The Rough Guide to Taiwan (Travel Guide eBook)

Simon Foster, Thomas Bird, Stephen Keeling And Martin Zatko

Description

Discover this fascinating destination with the most incisive and entertaining guidebook on the market. Whether you plan to sample oyster omelettes at Keelung Night Market, catch some waves at Kenting National Park or marvel at the National Palace Museum's fabulous art collection, The Rough Guide to Taiwan will show you the ideal places to sleep, eat, drink, shop and visit along the way.
- Independent, trusted reviews written with Rough Guides' trademark blend of humour, honesty and insight, to help you get the most out of your visit, with options to suit every budget.
- Full-colour maps throughout- navigate Taipei's elaborate grid network or Tainan's ancient streets without needing to get online.
-Stunning images - a rich collection of inspiring colour photography.
Things not to miss - Rough Guides' rundown of Taiwan's best sights and experiences.
- Itineraries - carefully planned routes to help you organize your trip. Detailed regional coverage- whether off the beaten track or in more mainstream tourist destinations, this travel guide has in-depth practical advice for every step of the way.
Areas covered include: Taipei; Tainan; Meinong; Kinmen; Lugang; Lanyu; Matsu Islands; East Rift Valley; Alishan National Scenic Area and East Coast National Scenic Area.
Attractions include: Taroko National Park; Kenting National Park; Chung Tai Chan Monastery; Sun Moon Lake; Yushan; National Palace Museum; night markets and hot springs.
- Basics - essential pre-departure practical information including getting there, local transport, accommodation, food and drink, health, the media, festivals, outdoor activities, culture and etiquette, and more.
Background information - a Contexts chapter devoted to history, Taiwan's indigenous peoples, religion, arts and culture, books, plus a handy language section and glossary. Make the Most of Your Time on Earth with The Rough Guide to Taiwan.

Sujets

• Taiwan

Informations

• Publié par: Apa Publications
• Date de parution: 01 juillet 2018
• Nombre de lectures: 18
• EAN13: 9781789194807
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 28 Mo

Extrait

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THE ROUGH GUIDE TO
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OINSIDE THIS BOOK START YOUR JOURNEY WITH ROUGH GUIDES
INTRODUCTION What to see, what not to miss, itineraries and more
BASICS Pre-departure tips and practical information
THE GUIDE Comprehensive, in-depth guide to Taiwan, with area highlights and
full-colour maps throughout
CONTEXTS History, religion, arts and culture, plus recommended books and a
useful language section
TRUSTED TRAVEL GUIDES Since 1982, our books have helped over 40 million We’ve fagged up our favourite places – a perfectly sited hotel, an atmospheric café, a special
travellers explore the world with accurate, honest and informed travel writing.restaurant – throughout the Guide with the symbol★
Taiwan chapters
CHINA N
6 EAST CHINA
SEA KinmenMatsu
6Islands Penghu
Islands0 50CHINA Chiayi
kilometres
1
POCKET ROUGH GUIDES “Things Not To Miss” section, essential itineraries and Tamsui Keelung
a unique pull-out map featuring every sight and listing in the guide. Hip, handy
Taoyuan TAIPEI
and perfect for short trips and weekend breaks.
YilanHsinchu
2
BeipuMiaoli
Suao
Fengyuan
TaichungChanghua
Hualien3 Puli
6 5
Penghu
Islands
Magong Chiayi Ruisui
PACIFIC
OCEAN4 DIGITAL Choose from our
easyTainan
to-use ebooks and great-value Meinong
N TaitungZuoying Snapshots to read on your tablet,
Pingdong Ludao 1 Taipei and aroundKaohsiung phone or e-reader.
2 North TaiwanDonggang
3 Central Taiwan
4 South Taiwan
ROUGHGUIDES.COM Buy all our Lanyu 5Hengchun The east coast0 50
Kenting latest ebooks and get inspired 6kilometres The Taiwan Strait Islands
with travel features, quizzes
and more.
Make the Most of Your Time on Earth at roughguides.com
This fourth edition published July 2018

