A guide to travelling to Taiwan

This liver-shaped island, once named Formosa ('beautiful island' in Portuguese), is located in the Pacific Ocean, and is separated from China by the Taiwan Strait. While it may not be a tourism rival to China yet, there are several interesting landmarks. This article details out a guide to travelling to Taiwan.

Taipei

Taiwan tour should include: the capital Taipei with its National Palace Museum, the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall and 101 skyscraper, the Alishan Forest Railway - one of the world's three alpine railways, the Taroko National Park in Eastern Taiwan, and Lungshan Temple in Lukan.
Taipei attractions There are several interesting Taipei attractions, including the National Palace Museum, notable because it contains one of the world's largest collections of ancient Chinese artifacts. The former president of the Republic of China, Chiang Kai-Shek was honoured with an elegant memorial near the Presidential Office Building. Taipei 101 It is also worth visiting the Taipei 101, a skyscraper containing 101 floors and it is also the second tallest building in the world. Choosing a hotel in Taipei is a treat - there's something here for the luxury holidaymakers and for those who wish to experience something more local.

Alishan Forest Railway

Few travel destinations can boast that their main attraction is a railway line, but with the Alishan Forest Railway, this is more than justified. The reason is that the railway, located in the mountain resort of Alishan in Chiayi County, is lined with tunnels, wooden bridges and switchbacks, which make it an outstanding reason to visit Taiwan.

Taroko National Park

If you're going to be spending time in Taiwan, this spectacular park - one of seven on the island - is a must-see natural landmark. It is named for its most prominent gorge - named Taroko ('magnificent and beautiful' in English - and is also named the 'marble gorge' because it is rich in marble and also contains jade. On any Taiwan map, the park is an immediately recognisable chunk of land in the north-east .

Lungshan Temple

The Taiwanese, whose main religions are Buddhism and Taoism, are justifiably proud of this impressive place of worship, which means 'Dragon Mountain Temple' in English, and which is located in Lukan. This is the oldest Buddhist temple in Taiwan, and is known as Taiwan's 'forbidden city'. It has had a fascinating history and has been subjected to earthquakes, typhoons and World War Two bombs.