Taiwan is a small island, surrounded by the sea, with a high population. It’s shaped like a tobacco leaf that is narrow at both ends. Many airlines fly to Taiwan, helping make it the perfect travel destination. I lived in Taiwan for 16 years and now I want to introduce some of the fascinating sights in my beautiful home country island.
People might know Taiwan has a worldwide reputation for its electronics but it is seldom thought of as a major fruit grower. Yet thanks to its climate and geographical features, Taiwan is particularly well suited to growing fruit of a remarkable diversity, from tropical pineapples, mangoes and papayas, to temperate fruit such as pears and strawberries. More than 30 kinds of fruit are grown all year round in Taiwan. Moreover, hundreds of thousands of tons of Taiwanese fruit have been exported to every part of the world. Try to walk into a market in Taiwan, you can find various fruits that you might never see. Here is some advice, like the west, fruit in Taiwan is sold by weight or by the piece. Unlike the west, haggling over price is acceptable. The Taiwanese peel most fruits before eating, and may give you a funny look if you bite into an unpeeled apple after you buy it. It's recommended that you wash them first.
Taiwan also has one of the highest concentrations of hot springs and the greatest variety of thermal springs in the world, varying from hot springs to cold springs, seabed hot springs and mud springs. Hot springs are extremely popular in Taiwan because of the reputed benefits to the skin and to general health. People in Taiwan can bath in hot springs everywhere, such as in streams, valleys, public pools, or private rooms in the luxurious hotels. To experience the strange smell of hot springs is really relaxing.
Ever been to a place where it is much more bustling at night compared to day time? Well, Taiwan is the spot! It has been estimated that sometimes crowds at night are two times as much as crowds during day time. Night-markets can be found all over this island. They start around 6 p.m. and run until 2 the next morning. In the night-markets, goods on sale vary from fresh food to electronic goods, clothes, shoes and all items are cheaper than department stores. You will always find something good to eat in Taiwan. Typical Taiwanese snacks are found everywhere, but each night-market has its own traditions and characteristics. "Stinky Tofu" is the famous island snack. Some Taiwanese say that the more stinky the tofu is, the more delicious it is. Once stinky tofu ferments, it gives off an unforgettable aroma. The interesting thing is, however, not all Taiwanese can tolerate such a smell, and there are even Taiwanese who make legal complaints to the stinky tofu restaurants because they find the smell too unpleasant. However, Taiwan’s night- markets are the places that you can fully enjoy. The more often you go around there, the more you know how colorful Taiwan’s night life is.
Taipei 101 is a 101-floor landmark skyscraper located in Taipei City. Both the building’s interior and exterior incorporate the Chinese pagoda form and the shape of bamboo flowers. It has the world fastest elevator in the building and it was the tallest skyscraper in the world for 3 years, then Dubai Tower became the tallest building. Every night, there will be different colors of light appearing on the building. During festival times, people in Taipei can see the lights on the building showing the letters or pictures. Moreover, lots of companies hope to sponsor the fireworks show in New Year, therefore, the company can have their own slogan showing on the building to gain more fame. For this reason, the firework show seems to increase its budget each year and attracts more people to turn up for the count-down party. Last year, Taipei 101 had the top record for the highest usage of fireworks during New Year's countdown; also it attracted thousands of viewers on-site, hence becoming one of the most internationally well-known New Year's Eve events in Taiwan.The tourism properties as mentioned above, is the main objective that Taiwan is majorly setting into action at this time. The government is working hard on advancing tour conditions and environments for international tourists, and has already attracted many tourists from Korea, Japan, and several other countries. What is more, I feel that the greatest improvement is their attitude toward tourists from Mainland China. In the past, there have been difficulties for tourists from China to visit Taiwan due to political issues. As tourism demands increase, the government began loosening restrictions for Chinese tourists from entering Taiwan which is good news.
Summing up the brief introduction that I have made about Taiwan, I believe that you have gained a basic knowledge about our country, and are surely eager to learn more by coming to this delightful island?
References
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