[RD] Discovering Taiwan

Xinyi Commercial District

Redevelopment of this part of Taipei into what it resembles today began in 1976, when the city government decided to create a new secondary commercial centre about 10km east of the old city centre. These days the Xinyi Commercial District contains the Taipei City Hall, The Taipei Convention Centre, other key landmarks like the Taipei 101, and what is said to be the world's highest density of department stores. There are also parks and other amenities you'd associate with a pedestrian friendly commercial district. Public transit access is facilitated via 2 MRT lines, one in the north and one in the south.

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I have colour coded some elements on the map to help you follow along.

I arrived at the subway stop near the blue marker, which is Taipei 101. The red restaurant marker just to the right of that is Din Tai Fung, where I ate the dumpling lunch. Taipei 101 Shopping Center is just north of that and Jimmy's Moon Bus is the green marker.

After Jimmy's Moon Bus I decided to return to Taipei 101 Shopping Center so that I could take the elevated walkway over to the adjacent Breeze Nan Shan department store. That's supposed to be one of the more popular malls in the area, although most stores seemed to sell luxury goods I did not really care about. The elevated walkways and pedestrian walkways connecting the department stores were cool though. I also found some promising restaurants and food courts, then booked something at the purple marker (more on that later). Further exploration of the pedestrian walkways and department stores ensued, and I eventually ended up at the brown marker almost right in the middle of the map - Taipei Civic Plaza (more like a park).

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Somehow I have absolutely zero pictures of the City Hall even though Taipei Civic Plaza is right beside it. Instead, here's a picture I took a bit later of one of the pedestrian plazas that connects this sea of department stores. I think you can even see one of the elevated walkways in the background. It was a very welcoming space that I enjoyed walking through, even if I don't really enjoy shopping.

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Fly High Over Taiwan
at i-Ride Taipei

This seemed like an appropriate activity for my very first full day in the country. If I have to be absolutely honest it wasn't crazy exciting, but it was cool to fly around the island I was about to explore and see some of the landmarks from above.

 
Great progression!
 
Super Typhoon Leon

About a week before my flight to Taiwan I noticed that the forecast for Taipei had changed rather dramatically. Up until then the forecast called for a lot of sun for almost the full month of November, but now the prediction was clouds and rain almost every single day. It did not take long for me to figure out why.. There was an unexpected super typhoon heading towards Taiwan.

Known internationally as Typhoon Kong-Rey and in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Leon, it made landfall in south-eastern Taiwan about 4 days before my flight was due to depart.

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One of the reasons I was going to Taiwan in November was because on paper this was one of the best months to visit the country. Weather is supposed to be great and typhoon season is supposed to be well over.

This was the first typhoon in Taiwan's recorded history to make landfall in November, and the largest typhoon to hit the island in decades. A freak unexpected storm due to hit the island days before my flight was due to depart. At first I wasn't really sure exactly how it would impact my trip, but the timing of it all concerned me.

According to my research Taiwan was used to and ready for typhoons, including powerful ones like this one. It did not seem probable that my flight would be impacted, as historically only flights the day of seemed to get cancelled. Still, I assumed there would be assorted damage across the country and that my trip would be impacted in some way or other.

What made it weirder is that in the Philippines they gave the typhoon the same name as my late father (Leon). It took me a couple days to notice that, as most publications used the other name.. I followed news of the typhoon every single day though and eventually came across an article calling it Super Typhoon Leon. That hit me in ways I can't really describe very well. It seemed like a weird coincidence... but it somehow made me feel better about the whole thing. Suddenly me flying to Taiwan started feeling a lot more real and grounded and not just like a vague idea in my head or on a map. And there was a new emotional component to it, even before I arrived.

Nevertheless these thoughts continued to float around in my head. What are the odds that this unexpected storm would show up just days before my trip? How lucky was I that it did not actually make landfall a bit closer to when my flight was due to land? What were the odds that it would be named after my dad?

I followed the news of the typhoon's landfall intently. It caused 3 deaths, 600+ injuries, 10m waves, floods, and $150 million USD in damage. A day after landfall life in Taiwan seemed to return more or less to normal though.. 48 hours after landfall it was clear that impact to me personally was going to be minimal. It forced me to cut short my plans for my initial stay in Taipei though. Initially I wanted to book a central Taipei hotel for 7-10 days, but the weather forecast wasn't looking very good! Clouds and rain every single day? Yet only 100-200km to the south, the forecast was looking a bit less gloomy. I decided to book the initial hotel for 4 days and then decide if I was going to stay longer or if I should head south instead. Maybe the forecast would change?

