taipei City, which once had the largest mine in Taiwan.  It has a long street with delicious food and souvenirs, sky lanterns, and many historical buildings nearby. As the last stop on the Pingxi Railway, you should definitely get off the train and check it out. 

Background:
Jingtong Train Station was completed in 1929 as the last station on the Pingxi Railway Line.
The surrounding town and Jingtong Old Street were created soon after.  
The town relied on local coal mines for its economy, but by the 1980s coal mining in Pingxi District had all but stopped due to safety issues and low worldwide coal prices. 
There are a number of historical buildings in the area, including the Coal Life Museum, multiple coal mines, and the station itself, as well as numerous residences. 
Currently there is an average of about 1,000 visitors per day to the station (making it the second busiest station on the railway) and the area has become a popular tourist destination. 

Hours:
24/7
​
Price:
Free

How to get there:
By Train: Take the TRA to Ruifang Station, and then switch to the Pingxi Railway line. Get off at Jingtong Station, the last station on the line, and you're there!
By Car/Scooter: Take provincial highway 2 east toward Pinglin, then get off the main highway once you reach Shifen. Then turn right and go west on county road 106 until you reach the Jingtong Station. After that, you can park across the river or somewhere further away where parking is available.

Map:
Please see below:

Taiwan's National Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall (literally National Founding Father Memorial Hall) sits in northern Xinyi District of Taipei, and includes a large open square and gardens. The inside of the memorial hall commemorates the life of the founding father of the Republic of China, Sun Yat-sen, who is revered on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. In addition the memorial hall has a performance hall, free rotating art exhibitions, and changing of the guard every hour. It is definitely a sight worth seeing on your trip to Taipei. 

Background:
The memorial hall was completed in 1972 after 8 years of construction. 
Chiang Kai-shek's funeral in 1975 took place in the memorial hall. 
Originally the hall was only used to commemorate Sun Yat-sen, but recently it has become a cetner for the arts. The Golden Horse Awards festival is held annually here.
There is another Sun Yat-sen Memorial in Guangzhou and also one in Hong Kong.

Sun Yat-sen was born in 1856 in Guangdong, China, but also spent part of his childhood in Hawaii where he had family. He was an influencial leader in the Xinhai uprising the overtthrew the Qing Dynasty in 1911. After that, he was elected as the provisional president of China, and then stepped down for a short time in favor of the warlord Yuan Shikai who forced the last Qing emperor to abdicate. However Yuan Shikai then declared himself emperor. Sun then re-formed the Nationalist KMT party and military in Guangdong, and allied with the Chinese Commnist Party. With help from the Soviets, Sun's army made a push against Yuan in the First United Front. He then died suddenly from liver cancer in 1935 at the age of 58.
After Sun's death, the KMT generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek decleared himself president and led a war against the Japanese, then a civil war against the communists in which the KMT lost mainland China and retreated to Taiwan. 
Sun is considered to be one of the greatest leaders that China has ever known.

Hours:
9 AM to 6 PM.

Price:
Free

Art Exhibitions:
You can check the current art exhibitions on display here.

How to get there:
By MRT: Take the Blue line MRT to Dr. Sun Yat-sen memorial Hall Station and get off at exit 3 or 4.
By car/scooter: Drive east of Zhongxiao East Road in Taipei and turn right on Guangfu South Road. There is a parking lot to the northwest that offers free scooter parking and paid car parking, 

Map:
​Please see below:

Pingxi Old Street has the second largest old street in Pingxi district, and is full of delicious food, souvenirs, and opportunities to light off sky lanterns. From Pingxi station you can walk down to the historic streets in the small town, and take selfies with the train tracks and bridges that cross the two rivers passing through the town. It is definitely a must see stop along the Pingxi Railway.
​
Background:
Pingxi station was completed in 1929 to transport coal out of the area. Currently it has an average of 844 passengers per day.  
Pingxi is the third busiest stop on the Pingxi Railway after Shifen and Jingtong. 
Pingxi is also a popular spot for setting off Sky Lanterns. The practice of lighting off sky lanterns in Taiwan began in Shifen, when during the Qing Dynasty local villagers would flee into the mountains during raids from bandits. Once the bandits had left, the remaining villagers sent sky lanterns into the air to let the fleeing villagers know that it was safe to come down from the mountains.
The people of Pingxi send off sky lanterns as a symbol of peace, and celebrate every year during Lantern Festival (元宵節), a Chinese holiday.
Setting off sky lanterns as a tourist attraction began in the 1990's and you can find people lighting off lanterns every day from Pingxi.
You can also enjoy the mining hamlet feel of the town, which has characteristic sloping streets and bridges, that all have views of the passing trains.  