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6THE ROUGH GUIDE TO
TAIWAN
This fourth edition updated by
Thomas Bird, Simon Foster, Stephen Keeling and
Martin ZatkoINTRODUCTION 3
Contents
INTRODUCTION 4
Where to go6 Things not to miss 12
When to go10Itineraries 20
Author picks11
BASICS22
Getting there23Festivals35
Visas and entry requirements 24 Sports and outdoor activities 38
Getting around 25 Culture and etiquette 41
Accommodation 28Shopping 43
Food and drink30 Travelling with children 43
The media34 Travel essentials44
THE GUIDE 52
1 Taipei and around 52 4 South Taiwan 230
2 North Taiwan 120 5 The east coast 286
3 Central Taiwan 172 6 The Taiwan Strait Islands 338
CONTEXTS 386
History387Books 417
Taiwan’s indigenous peoples 399Language419
Religion in Taiwan404Glossary428
Arts and culture412
SMALLPRINT&INDEX 430
OPPOSITE DRAGON TIGER PAVILION, KAOHSIUNG, LOTUS LAKE PREVIOUS PAGE SUNRISE, TAINAN4 INTRODUCTION
Introduction to
Taiwan
Taiwan remains largely undiscovered and seriously underrated by Western
travellers, but those that make it here are in for a real treat. Modern Taiwan –
an eclectic mix of Chinese, Western, Japanese and indigenous cultural
infuences – has given us everything from Ang Lee, Jay Chou and Mandopop
to Acer computers, Giant bikes, instant noodles, General Tsou’s chicken and
the global bubble tea phenomenon. Yet frst-time visitors should expect
some real surprises, beginning with mesmerizing scenery: though cities such
as Taipei, Taichung and Kaoshiung are enticing cultural hubs, Taiwan is above
all a land of mountains, tranquil forests, whitewater rapids and rustic
hot-spring resorts.
Packed onto this small island are the mighty central ranges, the wild, beautiful beaches
and gnarly surf breaks of the east coast, the giant cypress trees of Alishan and the
plunging waterfalls of Shifen and Wufengchi. You can sample tasty snacks at Taipei’s
night markets, go windsurfng in Penghu, laze on Kenting’s tropical beaches, soak in the
saltwater hot springs of Green Island, hike up Taroko Gorge and explore the lavish Taoist
temples of Tainan. Or you could plan a trip that takes in striking Chinese and aboriginal
celebrations, from the Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage and Tsou Mayasvi Festival to the
“beehive” freworks of Yanshui and “heavenly lanterns” of Pingxi.
One of the island’s most endearing qualities is the overwhelming friendliness of its
people – Taiwan is one of the most welcoming countries in the world and you are
bound to encounter numerous acts of generosity or kindness, whether it’s a taxi
driver rounding down a fare, a stranger helping with directions or a family providing a
bed for the night. Eating in Taiwan comes a close second, with everything from
Imperial-style Chinese banquets served in ornate restaurants to the oyster omelettes
and sumptuous beef noodles cooked up quickly at street stalls. Travelling around the
island is relatively straightforward, though the lack of English speakers can be a
ABOVE GOLDEN WISHING BELL NORTH
CROSSISLAND
HIGHWAY
SOUTH CROSS
ISLAND HIGHWAY
0 50
CHINA
kilometresEAST CHINA
KINMENMatsu SEA NATIONAL PARK
Islands Kinmen
N
CHINA
Penghu
Magong Islands Chiayi
YANGMINGSHAN
NATIONAL PARK
NORTH COAST & NORTHEAST
GUANYINSHAN COAST NATIONAL
NATIONAL SCENIC AREA SCENIC AREA
Tamsui Keelung
Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport
1
2 TAIPEI Fulong
3Taoyuan
9 DaxiShimen
3Zhubei Reservoir 5 TurtleYilanHsinchu Island
LION’S HEAD MOUNTAIN 7 7Neiwan
NATIONAL SCENIC AREA Beipu
QilanDabajianshanSHEIPA Miaoli Suao(3492m)NATIONAL
PARK Sanyi Xueshan Nanhushan
(3883m) (3740m)
2TAROKO
NATIONALLishan8Fongyuan PARKGuguan
8N Hehuanshan
(3417m) QilaishanChanghua Taichung (3560m)
14213 Puli
HualienNantou
SUN MOON LAKE
Sun Moon Lake NATIONAL
9SCENIC AREA
19 Shuili 11
21 EAST RIFT VALLEYDouliu
17 NATIONALPenghu Islands ALISHAN
SCENIC AREANATIONAL
Magong SCENIC AREA Yushan RuisuiChiayi (3952m) Tropic of Cancer
SOUTHWEST COAST YUSHAN EAST COASTWangan
NATIONAL PARK NATIONALNATIONAL
SCENIC AREA SCENIC AREA20
1
21Qimei 3
Haiduan 23 PACIFIC
8 ChenggongMAOLIN NATIONAL
SCENIC AREATainan OCEAN
Meinong3
11
Metres
10 Wutai
Zuoying3000 TaitungSandimen Ludao
PingdongKaohsiung (Green Island)2000
K
International1500 DonggangAirport
DAPENG BAY NATIONAL1000
SCENIC AREA 1
Little Liuqiu Island500
9
200
Lanyu100
(Orchid Island)HengchunKENTING0 500 NATIONAL Kenting
kilometres PARK
CENTRAL CROSS
ISLAND HIGHWAY

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Kinmen (150km) see inset6 INTRODUCTION
challenge at times, particularly as most timetables
FACT FILE tend to be displayed solely in Chinese – but the
Taiwan’s 23 million people willingness to help from almost everyone you •
enjoy the world’s nineteenth meet means it’s practically impossible to get stuck.
largest GDP (PPP) per capita in
the world, while only Brunei,
Hong Kong, Singapore and
Macau are higher in Asia. Where to go
Despite the “Taiwan Miracle”, •
Most visits to Taiwan begin in Taipei, the capital prices are generally lower than
in other developed nations. and largest city, home to the Taipei 101 skyscraper,
No country has more the National Palace Museum and some of the •
7-Eleven stores per person island’s best restaurants, bars and night markets.
than Taiwan – over fve
It promises a host of worthy day-trips too, thousand in total.
including the cable car to the teahouses of
Taiwan’s national sport is •
Maokong, the hot springs at Beitou and the baseball; it actually holds the
most Little League World Series volcanic peaks of Yangmingshan National Park.
titles (seventeen as of 2014).
Te storm-battered North Coast and Guanyinshan
At 222nd place, Taiwan has • National Scenic Area is a short ride away, as is the
one of the lowest birth rates
picturesque Pingxi Branch Line Railway. Also in the world (although Macau
and Singapore are even lower). nearby, the old mining towns of Jinguashi and
Jiufen are deservedly popular for their historic Yuan T. Lee is Taiwan’s only •
Nobel Prize winner – he won streets and teahouses, while the Northeast and
the prize for chemistry in 1986.
Yilan Coast National Scenic Area contains some of
“Chinese Taipei” has won a • the most rugged coastline on the island. Southwest
total of 24 Olympic medals
of Taipei, Hsinchu makes a fne base for trips to (including three golds).
Hakka country, the primary home of Taiwan’s The best-known Taiwanese •
celebrity internationally is small but infuential Hakka minority, while
Oscar-winning director Shei-Pa National Park provides an opportunity
Ang Lee, though Mandopop
to tackle some of Taiwan’s largest and most singers such as Jolin Tsai and
J