You can perhaps see from the first few pictures that it was grey and cloudy. Rain wasn't really a problem, but it was continually cloudy with occasional drizzle coming down. I could explore the city no problem, but going up to the top of Taipei 101 did not make much sense at the time. Some of the hikes I had planned also had to be postponed - hiking right after a super typhoon was probably not a good idea, due to the possibility of landslides. There was also the possibility of some trails having branches and other debris in the way.. and I would have much rather seen the views from the lookout points on a clear day instead.

This is basically why I did not go to the top of Taipei 101 right away. I figured I would return to the city later and hope for sunnier skies then. As for the typhoon being named after my dad, the occasional drizzle during my first couple days in Taipei made me think of him. It's like a part of him was there on the trip with me, which gave me comfort.
 
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Taipei 101 After Dark

I've seen pictures of this building many times before, but it just feels that much more iconic in person. After my i-Ride experience was over it was it was definitely time to find a couple good spots to see Taipei 101 lit up.

I ended up back in Taipei Civic Plaza (centre of map) and later in Zhongshan Park (top left of map)

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Bonus shot of the Farglory Financial Center building

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Tonkatsu & Torikatsu for Dinner

Some say that the best Japanese food outside of Japan can be found in Taiwan. Whether that's true or not, from what I saw there is certainly a large Japanese culinary influence on the island. From the plethora of Japanese restaurants to all the Japanese inspired dishes on other menus, it added yet another dimension to the food scene in Taiwan for me.

Some of this influence is no doubt a remnant of the 50 year long Japanese rule here (1895 - 1945), but let's not forget that the Japanese island of Yonaguni is about 100km from the Taiwanese coast. A flight from Taipei to Okinawa takes about an hour and a half or so. Some Japanese cultural influence here was likely inevitable.

I really enjoyed the tonkatsu I had in Japan, so when I came across this well reviewed nearby tonkatsu restaurant on google maps, I knew that this is where I was going to have my first dinner in the country. I took a seat and ordered the tonkatsu (pork cutlet) and torikatsu (fried chicken cutlet) set meal.

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I have to concede that this meal fell a bit short of some of the tonkatsu I had in Japan. At the same time it has to be said that it was really good nevertheless and probably better than most tonkatsu I've ever had outside of Japan.

Either way I was full and it was time to return to my hotel. A blue line MRT metro stop was a 2 minute walk from the restaurant, which would take me almost all the way there.
 
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That looks like a lot of food. What did it cost you?
 
That looks like a lot of food. What did it cost you?

This meal was priced at 368 NTD (New Taiwan Dollars), which works out to $11.12 USD based on today's exchange rate. The tax is already included in the price.

On top of this I was charged a 10% service charge, meaning that my final bill came to 405 NTD or $12.36 USD, after everything. Service charge fees at Taiwanese restaurants aren't very common from my experience, but the internet tells me it's becoming more common at medium and high end restaurants, and somewhat common at hotel restaurants.

Based on today's exchange rate 405 NTD works out to $17.73 CAD. My credit card statement shows a payment of $18.10 CAD, which would have included an extra fee for the currency conversion as well as being based on a two month old exchange rate.

Everything you see in the picture was included in the meal, including the drink and unlimited refills for the rice, miso soup, and vegetables.
 
Ximending Walking District

My hotel was situated just north of Ximending Walking District, the largest pedestrian zone on the island. It was the first such zone constructed in Taipei and attracts about 3 million visitors a month.

In the 1930s this part of Taipei was a popular theatre district, but in the 1970s the city began establishing a secondary commercial district in the east (where Taipei 101 stands today), which diverted business away from Ximending. In order to remedy this, in 1999 Ximending was set up as a pedestrian zone, which brought back visitors and business. Today the district is home to over 20 theatres and 6,000 vendors.

My walk from the Ximen MRT metro station back to my hotel took me right through the walking district. I figured I might as well explore a bit before calling it a night.


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Taiwanese Street Food

Street food is more than just late night eats in Taiwan, it is an important part of Taiwanese social life and cultural identity. There are over 700 night markets on the island; this is where families gather, tourists explore, and locals enjoy nostalgic flavours. Recipes passed down through generations highlight Taiwan's past and diverse heritage, while fusion dishes mixing eastern and western culinary elements and all sorts of other creative dishes can be found as well.

The origins of street food in Taiwan date back to the late 1600s, when Han Chinese immigrants brought their cooking traditions with them, notably from the Fujian and Guangdong parts of mainland China. Simple portable foods became popular while markets & roadside stalls flourished, as Chinese dishes were adapted to locally available ingredients. During the Japanese colonial period (1895 - 1945) Taiwanese food culture absorbed Japanese influences, including ingredients like miso, soy sauce, and seaweed, as well as Japanese cooking techniques. The island experienced significant population growth immediately following World War II due to the influx of mainland Chinese refugees. This introduced a greater variety of regional Chinese culinary influences to Taiwan, which further influenced Taiwanese cuisine and Taiwanese street food.

