Taiwan

Hot springs are very popular in Taiwan. Especially during the winter months, Taiwanese people visit the various hot springs and resorts. So this was something that was definitely on our list to do during our time in Taiwan. But how exactly does this work? Are there things we should and shouldn’t do? I must admit that I have never visited a Spa in the Netherlands. Only those in the holiday parks, but that is self-explanatory. Visiting the Hot Springs in Taiwan was exciting, and the fact that we already know more about Taiwan culture has helped enormously. I’m glad I can share our experiences with you so that your visit doesn’t have to be a little less exciting.   Hot Springs in Taiwan Taiwan is located on the fault line where the Euro-Asian and Philippine continental plates meet. It lies between an oceanic trench and a volcanic system. This creates a unique environment that produces high-temperature hot springs. Around these slightly acidic waters are spas and resorts that are must-visit sites. Taiwan has more than 100 major hot springs and many smaller ones. This is one of the highest concentrations and greatest variety of hot springs in the world.  Some types of hot springs are: Hot springs Cold springs Mud springs Seabed Hot springs Things to know before your visit! Visiting with kids | If you are traveling with children like us, you should remember that not all hot springs allow children. So always inform in advance. Signs | I know that there are Hot springs that have signs to help you guide through the different steps. Differences in Bathhouses Public or Private | Public bathhouses offer communal bathing where you will share the different baths with other people, while the Private hot springs are just for you. Some bathhouses will offer private rooms, but you can also find some hotels where you can book an entire room with a hot spring included. Mixed areas or Men and Women separately | Most bathhouses have mixed areas and areas for men and women separately. The mixed area is where all genders bathe together and where you wear a bathing suit. The entirely separate areas allow for nude bathing. These areas are usually clearly indicated by gender-marked signs and have lockers and shower facilities. What to do and not to do The process of what to do will be much the same in all hot springs in Taiwan. The most important thing is to enter the hot springs completely clean so that the spring water remains as clean as possible. So avoid applying any product to your skin or hair before visiting the hot spring. These products can leave a residue in the water. Change your cloth for a swimming suit and put everything in a locker except your water bottle and towel. Shower and clean yourself thoroughly before entering the hot spring area. In the hot spring, we went, we could wear slippers between the different pools but check how this works in the hot spring you visit. Most of the time, it’s polite to wear them at outdoor public hot springs. Clean your feet before you climb into the pool. There is a bucket by the water edge that you can use to rinse your feet and underlegs. Never sit on the edge of the pool with your feet too close to someone’s face. They don’t appreciate that in Asia. In most hot springs, you have to wear a swimming cap. If this is not the case and you have long hair make sure the hair is tied up neatly and kept off your face and neck. If you use the spaces for sitting and relaxing, try to use your towel for sitting on or rinsing the surface when you get up. Usually, the bathes in a hot spring are from different temperatures. Start with the lower temperatures and slowly get into the water to get used to the temperature. Don’t spend too long in hot water. The hot spring experience consists of short baths in hot pools alternating with cold pools or showers and long recovery periods outside the water. Drink plenty of water. Quiet conversation is perfectly acceptable in the hot springs but tell your kids that it is not allowed to be rowdy and to run around.  If you travel with younger kids and want to visit a hot spring, it’s maybe a good idea to search for Hotels with outdoor family areas. There are plenty to choose from at Booking.com. Also, the one I describe below is a family-friendly hotel with an outdoor swimming pool.    Mud Spring We visited the Mud springs in the south part of Taiwan and will share our experiences with you. Guanziling Hot Spring is situated in the mountains at the border of Chiayi and Tainan in Baihe District. The Guanziling Hot Springs are located in mudrock formations created by an earthquake. This hot spring water is dark grey, and it’s also called ‘mud hot spring’ or ‘black hot spring,’ but they contain tiny pieces of rock, not mud. It is said that the sulfuric properties have healing qualities for several skin irregularities, nervous and joint problems, or discomforts. Our experience is that it leaves the skin feeling soft and smooth.  