Travel
Travel the Su-Hua "Blue Highway" – The Lina Ferry Sets Sail
Today (the 7th), the 10,000-ton luxury fast passenger-cargo roll-on/roll-off vessel "Lina Ferry," operated by Donglian Shipping, a subsidiary of Huagang Group, embarked on its maiden voyage, launching services along the Blue Highway route between Su'ao and Hualien. On the first day, 700 passengers traveled from Su'ao to Hualien aboard the Lina Ferry.
Celebrate Christmas at the Pokémon Restaurant – Savor Delicious Bites, Enjoy Live Performances by Star Artists, and Discover Your Future Through Fortune-Telling
Celebrate Christmas at the Pokémon Restaurant – Savor Delicious Bites, Enjoy Live Performances by Star Artists, and Discover Your Future Through Fortune-Telling
Taiwanese homestays offer warm hospitality, making mainland visitors exclaim, "How can I not think of him?"
The strong sense of warmth and friendliness among Taiwanese people has always been praised by foreign travelers, and with the opening of individual travel for mainland visitors, those from China are gradually experiencing it too. According to a report by China's state media Xinhua News Agency, Chen Hua, a tourist from Fujian, wrote in the guestbook of her homestay after a trip to Qingjing Farm, "How can I not think of him!"
Kaohsiung’s “Ghost Attractions” – The Cijin 25 Ladies’ Cemetery Is the Most Alluring
The Ghost Gate Opens on the First Day of the Seventh Lunar Month！ Here Are Kaohsiung’s “Ghost Attractions.” One of them, the “Cijin 25 Ladies’ Cemetery,” voted as one of Taiwan’s top 10 ghost spots by netizens, is now renamed the Memorial Park for Working Women, yet ghost stories continue to circulate, adding to its mystique. The Fengshan District Chenghuang Temple displays a striking plaque that reads “You Are Here,” reminding people to avoid evil deeds in life, for after death they must face judgment before the City God.
Mayday Talks About Their Must-Do Romantic Thing – “Incredible Kaohsiung” Premieres on Father’s Day
Beautiful attractions such as the Cijin Lighthouse, Sizihwan, Heart of Love River, and Central Park all appear in the short film alongside Mayday. The rock band Mayday filmed the 2013 Kaohsiung city promotion short film *Incredible Kaohsiung (Kaohsiung Incredible)*, which will premiere at 8 PM on August 8. In the 30-minute program, Ashin, Monster, Masa, Stone, and Guanyu will take Kaohsiung as their theme and introduce the “must-do romantic things.”
CNN Ranks World’s 25 Greatest Skyscrapers, Taipei 101 Makes the List
The website of American news network CNN selected the world’s 25 greatest skyscrapers on the 6th, including Taipei 101. CNN noted that the Taipei 101, with a total construction cost of $1.8 billion, was completed in 2004, standing at 508 meters tall — the first building in the world to surpass 500 meters in height — and held the record as the tallest skyscraper globally until 2009.
Hualien’s Golden Needle Flowers Are a Huge Hit – Large and Medium Buses Banned from Mountain Roads, One-Way Traffic in Place
Golden Needle Flower Viewing Is All the Rage: The Two Major Golden Needle Flower Mountains in Hualien – Chike Mountain in Yuli Township and Liushishi Mountain in Fuli Township – Have Recently Seen an Influx of Flower-Loving Visitors During the Bloom Season. Due to the Narrow Mountain Roads, One-Way Traffic Control Will Be Implemented, and Large and Medium Buses Are Prohibited from Ascending the Mountain. The Public Is Advised to Use 9-Seater Commercial Passenger Vehicle Shuttle Services to Avoid Traffic Congestion.
Hidden Alleyway Delicacies: A “Mega” Mixed Noodle Bowl as Big as a Basin
Located in Beitou District, Taipei, “Zhang Wu Ji Mixed Noodles” may be tucked away in a quiet alley, but it’s always bustling during meal times. The shop offers many unique, old-school stir-fried dishes, but its most famous offering is the “Mega Mixed Noodle Bowl” as big as a basin—reportedly enough to feed ten people. Gather your crew and take on the challenge!
Ancestral Temple’s Foot Lights and Yilan Water Lantern Festival Illuminate Ghost Month Traditions Across Taiwan
August 7 officially marks the start of the traditional “Ghost Month.” Various regions across Taiwan are gearing up for festivals to honor the wandering spirits, or “good brothers,” who are believed to emerge during this time. In Keelung, the annual “Keelung Chungyuan Festival” at the “Lao Da Gong Temple” will hold the “Foot Lights Ceremony” at 11 PM on August 6, symbolizing the official opening of the Ghost Gate. Additionally, the two-century-old “Yilan Water Lantern Festival” kicks off today at Yilan Riverside Park, featuring a “Lighting and Guidance Ritual” to pray for the souls of the unattended dead.
Baked in volcanic mud for three hours – watch the “shell-cracking show” tableside before eating the chicken
At first hearing the name “mud volcano chicken,” it’s hard to make sense of it—the first image that might pop into your head could be a chicken running around in the mud, clucking in the gray soil. In fact, this “mud volcano chicken” is a dish that travelers to Kaohsiung simply must try. The chicken isn’t one that actually grows in the mud, but rather, it’s prepared using a unique cooking method involving “mud volcanoes.”