The post-war economic boom of the 1960s and 1970s created a growing demand for quick affordable food. Night Markets became central to community life, offering working class families a variety of affordable eats, as well as a place to gather and socialize. By the late 20th century Taiwan had become renowned for its night markets and its vibrant & innovative street food scene.

After an hour and a half downtime at the hotel I was tempted to head out to the Ximending Walking District again, before calling it a night. I had fried chicken on my mind. According to my research Taiwanese fried chicken was supposed to be really tasty, although it's a somewhat recent addition to Taiwanese cuisine. Most vendors fry the chicken in two separate pots of oil at different temperatures, in order to achieve the desired crunch and taste. Some vendors also grill the chicken before frying it. There are also a lot of different varieties in terms of the ingredients and spices used.

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Popcorn Chicken King had been on my radar even before my flight landed in Taiwan. It was one of several spots I had identified as potentially having the best fried chicken in Ximending. One thing I noticed right away was that there was absolutely zero English anywhere, including on the menu. I was still quite jetlagged at the time, but the google lens app allowed me to scan Mandarin text and see the English translation on the fly. This made it relatively easy to figure out what to order and how.

To order food here you had to grab a sheet of paper from a bin, which listed every single item on the menu, mark on it what you wanted to order, hand that piece of paper to the attendant, pay, receive a receipt with a number on it, then wait for your food to be handed to you. I figured this out by observing what others were doing as well as translating the various Mandarin signs all around me.

I brought the fried chicken back to the hotel room with me.

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The fried chicken was delicious! Full of flavour, crispy on the outside, and juicy on the inside. Best of all, it was not greasy at all. I fell asleep with fried chicken on my mind.
 
Day One Reflections
Wednesday, November 6, 2024

Total Distance Walked This Day - 9.3 km


There are a handful of pictures worth sharing from my first full day in Taiwan that either got missed or didn't really fit into any of the other posts.

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One of the things I learned is that Taiwan is the most progressive when it comes to of LGBTQ+ rights in Asia. It was the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage (in 2019), it hosts one of the largest pride parades on the continent, and it offers a variety of legal protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The island is considered the most LGBTQ+ inclusive society in Asia and is more progressive on the subject than many countries in the Americas or Europe.

Ximending, the district where I had booked my first hotel on this trip, happens to be a hub of LGBTQ+ nightlife and other activity. The biggest hint of that I saw was the above pictured rainbow crosswalk, which is right at the entrance to the Ximending Walking District, if you are walking there from the Ximen MRT metro station. Other than that you don't really notice much else that's different about Ximending other than the occasional rainbow/LGBTQ+ friendly sticker or poster. It is known as a part of Taipei and Taiwan where LGBTQ+ individuals can feel especially safe about expressing themselves and their gender identity, and you sort of sometimes see a bit more of that if you really look, but if I had not come across the rainbow crosswalk and done the related research, I wouldn't have really noticed. Taiwan is very safe and progressive & accepting overall, but it's just that this particular part of Taipei is known as a hub for LGBTQ+ related activity. No doubt it would all been a lot more obvious to me had I entered one of the LGBTQ+ themed bars, but I did not even know which ones those might be. For those not in the know Ximending might as well be one of many walking districts in the country.

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I passed through the above intersection a decent amount of times and remember wondering what East Dragon Hotel was like. I was staying an intersection out of frame, but these 2 buildings always caught my attention at night.

The green white and blue business you see is a FamilyMart convenience store, which is basically an alternative to the many 7-11s you see scattered around the country. They are everywhere! Personally I preferred the Family Mart stores, since they usually stocked orange Fanta, while 7-11 locations never did.

You might wonder what's so special about a convenience store.. These are more than just convenience stores! This is where people meet and socialize, there's ready to eat food items available of a somewhat higher quality than what you might expect to find at a North American 7-11. There's seats and tables - I'd be almost tempted to compare these to cafes if the other part didn't resemble a bit of a grocery store.. although there is more to them still - most offer parcel drop off and pickup services, ticketing & travel services, ATM and banking services, you can top up your Smart Card here (for public transit), you can pay your bills here... They are also all generally open 24/7. You can find a unique variety of Taiwanese and other Asian snacks and other items. These Family Mart & 7-11 stores have become very integrated into the daily life of locals - and can be very handy for tourists.

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Overall I was very happy with my first full day in Taiwan. I ended up seeing and doing a lot more than I thought I would.