Hours:
24/7

Price:
Free

How to get there:
By Train: Take the TRA to Ruifang Station, and then switch to the Pingxi Railway line. Get off at Pingxi Station, and then walk west down the tracks and you have arrived!
By Car/Scooter: Take provincial highway 2 east toward Pinglin, then get off the main highway once you reach Shifen. Then turn right and go west on county road 106 until you reach the Pingxi Village. After that, you can park your scooter on the street, or if you have a car there is a parking lot nearby that charges 100 NT per stay.

Map:
Please see below:

Tonghua Street Night Market (aka Linjiang Street Night Market) is a large night market in Da'an District of Taipei City. It's not as touristy as other night markets in Taipei, and you can find almost anything to eat here, along with cheap clothes and accessories. If you want to experience an authentic night market experience while in Taipei, Tonghua is the place to go.

Background:
Before1964, the area known as Tonghua Night Market was just rice paddies. In 1965, a military dependents village was built on Tonghua Street. In 1979, Linjiang Street was created as an asphalt road, and has since become what we know today as Tonghua Street Night Market.
The name of the night market was officially changed to Linjiang Street Tourist Night Market (臨江街觀光夜市) in 2001.
The night market sits between Tonghua Street and Keelung Road. It is roughly 300 meters long and has over200 food stalls. 
Popular foods that the night market is known for include dry noodles, oyster omlettes, suasages, brazed meat, among others.
With competition from Raohe Street, Shihlin Night Market, Ximending, and Ningxia Night Market, not as many foreign tourists end up visiting Tonghua Street. 

Hours:
Roughly 6:00 PM to Midnight. 

How to get there:
By MRT: Take the red line to Xinyi Anhe Station, then get off at exit 3, then take a left down Toinghua Street for four blocks until you reach Linjiang Street, the entrance to the night market. 
By car/scooter: Go East on Xinyi Road and then turn right on Tonghua Street until you come to Linjiang Street. There is some scooter parking on Tonghua Street and in the alleys, but for a car you need to park in a nearby parking lot or garage. 

Map:
​Please see below:

Pingxi Crags are a set of hiking trails that traverse steep mountain peaks and rock cliffs in the mountains south of Pingxi Village. The sedimentary rocks here stick out of the forest at the tops of the mountains, making for great views but also dangerous climbs. 

Background:
The rock formations that form the Pingxi crags hike formed as sediment under the ocean millions of years ago and were then uplifted thanks to the collision of the Eurasian and Phillipine plates. The rocks are mainly sedimentary and are part of the same formation that forms the special rock formations on the northern coast around Keelung.
The area also has some coal deposits, and there is an abandoned mine on the trail. 
There are basically six main peaks along the Pingxi Crags trail: Xiaozishan (孝子山), Cimu Peak (慈母峰), Cien Peak (慈恩嶺), Putuoshan (普陀山), Choutoutshan (臭頭山) and the Zhongyangjian Peak (中央尖)  which is the highest peak in that chain of mountains. 
Xiaozishan is 140 (459 feet) above sea level.
Much of the climbing is medium to difficult, and includes rock scrambling and rope climbs up steep cliffs with carved steps and footholds, as well as ladder crossings and chain ladder climbs in some places.
The area is popular with hikers and can get busy on the weekends. 

Hours:
24/7

Permits Required:
None

Duration:
The trail is technically 1.6 KM to Zhongyanjian, but it could take you most of the day because the hike is steep and there is lots of rope climbing. The difficulty here is medium because you are not gaining tons of elevation but there are some really scary rope climbs, rock scrambling, and near vertical rock climbs in some places. 

When to go:
On a sunny dry day. The rocks can get slippery and a fall on some of the trails could kill you. 

When not to go:
Don't go when it is raining. You could slip right off a cliff to your death, plus it will be cloudy with no good views. Don't bring children under 12 years old. 

How to get there:
By Train: Take the TRA to Ruifang Station, and then switch to the Pingxi Railway line. Get off at Pingxi Station, and then walk south past the river toward the mountains. The trailhead starts right to the right of the public bathroom.
By Car/Scooter: Take provincial highway 2 east toward Pinglin, then get off the main highway once you reach Shifen. Then turn right and go west on county road 106 until you reach the Pingxi Old street and turn left up the mountain after you reach the Taiwan Power Company. There is a parking lot and trail head at the end of the road. 

Maps:
You can check out the full trail map here or here. 
For the location of the start of the trail, please see below:

The National Palace Museum (aka NPM) in Taiwan has one of the largest collections of Chinese artifacts in the world, and perhaps the finest collection of Chinese art in the world. The museum is open year round and offers tours in many different languages. It is a must see spot for any foreign tourist visiting Taiwan.

Background:
The National Palace Museum has over700,000 artifacts in two locations, one in Taipei (where most foreign visitors come, northern branch) and another in Chiayi (less visited southern branch). However only 3,000 artificats can be on display at a time, so the museum rotates artifact displays every two months. This way, you will likely be seeing something different every time you come.

