Night Markets, WiFi, Baseball: CNN Praises 10 Unparalleled Things in Taiwan
Last updated 2026-09-25 — Taiwan — don’t let our small island nation make you sell yourselves short. CNN recently listed 10 remarkable Taiwanese achievements that are unmatched anywhere else in the world, including well-known night markets and themed restaurants. Additionally, it featured companies like Next Media Animation, the vast collection of antiques at the National Palace Museum, the National Health Insurance system, and numerous spots with free WiFi. Let’s see just how amazing Taiwan is in the eyes of “foreigners”!
By MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network, Reported by Chen Guanxin
Taiwan — don’t let our small island nation make you sell yourselves short. CNN recently listed 10 remarkable Taiwanese achievements that are unmatched anywhere else in the world, including well-known night markets and themed restaurants. Additionally, it featured companies like Next Media Animation, the vast collection of antiques at the National Palace Museum, the National Health Insurance system, and numerous spots with free WiFi. Let’s see just how amazing Taiwan is in the eyes of “foreigners”!
Tainan Garden Night Market became the 12th most popular Facebook check-in spot globally in 2013. (Photo provided by Tainan City Government Tourism Bureau)
1. Night Markets
CNN reported that although Taiwan is smaller than Switzerland, known as the “world’s park,” it has around 300 night markets. Dishes like stinky tofu, oyster omelets, and various skewered delicacies remain perennial favorites. Moreover, drinks such as bubble tea and snake blood in night markets are also unique experiences. The top three most popular night markets on Facebook in Taiwan are Tainan Garden Night Market, Luodong Night Market in Yilan, and Fengjia Night Market in Taichung.
2. Themed Restaurants
Tired of the same old dining experiences? Taiwan’s themed restaurants offer something beyond just food. Especially famous is the “Modern Toilet” restaurant, where everything from spatial design to furniture is toilet-themed — this unique sense of humor is truly eye-opening. In addition, Hello Kitty restaurants, prison-themed eateries, and elementary school-style restaurants also left a deep impression on CNN reporters.
Hello Kitty restaurants and other themed venues have become another highlight of Taiwan’s tourism. (Photo provided by Mofo Editorial Department)
3. Free WiFi
According to CNN, Taiwan is one of the few places in the world that has extensively deployed and offers free WiFi services. As of last June, visitors in Taiwan’s four major cities could access the internet through more than 4,400 hotspots.
4. National Palace Museum
Where is the world’s richest collection of ancient Chinese artifacts? Not Beijing, not Shanghai, but Taipei, Taiwan. The museum houses over 650,000 pieces of Chinese antiquities, spanning various periods of Chinese history. Among them, the Jadeite Cabbage and the Meat-Shaped Stone are especially famous and widely loved.
The collection of ancient Chinese artifacts at the National Palace Museum is considered among the best in the world. (Photo provided by Mofo Editorial Department)
5. Animated News
Taiwan’s Next Media Animation company employs about 400 animators. This impressive animation team can transform any news story into animated format in as little as 90 minutes, elevating the way news content is presented to a whole new level.
6. Vegetarian Meat
In this category, CNN described Taiwan as the most vegetarian-friendly place in the world. Although only about 10% of Taiwan’s population is vegetarian, there are around 6,000 vegetarian restaurants offering a wide variety of plant-based dishes. But the most astonishing are the “vegetarian meats.” Made from soy protein and wheat gluten, these meat imitations are almost indistinguishable from the real thing — even hardcore carnivores find it hard to tell the difference.
7. Baseball
Taiwan’s most popular sport — baseball — has won the Little League World Series 17 times, nearly double the number of the second
8. National Health Insurance
This could be called one of the best healthcare systems in the world. Its high quality and affordable pricing have led many foreigners who have lived in Taiwan to share their medical experiences there in the comments under the report.
9. Hello Kitty Craze
CNN was also amazed by the extent of Taiwanese people's fascination with Hello Kitty. From themed restaurants to Hello Kitty-painted airplanes, Longquan beer, and Hello Kitty-themed hotel rooms, this Sanrio cat is everywhere, fully showcasing Taiwanese enthusiasm for Hello Kitty.
The “Hand-in-Hand” aircraft is the first Hello Kitty-painted plane operated by EVA Air to fly across the Pacific. (Photo provided by EVA Air)
10. Xiao Long Bao (Soup Dumplings)
Although xiao long bao originated in Shanghai, Taiwan’s version has carved out a notable place in the world of soup dumplings, and the internationalized Din Tai Fung has received high praise.
● Further Reading:
Cat lovers' paradise in Houtong: New cat-themed public toilets and watchtowers unveiled
www.mook.com.tw/article.php?op=articleinfo&articleid=9444
Taiwan's xiaolongbao are famous worldwide. (Image provided by EVA Air)
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