Only after one day I was already feeling a safe & welcoming vibe from Taipei. From the positive interactions with restaurant & FamilyMart staff, to the pedestrian friendly spaces, to the orderly nature of things, to the body language of other pedestrians, and everything in between, I felt like this was a place I would enjoy exploring and living in for the next 4 weeks.
 
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Orange Fanta? :ack:

Those stores sound like a combination of 7-11 and pharmacies that have post offices, plus a coffee kiosk such as the one my library has (they serve a variety of foods and snacks; I especially like the soup there).
 
Orange Fanta? :ack:

I have a bit of a tradition to buy orange Fanta wherever I travel.. Here and there, not every day.. It started back in 2008 in Patagonia, back when it was still not very common for me to see an orange Fanta in stores in Canada. I used to drink a decent amount of orange Fanta in West Germany, before we moved to Canada. In Chile they were in stores everywhere, and I couldn't resist.. These days I have more or less cut out soda out of my diet, but when I travel I will occasionally buy an orange Fanta. It hits the spot in a nostalgic way. It's also interesting that different countries around the world will use different amounts of juice in the recipe.. You get a slightly different orange Fanta experience depending on where you go.

Those stores sound like a combination of 7-11 and pharmacies that have post offices, plus a coffee kiosk such as the one my library has (they serve a variety of foods and snacks; I especially like the soup there).

Yeah, Taiwanese convenience stores can be basically thought of as an always open mini supermarket, café, post office, pharmacy, print shop, bank branch, ticket office, and mini-restaurant in one. It is probably the most convenient version of a convenience store I have visited. They aren't really seen as lesser versions of grocery stores the way they are in the west. There isn't an expectation that they will carry products of a worse quality than grocery stores or that they will be more expensive. They aren't associated with gas stations either. They're these multi-faceted convenience and social hubs that are now a bit central to life in Taiwan.

With a convenience store for every 1,700 people or so Taiwan has the second highest concentration of convenience stores per capita in the world, only behind South Korea. I found a short video that goes into a bit more detail, explaining a bit more how important these are to daily life in Taiwan. (Some of the interviews are not translated & dubbed into English, but most of the content is)

Spoiler :
 
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Fanta pop kinda came and went in popularity back in the 1970s and '80s, at least in this region. I used to like it, along with cream soda and root beer. Nowadays my pop preferences lean toward Coke Zero and fruit flavors of either Coke or Pepsi (has to be the diet version). But for a better kind of pop, there's a single serving variety of cranberry cocktail that's carbonated. I've only ever found it at the Co-op.


Anyway, convenience stores. It sounds like the ones you found there are the most convenient of all. From what I saw in the video, it looks like they sell electronics as well, so add London Drugs to my list above.
 
Anyway, convenience stores. It sounds like the ones you found there are the most convenient of all. From what I saw in the video, it looks like they sell electronics as well, so add London Drugs to my list above.

For me the convenience was mainly the fact that I could grab food or a snack or water at any time at almost any place, even after most restaurants shut down. Waiting for a bus but hungry and no time to eat at a restaurant? There's a nearby convenience store at which I could grab some hot food and water. Need a snack late at night? Nearby convenience store. Walking to the train station? Stop in and buy some water and snacks for the trip. Late night toiletries emergency at hotel? Downstairs convenience store. There are just so many convenience stores everywhere that are open 24/7, you don't really have to think about it. If you need something you basically look around and head towards the closest convenience store. It also made topping up my SmartCard easy, which I was using for public transit. You walk up, tap your card, hand over the money, and your card is instantly topped up. I expected a complicated machine and things I'd have to translate, but the process was super easy.

For locals the convenience extends way beyond that. These stores are a part of most Taiwanese people's lives in a way you wouldn't expect. The most popular convenience store chains (7-11, FamilyMart, OK Mart, Hi-Life) have even started opening up convenience store locations operating out of trucks or containers, designed for more remote parts of the island that don't have a brick and mortar convenience store handy for people who live there.

Spoiler :
It might seem weird to focus on convenience stores so much, but they are now an important part of Taiwanese culture. Much more than Tim Horton's ever was a part of Canadian culture, for instance.
 
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A Super Quick History of Taiwan

This popped up on my radar recently and after watching it I have to admit that it is a great & quick run through the basics of Taiwanese history, even though it can be a bit silly at times. With maps! Definitely worth a watch if you would like to have a bit more context for the other posts in this thread and/or like maps and/or learning about history.


I am not affiliated with the person who made the video nor do I know anything about them, but this video covers the basics well. It's sort of a lot of the stuff I learned about Taiwan's history as I made my way around the island, plus more, compressed into a short video. Very helpful background if you are trying to understand the country and what sort of culture and people it has
 
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