Classic Itineraries
Lu Hang’s self-driving tour found scenic spots packed with crowds
The “Golden Week” holiday on the mainland ended yesterday, with a slew of good news emerging. Thanks to the surge in the most popular trend this year — self-driving tours — many tourist attractions broke records. For example, the Forbidden City in Beijing welcomed a single-day record of 182,000 visitors. According to data from the China National Tourism Administration, 119 directly reported scenic spots received a total of 34.2456 million visitors, generating tourism revenue of 1.765 billion yuan (RMB, the same below), both representing year-on-year increases of over 20%. It was truly a golden week.
Summer Abroad: Special Themed Tours — Self-Drive Journeys — Drive Freely, Discover China’s Hidden Wonders
Driving a car allows you to go wherever you want and stop whenever you like — it’s the most carefree and liberating way to travel. Especially in a vast country like China, traveling by car lets you reach hidden gems that tour groups can’t access, and explore borderland charm and unique ethnic minority cultures. Overcoming the challenges of renting a car and obtaining a driver’s license in China, Austrian Peter Schindler founded the self-drive tour company 〈On the Road in China〉 in Hong Kong. In addition to arranging car rentals and hotel bookings, the company offers itinerary planning, lead vehicles, and accompanying drivers. Products already available in the Taiwan market include multiple tour options of varying lengths, among which the 7-day 〈Exploring Yunnan’s Mountain Kingdoms〉 itinerary lets you fully experience the joy of self-driving.
Self-drive tours to open; Hong Kong government: We will proceed with caution
The self-drive tour plan between Guangdong Province and Hong Kong proposed by the Hong Kong government has recently sparked controversy. In response to a legislator's inquiry, the authorities stated that they will proceed with caution, prioritizing road safety and capacity, with concern for environmental impact. They also promised to listen to the Legislative Council and public opinion when opening the arrangement for vehicles from Guangdong Province to travel south into Hong Kong.
Anti-self-drive tour: Hong Kong residents hold up signs on the street
Hong Kong netizens gathered on the road in front of the government headquarters on Friday afternoon to protest against the opening of self-drive tours from mainland China to Hong Kong. They displayed signs and banners to passing vehicles, hoping to garner support from drivers who oppose the policy. The group, calling itself the “Anti-Hong Kong Being Planned Action,” demanded that the Hong Kong government immediately shelve the self-drive tour plan, safeguard traffic safety, and uphold the autonomy of Hong Kong people. Another online activist group, “Ten Thousand People to Block Mainland Self-Drive Tours to Hong Kong,” has organized a demonstration at Victoria Park in Hong Kong this Sunday to protest the launch of cross-border self-drive tours between China and Hong Kong. The event has garnered responses from over 6,000 netizens. The group pointed out that allowing mainland vehicles into Hong Kong raises safety concerns, as mainland drivers are seen as reckless and prone to causing frequent accidents. Their driving habits and practices are vastly different from those in Hong Kong and pose a threat to local road safety. Moreover, opening up self-drive tours could make it easier for pregnant mainland women to enter Hong Kong to “snap up baby formula” and give birth.
Cross-border self-drive tours between Guangdong and Hong Kong are here, sparking backlash from 40,000 Hong Kong residents
The integration of mainland China and Hong Kong is unstoppable, and the latest development is the implementation of cross-border self-drive tours, allowing vehicles from Hong Kong and Guangdong Province to travel between the two regions by land. The first phase will enable Hong Kong cars to drive north to Guangdong, while the next phase will allow mainland vehicles to drive south to Hong Kong. Hong Kong government officials emphasized that safety is the top priority, and only after ensuring safety will the authorities allow mainland vehicles to enter Hong Kong, aiming to reassure residents.