​Originally the National Palace Museum was established in 1925 when the Republic of China ruled all of Mainland China, after the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty was expelled from the forbidden city. In 1931, Chiang Kai-shek ordered that the artifacts in the forbidden city be moved to Shanghai, and Later Nanking so that they would not fall into the hands of the Japanese until the Japanese surrendered in 1945. After the Chinese Civil War started that same year, Chiang Kai Shek ordered the artifacts be moved to Taiwan between 1948 and 1949, but not all the artifacts could be sent before the communists seized control of some of the remaining collection. Only 1/5 of the original collection from the forbidden city made it to Taiwan, but they were considered the best of the artifacts. 
For ten years the items sat in storage in Taichung until a small viewing hall was built in 1957. In 1965 the current site for the palace museum was established, and has been expanded over the years. The museum also plans further expansions in the future. 
The museum is a monument to Taiwan's (the Republic of China's) claim to be the true legitimate government of China, as it preserved and protected these artifacts from the communist destruction of heritage during the Cultural Revolution. China of course claims that the artifacts were stolen. However, the PRC's Forbidden City (also know as the National Palace Museum) and the National Palace Museum in Taiwan have exchanged artifacts since 2009. 

Hours:
8:30 AM to 4:30 PM every day (open till 9:00 PM on Friday and Saturday).

Price:
350 NT per person.

FAQ:
Click here for the National Palace Museum's official FAQ. 

How to get there:
By MRT/Bus: Take the MRT to Shilin Station on the red line and then take any number of busses 
By car/scooter: From central Taipei I recommend driving there via the Ziqiang tunnel in Neihu/Dazhi which goes through the mountain straight to the museum. There is free scooter parking to the right of the entrance and paid car parking across the street. 
​
Map:
Please see below:

Liberty Square (AKA Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall) is one of the most notable landmarks in Taipei, as well as symbol and gathering place of freedom and democracy. featuring a large public square, Chiang Kai-Shek memorial, opera houses, and gardens. It is officially a monument to the Generalissimo and President of the Republic of China, Chiang Kai-shek. It's iconic scenery and architecture are a must visit for anyone travelling in Taipei.

Background:
The building itself gets its inspiration from the Sun Yat-sen mausoleum in Nanking, China. It took four years to construct and was finished in 1980, five years after Chiang Kai-shek had died. 
The memorial hall has 89 steps which represent the age of Chiang when he died. Inside is his statue, along with a museum and exhibition dedicated to his life. 
The plaza became the main gathering place for many demonstrations in Taiwan, such as the Wild Liliy student movement that helped to fully democratize Taiwan by demanding full muilt-party elections, to which the then president Lee Teng-hui agreed. In 2007, then president Chen Shui-bian changed the named of the plaza to Liberty Square.
In 2017, plans were announced to transform the memorial hall to respect human rights and face history, referring to Chiang Kai-shek's leadership during martial law andthe white terror, in which thousands of innocent Taiwanese civilians were imprisoned and killed.
Chiang Kai-shek's statue in the memorial hall has also been vandalized recently by pro-independence students. 

Hours:
Every day 9AM to 6PM.

Price:
Free admission.
​
How to get there:
By MRT: Take either the green line or red line to Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall station.
By Car/scooter: Take either Aiguo Raod, Xinyi Road, or Renai Raod to western Taipei and you should see it. There is paid car parking underneath the opera houses but free scooter parking on the street. 

Map:
Please see below:

Wanggu Waterfall is a less known set of four waterfalls near Wanggu Station on the Pingxi Railway Line, located in Pingxi District of New Taipei. The short hike from Wanggu Station will take you to a series of waterfalls, with the second waterfall being the biggest. The trail is a pleasant hike and also a relaxing place to swim. 

To read a great blog about this place in Chinese, check Willy Chang's incredibly extensive blog of the area here, from which I have pulled some information. 
我不會把這篇翻成中文因爲“放羊的狼”已經寫了一篇更完整的中文部落格在這裡。

Background:
The Pingxi Railway was completed in 1921 during the Japanese Era of Taiwan mainly to transport coal in the area. Wanggu Station was completed in only 1972 as the coal industry was gradually declining. It is an unmanned station, where you are on your honor to buy a ticket and the station you get off at because there is no one working at the station (or use an Easy Card). Wanggu Station was originally named Qinghe Station "慶和車站" after the main coal mine right next to it, but was later named to Wanggu Station in 1989.  
There is a broken suspension bridge near the train station, nemed Qinghe Suspension Bridge (慶和吊橋) that used to ship coal from another mine across the Keelung River before it was brought to Wanggu Station. 
By the 1990's, Taiwan's coal mining industry was in decline, and it was hard to produce cheap local coal. 
As of 2017, there was an average of 18 people a day arriving or leaving from Wanggu Station. 

