The country boasts of numerous fascinating places. The country located in East Asia has a deep and long history Berger and Lester (2015). The Pacific Ocean Island is home to some of the world’s conservative cultures. Majority of the people still cling to the cultural dictates that define their heritage. This is despite the emergence of technology that has really promoted globalization. The country is amazingly green and is covered by huge tracts of tropical forests. These forests provide a habitat for a huge trove of fauna and flora that is a massive tourist attraction bringing the country revenue. Tourism, one of the flourishing sectors of the country, ranks among the greatest income earners of the country. The landscape in the country tends to change dramatically as one gets deeper into the interior areas of the nation. It is instructive to note that the country is inhabited by 16 tribes who have occupied the island for many years.
I visited numerous places in the country on my trip. The trip took me to Taipei 101, Liuhe Night Market, Jinguashi, Hsing Tien Kong and Guanziling Hot Spring. The main motivation for visiting these places is the desire to fulfill my curiosity arising from the information I had about the country. In the days leading to the trip, I read a lot of interesting stories about Taiwan. I came across powerful stories about the history of the nation, its people, culture and the numerous places that define the country as one of the leading tourist destinations in the world. The above reasons coupled with a natural love for traveling and adventure informed my decision to make a physical trip the country tiny island to experience its unique beauty.
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The respective places have their distinctive features which define which gave me an opportunity the beauty that is the country. Liuhe Night Market is the most popular market in Taiwan. The tourist night market located in the Xinxing region sells a wide range of products. Moreover, many stalls dot the large market and traders sell commodities including animals. It is easier getting to the market by walking from the nearby Formosa Boulevard Station.
Guanziling Hot Spring found in Tainan district is another attractive site that I went to on my trip. The hot spring sits at an altitude of 270 meters above the sea leaves and attracts millions of visitors from across the world annually. A unique feature of this rare spring is that it releases methane gas. The gas burnt unstoppably for over three centuries. The Taiwanese generates huge amounts of revenue from the many people who flock into the country to sample the natural beauty of this spring. Due to the vitality of the hot spring to the country, the government carries regular maintenance of the area to keep attracting the large numbers.
In my trip, moreover, I went to Taipei 101. Previously known as the Taipei World Financial Center, the skyscraper pierces through the skies of Xinyi district. The building was designated the tallest building in 2004 before the completion of the Burji Halifa in 2010. The building received the LEED platinum certification making it the tallest and biggest building in the entire world. Research on the building reveals that the building used to have the fastest elevator in the world. The elevator was able to move at a speed of 60.6 kilometers per hour carrying passengers traveling from the 3rd to the 87th floor in a record speed of 37 seconds. The Shanghai tower in China, however, eclipsed the Taiwanese wonder building by installing the fastest elevator in 2016.
An architectural masterpiece, the building serves as a symbolism of evolution in technology and the rich Asian culture. Jinguashi town located in Ruifang District provides an exciting experience for any individual visiting the island. The town is endowed with rich gold and copper deposits that bring a lot of money in terms of revenue. In 2004, the government opened the famous Gold Ecological Park that also serves as a tourist attraction. The United Nations named the site a World Heritage Site in 2002. Jinguashi’s rich mineral deposits are huge income generators that are contributing immensely to increasing the living standards of the people. Furthermore, the mines provide employment opportunities to the locals.
Taipei, Kaohsiung, and Taichung are the largest cities in the country. Taipei City serves as the administrative capital of the country and the center of power for the special municipality of Taiwan (Weller 2018). The town is situated on the northern tip of the country within the large New Taipei City. A huge section of the city lies in the Taipei Basin, which is an old lakebed that is surrounded by the valleys of rivers Keelung and Xindian. Population records indicate that around three million people lived in the city as of 2017. Tourism ranks among the major revenue sources for the city’s economy. About seven million people visited the town in 2014 thrusting it into the list of the 20 most visited cities globally. This influx of visitors pumped billions of dollars into Taipei’s economy.
A signature feature of the city is the National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial-Hall, monument which brings many people to the country. The hall, constructed in honor of the former president of the country, General Chiang Kai-shek, is famed for its impeccable design strengthened by its beautiful brown walls. The National Taiwan Museum is also found in Taipei. In addition, the National Palace Museum contains a huge collection of the artifacts that tell a long story about the Chinese tradition. The gallery also has large material sourced from different parts of the world. The above-discussed features and more that defines its geography are an illustration of Taipei’s importance to the country. That numerous sites are not only income earners to the city and the country but also contribute to promoting Taiwan’s image in the global community as a country with a distinctive yet captivating culture.
