Taiwan

Longshan Temple

Ximending & Wanhua

Founded in 1738 by Han immigrants from Fujian, this temple has served as a municipal, guild and self-defence centre, as well as a house of worship. These…

Nanyao Temple

Western Taiwan

Located 2km south of Changhua Train Station, this remarkable temple is one of the stops on the Mazu Pilgrimage. The distinctive character of the complex…

Zhang Men

Xinyi

Besides the very tasty and varied craft brews on tap, what makes this place extra special is the outdoor rooftop seating with royal views of Taipei 101…

Alien Art Centre

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…

Taroko Gorge

Taroko National Park

This 18km marble-walled gorge is Taroko National Park's crown jewel. It's a must-see attraction whether you're hiking its trails, peering at its…

Water Fairy Temple

Tainan

Hidden inside a market named after itself, Shuixian Temple (literally 'Water Fairy Temple') is a far cry from the days when it was not only a place of…

Official God of War Temple

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…

Guomao Community

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…

Beitou Hot Spring Museum

Taipei

Built in 1913 as the Beitou Public Baths, this handsome building is a copy of the bathhouses in Shizuokaken Idouyama in Japan. It is also a good example…

Story House of Naval Base Zuoying

Kaohsiung

In a compound next to Taiwan's largest naval base, this small museum pays tribute to Zuoying's strong military heritage. By means of relics, photos,…

Fu Wan Chocolate

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…

Jibei Sand Tail

Penghu Islands

Those desert island paradise photos you probably saw on Penghu's promotion brochures and websites were most likely taken at Jibei Sand Tail, a dazzling…

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,…

Cihou Fort

Kaohsiung

A handsome modern fort with Qing dynasty foundations that used to guard the northern entrance to Kaohsiung Harbour. From the top of the barracks and the…

Tainan Art Museum

Tainan

Both buildings of the Tainan Art Museum are now open – this one (Building 1), the former Tainan City Police Station raised in the Japanese era; and the…

Confucius Temple

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…

Hayashi Department Store

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…

Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines

Shilin

There are currently 16 recognised indigenous tribes in Taiwan, and the exhibits at this private museum cover the belief systems, festivals, geographic…

Wind God Temple

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…

Bao'an Temple

Taipei

Recipient of a Unesco Asia-Pacific Heritage Award for both its restoration and its revival of temple rites and festivities, Bao'an Temple (also called…

Land Bank

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…

National Museum of Prehistory

Taitung

This hi-tech and engaging if occasionally disorientating museum charts Taiwan’s geological birth and human prehistory as well as introducing the island's…

Choose Chius

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…

Chihkan Towers

Tainan

This old fort is a splendid place to roam around, or to enjoy an outdoor concert on weekends. However, only the foundation is the original. Chihkan has…

National Palace Museum

Shilin

Home to the world's largest and arguably finest collection of Chinese art, this vast hoard covers treasures in painting, calligraphy, statuary, bronzes,…

King of Medicine Temple

Tainan

A foreboding temple dedicated to the King of Medicine (sometimes erroneously translated as 'Drug Lord'), the first of its kind in Taiwan. It faces the…

National Human Rights Museum

Taipei

This former detention centre, court and jail was where political prisoners were incarcerated and tried during the White Terror period (1947–87). The…

Penghu Aquarium

Penghu Islands

This large, family-friendly experience is home to an engrossing collection of living sea life, from a rescued three-legged turtle and magical family of…

City God Temple

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…

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…

Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts

Kaohsiung

Set in a large park, this wonderful museum specialises in the works of Taiwanese artists, in particular, painters, sculptors, and installation and digital…

Shennong Street

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,…

Cijin Island

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…

Tainan Art Museum Bldg 2

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…

Military Dependants' Village Museum

Kaohsiung

Four houses of a military dependants' village have been restored and turned into a quaint museum. Besides exhibits on the KMT retreat from China and the…

Grand Mazu Temple

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…

Miaokou Night Market

Northern Taiwan

One of the most famous night markets in Taiwan, Miaokou's moreish mouthfuls are the main reason to find yourself in the rainy port city of Keelung, unless…

Anping Fort

Tainan

Behind the Mazu Temple, the fort was a stronghold of Dutch power until its 1661 capture by Koxinga after a nine-month battle. Most of it has been…

Great South Gate

Tainan

There used to be 14 city gates in Tainan and a city wall spreading several kilometres. This old gate is the only one of the four remaining gates that…

Anping Old Streets

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…

Koxinga's Shrine

Tainan

This shrine was built in the Qing dynasty, but its roots date back to a shrine commemorating Ming loyalist Koxinga (Zheng Chenggong) in the 1660s. The…

Altar of Heaven

Tainan

Tainan families have been coming here for generations on the 1st and 15th of every lunar month to pray to the supreme Taoist entity, the Jade Emperor. The…

Tianhou Temple

Penghu Islands

This celebrated 17th-century Matsu temple sports high, sweeping swallowtail eaves and a wealth of gorgeous Chaozhou-style woodcarvings, mostly from a 1922…

Lukang Old Street

Western Taiwan

Lukang's old commercial hub, Yaolin and Butou Sts, is now a protected heritage zone. The narrow, century-old lanes are worth checking out for their red…

National Human Rights Museum

Eastern Taiwan & Taroko National Park

Green Island's windswept northeast corner was completely out of bounds for much of the 20th century, occupied by a large prison camp. Here, political…