The village of Guanziling is divided into a lower (the older part) and an upper section. In this lower part at the Baoquan Bridge, you can see one of the two mud spring sources for the Guanziling Hot Springs. Natural gas from underground bubbles up through a pool of water and ignites spontaneously on the surface. Most of the hotels you will find in the upper part of the village.  Guanziling has one of the three largest natural mud hot springs in the World. Moreover, it’s the only hot spring in Taiwan sourced from an age-old natural spring rich in minerals.    Kings Garden Villa – the perfect place to stay! We stayed three nights at a beautiful resort

Taiwan has a rich history that takes us more than 100,000 years back in time. Its geographical location has had a significant influence on history as we know it today. Taiwan is an island that was very easy to reach for traders from the sea. The nearby countries of China and Japan have also had a great influence on Taiwan’s history. But as you may know, we are Dutch, and the Dutch are also part of Taiwan’s history. We wanted to learn more from this history and visited Fort Zeelandia in Tainan that remembers that period and is definitely worth visiting if you are in Taiwan. Tainan In the southwest of Taiwan is the pleasant town of Tainan. This is the oldest city and was the capital of Taiwan for 200 years, resulting in more than a thousand temples and other places of interest. As a result, the city also has much valuable cultural heritage. It is clear that the Dutch left their mark on the city in the 17th century, unfortunately not always positively. And you will also be reminded of that by the older people in Taiwan if you say that you come from Hélán (the Netherlands).   Anping Tainan is the oldest city in Taiwan and was established in 1624 by the Dutch. They came ashore to set up a trading post and built Fort Zeelandia. When they got ousted by Ming Admiral Koxinga (Zheng Chenggong), the fort is called ‘Anping.’ After he died in 1684, the kingdom was incorporated into the Qing Empire as part of Fujian Province. Tainan was the country’s capital from 1683 to 1885, after which Taipei became the capital. The VOC in Tainan In 1624, the Dutchmen of the Dutch East India Company (Verenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie – VOC) arrived in Tainan and stayed there for almost 40 years. Fort Proventia got built next to Fort Zeelandia, and they used the settlement extensively to trade with China and Japan. At one point, tensions ran high between the Dutch and the Chinese residents of Taiwan. Among other things, the Dutch levied high taxes, and their name was associated with various looting. However, in 1662 the Ming admiral Koxinga came to the city, expelled the Dutch, and then established his own government. Old Dutch Forts You can visit the two fortresses that got built when the Dutch held sway in the city. In the center of Tainan stands the Chihkan Tower, which they built in 1653 under the name Fort Proventia. It is a small complex of buildings and towers that resemble traditional Chinese temples and surrounded by a traditional Chinese garden. A few kilometers from here, you will find Fort Zeelandia, which served as an economic and military base with its cannons. Fort Zeelandia or Anping Old Fort They built this fort in 3 layers. The bottom layer was an underground storage facility over 3 meters deep. It was built from bricks laid with a mixture of sugar syrup and oyster shell lime, refined craftsmanship in those days. There are two layers above ground. Inside the fort, you will find more information about the function of Fort Zeelandia / Fort Anping in the VOC period, the Qing Empire period, and the Japanese Rule Period through a timeline and photos. There is also a gift shop for souvenirs. Outside you can walk around the fort, where you will see the cannons. It’s a great place full of greenery, and you can climb the tower for a nice view over the area around Fort Zeelandia. Other historical heritage in Tainan If you like to visit more like this, the following places may be interesting. Temples – There are many temples in the city of which the Confucius Temple is the highest standing. This is considered by many to be the most beautiful historic building in all of Taiwan.  Koxinga Museum – There is a museum dedicated to Koxinga (Zheng Chenggong), the Chinese who expelled the Dutch and is now a national hero in Taiwan. I have never visited this museum myself, so I don’t know if the information is available in English. Former Tait & Co. Merchant House – This building was founded by the British in 1867. It is now a museum that shows through a permanent exhibition how the Chinese, Dutch, and indigenous peoples lived at that time. Anping Treehouse – Just next to and behind the Tait & Company building is the Anping Treehouse. This is actually the old warehouse building for Tait & Company. After years of neglect, some banyan trees have claimed this building for themselves. The Anping Treehouse is a great place for photography. Instagram Facebook Pinterest

