Vision / Must-visit viral attractions in 2015!

By Lin Szu-Chieh

The Lunar New Year has just passed, bidding farewell to the heavily bundled winter, as temperatures gradually warm up. Are you especially looking forward to the holidays and eager to go out and explore? Don’t underestimate Taiwan’s small size — in fact, new highlights worth visiting and experiencing emerge periodically, becoming the next viral hotspots.

This month’s “Enjoy Life” section specially selects tourism newcomers that have been popular from 2014 through 2015. From north to south, they are Taipei Children’s Amusement Park, Nanhua Dream Mall in Tainan, and the new Kaohsiung Public Library Main Branch. A children’s amusement park is only for kids? There are so many shopping malls — what makes this one a must-visit? And how could a library possibly be fun?

But beyond these three attractions, over the past year, numerous newly built structures, entertainment venues, and photogenic spots across Taiwan have also sparked heated discussions.

Here are seven popular new domestic destinations:

1. Taichung — National Taichung Theater: Renovated from the original Taichung Metropolitan Opera House, it was completed in 2014 and officially renamed the “National Taichung Theater.”

2. Tainan — Chimei Museum: Built over more than a decade with an investment of NT$2 billion, its exterior resembles the Palace of Versailles in Paris, bringing Western art to the public. It is considered a grand gift from Chimei Museum founder Robert Y. Hsu to the people of Taiwan.

3. Tainan — Beimen Crystal Church: A white crystal church themed around wedding photography, attracting many photography enthusiasts. Especially during sunset, the reflections on the water and changing light create stunning photo opportunities.

4. Yilan — Yilan Literature Museum: Originally the former principal’s residence of an old agricultural school, this Japanese-style building gained fame after being chosen as the filming location for a 4G commercial starring Takeshi Kaneshiro, shot by Chunghwa Telecom.

5. Hualien — Yunshan Water: A homestay located in Shoufeng Township, near Lotus Pond, Ideal Land, and Changfeng Farm. With a dreamy 4-hectare lake nearby, its beautiful scenery earned it the award for Best View among Taiwan’s Top 10 Homestays by online travel media.

6. Tainan — Lin Department Store: Originating from a department store during Taiwan’s Japanese colonial period a century ago, it reopened after heritage restoration, preserving many early architectural techniques and the charm of the era, becoming a new icon of cultural and creative retail.

7. Miaoli — Houlong Tulou: Officially opened at the end of October 2014, this Hakka-style earthen building is located in the specific area of the High-Speed Rail Miaoli Station in Houlong Township, Miaoli County.

[This article is excerpted from CommonWealth Magazine, March issue; for more articles, please visit the CommonWealth Magazine official website:www.gvm.com.tw]
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