Hours:
24/7

Price:
Free

How to get there:
By Train: Take the TRA to Ruifang Station, and then switch to the Pingxi Railway line. Get off at Wanggu Station, and then walk west down the road up the bridge and over the train tracks, you will see the trail to the waterfall at the top of the bridge. 
By Car/Scooter: Take provincial highway 2 east toward Pinglin, then get off the main highway once you reach Shifen. Then turn right and go west on county raod 106 until you reach the Wanggu Station turnoff. After that, you have to drive on a narrow road between old buildings and the train tracks, then cross over the tracks to the hiking trail entrance. Parking is free and plentiful along the road. 

Map:
Please see below:

Keelung's Miaokou Night Market is a large night market in northern Taiwan, full of all kinds of delicious Taiwanese street food considered by some to be the best in Taiwan. The market consists mostly of food stalls in front of the Dianji Temple  in Keelung, streching on both sides down the street. It is said to be a must see night market and one of the busiest in Taiwan. 

Background:
The Miaokou Night Market started up after completion of the Dianji Temple (奠基宮) during the Qing Dynasty in 1873. At the time the temple was surrounded by rice fields, but by the Japanese Era the area around the temple began to be developed. 
Food stalls really started to spread out at the entrance of the temple at the end of the Japanese Era. Since then, the famed food at Miaokou has brought more and more tourists to the area seeking delicious snacks.
In recent years (since 2017), many stalls at the night market have become vacant due to high rents, and there have been notably less people visiting the night market. Some say that this is because of the advent of online shopping and food delivery apps. However another big factor is overpriced properties and stingy landlords. The night market is not going to close down anytime soon, but Taiwan is going through an economic transition period that is not only affecting the rental market but also consumer trends. Despite this, you will still be able to find delicious food on the street any night of the year. 

Hours:
Every day 12:00 noon to 12:00 midnight. 

Price:
Free admission.

How to get there:
By Train: Take the TRA to Keelung Station, then walk east on Zhongyi Road (忠一路) until you reach the night market. 
By Bus: Taking Keelung Bus (intercity bus) or K-Bus from Taipei Main Station or City Hall to Keelung. 
By Car: Take National Highway 1 north to the end of the highway until it becomes central Keelung, then turn right. There is plenty of parking to the south of the night market underground. 
By Scooter: Take provincial highway 5 to central Keelung. There is parking along the street but you might have to walk a ways to be able to park in a legal spot. 
​
Map:
Please see below:

Shifen Old Street is the largest and busiest old street on the Pingxi Railway line, famous for setting off lanterns into the sky, and for visiting the famous Shifen Waterfall nearby. Here one can enjoy delicious food, beautiful scenery, and learn about the mining history of the area. The sky lanterns have become a major environmental issue, but because of the allure to tourists the practice doesn't seem like it will end soon. 

Background:
The town of Shifen, which was originally named for the ten families that lived there in the Qing Dynasty, who needed ten portions of goods (Shi 十 = ten Fen 分/份 = portion).
Shifen Train station was completed in1918 and is the biggest train station on the Pingxi Railway line. During its heyday, it had the largest coal mining operation and largest population in Pingxi District of New Taipei. 
After the coal industry died down in the 1970s, tourism has taken its place as the major industry in the area.

The practice of lighting off sky lanterns in Taiwan began in Shifen, when during the Qing Dynasty local villagers would flee into the mountains during raids from bandits. Once the bandits had left, the remaining villagers sent sky lanterns into the air to let the fleeing villagers know that it was safe to come down from the mountains.
The people of Shifen send off sky lanterns as a symbol of peace, and celebrate every year during Lantern Festival (元宵節), a Chinese holiday.
Setting off sky lanterns as a tourist attraction began in the 1990's and you can find people lighting off lanterns every day from Shifen. 
Because of the hundreds of sky lanterns set off every day, this creates an environmental problem with lantern trash piling around the forests and mountains of Pingxi District. The local people and volunteers help to clean up, but because of the tourism allure associated with lighting off the sky lanterns, it seems that this practice is not going away anytime soon.
​
Hours:
Winter ( October to May): 9 AM -4:30 PM (last people admitted, park open till 5:00 PM)
Summer (June to September) 9 AM -5:30 PM (last people admitted, park open till 6:00 PM)

Price:
Free

When to go:
Lantern Festival! (February to March)
If you go during weekends or holidays, it can get really crowded on the Pingxi Railway, especially if you plan on taking the train. You may not be able to even fit on the train, so go on weekdays to avoid the crowds. 

