The heart of ancient Formosa beats on in Wanhua, Taipei 's old town. The surrounding wall has been knocked down, allowing visitors to enjoy the weather-worn façades, the vestiges of Japanese rule, the grand temples, including Longshan Temple , and ..

The tall pyramid of the imposing memorial hall, erected in memory of President Chiang Kai-shek, marks the geographical and cultural centre of Taipei . There are two magnificent national theatre buildings on the esplanade leading to the hall and the ..

Five thousand years of Chinese art await you at the National Palace Museum. The 620 000-piece collection is mostly displayed in rotation. The jade, bronzes, paintings and porcelain you will find here were formerly hidden in Beijing's Forbidden City a..

Standing amid a maze of modern buildings, the Xiahai City God Temple exudes an aura of authenticity. This small century-old Taoist shrine teems with both crowds of believers and statues of the City God. Spectacular festival on the thirteenth day of t..

The magnificent Longshan Temple, the oldest temple in Taipei (1738), literally resonates with religious significance. People come to worship the Buddhist goddess Guanayin and a host of other deities borrowed from various traditions. The gold and sc..

Bao'an Temple, built in 1804 in the face of a series of setbacks, is dedicated to a god of medicine. Its annual cultural festival (starting on the fourteenth day of the third lunar month) boasts a programme which includes operas, parades and free con..

See for yourself how a great Taiwanese dynasty lived in the Lin family residence, dating from 1851. Take a stroll through the charming garden , which is protected by a half-moon-shaped pond as dictated by feng shui principles, and dotted with bridge..

Between February and March, Yangmingshan National Park sees an influx of visitors as people come to admire the onset of spring in the blossoming azaleas and cherry trees. A shuttle bus runs between the main sites of this volcanic paradise: fumaroles,..

Overlooking Taipei , the Muzha tea plantations are an absolute delight, both for the eyes, with their undulating rows running across the hills, and for the taste buds. Be sure to sample the Tieguanyin and Baozhong teas in one of the many teahouses. ..

The Taroko Gorge affords stunning views all the way along Highway 8 : vertiginous canyons, pagodas clinging to verdant rock faces, marble grottoes from which turbulent waters spring. Taroko National Park is the worthy setting of the island's most ..

Located within a mountain cirque, Xiangde Temple, which cannot be accessed by car, emerges before you like an enchanting vision. Once you have admired the gilded bodhisattva, climb the nine storeys of its pagoda for a sensational view of the terraces..

The Tunnel of Nine Turns is the highlight of a trip to Taroko National Park. Zigzagging through the rock over a distance of 1.9km, this succession of tunnels which you make your way through on foot offers splendid viewpoints over the gorge, the tumul..

The restrained splendour of Longshan Temple, a Qing Dynasty masterpiece, eclipses most other Taiwanese shrines. There is something to admire in every last detail of this perfectly designed building. Dedicated to the goddess Guanyin, its four courtyar..

Founded in 2000, Chung Tai Chang Monastery is something of a town within the town and its size as well as its excessive but refined luxury come as a surprise. The Hall of 10 000 Buddhas houses a seven-storey pagoda, and the four-storey-high Buddha se..

The Alishan Forest Railway zigzags intrepidly across the slopes of Mount Ali, over heights ranging from 30 to 2 274m. It covers a distance of 71km in the space of 3hr 30min, intrepidly taking on chasms, bridges and bends, and traversing the famous se..

Watching the sun rise from Mount Zhushan is the highlight of any trip to Taiwan. Leave before dawn to get to the observation platform in time. A 30min train ride later you are in the midst of spectacular views, weather permitting, as the sun lights u..

Chihkan Towers is representative of a long period of Taiwanese history. The building, which exhibits a classical Chinese style, was constructed in 1653 on the site of Fort Provintia, in the heart of historic Tainan. Vestiges of this Dutch stronghold ..

The beautiful Nankushen Temple is the oldest and largest shrine dedicated to the Chinese god Wangye and the site of lavish rituals which, though sometimes gory, are always spectacular. These ceremonies culminate during the fourth lunar month, which i..

A 66-m high ochre wall exhibiting the characteristic "horseback" form, (intended to evoke a mounted horseman), encloses the vast compound of the god of war, Guan Gong. The remarkable Sacrificial Rites Martial Temple is also where Taiwanese ..

The goddess Mazu was worthy of a royal setting. A Ming prince therefore pledged his palace to her, making it the oldest temple dedicated to the goddess of the sea and sky. The superb Grand Mazu Temple (1664), remains one of the main places of worship..