When you come to Taipei, you may visit Taipei 101 and Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. But there is another great place to add to your list of places to visit in this city. The National Palace Museum is one of the world’s largest and finest Chinese artifacts museums, which is also one of the must-see attractions in Taipei. I will provide you with more information about this Museum and how to get there. This museum is further away from the city, so it takes a little more effort to easily travel there. But because we’ve all figured this out before, I’d like to share our information. National Palace Museum This museum has a permanent collection of nearly 700,000 pieces of ancient Chinese imperial artifacts and artworks, making it one of the largest of its type in the world. It covers all areas of Chinese art, including antiquities, painting, calligraphy, bronzes, jade, ceramics, and sculpture. However, because display space is limited in the National Palace Museum, only about 1,700 pieces are on display at a time. Most of the artifacts came from the Forbidden City in Beijing and were brought to Taiwan in 1948 with the Republic of China government during the civil war. This first shipment included nearly 250,000 artifacts and rare books. It was not until 1965 that the valuable collection was housed in the current National Palace Museum. Among all the precious treasures, there are some signatures in the museum that you should not miss, such as Jadeite Cabbage, Meat-Shaped Stone, Bell of Zhou…and so on. From which you are going to realize how ancient Chinese reflected their rich culture, philosophy, and customs through the artworks. The museum also has several souvenir shops. The National Palace Museum is dedicated to preserving and sharing the histories of 5,000 years of Chinese culture. If you want to learn more about history and culture, don’t miss this museum. The National Palace Museum is small enough to visit in 3 or 4 hours. You can also rent an audio device to listen to tour narration in English and other languages. The audio device requires a rental fee of TWD100 each time. There is also a possibility to visit the museum with an English guide. Check the website to check the time when the guided tour starts. Opening hours and current exhibitions. The museum is closed on Mondays. Tuesday to Sunday they are open from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. Because of the current Covid situation, it’s best to check the more accurate information about opening days and hours. On the website, you will also find all information about current exhibitions. How do you get to the National Palace Museum? It’s not the most accessible place to visit because it’s a little bit out of the city. But traveling in Taipei is easy, so don’t let this be a reason to skip this place. The cheapest way you can get to the museum is to use the metro and public bus. This is also an easy way to travel. Make sure you have an EasyCard, and you can easily travel with the MRT and the busses in Taiwan. You can buy the EasyCard at convenience stores with the EasyCard mark on the doors (7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Hi-Life, OK Mart, and I-MEI Foods) throughout Taiwan. Take the MRT Red Line (Tamsui-Xinyi Line) to Shilin Station [R16] Exit No.1 (north exit). Walk north for another 100 meters until you hit Zhongzhen Road, which is the first major road you’ll encounter. As soon as you hit Zhongzhen road, the bus stop is on your right-hand side. Do not cross the road. You can take buses R30, 815, 304, 300, 255, M1, S19, or S18 to the National Palace Museum. Other places to visit in this area. Zishan Garden A great place to combine with your museum visit is Zhishan Garden, near the National Palace Museum. This garden has an admission fee of NT 20 ($0.7, € 0.60)  but is free to enter with your museum ticket. You can walk around and immerse yourself in the traditional Chinese-style garden. Shilin Night market Another great place to visit when you travel back by bus to Shilin MRT station is the Shilin Night market. This is Taipei’s largest night market and also one of the most popular in Taiwan. Come here to enjoy a wide range of local Taiwanese street food. This market starts at 16:00 hours.

Taiwan has nine National Parks, and they are all unique in their own way. We visited a few of these parks in the meantime. Most of them are big and have many trails to hike and beautiful places to visit. For some mountainous areas, you need a permit where you have to apply for several days or weeks before you go. So be aware of this if you travel to Taiwan and plan to do some hikes in the National Parks. The park that we love the most is Taroko National Park. This park is a must-visit when you travel to Taiwan, and I’m willing to help you plan your trip by providing you lots of information that especially helps if you travel with kids and with your own/rental car. Click here for more information about all the National Parks in Taiwan.     Taroko National Park Taroko means beautiful, and it definitely can be said about the 9.000 hectares Park. The National Park is all about mountains, shallow rivers, marble, mysterious rock formations, impressive waterfalls, and panoramic views. Taroko Gorge and its surrounding area are well known for their abundant marble supply, leading to its nickname, “The Marble Gorge”. Here you can discover a part of Taiwan’s amazing nature. This National Park is one of the most popular places to visit in Taiwan, so don’t expect to have the place for yourself. You will likely be sharing this place with thousands of others. But don’t let that deter you from visiting. Most organized day trips stick to the same attractions and only stay in the Park for a few hours. So try to plan your trip well, and you will also have places where you’re not overwhelmed by the crowds. I will also advise you to visit this National Park during weekdays, making a big difference. Free information sheet In this blog, I want to give you the information to visit this park with kids and your own/rental car and help you plan your itinerary. There is also information about a hiking trail for the more experienced hiking families, and you will find an A5 information sheet that you can download, print, and take with you on your trip. This sheet will provide you with all the information you need. DOWNLOAD     A little bit of history Four million years ago, the island of Taiwan was formed by the collision of plates. After millions of years of wind erosion, the marble rocks were exposed and cut by the Liwu River, creating impressive grand canyons. This National Park was established in 1937 during the Japanese Reign in Taiwan. After World War II and Japan’s defeat, they have abolished the park as China has conquered Taiwan. They established the park again, and in 1986, Taroko became a National Park. The canyon is 19 km long, and the mountain peaks reach up to 3000 meters.     Essential tips for visiting Taroko National Park as a family! Before telling you more about the most important places to visit, I will give you these helpful tips to consider when planning your visit to the National Park.   Best time to visit Taroko Gorge National Park? The park is open all year-round, but the best time to visit Taroko Gorge is from October to June. From July to September, it’s Typhoon season in Taiwan and the time that most families can visit the country. If you visit Taiwan during this time of year, closely follow the weather predictions. Typhoons will be predicted a few days before they will hit the country. Don’t visit the park directly after a typhoon, or check the national park website to ensure it’s safe to go there.     How many days do you need in Taroko Gorge National Park? I would recommend spending at least one full day exploring the National Park. If you want to do some longer hikes, you would need an extra day to see all Taroko Gorge’s beauty. Both times when we visited the Park, we stayed for two nights.   Not all trails are always open. As your trip approaches, I’d highly recommend checking the national park website to confirm which trails are open. Trails are often closed due to weather, damage of the trail, routine maintenance, or environmental rehabilitation. This list covers the entire Taroko National Park, but the official trails that lie within Taroko Gorge are: Scenic Trails  |  Taroko Terrace, Shakadang, Xiao Zhuilu, Buluowan, Yanzikhou (Swallow Grotto), Lushui, Baiyang, and the Tunnel of Nine Turns. Hiking Trails  |  Dali-Datong, Dekalun, Changchun Shrine (Eternal Spring), and Huoran Pavilion. Mountaineering Trails  |  Zhuilu Old Trail (permit trail) and Lushui-Wenshan Trail.     Permits in Taroko Gorge National Park Taroko National Park is free to enter, but some hikes need a permit, and you have to pay an entry fee. One of these hikes is the Zhuilu Old Trail. If you and your kids are experienced hikers, you can hike the stunning Zhuilu Old Trail. This hike goes through dense forest and scuttling along a narrow cliff from around 500 meters long. This is the most challenging section of the trail. There is no cover at all on the trail as it cuts across the cliff. There is only a metal cable to hold if you pass the narrow cliff. The trail is rugged and prone to rock falls. The permit that you need for this trail you can find here. Applications will open 1-30 days before entry. I suggest applying for this on the first day within your 30 days period. There is a daily quota of 96 hikers on weekdays and 156 people on holidays and weekends. On this website, you will also find all the hike regulations and an advanced applications window, for foreigners only, that opens 4 months to 35 days before the intended entry date. Check out the website to read more about this. Group tours and private tours You can also book a hiking tour with