How to get there:
By Train: Take the TRA to Ruifang Station, and then switch to the Pingxi Railway line. Get off at Shifen Station, and you have arrived at Shifen Old Street!
By Car/Scooter: Take provincial highway 2 east toward Pinglin, then get off the main highway once you reach Shifen. The Old Street is to the right of the main bridge across the valley. Parking is plentiful but you may have to walk a ways to get to the old street.

Map:
Please see below:

Shifen Waterfall is the widest waterfall in Taiwan, and perhaps the most picturesque in all of Taiwan. It is easily accessible by foot from Shifen Train Station, and includes restaurants, gardens, and suspension bridges along the way. It's spectacular cascading falls are definitely worth a stop for anyone in Taiwan. 

Background:
Shifen Waterfall is 20 meters high and 40 meters wide (66 x 130 ft.), and is the widest waterfall in Taiwan. It is located near the town of Shifen, which was originally named for the ten families that lived there in the Qing Dynasty, who needed ten portions of goods (Shi = ten Fen = portion).
The waterfall lies on the Keelung River which runs through Pingxi and Ruifang, creating a cluster of waterfalls. The rocks here easily erode, making for odd shapes in the riverbed. The waterfall is also known as Taiwan's "Niagra Falls."
Before 2010, some government officials illegally charged tickets to see the waterfall. However, since then the waterfall has been made into a park free of any entrance fee. 
You will also notice that there is a small 1 foot dam on top of the falls. This unnatural feature is according to Taiwan researcher Mike Fagan, "...not a dam, it's a broad-crested weir [that] allows the northern WRA office to calculate flow volume rates." Now you know. 

Hours:
Winter ( October to May): 9 AM -4:30 PM (last people admitted, park open till 5:00 PM)
Summer (June to September) 9 AM -5:30 PM (last people admitted, park open till 6:00 PM)

Price:
Free

How to get there:
By Train: Take the TRA to Ruifang Station, and then switch to the Pingxi Railway line. Get off at Shifen Station, then walk along the main road south until you reach the Shifen Waterfall trail. It will be hard to miss; there are signs along the way. 
By Car/Scooter: Take provincial highway 2 east toward Pinglin, then get off the main highway once you reach Shifen. The waterfall is to the left of the main bridge across the valley, and parking is plentiful. Scooter parking is free at the entrance.  
​​
Map:
Please see below

Jiufen is an old mountain village in Ruifang District of New Taipei City, and has perhaps the best old street in all of Taiwan, with authentic Taiwanese food, sloping steps, traditional Chinese architecture, and great views of Su Ao and Keelung Harbors. There are also multiple historical sights within the town. The entire village is built on a mountain slope, so that you can enjoy views of Taiwan's north coast from basically anywhere in the city. 

Background:
Jiufen gets its name from the original nine families who settled in the village during the Qing dynasty, who asked for nine portions of shipments every time they arrived (九Jiu=nine 份Fen=portion). The discovery of gold in the area created a gold rush in the town that lasted until the last Japense Era. When gold mining ended in 1971, the town began to decay. After A City of Sadness was filmed there, the town began to see a tourist boom. Also the town began to see many visitors especially from Japan after 2001 due to the resemblance of the town in Spirited Away, even though Miyazaki has said that Jiufen was not inspiration for the movie. 

Hours:
Around 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM

Price:
Free

How to get There:
By Train: Take TRA to Ruifang Station, then transfer to Keelung Bus which goes directly to Jiufen every few minutes (about a 15 minute ride from Ruifang).
By Bus: Buses directly to Jiufen leave from Taipei Main Station and Songshan Station regularly. 
​By Car/Scooter: Take provincial highway 2 to Ruifang and then travel on highway 102 all the way up to Jiufen. Parking is scarce and some of the most expensive in Taiwan. Expect at least 250 NT per day for a car and 50 NT per day for a scooter. 

Map:
Please see below:

Houtong is a small village connected to the Pingxi Railway in Ruifang District in New Taipei, famous for its many cats. Once a booming mining town with the most coal production in Taiwan, it has now been converted into a tourist destination for cat lovers. Visitors can enjoy the town's rich history as well as hundreds of cats and cat related shops around the village.

Background:
Houtong train station was completed in 1920 during the Japanese colonization of Taiwan, in order to ship coal from mines nearby. The area around the village was once the most prosperous mining town in Taiwan, bringing in hundreds of thousands of tons of coal in a year. At its height, it had 6,000 residents. 
As the coal mining industry died down and the mining industry was shut down due to safety in the 1990s, the future of Houtong Village was in question. 
However, by 2008 Houtong Started to reinvent itself as a cat paradise, with many cat loving citizens proposing to bring abandoned cats to the village for a better life. Since then, the town has been a hub for cat lovers and enthusiasts.
Due to many tourists visiting such a large population of cats, diseases have been known to spread around the village. Sometimes during an outbreak the village is closed to tourists. Volunteer groups often deliver vaccines and medications to the cats. However, it is best to not bring your own pets, wash your hands before and after touching animals, and do not touch the animals' face and mouth.