Taichung is the second largest city in Taiwan after Taipei. The town is found in the western part of the country. A pleasant climate and the hospitality of the people characterize the experience I got when I entered into the city. Currently, the city is inhabited by about 2.5 million people. Though it is dominantly a manufacturing hub, Taichung has in the recent years been touted as a tourist destination of preference because of its large offerings of culture. I was particularly attracted to the city’s science museum and the allure of the hills that the border the city. Several famous night markets in the town provided an enjoyable pleasure during my visit. I enjoyed delicious foods and drinks and also bought for myself cheap items at the markets. I sampled many interesting items at Chunghwa night market. At the center, I purchased Mochi products and wood carvings. The carvings were depictions of various shapes that revealed a lot about the country’s rich culture.
In the account of Duus, Myers, and Peattie (2014), the city traces its origins to the Qing Dynasty which used the region as an entry point for their invasion of the Manchus in the 16th century. The leaders of Qing dynasty moreover used the center as the consolidation point for its armies. Therefore the Qing Dynasty was significant in the development of the city as they initially wanted to make it the capital of the region but they later moved it the present day Taipei. One can travel to the city by bus which is the cheapest and convenient form of transport. Tong-Lien and Kuo-Kang provide transport services within the city. Contrary to Taipei and Kaohsiung, the public transport system in the Taichung is a little bit limited. In my trip, I observed numerous things in this part of town thus deepened my understanding of the culture of the Chinese. It should not be forgotten that Mandarin is the most spoken language in this town and the country at large.
Kaohsiung occupies the third position after Taipei and Taichung. Located in the southern end of the country, the city is home to about three million people. The most distinctive feature of this town is the harbor. The harbor serves as commercial and tourism zone. Christened the Harbor Capital, the fine weather attracted me to the city. Additionally, I realized that, compared to Taipei and Taichung, Kaohsiung boasts of good infrastructure planning which has significantly reduced traffic congestion. Recorded historical accounts reveal that Kaohsiung was started around the 17th century to serve as a fishing village. The Japan Empire took control of the region from the Qing Dynasty thus laying the foundations of what is today the city of Kaohsiung (Smith, 2015).
A visitor in the city can get around several modes of transport that the Kaohsiung offers. I enjoyed a ride on the high-speed train that makes trips between the city and the capital Taipei. For those electing to use travel by air, Kaohsiung International Airport serves as the main facility where they can catch a plane. However, there currently exist no direct flights between Kaohsiung and Taipei rendering rail transport the most preferred form of travel. During my trip, I covered the distance from the capital to the southern town in just 90 minutes. An extensive road network crisscrossing the city center joins the various part of the town. In the city, I acquired tea bags (Oolong tea) and Taiwanese glove puppets. According to several accounts of the locals, the glove puppets have a strong position in Taiwanese art culture.
Importantly, the roads lead the major companies in the town manufacture a wide range of goods and services. Kaohsiung’s terrain is largely flat thereby giving visitors a good view of the extensive town while riding on a bicycle. In the same vein, the city management operates bicycle rental service in which it provides maps to their customers to guide them to the different places in the town. By clicking on www.c-bike.com.tw, a visitor will also get an update on the number of bicycles available in various strategic locations. I found this quite thrilling as I was able to use the bicycle and later dropped at one of the designated points. I learned a lot about the oil paper umbrellas that are known to come from this part of the world. My experience of the trip thus affirms the belief that Taiwan is indeed a country blessed with a plethora of interesting places and sites that are amazing.
References
https://eng.taiwan.net.tw/m1.aspx?sNo=0002016
Hughes, C. (2013). Taiwan and Chinese nationalism: national identity and status in international society. Routledge.
Smith, R. J. (2015). The Qing Dynasty and Traditional Chinese Culture .Rowman& Littlefield.
Duus, P., Myers, R. H., &Peattie, M. R. (Eds.).(2014). The Japanese informal empire in China , 1895-1937.Princeton University Press.
Berger, S., & Lester, R. K. (2015). Global Taiwan: Building competitive strengths in a new international economy. Routledge.
Weller, R. P. (2018). Alternate civilities: Democracy and culture in China and Taiwan . Routledge
