Plum blossoms in Chiayi’s Meishan Park have bloomed up to 70%. Due to recent heavy rain, many petals have fallen. The Meishan Township Office stated that the current blooming condition has reached this year's best state, with the flowering period expected to last only until the end of the month. Travelers wishing to admire the plum blossoms should seize the final week.
A strong cold wave has arrived, and with sufficient moisture, snow is expected in mid-to-high altitude areas. To ensure public safety, traffic controls have been implemented on certain roads. Before heading out, the public must check for any road restrictions to avoid disappointment. Ettoday EVA Air Travel Cloud has compiled the following traffic control details to help travelers head out safely and reach the mountains without issues.
In the book *Encountering the World’s Ten Great Cathedrals*, authors Wang Yuhua and Cai Qinghui have specially selected ten of the world’s most iconic cathedrals, categorizing them into five classical and five modern. Arranged in historical sequence, here are the highlights of these ten cathedrals:
A “king-level” cold wave is about to hit, and a Japanese private weather company forecasts that Taipei may see snow, sparking great anticipation among residents in the rarely snow-covered Greater Taipei area. Riding on this “snow forecast” craze, Breeze Mall is launching a buy one get one free promotion on ice cream. As long as the Central Weather Bureau reports snowfall in any part of Taiwan between 1/23 and 1/25, designated ice cream counters at Breeze will immediately offer a buy one get one free deal, with a limit of 100 servings per counter per day.
Mai Mian Yan Zai is a classic Taiwanese eatery highly praised by many food connoisseurs. Located near Dadaocheng and Cisheng Temple, the area is packed with renowned street food vendors. Rising early under the bright morning sun and strolling along the narrow Anxi Street to pay homage to Mai Mian Yan Zai, it’s no surprise that as a long-established spot, there were already three elderly gentlemen enjoying their breakfast at the front stall.
Peach Aviation has launched a spring promotion starting from 00:00 on January 23, covering travel dates during the cherry blossom season as well as the hydrangea season in June. Routes include Okinawa, Osaka, Tokyo, and more, with one-way fares starting from a minimum of ¥1,380.
Hua Tai Premium Outlets recently debuted, drawing large crowds with the arrival of Japan’s ultra-popular “Kin Ramen.” Similarly, Mitsui Outlet Park, another outlet mall, has also welcomed a popular ramen shop — Tanaka Shop, the pioneer of Tokyo’s Hakata Nagahama ramen with 20 years of history. Its broth is simmered from pork bones for three full days and nights, resulting in a rich and mellow flavor. The most adorable detail is that the nori on the ramen is printed with “thank you” in various languages, including, of course, Traditional Chinese.
In Japanese cartoons, it’s common for protagonists to dine at a certain place and get their meal for free if they finish an oversized portion within a time limit—but this actually happens in real life at Tainan’s Gong Fu La Li. If you can finish a 10-person portion of curry rice within an hour, not only do you eat for free, but you also walk away with a NT$2,000 bonus, attracting many competitive eaters to test their limits.
Are the photo sticker machines back again, and this time they’re actually in MRT stations? Taipei Metro has installed photo sticker machines at stations such as Dongmen, Taipei City Hall, Guting, Shilin, Zhongshan, Xinbeitou, and Taipei Main Station, allowing the public to take playful photos with Taipei’s famous landmarks.
In recent years, many adorable cartoon-themed restaurants have sprung up like mushrooms. They’re loved not only by children but also by adults, often to the point where tables are hard to come by—you may need to book over a month in advance. ETtoday Eastday Travel Cloud has compiled a list of 11 cartoon-themed restaurants. Find some time soon and go try them out!
The Central Cross-Island Highway is Taiwan’s first road to traverse the Central Mountain Range. To help visitors gain a deeper understanding of the history of this highway, the Taroko National Park Headquarters has just completed a themed exhibition hall called the “Central Cross-Island Highway Story Museum,” which officially opened to the public on the 25th. Visitors are welcome to explore the history of the highway, and volunteers will be stationed at the museum to provide guided tours.
In recent years, the food industry has seen a surge in vegetarianism, emphasizing natural and healthy eating while minimizing the consumption of meat that burdens the environment. Across Taiwan, vegetarian restaurants have been popping up one after another, and there are even vegetarian luwei options. The Shufu Healthy Gourmet Restaurant prides itself on using a vegetable-based braising broth made from over 20 kinds of Chinese herbs and vegetables, and offers 8 to 10 types of vegetables daily, aiming to make vegetable consumption “comfortable.”
To celebrate the inaugural run of the new Puyuma train on February 4, Taiwan Railways will distribute “Baifu to Fulong – Happiness & Harmony” commemorative tickets to passengers on trains 408 (departing Taipei at 07:40) and 422 (departing Taipei at 11:00). The complimentary tickets are valid for the Taipei to Yilan route, limited to 1,000 sets and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
The weather is really cold! As a cold air mass hits Taiwan, temperatures in the Lalashan mountain area of Taoyuan continue to drop. This morning (January 23), due to sufficient moisture, hail fell in the sacred tree area, turning the woods and trails into a silver-white wonderland. Many children and adults alike happily built snowmen with crushed ice, had snowball fights, and looked forward to seeing actual snowfall.
In the past, when dining on Korean cuisine, especially barbecue, copper plate grills were more common. The big V rabbit nor any squid has any blood... (Note: This segment contains garbled or unclear text that cannot be accurately translated. It appears to be corrupted or nonsensical in the source language. Please provide a clean version of the text for accurate translation.)
On Thursday evening at 8 PM, E and I came to Minsheng Community looking for food. E suddenly said they wanted stir-fried rice, which reminded K of Minsheng Stir-Fried Rice. However, last time we had the beef stir-fried rice, it didn’t quite suit K’s taste because K doesn’t like shrimp paste XD. But the texture of the stir-fried rice was actually quite good, so we decided to bring E here to try it, and K got to sample another flavor.
To cater to travelers' fantasies and interests, the Kameha Grand Zurich in Switzerland has specially designed 12 themed suites, putting extra creativity into room concepts, including options like an astronaut, Hollywood star, and sports enthusiast themes.
Tokyo, Japan, is one of the top travel destinations for Taiwanese tourists. Wondering where to find great dining spots in Tokyo? The Japanese food website tabelog.com ranks Tokyo’s top restaurants. Topping the list is the French restaurant Quintessence, scoring an impressive 4.61—it has held Tokyo’s Michelin three-star status continuously since 2008. In second place is ?さいとう, also a Michelin three-star restaurant, followed by Matsukawa in third.
Chicken Manor serves hearty and satisfying Chinese cuisine, so don’t expect too much in terms of decor or ambiance. And indeed, the whole restaurant was buzzing with energy—guests were raising toasts, chatting noisily, and digging into their food with gusto. The waitstaff, all experienced older servers, interacted well with the customers, most of whom seemed to be regulars.
What locals are most familiar with is that classic Tokyo-style curry—where rich curry sauce melds perfectly with steamed rice, filling the mouth with an aromatic yet not greasy flavor. With every bite, a wave of happiness washes over you. Responding to the cravings of curry fans, Ettoday Dongsen Travel Cloud has handpicked 4 cozy little curry rice shops that serve Tokyo-style curry as their specialty. Come discover these hidden culinary gems tucked away in Taipei’s alleys!