Kaohsiung
A true hidden gem, this private museum has a small but exceptional collection of sculpture and antiques by mid-19th- to 20th-century Japanese artists who…
Must-see attractions in Southern Taiwan
Tainan
This lively temple once served as the palace of Ning Jin, the last king of the Ming dynasty. If you wish to confirm visually that a king's status is lower…
Kaohsiung
Tianliao Stone Temple is a fantastical, Gaudi-esque interpretation of a Taoist temple by Southeast Asian migrant workers. The 500 men had been hired to…
Kaohsiung
This sprawling flea market in Neiwei may possibly offer one of the most authentic and fabulous experiences of Taiwan. You'll find everything under the sun…
Kaohsiung
This narrow island that acts as a buffer to the harbour and extends down the city coastline makes for a lovely day trip from the mainland. The main…
Kaohsiung
An attractive sprawl of old warehouses by the port is separated by tree-lined boulevards, and hosts shops, galleries and cafes. It's a wonderful place to…
Kaohsiung
One of Kaohsiung's few temples that made the national protected relics list is also its oldest Mazu temple. Cijin Tianhou Temple was constructed in 1673…
Pingtung County
Cacao orchard, boutique, and hotel in one, Fu Wan makes fabulous, (mostly) tree-to-bar chocolate that's bagged multiple laurels at the International…
Kaohsiung
A remarkable museum in a unique location. From the '50s to the '70s this white building was a hostel for young men departing for compulsory military…
Tainan
When you enter the temple, look up for the two large abacuses used to calculate whether you have done more good than bad in life; check out the most…
Tainan
This horticultural Eden is a home with a fantastical garden overrun with plants, and seeds, seeds, seeds – some 500 species, most endemic to southern…
National Museum of Taiwan Literature
Tainan
This serious and excellent museum details the development of Taiwanese literature from the time of the pre-Han indigenous peoples to the modern era…
Tainan
Cafes, art galleries, fashion boutiques and B&Bs have flowered in the hub of Tainan's former Five Canals area, taking full advantage of the long, narrow,…
Tainan
In focus here is Koji pottery that is used to embellish roof ridges and walls by sculptor Ye Wang (1826–87). The first such artist to be born in Taiwan …
Pingtung County
One of Taiwan's most iconic landmarks, Vase Rock, close to the pier, is a 9m-tall block of coral-limestone with a large head and a tapering body. It's…
Tainan
Taiwan's eighth national park, Taijiang covers a patchwork of coastal lands north of Anping Harbour. The 50 sq km of land and 340 sq km of sea include…
Tainan
Built in 1666 by the son of Ming loyalist Zheng Chenggong (Koxinga),Taiwan's first Confucian temple and official school is quiet, dignified and coloured…
Kaohsiung
Considered the centre of Buddhism in southern Taiwan, Foguangshan a good place to learn more about Buddhism as the staff and some of the monks and nuns…
Tainan
This art deco department store from the 1930s has been so beautifully restored that it's worth going in just to ascend the sweeping staircase, peer…
Pingtung County
The last section of Hwy 24 is a gorgeous winding highway that leads you deep into the mountains. Not for the fainthearted, some parts of the road run…
Kaohsiung
Dramatic residential blocks with curved facades encircle a diaspora community in the Guomao area. The dozen-or-so 12-storey buildings were constructed for…
Pingtung County
This is where Taiwan's first cacao grower, Mr Chiu, and his son run their restaurant and chocolate-making facility. They're the only Taiwanese chocolate…
Tainan
The neoclassical-style Land Bank dates from 1928. Japanese architects were heavily influenced by western ideas at the time and neoclassical revival was a…
Tainan
This is the oldest and most impressive temple in Taiwan dedicated to Guandi (Guan Gong), a Han-dynasty general deified as the God of War. He is the patron…
National Museum of Taiwan History
Tainan
Eight kilometres north of the city centre of Tainan, this three-storey museum is a good introduction to the ethnocultural history of Taiwan. The visually…
Tainan
To the right of the Anping Fort entrance (with your back to the fort), you’ll find some of the oldest streets in Taiwan. As you wander about, look for…
Pingtung County
Located on a hillside 1.6km from the pier, the immense Sanlong Temple, aka 'Wang Yeh Temple', is Little Liuchiu's religious heart. The island's Wang Yeh…
Former Japanese Navy Fongshan Radio Station
Kaohsiung
This mysterious national relic in Fengshan was a Japanese naval radio station that later became an interrogation facility under the Republic of China,…
Ten Drum Rende Creative Village
Tainan
Tainan's largest art village is this awesome 7.5-hectare Japanese-era sugar refinery run by award-winning native percussion group, Ten Drum (十鼓). You can…
Tainan
This old second-run theatre (1950) is worth a look for the movie posters created by Master Yan Jhen-fa, the last such painter in Taiwan. You can see…
Tainan
Nature-worship temples are hard to come by, which makes this one dedicated to the God of Wind unique. The small structure was originally part of an…
Tainan
The magnificent Ciji Temple in the town centre of Xuejia worships the God of Doctors (保生大帝; Bosheng Dadi), a deified medical practitioner from Fujian who…
Kaohsiung
A temple with a Taoist hall at the front and a Buddhist hall (青雲寺) at the back, both richly decorated with folk art. In fact Daitian Temple has the…
Kaohsiung
Dàgōudǐng (literally 'Big Gutter Cover') Old Street is a shopping arcade from the 1950s. It's located between Wufu 4th Rd (五福四路) in the south and Dagong…
Former Tait & Co Merchant House and Anping Tree House
Tainan
The merchant house was built in 1867 and holds a permanent exhibit of household artefacts from the 17th century. Through a series of decorated rooms, the…
Tainan
Created by Japanese architect and Pritzker Prize–winner Ban Shigeru, Building 2 of the Tainan Art Museum has a dozen galleries spread over five floors…
Pingtung County
A resplendent monument impossible to miss, Donglong is the centre of Wang Yeh worship in these parts. The original temple was built over a hundred years…
Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Pingtung County
If you manage to enter this Rukai Catholic church (c 1959) – it sometimes closes when there's no mass – you'll see some unusual religious art. Rukai…
Old Japanese Martial Arts Academy
Tainan
This sleek and poised Japanese building next to the Confucius Temple was a butokuden, a place where the Japanese taught and promoted martial arts such as…
Kenting Forest Recreation Area
Kenting National Park
Once an undersea coral reef, this forest area is now a quirky landscape of limestone caves, narrow canyons and cliff walls strangled with the roots of…