Gigi dressed as Little Red Riding Hood and shared a room with five others—Fuji Rock Festival hit by mud
Gigi (Lin Ruchi) spent four days and three nights in Japan attending the Fuji Rock Festival. Having just returned to Taiwan on August 1, she is very familiar with the country. Attending this grand music festival for the first time, she didn’t mind braving a major thunderstorm that turned her into Little Red Riding Hood or even squeezing into a bedroom with five other people.
Stay overnight at a temple / Qijin Tianhou Temple – Admire the sunset over Xizi Bay from your room
Qijin Tianhou Temple has a long history, established in the 12th year of the Kangxi reign during the Qing Dynasty, and is also a rare national historical site in the Kaohsiung area. From the temple’s wood carvings, stone sculptures, eaves, window frames, and other architectural details, you can admire exquisite folk craftsmanship and historic artifacts of great value, such as stone steles from the Xianfeng and Tongzhi eras—it’s definitely worth a visit.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration mandates that aircraft takeoffs and landings must not rely on visual judgment.
Following an accident in early July when an Asiana Airlines passenger plane crashed while landing at San Francisco International Airport, resulting in three fatalities and over 180 injuries, recent foreign media reports indicate that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has introduced new regulations. These require all foreign passenger planes landing at San Francisco International Airport to use the Global Positioning System (GPS), and also prohibit side-by-side landings of foreign airline flights at the airport.
Tourism Bureau promotes Guishan Island eco-tourism; visit Easton Marine Hot Spring Hotel
The Northeast Coast & Yilan Coast National Scenic Area Administration of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications’ Tourism Bureau invited New Taipei City Councilor Chou Sheng-Kao and others on the 5th to jointly explore the beauty of Guishan Island. Yilan County Deputy Magistrate Wu Tse-Cheng and Easton Marine Hot Spring Hotel Chairman Wang Ying-Jie, who also attended the event, noted that Yilan County is rich in natural scenery, and Guishan Island can serve as a unique attraction for the county. In addition to being the top of the “Eight Views of Lan Yang,” the “Guishan Sunrise,” the island also attracts large numbers of visitors each year for island tours and whale watching, making it highly suitable for family trips to experience the beauty of the ocean.
Lobster and Shark Fin Abalone | Only 5 Yuan at Yixinju’s Luxurious Seafood Hot Pot | Available Only in Keelung
The sweet and chewy texture of the abalone always keeps people coming back for more, but the savory version also has its charm. It’s a must-try for those who love both sweet and savory flavors. Located in Keelung, this small shop may not be eye-catching from the outside, but the rich aroma wafting from inside is truly enticing. The chewy abalone is paired with premium dried scallops, creating a luxurious taste that many diners highly praise.
The "Matchmaker God" Statue Enshrined at Zhinan Temple in Hopes of Breaking the Breakup Curse
Following the establishment of a “Lovers’ Sacred Site,” Zhinan Scenic Area recently enshrined a statue of the “Matchmaker God” (Yue Lao) as Qixi Festival approaches, aiming to dispel the superstition that Zhinan Temple is cursed for causing breakups among couples. Additionally, couples visiting the Maokong Gondola’s “Zoo Station” together on the morning of August 13, Qixi Festival, can receive one of 300 limited free gondola ride cards and blessing cards.
Documentary Biennale Tour Reaches Kinmen Station: Four Classic Films Screened This Weekend
The touring film festival featuring selected works from the “2013 Taiwan International Documentary Festival” will begin on August 10 and make its stop in Kinmen, screening four outstanding documentaries including Island, The Sinking Island, and Golden Kid, which won the top prize at the Taiwan Award last year. The opening screening on August 10 will be followed by a post-film discussion with director Huang Ting-fu.
70 Chefs Cook on the Beach at Hawaii’s Food & Wine Festival in September
An international gathering of chefs will team up by the seaside to create top-tier dishes from around the world under the moonlight — an event usually seen only on TV will come to life on Hawaii’s beaches. On the evening of September 6, Hawaii’s “Under the Modern Moon” dinner event will feature 70 chefs of diverse East-West styles, including Taiwanese female chef “Lin Rong,” who will represent Taiwan and wow the world with her Eastern cuisine.
The CK124 Midsummer Taiwan cruise train combines with forest railway to offer a cruise-style “dual-rail journey”
For the first time, a Taiwan Railways cruise-style train itinerary has been combined with forest railway tourism, and it features the national treasure-class steam locomotive CK124. The CK124 Midsummer Taiwan will be adorned with commemorative headboard plaques on August 23 and 30, and will for the first time be paired with forest railway trains to operate two cruise-style train journeys — the “Dual-Rail (Taiwan Railways + Forest Railway) Journey.”
Locals love it more than tourists — Luodong Charcoal-Grilled Pepper Buns Are Sold Only Standing
On Nanmen Road in Luodong, Yilan, there’s a “Luodong Charcoal-Grilled Pastry” shop. This long-established bakery is best known for its savory crispy buns and pepper buns, which are also the signature family recipes that have been around for 20 years since the shop opened. Not only do out-of-town visitors stop by to buy a few to eat, but locals riding motorcycles also buy them by the dozen to take home. In this small shop, nearly 10 staff members are busy wrapping, shaping, and baking the buns, while customers can only stand in line and wait for the buns to come out of the oven — there’s not even a place to sit.