Hours:
24/7

Price:
Free

How to get there:
By Train: Take the TRA train to Ruifang Station, and then switch to the Pingxi Railway line. It will be the first stop.  
By Car/Scooter: Take national highway 2 to Ruifang, then turn left on Ruihou Raod until you reach the village. You can also drive from Jiufen or Jinguashi, which is less than a 10 minute ride. 

Map:
Please see below:

The Taipei 101 (aka Taipei World Financial Center) is the tallest building in Taiwan, standing at a height of 509 meters. It was the highest building in the world from 2004 to 2010, and is now the 10th highest building in the world as of 2019. It stands as an icon and symbol of Taiwan's economic prosperity, and may be the most recognizable building in Taiwan. It also features an observatory on the 89th floor with some of the best views of Taipei.

Taipei 101 Q + A:

What is the Taipei 101?
It was the highest building in the world from 2004-2010, with 101 floors above ground (hence the name 101) and 5 floors below ground. It was designed by C.Y. Lee & Partners, and also had the fastest elevator in the world until 2016. It is an icon of Taiwan’s technological advancement.

How was Taipei 101 built?
The Taipei 101 was built in a period of 5 years from 1999-2004. The Taipei 101 is reinforced by concrete piles driven 80 meters below the ground and 30 meters into bedrock. In addition, it made of high strength reinforced steel and flexible materials. It was designed by C.Y. Lee & Partners, and also had the fastest elevator in the world until 2016.

How much did the Taipei 101 cost?
NT$ 58 billion (US$1.934 billion)

How is Taipei 101 earthquake proof? How does the Taipei 101 withstand earthquakes?
The Taipei 101 is reinforced by concrete piles driven 80 meters below the ground and 30 meters into bedrock. In addition, it is made of high strength reinforced steel and flexible materials.
 
How does the Taipei 101 damper work?
The damper works by offsetting strong wind gusts, absorbing the forces and turning them into kinetic energy, moving the damper.

How much does the Taipei 101 sway?
The most that the Taipei 101 damper has ever swayed was during Typhoon Soudelor, swaying 100 centimeters (39 in). See below for a video!

Hours:
The Taipei 101 Observatory is open every day from 9 AM to 10 PM.

When to go:
In my opinion the best time to go is on a sunny morning just after it has rained so that there is no haze in the air. 

Price:
600 NT per person. Discount tickets can be found online. 

How to get there:
Take the MRT red line to the Taipei 101/World Trade Center station. See below for a map:

Shilin Night Market (aka Shihlin Night Market) is the largest night market in Taipei and also one of the most popular. Full of delicious street food, small hole in the wall restaurants, souvenirs, and clothes, it is a great destination to experience Taiwan's night market culture.

Background:
Shihlin Night market lies next to Jiantan MRT station, surrounded by Wenlin Road (文林路), Jihe Road (基河路), and small alleyways Xiaobei Street (小北街), and Xiaoxi Street (小西街), forming a giant triangle making it the biggest night market in Taipei City by area. 
Shihlin may have the most food stalls and restaurants of any night market in Taiwan, and is often regarded as the best or one of the favorite night markets in Taiwan by both locals and tourists alike.
The night market features multiple alleyways as well as an underground food court and underground parking garage. 
Located next to Mingchuan University, Soochow University, China Culture University, and Shih Chien University, it has a constant supply of hungry university students visiting every day.

Shilin Market was first established in 1909 near the Matzu Cicheng Temple, which now lies at the center of the night market. Before that is was a resting stop for cargo on the way to Dadaocheng. 
In 1998, Shilin Market was named as a historical monument. After that from 1999-2011, the market underwent multiple renovations, and relocated to a temporary structure near Jiantan MRT station, until renovations were completed in 2012.

Hours:
Around 4 PM until 12 Midnight, every day.

How to get there:
By MRT: Take the Red Line to Jiantan Station and then take exit 1 north out of the station. The night market is right across the road. 
By Scooter: Take Zhongshan North Road out of Taipei and wind around Yuanshan Hotel into Shilin. You can park on the right side of the road next to Jiantan Station. 
By Car: Take Zhongshan North Road out of Taipei and wind around Yuanshan Hotel into Shilin. There are many parking garages around the night market.

Map: Please see below:

Now that I have finished blogs about Maolin Village, Wanshan Village, Duona Suspension Bridge, and Duona Village (click the links to see each individual blog), I would like to finish this Maolin blog series by sharing a piece of writing I wrote for a class in college after just getting back from a trip to Taiwan in 2013, a time when I was especially missing Maolin. I hope this post does justice to the place I love most in Taiwan. 

