Post:Hannal
On a direct flight of Eva Airways from Hanoi, we landed in the beautiful island of Taiwan on a survey trip organized by the Taiwan Tourism Bureau in Kuala Lumpur. According to the schedule, we will explore the capital city of Taipei, Sun Moon Lake and Kaohsiung City.
Modern Taipei
Known as a center of industry and high technology, Taipei not only attracts a large number of laborers from countries in the region but also "fascinates" tourists from all over the world. Although arriving here in the late afternoon and already tired, the group members could not hide their excitement to explore the city.
After checking in at the Howard Plaza Hotel in the city center, we visited Longshan Temple. Not far from the city center, the temple is a completely different world. As soon as we set foot here, we all felt a sense of peace permeating the space with images of old people playing chess, playing musical instruments or practicing Tai Chi. Longshan Temple, built in 1738, is one of the largest and oldest temples in Taiwan. Many of the original details and architectural designs of the temple are still intact. Surrounding the temple are traditional restaurants, antique shops, Buddhist book stores and Chinese herbal medicine stores.
Leaving the peaceful temple, it was also dusk, the city lights were on. In just a moment, the whole city was lit up and sparkling. Cool night breezes began to spread everywhere. People began to flock to the night markets in the city. Night markets reflect the colorful and fast-paced life in Taiwan. We also joined the crowd to Hwashi Night Market. This is a market that always attracts a lot of people, from students to the elderly, from middle-aged people to young people who have just finished work, come to the market to have dinner, chat with friends or colleagues. The market not only sells many different items at affordable prices but is also famous for many shops selling delicious and unique snacks.
Not far from the night market is Ximending, one of the busiest shopping areas in the city. With a variety of fun activities and diverse products, the shopping area attracts mainly young tourists. We took a tour around the market and picked up our first small souvenirs before returning to the hotel and sleeping soundly on the soft beds.
More information:
- Move: Eva Airways has direct flights from Hanoi to Taipei at reasonable prices.
-Hotel: Taipei has a wide range of hotels from budget to luxury. You can stay at Howard Plaza Hotel at 160 Ren Ai Road, Ward 3, Da'an District, 106 Taipei for from 2.5 million VND/night.
- Cuisine: Beef noodles are a favorite dish of Taipei people and are sold everywhere on the streets here. In addition, there are many delicious dishes such as stinky tofu, fried dumplings, Tian Bu La, sticky rice...
- Sightseeing: Ximending shopping area, Longshan Temple, Hwashi night market, National Palace Museum, Martyrs' Shrine, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, shopping malls and Taipei 101 tower…
Sun Moon Lake Scenic Area
Sun Moon Lake is one of the 13 most famous scenic spots in Taiwan. From La Lu Island in the middle of the lake, visitors will see the east side of the lake shaped like the sun, and the west side of the lake shaped like the moon, hence the name. The clear emerald green water of the lake amidst the wild mountains and forests creates a beautiful scene like a watercolor painting. The lake complex has many tourist attractions. We visited the Wen Wu Temple, Xuanzang Temple, Tze En Temple, Ita Thao Village and cruised on the lake.
The Wenwu Temple, located on the mountainside, was built in 1938 and later rebuilt in 1969 to worship Confucius, the God of War Guangong and the God of Creation. The Xuanzang Temple is dedicated to the monk Xuanzang, who was revered as a holy teacher during the Tang Dynasty. If you prefer a quiet atmosphere, the temples around the lake are the best places for you.
Tze En Temple is located on Sha Ba Lan Mountain near Sun Moon Lake and was built by Chiang Kai-Shek in memory of his mother in 1971. From here, you can see Lalu Island and Sun Moon Lake. Ita Thao Village is home to many Thao people and is the most populous village around Sun Moon Lake.
More information:
- Move: The fastest way to get from Taipei to Sun Moon Lake is to take the HSR train to Taichung HSR Station, about 50 - 60 minutes. From there, take a bus straight to Sun Moon Lake.
-Hotel: You can stay at Mei Jen House Hotel, No. 125, Chungshan Road, Sun Moon Lake, Nantou (http://www.mayzen.tw). Or: Laurel Villa (http://www.laurelvilla.com.tw).
- Cuisine: The President fish dishes are caught from the lake. Other fish and shrimp dishes include Chili fish, lake shrimp, steamed or grilled aruzay fish, steamed chicken with onions, stir-fried bamboo shoots, etc.
Dynamic Kaohsiung
We continued on to Kaohsiung, the second most populous city in Taiwan. Kaohsiung is a major manufacturing, oil refining and transportation center in Taiwan. Unlike Taipei, Kaohsiung's streets are wider and traffic is smoother. Under the guidance of our enthusiastic and funny tour guide, we explored the Spring and Autumn Pavilion, visited the British Consulate and shopped at Dream Mall, one of the largest shopping malls in Asia, with the largest area and the most stalls in Taiwan. This is also where world-famous fashion brands, luxury and trendy items are gathered.
After that, we admired the Love River that flows through the city - beautiful and romantic. The river has been developed into a park and decorated with tall iron chain columns. This is an ideal dating place for many couples. To end the day in Kaohsiung, we stopped by Liuhe Night Market, a bustling market in the city. As an important destination for tourists visiting Kaohsiung, this is one of the largest night markets in Taiwan. The market sells all kinds of Chinese food in general, and especially local Taiwanese food.
We returned to Taipei and continued to visit the sights here such as Taipei 101 Tower, National Palace Museum. We took advantage of the remaining time of the trip to buy some souvenirs before returning to Hanoi, ending the interesting and memorable journey of discovery in Taiwan.
More information:
- Move: From Sun Moon Lake, you can take a bus (Website:www.taiwantrip.com.tw/Besttour/Info/?id=8) to Taichung, then from Taichung take the train to Kaohsiung.
-Hotel: Grand Hi Lai, No. 266, Cheng-kung 1st Road, Kaohsiung, 801, Taiwan. Tel: 120-32-103 (toll-free in Vietnam). Or: Hotel Sunshine, No. 75, Jhonghua 4th Road, Lingya District, Kaohsiung, 802, Taiwan. Tel: 120-32-103 (toll-free in Vietnam).
- Cuisine: Grilled chicken skewers, sticky rice cakes with pig's blood, meat or peanut dumplings, oyster omelets, meat pie with leeks...
