See the True Taiwan: an insiders guide

Sanxia (三峽) has become a major dormer community for Taipei, emerging from a small town to hosting massive new apartment complexes and redesigned boulevards. Young families who couldn't afford houses in Taipei or other areas of New Taipei helped drive development here, although I doubt that prices stayed low for very long. Yet floating among this very new and at time times very crowded area there is a well restored Japanese era old street and a beautifully maintained temple called the Zushi Temple 祖師廟. Sanxia is worth a visit in its own right if you have extra time on a trip - or live in Taiwan - and want to see something farther afield from Taipei City. If you're thinking of heading to nearby Yingge 鶯歌 for the old street there, it is worth slotting time for Sanxia into your day. The only way to get here is by bus, car/scooter, or cab because the MRT ends at Yongning (north of here) and the TRA stops in Yingge. Another option on a nice day is to take a long bike ride from the ...

Nanfangao is only a bus ride away from Taipei city and is a perfect location for a day trip. It's a small fishing town which hosts a port and some naval hardware. Taiwanese folks seem to like to come here because it is only about 2 hours from Taipei but feels like you are much much farther away. The town is full of fresh fish, epic scenery, and a few memorable temples. The most comfortable way to get here from Taipei is to take the KuoKuang bus 1879 which usually features seat back televisions and starts its run at Yuanshan MRT station. It stops a few times along the way in the city, notably at the Nangang railroad station and also at the Nangang exhibition center MRT. The final stop is just outside the Nanfangao visitors center and is a great place to grab maps of the area. Be careful though, because the bus stop before Nanfangao is in Su'Ao which is the closest railroad station to the port, and is also where you'll be able to find scooters, cheap local food,...

For most of the year BeiGang (北港) is a sleepy little town tucked away at the southern end of YunLin County (雲林縣). Residents live a simpler life than their big city countrymen and the pace of daily life is slower and far more relaxed. Built around a small urban center the town proper opens out to large expanses of farmland and eventually into the ocean. Yet this place is anything but a has-been or never-was city in the Taiwanese cultural landscape. Once a year BeiGang welcomes a massive party for Mazu (媽祖 also spelled Matsu), the goddess of the sea, at the city's ChaoTian Temple (朝天宮). Pilgrims arrive from all over Taiwan with their local temple's Mazu in tow, and the city swarms with gangs of temple devotees detonating fireworks, preparing epic feasts, and just taking in the incredible show. The city's traditional downtown is roughly bounded by HuaNan Road (also called ZhongYang Highway), DaTong Road, and the river. The temple itself creates what is essentially an enormous ...

Yunlin county is a great escape from the hustle and bustle of Taiwan's city life. It's amazing how few people have actually visited Yunlin despite living in Taiwan for their entire lives. If you ask one of many seasoned expats, even those with over a decade of experience under their belts, most of them will have never been here, or simply ask “who the hell would go there?” The answer to that question is simple. Anyone who wants to see some beautiful scenery, enjoy some cheap and delicious food, and spend their time with friendly locals should come here. Despite being a massive agricultural area pumping out fresh produce for hungry mouths across Taiwan a full weekend can be spent here without feeling bored. But let's not mince words. As far as Taiwanese tourism is concerned, you're going to the middle of nowhere. As far as genuinely beautiful scenery and history, you're going to a surprisingly untapped hotbed of interesting things. There are also tons of ind...