Ode to Maolin 茂林之頌:

The walls of my room are closing in on me, closer, closer, crushing down. The window disappears. Then the door bursts open, a storm of nothing but boulders hit my skull one after another like baseballs at the batting cages. The room collapses onto my paper body. BANG! BANG! The ceiling crushes me into a paper ball, in the darkness. A board with nails terrorizes my head, I can't pull it out of my skull, and the nails sink in. Poison in my brain. Have to work to eat tons of homework on me so that one day decent job and buy things for me and pay for their college and my retirement swimming pool up with the jones’ car second house but crappy major. I feel my stone necklace that shines bright and silver in the darkness; it reminds me of a better place.

Rainbow Village is a brightly colored artistic dependents village located in Taichung, Taiwan. It was converted into a tourist destination by one of the former residents in order to save the village from destruction. The unique paintings cover almost the entire village, and has become a major spot for tourists and Instagrammers. 

Background:
The artist behind the work, Huang Yung-Fu (黃永阜), was a KMT soldier that retreated from mainland China with the ROC army. He and his family were relocated to a dependent's village in Taichung, where they stayed permanently. Eventually after over half a century the village became worn down and developers wanted to tear it down. In order to save his village, Mr. Huang painted the houses starting in about 2008, which caught the attention of local university students that campaigned to save the village. The village is now a popular tourist attracting, attracting more than a million visitors a year.
Check out this video recently made by the BBC for more information:

Who knows how much longer Mr. Huang will live, so if someone wants to make an English documentary they should do it soon.

How to get there:
Take highway 125 in Nantun, on the outskirts of the Taichung. The village is tucked into Zhongyang Road Lane 19.

Price: Free

Hours: 24/7

Map: Please see below:

Duona Village in Maolin (Aka Duona Tribe, Tona, or Kungadavane 多納部落) is one of the oldest inhabited tribal villages in Taiwan, home to people of the Rukai Tribe. The village features a street full of traditional foods and restaurants, intact aboriginal culture, traditional stone houses, as well as nearby rivers, waterfalls, and hiking trails for tourists to explore.

Background:
Duona is the most remote village in Maolin District of Kaohsiung City, and is said to harbor the most complete version of the Rukai Aborigine culture.
The Rukai People first began to move into the area now known as Duona about 300 years ago (1700s), making it one of the oldest aborigine villages in Taiwan.
Most of the people live in traditional stone houses made from nearby plentiful shale rock, which are characteristic of the Rukai Tribe. The stone houses are warm in the winter and stay cool during the summer. 
Near the village is a small plain which is said to be the home of Taiwan's indigenous species of black rice.
The village was almost completely cut off from the outside world until the Japanese built the Duona Suspension Bridge, which helped to link it to the rest of Taiwan as well as better control the native population. 
The village sits at about 450 meters above sea level and has around 600 inhabitants. There is one elementary school in the village (its only educational institution) and one police station.
The actual village boundaries extend to Pingtung County and Taitung County, and include largely untouched and "virgin" forests and mountain wilderness areas such as Shuang-guei Lake, providing precious wildlife habitat for many of Taiwan's indigenous animals and plants.

How to get there:
Take Maolin Forest Road (Kaohsiung City Road 132) past Wanshan Village and continue on to Duona Village, the last town on the road. There will be a left turn onto Duona Alley, the main road in the village. 

Hours:
24/7. However most of the restaurants on Duona Alley are only open from 8 AM to 5 PM. 

Map: Please see below:

Tainan Anping Fort (aka Fort Zeelandia) is an ancient fort in Tainan City that dates back to the Dutch rule of Taiwan. The fort sits right next to Anping Old street, making it a great place to understand Taiwan's culture and at the same time get some of the best snacking at the culinary capital of Taiwan. 

Background:
After the Dutch defeat in Penghu in 1624, they turned their sights instead to the island of Taiwan (Formosa) and began building on what were then sandbars in what is now Anping, Tainan (the inland sea that once existed here has long silted in).
Fort Zeelandia was completed in 1634 after 10 years of construction, built on the high ground of one of the sand bars, along with other forts in the area, such as Fort Zeeburg. It included a one story outer fort armed with cannons. There was also a three story inner fort for administration, including a church and jail. The bricks for the building were shipped in from Java.
The Dutch ruled most of Taiwan until 1661 when they were defeated by Ming Loyalists lead by Koxinga. Koxinga sieged fort Zeelandia, for nine months, killing 1,600 of the Dutch people there before they surrendered due to lack of water. The victory at Zeelandia proved to be the end of 38 years of Dutch rule in Taiwan, the survivors fleeing to Batavia. 
After Taiwan was taken over by the Qing Dynasty in the late 1600s, Tainan became the provincial capital of Taiwan. Fort Zeelandia fell into disrepair as the bay silted in. The bricks on the outer wall were harvested for the Eternal Golden Castle fort closer to the ocean. 
During the Japanese occupation, the fort was repaired and renamed Anping Fort. 
In 1975 the fort was further repaired and the tower improved to what currently stands.

