Travel
Winter-exclusive "Snow Monsters" Tour – So Beautiful You’ll Want to See It Even If You Get Buried
In Aomori’s Mount Hakkoda, Yamagata’s Zaō region, and Akita’s Morioka Mountains in Japan’s northeastern region, due to the light snow quality in winter, the rare "Snow Monster" phenomenon appears between January and March every year. Normally, visitors can only view them from afar, but in the Mount Hakkoda area, a close-up “Monster Hunting” tour has been created for the Snow Monsters—even those who can’t ski can easily come face-to-face with them.
Celebrity-owned Shop / Vincent Fang’s “A Teahouse” — A Perfect Blend of Poetry and Tea
Surrounded by green vines and with its vintage windows half-open, “A Teahouse,” located in the Huashan 1914 Creative Park, was founded by renowned lyricist Vincent Fang and is operated by m:Sheng Farm. Interestingly, when the farm owner Chen m:Jun first heard the name “Vincent Fang,” he was momentarily baffled and asked, “Who’s he?”
Is the Brazilian government the "strawberry generation"? All because of the feng shui of their office location?
In southern Brazil, there stands a giant strawberry as tall as three stories, perched on the grass, looking sweet and juicy enough to make one’s mouth water. But take a closer look, and this hyper-realistic giant strawberry actually has doors and windows underneath, along with multiple ventilation and daylighting openings around it—making one can’t help but wonder what secrets lie inside this “strawberry house.”
Celebrity-Owned Shop / Where Zhang Xueyou’s Golden Melody Awards Trophy Is Displayed – Wu Jianheng’s Hidden Alley Café
The Golden Melody Awards trophy of the “God of Song” Zhang Xueyou isn’t kept at home – it’s actually displayed at Cross Café in Taipei City for fans to admire. The café is run by DJ Wu Jianheng, who laughingly said, “Because of my work, I often receive CDs, small gifts, or meaningful mementos from fellow artists. It’s certainly delightful to ‘own’ them, but wouldn’t it be even better if more people could share in the joy?”
The world’s most beautiful Oirase Gorge: “Icefalls” instantly freeze as they flow down
If you’re lucky enough to visit the area around Oirase Gorge in winter, the naturally frozen “icefalls” formed by the low temperatures and the thick snow piled up on the rocks offer a uniquely chilly beauty. Buses passing by Oirase Gorge will even stop at each icefall, allowing passengers to enjoy the romantic winter scenery of nature.
Celebrity-Owned Shops / A-Mei’s A8 Café Serves Dishes Made with Taitung Produce
Hidden down a small alley on Section 3, Heping East Road in Taipei City is a composite building made of raw concrete and black walls — this is the shop opened by A-Mei, the queen of Mandopop. A-Mei designed A8 Café in a New York Loft style, with its lofty, spacious open layout, brick walls, wooden elements, and her personal collections over the years, making guests feel so comfortable they don’t want to leave.
Graffiti artist Candy Bird invents "Hmph People" to depict Taiwan society’s dark humor on street corners
In Taiwan’s graffiti scene, there’s a popular story about a "vigilante" incident. A graffiti artist was caught painting on a wall late at night and reported by a passing driver. When the police arrived, they took a look at the young artist’s street art in the dim light, noticed his nervous expression, then turned to the driver—who was waiting to collect a reward for the tip-off—and said, "The kid just likes to draw. Why bother him?"
Do you need to wear a glove to drink “plum wine on ice”? The final countdown to the Towada Lake Winter Story in Japan
Every winter, various winter festivals kick off across Japan. Among the most famous winter celebrations in Northeastern Japan is the “Towada Lake Winter Story.” At the lakeside venue, there are snow sculptures including a snow chapel, a snow bar, and a snow gate, all illuminated in vibrant colors, creating a magical scene. Additionally, spectacular fireworks light up the night sky daily, and visitors can enjoy a glass of “plum wine on ice”—which you actually drink wearing a special glove.
Celebrity-Owned Shop / Yao Yuanhao's SURF CAFE: Crafting an Urban Surf Vibe
In the alleys of Taipei’s East District, there are many uniquely styled specialty shops, and among them lies the theme restaurant SURF CAFE operated by entertainer Yao Yuanhao. The interior design of the shop doesn’t rely on flashy embellishments. Amid the simplicity, there’s a dazzling “decoration”—two vintage surfboards hanging on the wall. “They were handmade by the world-renowned Australian shaper Tom Wegener and specially given to me as a keepsake. Priceless.”
A soup made by simmering an entire honeyed Rishan apple — available only at Mingrenfang’s Tainan branch.
Mingrenfang, a high-end Cantonese restaurant with Michelin-star prestige in Hong Kong, officially expanded to Tainan on December 29th after opening its first Taiwan outlet at Hanshin Hotel. The second branch is now located on the first floor of New World Sanxia Tainan, featuring an 80% overlap with the original Hong Kong menu. Chef Fu from Mingrenfang has also created an exclusive seasonal soup for the Tainan location: “Honeyed Rishan Apple Soup with Pork Ribs.”
The Mysterious and Haunting Cecil Hotel: A Budget Backpacker Trap
The Cecil Hotel, where Elisa Lam stayed, has been the site of multiple unsolved death cases, the most sensational being the "Black Dahlia" case. Coupled with the many ghost stories surrounding the Cecil Hotel, it still attracts many foreign tourists with its lavish decor who book rooms there.
Certified by Japan's Sakura Association – Domestic Amusement Park Recognized as a Cherry Blossom Destination
No need to travel all the way to Japan for cherry blossom viewing in spring. A domestic amusement park has not only specially grafted and cultivated the rare double-petal Beni-shidare cherry blossoms seldom seen in Japan, but has now also been certified by the Japan Sakura Association as an overseas "Preferred Cherry Blossom Site." A cherry blossom monument has been erected to commemorate the bond of cherry blossom friendship between Taiwan and Japan. On the day of the unveiling ceremony, four Japanese cherry blossom queens—past, present, young, and old—rarely gathered together to witness this beautiful connection forged by cherry blossoms.
Truffles and foie gras in Vietnamese-French cuisine at unbeatable prices: “Mu Yue” makes a splash with its grand opening
Truffles and foie gras in Vietnamese-French cuisine at unbeatable prices: “Mu Yue” makes a splash with its grand opening
Horror photos inside Cecil Hotel after check-in — Guests: Never seen such a terrible hotel
Canadian-Chinese female student Elisa Lam went missing under mysterious circumstances. Her body was found in the rooftop water tank of the hotel she was staying at on the morning of the 20th this month, Taiwan time. The last footage of her in an elevator has sparked speculation during this period. The Cecil Hotel, where the last known footage of Elisa Lam was taken and located in downtown Los Angeles, offers extremely low room rates. A search online for this hotel turns up a series of "horror photos" from inside the property.
Traveling to Finland on your own is super easy！ Take a reindeer sleigh to visit Santa’s home.
Since childhood, Christmas has always been about Santa Claus climbing down the chimney to our homes and secretly placing gifts in the stockings we’ve prepared. Every year at this time, I’d want to sneak behind the door and catch a glimpse of Santa’s true face—but I never succeeded. I’d usually fall asleep before he even arrived, lol. So this time, I’m going straight to Santa’s hometown to see what he really looks like. To find Santa, you first have to take his mode of transport—XDDD
Sendai Japanese Heritage: In-depth Travel is Trending
Sendai Japanese Heritage: In-depth Travel is Trending
Where is the government when it’s too noisy? No fireworks in Taitung after 10 PM during Lantern Festival
In 2010, during the Taitung Lantern Festival, after the parade had concluded, County Magistrate Huang Jianting received a petition through the County Residents’ Mailbox. A young mother wrote that her one-year-old child had been unable to sleep all night due to the noise of firecrackers and had been crying incessantly. She asked, “Magistrate, where is our government?”
The Taiwan Lantern Festival opens in Hsinchu — Mickey and Minnie come to Taiwan
Having built up extensive experience over the years, the Taiwan Lantern Festival has gained international acclaim. The U.S. Discovery Channel once recommended it as one of the world’s top festive events. The highly anticipated “2013 Taiwan Lantern Festival” will officially kick off on February 24 (the 15th day of the first lunar month) in the HSR Hsinchu Station Special Zone, Zhubei City, Hsinchu County. President Ma will preside over the lighting ceremony, marking the start of a 15-day exhibition that runs until March 10.
Who made the blue dragon-shaped sky lantern? It was “sculpted” by master craftsman Hu Mingshu, a national treasure.
The “Blue Dragon” sky lantern has sparked widespread discussion due to its unique design—its spiraling green body paired with a red forked tongue has led many netizens to liken it to “a lump of green poop.” The creation of this blue dragon was the work of Hu Mingshu, a master craftsman in Pingxi considered a national treasure. Though the Blue Dragon sky lantern may look simple at first glance, it is one of the most challenging shapes ever attempted. And because it was intended to be introduced to the world, “we couldn’t make it small,” resulting in a structure nearly two stories high.
Mandarin Café finally launches an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet — new Japanese cuisine section added
Mandarin Café (Café Un Deux Trois) at Mandarin Oriental Taipei, following its weekend Lunch Fresh 'Eat' Bar and the Evening Feast. Eat. Bar, is set to introduce an all-you-can-eat weekday lunch buffet starting January 2, 2018, priced at TWD 1,580 + 10% per person. With the addition of the lunchtime slot, Mandarin Café appears to have officially transformed into an all-you-can-eat buffet restaurant.