Anti-Mainlander Sentiment Heats Up as Hong Kongers Petition Against Self-Drive Tours
Tensions between China and Hong Kong seem unlikely to subside anytime soon. Following Wednesday’s incident where netizens placed newspaper ads in Hong Kong opposing the influx of mainlanders (“anti-locust” campaign), social media has recently seen new groups calling for an immediate halt to the cross-border self-drive tour program between China and Hong Kong, fearing it could lead to “traffic mayhem and loss of life” in the city. A Facebook group titled “Over 100,000 Hong Kongers Strongly Oppose Self-Drive Tours That Will Destroy Hong Kong Next Month” was launched yesterday morning. The group is primarily against the launch of cross-border self-drive tours—allowing private cars from both regions to travel freely between the two places. Within just one day of its creation, the group garnered support from over 18,000 Facebook users, reflecting an exceptionally strong response. Don’t Want the City to Descend into Chaos
Yongge Shanshan: Running a Bar While Road-Tripping Across China
Since 2006, the wonderful couple Yongge and Shanshan haven’t worked a single day of a regular job. Relying on savings they accumulated from running bars and clothing stores, they bravely drove their jeep across all of China. When money ran low, they simply relied on their top skills—running bars and playing music—to fund their travels as they went, soaring through life in carefree bliss. They recalled that back in the mid-1990s, Yongge, who loved singing and had a passion for music, and his wife Shanshan, skilled in bartending, borrowed some money to open a then-quite-rare private bar in Beijing’s Xidan area. With just a few guitars, music that lasted all night, and a constant flow of people, they earned their first bucket of gold within half a year.
Samsonite Mid-Year Sale – Up to 70% Off
Summer is just around the corner, and the school holiday season is approaching. Have you got your travel essentials like backpacks and suitcases ready? From May 14th to 15th, between 11:00 AM and 7:00 PM, the Samsonite Neihu store (No. 81, Zhouzi Street, Neihu District, Taipei City) will hold a mid-year sale event, offering unbeatable discounts starting from 30% off on selected items from Samsonite, SamsoniteRED, and American Tourister. Whether you're looking for suitcases, backpacks, or briefcases, there’s a wide selection to choose from—definitely hard to resist, and you can get the highest quality at the lowest prices!
Outdoor Puzzle Solving: A New Way to Explore the City
The escape room game, long popular in Japan, has recently become a trend in Taiwan. Now, some commercial districts have introduced an upgraded version of real-life outdoor puzzle games. By completing challenges and solving puzzles, visitors can explore businesses within the district and make their first direct contact with urban tourism. Recently, Taichung’s Caotun Plaza has also set up an escape room game experience within the mall. On weekends, it further collaborates with surrounding businesses to organize an upgraded outdoor puzzle game. Visitors are grouped into teams of five and use green transportation to complete the challenges, attracting many young participants. Li Yih-?, the planner at Caotun Plaza, explained that this activity essentially expands a small-scale escape room game across the entire vicinity of Caotun Plaza. Players must rely on their wits and teamwork, traveling around Caotun Boulevard by Caotun bicycle, using subtle clues and keen observation,
Business Intelligence Station - Snow Fox Outdoor Gear: 15% Off for Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day is just around the corner. Snow Fox Outdoor Gear, one of whose brand pillars is urban adventure, has introduced the Travelon Signature Anti-Theft Backpack series. These backpacks are designed to be lightweight and elegant, offering slash-proof protection, lockable zippers, and ample storage – making them perfect for women traveling or shopping. From the 24th of this month to May 11th, in celebration of Mother’s Day, they’re offering a special 15% discount for moms, plus a waterproof tote bag as a gift. The Signature Anti-Theft Backpack series emphasizes slash-proof protection on the front panel and shoulder straps, lockable compartments, and RFID-blocking features to prevent personal data theft. More importantly, it caters to travelers' needs with hidden zippered pockets designed to securely hold valuables.
Consumer News – 100% Down Lightweight Travel Blanket, Easy to Pack
The Royal Feather Workshop has launched a patented new travel blanket, designed specifically for the lightweight and easy-packing needs of outdoor hiking and excursions. The filling is European-standard 100% down, and the outer fabric is 100% water-repellent nylon. The large size measures 120x190cm, originally priced at 12,000 yen, now on special for 4,980 yen; the small size is 80x105cm, originally 8,000 yen, now on special for 3,980 yen. The large size, including the outer bag, weighs a total of 245 grams, making it lighter than the usual 2–3 kg sleeping bags. The travel bag can also double as a pillow or be packed into a small ball.
Dance Tour to Yilan: 6 Free Outdoor Performances Across the City Starting June 6
A dance tour initiative jointly launched by choreographer Zhou Shuyi and a group of dancers will present six free outdoor street performances in Yilan from tomorrow, June 6, through Sunday, June 11. The performance locations include the National Center for Traditional Arts in Yilan, the Lanyang Museum, and the Diudiuang Forest Square in front of Yilan Railway Station. Initiator Zhou Shuyi shared that this dance tour project stems from a simple yet important dream—to simply dance for everyone. The performances will feature the award-winning piece *1875. Ravel & Boléro*, which claimed first prize at the Sadler’s Wells Global Dance Contest in the UK. This dance tour is part of the founding projects of the dance company [Mr. Zhou and Dancers]. This summer, without ticket sales, stages, or lighting rigs, they aim to take dance out of theaters and into the streets and alleys across Taiwan, with the goal of performing in public spaces throughout the country.
Real Estate Brief – By Giant Construction: Travel with Sculptures
Following the “Travel with Design” program, to further promote the urbanization of art, Giant Construction – the Lin Zenglian Charity Foundation is once again hosting the “Travel with Sculptures” exhibition. The exhibition runs until February 28 this year, and the public can visit the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts to take part in this international art feast. The event is specially in collaboration with the BenQ Foundation, featuring a selection from approximately 180 entries in the 3rd BenQ International Sculpture Camp from around the world. The chosen pieces include works by Romania’s Panaite Chifu and Nicolae Rasvan Mincu, Bulgaria’s Kamen Tanev, Japan’s Yoshin Ogata and Hiroyuki Asano, Portugal’s Mario
Volvo V60 T5 R-Design – Bold & Sporty
Station wagons, traditionally known for their practical space, have often been perceived as bulky and rigid in design. However, as times have evolved, automakers have introduced sleeker, sportier wagon models. Among these, the globally acclaimed Volvo V60 has completely redefined the traditional station wagon aesthetic. The Swedish automotive icon, Volvo, not only pioneers innovations in driving safety technology but also prioritizes driver and passenger comfort. The Volvo V60, a purebred sporty wagon born from the dynamic styling of the Volvo S60, combines a sleek, athletic design with exceptional performance and versatile interior space—shattering the conventional image of station wagons. In recent years, Volvo’s vehicle lineup has moved away from its formerly boxy and angular designs.
Taiwan Travel Promotion in Beijing: Outdoor Ads Launched by STRA
The eight-day Mainland China National Day holiday will begin in nine days. To capitalize on the momentum, the Beijing Office of the Straits Exchange Foundation (STRA) has decided to ramp up its promotional efforts by setting up large outdoor advertisements on Wangfujing Street, a bustling hub teeming with locals and tourists. This move aims to boost the visibility of Taiwan travel right in the heart of Beijing. In August 23 this year, the Beijing STRA office had already launched ads on Shanghai city buses and digital spherical screens in busy districts, promoting the message “Travel to Taiwan Now.” To further fuel interest in Taiwan travel, yesterday the Beijing STRA placed another large outdoor ad on Wangfujing Street, intensifying the “Travel to Taiwan Now” campaign. The entire advertising initiative is set to reach its peak during the National Day holiday. At that time, key locations including the Xujiahui subway station in Shanghai, city buses in Beijing, the Guiyou Building on Chang’an Avenue, and electronic screens at Beijing Railway Station will all go live on October 1 to vigorously promote the “Travel to Taiwan Now” message, actively encouraging Mainland residents to visit Taiwan.
Flowers in full bloom, butterflies in ecstasy — the fervor continues
In recent years, Volvo’s vehicle designs have shed their traditionally rigid, boxy lines, embracing instead more rounded and streamlined body contours. This transformation showcases Volvo’s bold new generation of dynamic styling. The All-New Volvo S60, hailed as the most sporty model in Volvo’s history, clearly reflects this major breakthrough in automotive design. While the world was still captivated by the dynamic appearance of the new S60, Volvo struck while the iron was hot and introduced a derivative estate version — the All-New Volvo V60. Not only does it offer spacious and flexible practicality, but it also boasts a coupe-like exterior style and outstanding performance and handling, embodying a sporty estate that excels in both motion and stillness.
GoHiking Reduces Carbon Emissions and Fights Global Warming
The outdoor functional apparel brand Verno, created by Lih Baolong, includes a series of products such as quick-dry tech cotton, cool energy-saving, ultra-light soft, and Tencel mesh. In addition to enhancing outdoor, leisure, sports, environmental, and functional features, it aims to establish Lih Baolong as a globally renowned high-tech textile brand. Through the GoHiking retail brand, it connects with consumers’ hearts, working together to reduce carbon emissions, combat global warming, and contribute to the planet. GoHiking is a composite urban leisure outdoor goods channel centered on the concept of global environmental protection. Established in 2005, it was acquired by Taiwan’s textile conglomerate Lih Rung/Lih Peng Group at the end of 2010, which continued to operate the retail brand and agency business. Starting in 2011, it began developing its own brands. GoHiking uses “Go” to remind everyone that it’s time to get out and walk around.
GoHiking National Year-End Celebration – Win Prizes
GoHiking’s nationwide year-end celebration and the grand opening of the Zhongli store offer a chance to win luxury Taiwanese accommodation vouchers such as those for the Lalu Sun Moon Lake, Kagaya Beitou, and The Lalu Jioufen. Spend over a certain amount and receive a premium warm scarf and top-quality Angora rabbit wool hat. Check in at the GoHiking store via Facebook to get a free Go Cafe voucher. Official website: www.gohiking.com.tw. The centennial year of the Republic of China is coming to an end. To bid farewell to this significant milestone and welcome the arrival of ROC 101, GoHiking is launching the “National Year-End Celebration – Win a Luxury Trip” event from now until January 29, ROC 101. During the promotion period, spend NT$1,000 to receive one raffle ticket for a chance to win luxury hotel stays at Lalu Sun Moon Lake, Kagaya Beitou, and The Lalu Jioufen, plus more.
Urban Wanderers Explore the New Gallery
The Taipei New Gallery’s ongoing exhibition "Slow Shutter," running until November 10, invites Korean-American artist Soo Kim to Taiwan. She visited locations such as Wanhua and Tamsui to capture on-site imagery, then hand-cut portions of the photographs to create voids, layering and collaging them onto transparent acrylic panels. Under the lighting of the exhibition space, the architectural elements in her works take on a fantastical and surreal atmosphere. American artist Charles Labelle draws inspiration from French poet Baudelaire’s concept of the “flâneur.” He selects a song and pairs each line of its lyrics with a specific location he visits along the way, shooting as he goes. For instance, "Outdoor Song—Intercontinental Drift" connects a year-long road trip across the Americas through freely floating white balloons, while "Outdoor Song—Hollywood" is a series created from the many discarded mattresses he discovered while driving and wandering through streets and alleys. These objects, loaded with strong ambiguity and personal emotional history, also subtly echo the classic David Bowie song "Cracked Actor."
The full lineup of the Skoda Combi series is here
In recent years, Skoda has swept major awards across the global automotive industry as the brightest rising star in the Volkswagen Group, with sales figures repeatedly hitting new highs. In the first quarter of this year alone, global sales saw an impressive surge of 22% compared to the same period last year. The key to Skoda’s rapid success in the highly competitive segments lies in its human-centric "Human Touch" design philosophy that puts the customer at the heart. Guided by this principle, Skoda has been placing greater emphasis on the research, development, and production of Combi models (station wagons). The comprehensive product lineup enables owners with different lifestyles to use a single vehicle to meet diverse spatial needs. Taiwan’s exclusive Skoda distributor, Taikoo Lih Pao Motor, has recently introduced a full range of Combi models, including the large luxury flagship Superb Combi,