Price:
Anping Fort: 50 NT per person
Anping Old Street: Free

Hours:
Anping Fort: Every day 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. 
Anping Old Street: Every day 7 AM to 6:30 PM.

How to get there:
By Car/Scooter: From central Tainan go west on Minsheng Road until it becomes Anping Road. After that keep going until you see the tower. 
By Bus: Take Tainan Bus 2 from Tainan Train Station to Anping Old Fort station. The ride takes about an hour. 

Map: Please see below:

Duona Suspension Bridge (aka Duonagao Suspension Bridge 多納高吊橋) is the highest pedestrian suspension bridge in Southeast Asia, featuring amazing views of the Zhuokou River and Maolin's mountainous landscape. The bridge is part of a trail that connects the top of a ridge-line, giving hikers 360 views of the river valley and surrounding landscape. 

Background:
The Duona Suspension bridge is the highest in Southeast Asia and the highest bridge in Taiwan. It is 232 meters long (761 feet) and 103 meters tall (338 feet). It was completed during the Japanese Colonial Era (early 1900's) and was the main connection between the Rukai tribe living at Duona Village to the rest of Taiwan. The bridge was renovated in 1997 and 2015. Car and scooter traffic have been officially banned after 2015, although local residents still ride over it.
Duona Great Bridge sits in the Eagle Valley (老鷹谷) next to Duona Suspension Bridge and allows two lanes of motor traffic. It was completed in 2012. Before it was built, another bridge that crossed the river there was destroyed during the floods of Typhoon Morakot (aka eight-eight flood or 八八水災). 
Typhoon Morakot brought record floods to Taiwan because it slowly moved over the island delivering torrential rain. Nearly 700 people were killed during the disaster (to see what Maolin looked like right after the flooding, check out this blog here). 
Basically all the bridges in Maolin were destroyed during Typhoon Morakot in 2009 except Duona Suspension bridge which is built so high that it would never be affected by floodwater.
Most all the bridges currently in Maolin were reconstructed after the 2009 floods.  

Price:
Free

Hours:
24/7

How to get there:
Take Maolin Forest Road (Kaohsiung City Road 132) to Wanshan Village, after which turn left toward Meiya Valley 美雅谷 at the top of the ridge, and continue right until you come to the suspension bridge. Technically you should park your car there and walk to the suspension bridge, but there are also spots to park closer to the bridge. 
​
Map: Please see below:

Maolin District of Kaohsiung City is my favorite place in Taiwan, and in Maolin I have spent the most time in Wanshan Village, thanks to a man named Ahbei.
Wanshan is a small village that lies on a mountain slope between Maolin Village and Duona Village. Near the village are waterfalls, streams, hot springs, and great views. Popular activities include swimming, hot spring bathing, river tracing, camping, and hiking. 

Background:
Wanshan has the smallest population of any village in Taiwan according to the government website here, with a population of just 450 people. 95% of the people are aborigines from the Rukai Tribe (魯凱族), and the rest are either from the Wulu Bunun Tribe (布農) or Han Chinese. 
Originally the people of Wanshan village lived at the base of Mali Mountain (麻里山), but were moved by the government in 1956 to their current location. 
Many of the inhabitants of Maolin were originally located elsewhere, but had to relocate their home or village due to typhoons or unsafe terrain. There are a few abandoned villages around Maolin that you can still hike to. 
One special thing about Wanshan Village is that the intercom speaker from the elementary school (the only school in the village) is within earshot of everyone that lives in the village, so communication from the village leadership is easily passed on (and everyone gets woken up by it in the morning). 

​Price: Free

Hours: 24/7

When to go:
I recommend going in the summer time when the waterfalls have plenty of water and warm temperatures make it a great time to go swimming. In winter it will be cold and the waterfalls can dry up. However in summer be careful of Typhoons. If there is a Typhoon, the inhabitants of Maolin will be evacuated, and you should not try to go in for your own safety.
On the other hand if you want to go just for hiking, winter would be a better time to go.
If you are coming to see butterflies, the butterfly migration is in the fall and ends roughly in November. 

How to get there:
By Car: Maolin can be reached via provincial highway 27 from Pingtung or Liugui. Once you come to Dajin Bridge, go straight up the mountain. 
By Bus: You can take a bus there but I don't recommend it. It's a 3 hour bus ride from Pingtung Bus Station. If you can rent a car or scooter it is about a 1.5 hour drive from downtown Kaohsiung. 

Map: Please see below: