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Tourism Administration, M.O.T.C. Republic of China

• Taiwan Tourism Information Website

• Tel：02-24991115
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What Our Customers Say About Us

Hassle free every penny was worth it..

Brought my senior citizen parents with me and decided to buy tour tickets instead just to make sure that we'll be able to release lanterns at the event... A must-attend festival indeed before you die. Thanks again MyTaiwanTour for this convenient tour!

Angel , U.S.

Great guide and great family tour

Our guide, Esther, was awesome! She was able to give us a bunch of history and was accommodating with our two elementary-age sons. The tour is great for young kids when they won't make the full day. Ending at Din Tai Fung is a great concept.

Matt P. , U.S.

Great Introduction to Taipei With Flexible Itinerary

Jett rearranged the typical itinerary to accommodate our wishes. Provided us with excellent commentary about Taiwan, made sure that we were perfectly placed for the changing of the guard, took us to a great restaurant and then guided us through the museum.

Richard J , U.S.

Seven day private tour

Highly recommended. Debby was easy to deal with and more especially patient as we changed our itinerary constantly. Gordon our driver was fun and friendly and happy to change the itinerary to suit the weather, our changing moods, and levels of tiredness.

Douglas99 , U.K.

Like Good Friends Over a Cup of Tea

The best part of this tour is the people who guided us along this trip. The trip was engaging like we were traveling with good friends whom we just actually met that day. These guys created a memorable experience on our Taiwan trip.

Stephen C. , Philippines

Amazing day with Kevin visiting Jiufen and Taipei!

Kevin picked us up with a big smile and a warm welcome to Taiwan. Kevin kept us so entertained and informed that we almost forgot it was raining. We had to alter our day some because of the rain but Kevin had many options for us. We had the most enjoyable day!

mcguireshanealan , U.S.

Excellent private tour!

Excellent guide, very knowledgeable. And great driver! They were able to give us different routes to get to our destinations! Very friendly and kind, too. We were really able to see the main spots in Jiufen and Yilan. The food they recommended was great as well.

Faus Y. , U.S.

Excellent introduction to Taipei

We had an absolutely excellent visit with David. He was a wealth of knowledge not only about tea but about Taiwan itself. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone spending more than a few days in Taipei.

Andrew W. , U.K.

Recommended Tour Around Taiwan - A Journey of Connection

Read a fantastic story from our customer about her trip across Taiwan, visiting many breathtaking natural sites.

Jiufen - A Place of Remembrance

In the enchanting town of Shifen, a second-generation Chinese family from Aruba found solace and unity as they crafted a lantern in honor of their late son, Jordan. With the lantern's heartfelt message glowing against the night sky, their shared moment of remembrance became a poignant memory etched in time.

5 Best Things To Do Around Taipei 101

After shopping and seeing the view on Taipei 101 and... What are other must-visit places near Taipei 101?

Best Places to Visit in Taipei City

Taipei is a city of contrasts, seamlessly blending the modern with the historical. If you only got one day, Explore these essential destinations that you must visit!

6 Things To Do Around National Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall

Wondering what to do after visiting Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall? How about visiting more local activities nearby?

Discover Taiwan’s hidden gems

Which Part Of Taiwan Would You Like To Visit?

Taiwan is an island with both natural environments and urban cities.

Click on one of the four icons to check each region’s main feature.

NORTHERN REGION

EASTERN REGION

CENTRAL REGION

SOUTHERN REGION

Northern Taiwan is home to the island's capital, Taipei. This vibrant city is the economic heart of the island. Just outside of Taipei are national parks, soaring mountains, cave temples, tea farms, and ceramic towns filled with culture.

Taiwan's Eastern Region is famous for its natural valleys and oceanic spots along the Pacific Ocean. It's also home to Taroko Gorge, the largest marble canyon in the world, and indigenous communities.

Taiwan's Central region is home to Sun Moon Lake, a natural wonder of Taiwan. Taiwan's tea farms, local whisky, and agricultural roots can be explored here.

Taiwan's Southern Region is known for its beach resorts, warm hospitality, and warm weather. Towering religious statues can be seen in this culturally-rich part of the island.

Recommended Tours

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Taipei 101 Top Floor Tour

Taipei city and Taipei suburbs One day

See Taipei from new heights! MyTaiwanTour is one of the only tour companies in Taiwan that can take you to THE 101th floor of Taipei 101. After meeting at Taipei 101, walk just one block to Four Four South Village and explore how Taiwan preserves its culture and adapts to the new world at this old military village turned young art museum. Then, return to 101 and begin your journey up to one of the tallest buildings in the world. Learn about its state-of-the-art technology and innovative, architectural design along the way. Once at the top, "walk along the clouds" safely with proper saftey equipment and capture the moment with the building's perfectly placed, pre-installed camera. After you've come down from your high, enjoy exclusive entrance to Bar88 where you will sip innovative drinks and enjoy panoramic views from the 88th floor. Finish the evening at Taipei's most iconic restaurant, famous for its soup dumplings (xiaolongbao). Experience the MyTaiwanTour difference!

Rural Tea Tour

One day Culture and History Tour

Experience firsthand how organic Taiwanese tea is grown and produced at a real operating tea farm in Yilan that still uses traditional tea processing methods passed down by generations. Pick leaves with a local tea farmer at the plantation and learn how they are harvested (without modern machines) and prepared to become tasty cups of Oolong. Then, experience a rare, hands-on experience learning how to roll and roast tea leaves. After a lunch of traditional Yilan cuisine, head to a quaint pottery house and coffee shop for some therapeutic ceramics painting. There, you will learn the ancient art of decorating blue and white China in a DIY class and will even take home your very own souvenir! Discover the beauty of the small town of Yilan with this slow travel experience!

Jiufen Night Tour

One day Adventure Tour

Explore Taiwan's northeast coastline and the mountainous town of Jiufen by night! Before the sun sets, stop by Yehliu Geopark, a relaxing seacoast attraction home to a number of unique geological formations. Then, head to Jiufen, where the lantern-lined alleys of this old mining own come alive at night, creating a magical experience said to resemble scenes from the Miyazaki classic, "Spirited Away." After dinner, relax at a traditional tea house and enjoy views of the illuminated and elevated town before returning to your accommodation.

Around Taiwan 8 Day Private Tour (Classic)

Multi-day Adventure Tour

Take a step back in time with a full day tour of Taiwan’s northern villages renowned for their charm, history, and culture: Jinguashi, Jiufen, and Pingxi. Jinguashi is a quaint, coastal town famous for its former gold mines. Tour the Thirteen Ruins, an abandoned refinery high up in the mountains overlooking the gold and blue Yin Yang Sea of Ruifang. The coastal town of Jiufen is said to be the inspiration for the Miyazaki classic Spirited Away, so expect to be similarly enchanted

Taipei city and Taipei suburbs Half day

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18 BEST Places to Visit in Taiwan! Taiwan Tourist Spots!

Categories Asia , Taiwan

Taiwan may be a small island but it is full of incredible places to visit in Taiwan! Taiwan Tourist Spots include  cultural-historic cities , port cities,   modern cities , National Parks and Islands , Taiwan really has it all!

Best of all, it’s easy to travel around Taiwan by train and bus and thanks to the size of Taiwan island, it’s possible to see a lot of Taiwan in 1 week or 2 weeks . Although if you have 1 month in Taiwan to spare, I’d say to go for it as you won’t regret visiting Taiwan!

Best Places to Visit in Taiwan

In this Taiwan travel guide , I’m going to help you plan your trip by telling you the best places to visit in Taiwan , places to go in Taiwan and things to do in Taiwan based on my own 2 trips to Taiwan!

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Taipei is the capital city of Taiwan and in all honesty, although Taiwan has so much to offer as you’ll see below, spending just 2-3 days in Taipei will give you a really good insight into what Taiwan is like and if you happen to decide to spend longer in Taipei, like 5 days in Taipei, you’ll have plenty of things to do in Taipei as it’s the biggest out of the Taiwan Tourist Spots!

I think Taipei is one of the most underrated cities in Asia and one of the best places to visit in Taiwan !

Related Post:  12 Taipei Travel Tips and Things To Know about Taipei!

I love Taipei because it’s a really easy city to get around. There are plenty of Taipei attractions and things to do in Taipei to keep you busy but because it’s not a super popular city and apart from the Taipei 101, which you must visit, there are no other super iconic places which make sightseeing in Taipei pretty relaxed.

If you’re interested in what to do in Taipei you can sightsee at places like the Taipei 101 and Chiang Kai-Shek Monument Hall which is probably the second most iconic place in Taipei . But you can also visit the themed cafes of Taipei like a toilet restaurant and the Friends cafe. Hit up a night market in Taipei like Shilin Night Market and Raohe Night Market which Taiwan is very famous for, and go hiking up Elephant Mountain.

Aside from the must-see places in Taipei , other reasons I love Taipei is because the Taipei Metro (MRT) is incredibly efficient and easy to use, it’s a safe city, the people in Taipei are lovely and there’s so much accommodation making it the best welcome to Taiwan that you can have!

Recommended days to spend in Taipei: 2-5 days.

FIRST TIMERS GUIDE TO TAIWAN

I’ve been to Taiwan twice. I love the country so much! I have written lots of posts to help you visit Taiwan, start with my 8 Helpful Tips For Planning a Trip to Taiwan from Start to Finish and the Best Places to Visit in Taiwan !

TAIWAN SIM CARD The best way to stay connected in Taiwan is to buy this EasyCard & Sim Card package deal in advance . You’ll need an EasyCard to get around on transport in Taiwan anyway and at the same time you can get a Taiwan Sim Card with 4G and pick them up at Taipei Taoyuan Airport when you land!

GETTING AROUND TAIWAN

The Metro within cities in Taiwan is really great, easy to use and so safe. You’ll need an EasyCard which you top up with credit to use the metro and buses. To get around Taiwan, I loved travelling by train . As a tourist, we can’t use the direct Taiwan train booking system. Instead you can go to a train station a few days before and purchase your ticket, or book online in advance using 12GO Asia !

To learn about the Japanese colonisation to modern-day Taiwan and eat some amazing street food, visiting Juifen from Taipei is a good idea as it’s one of the biggest Taiwan tourist spots.

Explore the Northeast Coast of Taipei and stroll through Jiufen Village. Learn about Taiwan’s mining history and enjoy a scenic tour along the Northeast Coast.

If you’ve seen photos of an old street with street lanterns near Taipei, this is Shifen, definitely one of the most popular and best places to visit in Taiwan!

4. Yehliu Geopark

You’ll be mistaken for even being in Taiwan here! Here is my friends guide on h ow to get to Yehliu Geopark from Taipei !

It’s very possible to see Juifen, Shifen and Yehliu in one day on a day tour , in fact, this is the best way to do it so keep this day tour from Taipei in mind when planning your Taipei itinerary.

Join a group tour from Taipei to North Taiwan, where you’ll discover Yehliu Geopark’s rock formations, Jiufen’s mountain village, and launch sky lanterns in Pingxi.

5. Beitou Hot Springs

Closer to Taipei than you’d think, this slice of nature with actual hot springs is a good half-day trip from Taipei.

Explore the volcanic terrains of Yangmingshan National Park, visiting numerous historically and culturally important sites like the Beitou Hot Spring Museum.

6. Yangmingshan National Park

To go hiking in Taipei and for another one of the best places to visit in Taiwan , head to this National Park near Taipei!

7. Kaohsiung

Kaohsiung is a port city in Southern Taiwan and if you don’t fly into Taipei you’ll probably fly into Kaohsiung or out of Kaohsiung as it has the second biggest airport in Taiwan. 

Kaohsiung’s tourism is increasing a lot, it used to be a city that tourists didn’t go to, but not anymore. This is now one of the  best places to visit in Taiwan!

Related Post: Best things to do in Kaohsiung & 2-3 Day Kaohsiung itinerary

For things to do in Kaohsiung, if you like temples, there are plenty of temples in Kaohsiung to visit, especially around Lotus Pond which used to have the perfect Feng Shui, plus there’s an incredibly huge and impressive Buddhist Monastery near Kaohsiung.

There are 3 brilliant night markets to visit, a unique and cool creativity park called Pier 2 , and you can catch a ferry over to Cijin Island which will make you feel like you’re on holiday!

Kaohsiung is easy to get around thanks to its MRT system and although many of the Kaohsiung attractions may seem far apart, by MRT they are all really easy to get to.

Recommended days to spend in Kaohsiung: 2-3 days.

To help you plan your trip around Taiwan, have a look at all of my Taiwan Blog Posts here!

8. Taichung

To be honest, Taichung is pretty hard work to visit but I have to include it in this list of best places to visit in Taiwan because the best reason to go to Taichung is for its day trips!

Related Posts: 1-3 Day Itinerary for Taichung &  How To Do a Day Trip from Taichung to Sun Moon Lake.

As a city, there are not many tourist attractions in Taichung and it’s hard to get around as everything is very spread out and there’s no metro system, not like in Taipei or Kaohsiung.

Things to do in Taichung include visiting the Rainbow Village which is really nice to visit although very small so it takes an hour max, and it takes about 30 minutes by taxi from Taichung city to the Rainbow Village or a lot longer by bus.

Taichung has a few night markets and Fengjia Night Market is the largest one in Taiwan, and that’s saying a lot so this is worth visiting.

Another thing Taichung is popular for is its fame for being the creator of Bubble Tea. Chun Shiu Tang on Siwei Street is the original Bubble Tea store in Taichung and a popular place to visit in Taichung. In all honesty, though, Chun Shiu Tang is a chain of Bubble Tea stores in Taiwan and the tea you’ll get in here will be the same and there’s nothing particularly special about the Chun Shiu Original Store in Taichung, and it gets busy!

Recommended days to spend in Taichung: 1 or 2-3 if you want to take day trips.

9. Sun Moon Lake

It’s really easy to get a bus from Taichung to Sun Moon Lake and do a day trip to Sun Moon Lake from Taichung.

At the bus stop, they sell Sun Moon Lake passes which include bus travel, a boat ticket, a ropeway ticket and they can include bike hire too. It takes 1.5-2 hours to travel from Taichung City to Sun Moon Lake and once you’re there you need about 4-5 hours to see the lake and head over to Ita Thao Village. Even though you don’t need long, based on my trip, its still one of the best places to visit in Taiwan and a big Taiwan tourist spot!

Related Post:  How To Do a Sun Moon Lake Day Trip from Taichung!

10. Dakeng Hiking Trails

From Taichung you can also get a bus to Dakeng Hiking Trails.

There are a number of hiking trails and they are numbered, note that some of them are harder than others and the Dakeng trails in Taichung can get very busy on weekends so it’s the best time to go hiking in Taichung is on a weekday if you can. The easier trails get particularly busier than the harder trails too.

11. Hualien  

Hualien is a city along the East Coast of Taiwan, the city itself doesn’t offer much in terms of Taiwan tourism but it is a great base to see more of Taiwan’s impressive East Coast from which one of the big attractions in Taiwan!

If you are confident in riding a scooter/moped, this is the best way to get out from Hualien and explore the coast. Places to visit near Hualien on Taiwan’s East Coast include Beibin Park,   Nanbin Park  and Four-Eight Highland .

In addition to this, for things to do in Hualien, I found the Hualien Night Market to be good so make sure you make time to eat there one evening.

If you don’t want to hire a scooter or a car, I found the bus system is a pretty good way of how to get around Hualien and I used the public bus to go to Taroko National Park .

Recommended days to spend in Taichung: 2-3 including Taroko National Park

12. Taroko National Park

I visited Taroko National Park as a day trip from Hualien and it’s one of the best places to visit in Taiwan if you want to go hiking in Taiwan !

Related Post:  How to Do a Day Trip to Taroko National Park via Bus from Hualien!

To hike some of trails in Taroko National Park you need to get a permit which can be tricky to get, however it is possible to hike many of the trails in Taroko Park without a permit, including the famous Taroko Gorge , and there’s even a regular bus service throughout the park if walking isn’t for you or you want to walk and get the bus (which is what I did, you can read about this here).

The centre of Taiwan is full of nature and hiking in Taiwan is one of the popular things to do in Taiwan for tourists and for locals.  Taroko National Park is one of the most visited National Parks’s in Taiwan due to its ease so I think this should be on your Taiwan itinerary to show you another side of the Island to the big cities.

Tour Taroko Gorge, an Asian wonder, in a day from Taipei, guided by your personal driver. Experience striking attractions and scenic trails.

Note that Taroko, like all of Taiwan’s hiking trails and National Parks, gets very busy on weekends as lots of Taiwanese like to venture out hiking too so if you have the flexibility I’d recommend that the best time to visit Taroko National Park is during the week.

Recommended days to spend at Taroko National Park: 1 day.

Tainan used to be the capital of Taiwan back in 1683–1887 but it’s still the cultural capital of Taiwan now and therefore a good place to visit in Taiwan. Although initially, the city seems pretty similar to Taichung in architecture once you reach the centre you’ll start to see the history.

Tainan has a big Dutch influence thanks to the Dutch occupying the South of Taiwan for a number of years and this can be best seen at Fort Provincia and Chihkan Tower which used to be a Dutch outpost and are popular things to do in Tainan. Shennong Street tucked between the many normal streets of Tainan is a pleasant surprise filled with little shops and restaurants and many Chinese lanterns. This may be the Taiwan you have been thinking of.

More things to do in Tainan include visiting  Anping where you can visit Fort Zeelandia and Anping Tree House for fairly unique places to see in Taiwan as no other city I’ve seen has these kinds of attractions. Finally, Tainan isn’t short of night markets and the most popular night market in Tainan is the Flower Night Market .

The only downside to Tainan, in my opinion, is its lack of metro like Taichung and the fact that Uber doesn’t currently work in Tainan so you have to use the buses (which can be tricky to work out in Taiwan I’ve found) or get a taxi by the meter so keep this in mind when planning your best places to visit in Taiwan!

Recommended days to spend in Tainan: 1-2 days.

• Related Posts:
• 2 Week Taiwan Itinerary!
•   1 Week Taiwan Itinerary!
• How Much I Spent in Taiwan!

14. Taitung

Taitung is much less visited than other cities in Taiwan but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go and if you are not a ‘city person’, Taitung will be a good place to visit because you can hire a scooter and be in Taitung county seeing nature and more of the East Coast of Taiwan in a short amount of time.

One of the popular Taitung attractions is the aboriginal tribes and people, in Taitung you’ll be able to learn about them and taste some of the local aboriginal food, one of the big reasons it’s one of the best places to visit in Taiwan!

Recommended days to spend in Taitung: 1-2 days.

15. Kenting National Park

Kenting is in the very Southern tip of Taiwan and closest to Kaohsiung. Some blog posts recommend that you can visit Kenting National Park on a day trip from Kaohsiung but the bus takes a few hours so it will be a long day.

The best way to see Kenting is to hire a car or get the bus to Kenting from Kaohsiung and hire scooters but do be sure to look into the situation around driving licences. 

Kenting does look beautiful online with incredible white beaches and Kenting Town is full of restaurants and bars, but I heard from 2 different travellers that they didn’t enjoy it that much which is what made me decide not to go.

I don’t think Kenting is a good place for solo travellers to visit in Taiwan due to how to get around, but it does seem good for families or a group.

Recommended days to spend in Kenting National Park: 2-3 days.

16. Green Island

Taiwan is not just about the mainland, there are islands in Taiwan to visit too! Green Island Taiwan is a volcanic island located on the south-east coast of Taiwan and is accessible by boat from Taitung or by plane from Taipei or Taitung airports.

The best way to get around Green Island is by electric scooter, you can explore the island in just a few hours due to its size and explore the beaches on Green island, its local villages and its history at places like the Human Rights Memorial.

Recommended days to spend on Green Island: 2-3 days.

17. Penghu Islands

Located on the western side of Taiwan are the  Penghu Islands which are one of Taiwan’s best-kept secrets! The Penghu Islands are made up of 90 islands, although a number of these are uninhabited. Things to do in Penghu Island include surfing and windsurfing in its awesome waves. Penghu also has the world’s first submarine postbox you can dive or underwater helmet-walk to send a waterproof postcard.

Recommended days to spend in Penghu Islands: 2-3 days.

18. Keelung

Keelung is in the very North of Taiwan and is another Taiwanese port city. I docked here for a day on a cruise trip around Japan.

There are a few things to do in Keelung like visiting Temples , Chung Cheng Park , an abandoned building and it’s night market but in all honesty, there are not many tourist attractions in Keelung so if you are on a tight itinerary for Taiwan , I’d recommend leaving Keelung or going on a day trip from Taipei to Keelung as there are much better cities in Taiwan to visit.

Experience Keelung on foot with a local, savoring Taiwanese street food at the Night Market, featuring delicacies like herbal tea and curry noodles.

Recommended days to spend in Keelung: 0.5-1 day.

How to Get Around Taiwan?

Now you know the best places to visit in Taiwan, how easy is it to get around Taiwan?

Trains in Taiwan

It’s actually very easy! Taiwan is connected by train the whole way around the island . There are train lines that loop of the outer edge of the island. Trains in Taiwan are fairly inexpensive (not like Japan!), and for most train journeys in Taiwan, you can choose from the TRA which is a local train but is still very quick and comfy, or HSR which is the high-speed rail train. The high-speed trains in Taiwan are extremely fast and they do cost more than the TRA. However, due to the small size of Taiwan, all trains will take between 1-4 hours.

For tourists in Taiwan you can buy train packages like this which give you unlimited train travel in Taiwan for a certain amount of days:

3 Day Tourist Rail Pass for Taiwan’s High-Speed Trains.

5 Day Tourist Rail Pass for Taiwan’s Local and High-Speed Trains.

You can also buy train tickets online via Klook for Taiwan’s trains for example:

High-Speed Train from Taipei to Taichung.

High-Speed Train from Taipei to Tainan.

12GO Asia is another way you can book trains in Taiwan and check the running schedule. 12GO Asia is the biggest transport booking platform in Asia, so book your Taiwan train here !

Buses are another way to get around Taiwan and buses connect all of the major cities . For example, Taipei to Taichung is a popular bus route in Taiwan.

TAIWAN ITINERARY HELP

Here are my top Taiwan itinerary posts to help your plan your trip:

• 1 week Taiwan Itinerary!
• 18 Best Places to Visit in Taiwan!
• How to Plan a Trip to Taiwan!

TAIWAN ON A BUDGET

Taiwan isn’t the cheapest country but it’s not the most expensive either and can be travelled on a reasonable budget. Here’s my post on the cost of travel in Taiwan and how to travel Taiwan on a budget !

Car Hire in Taiwan

Hiring a car in Taiwan is very popular, the roads and driving in Taiwan is extremely good, not like many other Asian countries which foreigners can find hard to drive in. I met a few people who had hired a car in Taiwan so I recommend looking into this to give yourself total freedom.

When it comes to getting around Taiwan cities, as mentioned above, Taipei and Kaohsiung have the MRT metro which is easy and reliant to use. Other cities without a metro have a bus system, Uber also works in most places in Taiwan.

To get around on public transport in Taiwan you’ll need an EasyCard which can be used throughout the country.

If you are flying into Taoyuan Taipei Airport you can buy an EasyCard and Sim Card package deal at the airport to save you time and hassle!

Best Time of Year to Visit Taiwan

I have visited Taiwan in March and early November which are both great times to visit Taiwan as the weather was good, not wet and not too hot.

In the summer months, Taiwan gets extremely hot and sweaty as well as bringing rainy season with it so summer in Taiwan is not a good time of year to travel to Taiwan. In winter in Taiwan, the country cools down, especially in Taipei in the North however it doesn’t get too cold. The best months to visit Taiwan are during Spring and Autumn I say.

I hope this list of the best places to visit in Taiwan has helped you!

• More of my Taiwan Posts:
•   2 Week Taiwan Itinerary!
• 1 Week Taiwan Itinerary!
• ALL TAIWAN POSTS

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Friday 27th of December 2019

Dear Ellie, I just found your amazing blogs and vlogs! I will be going to Taiwan in April and I will be definitely sourcing from your precious articles. Also, you gave me lot of courage to travel solo since all my family is scared about it. I love your style of travelling. Thank you so much! I would have one question.. do you recommend any site for searching the train/ bus timetable? I will not rent a car and would like to round the island clockwise :) Have a great travels and thank you for inspiring! Simona (Prague)

TheWanderingQuinn

Tuesday 7th of January 2020

Hello, this is so nice to hear and thank you for letting me know. Taiwan is so incredibly safe and the people are really nice so you will be fine. To be honest, I have always found it hard to find train times online, I don't think people book them online there. The best thing to do is to go to the station when you arrive and ask then and book a ticket for a few days time. It seems like everyone does it and I have never had a problem with trains or buses being fully booked in advance. :)

Taiwan Tours & Vacations

When Portuguese sailors first saw Taiwan off the starboard bow in 1544, they christened it Ilha Formosa, the 'Beautiful Island'.

And can you blame them? For 400 years communists, capitalists, imperialists, and everyone in between have fought over its mist-shrouded forests, soaring peaks, and plunging coastal cliffs. These days it’s definitely a case of ‘come for the adventure, stay for the stir-fries’, with some of the best fusion cuisines around, top road cycling, excellent mountain trekking, and world-class coffee to boot. Also variously known as the Republic of China and Chinese Tapei, Taiwan is a destination that has most definitely come into its own.

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Taiwan at a glance

Capital city.

23.9 million

(GMT+08:00) Taipei

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Electricity.

Type A (North American/Japanese 2-pin) Type B (American 3-pin)

Learn more about Taiwan

Best time to visit taiwan.

While there’s really no bad time to visit Taiwan, some months are more predictable than others.

September to November is the best time to visit when you’ll find balmy nights, rich autumn foliage, and off-peak prices.

Traveling in spring (March to May) is down to luck: it could be clear skies, monsoonal rain, or even a sandstorm blown over from   China .

Swimming is best mid-year (June to August) when the weather can heat up, but there is always the small risk of typhoons.

Geography and environment

Taiwan is a little like   South America   with its spine-like ridge of (often impassable) mountains running southwest through the center of the island. The beauty of this setup is that topography and environment can change very quickly.

You can be cycling through low-lying rice paddies around Taitung one day, traversing the high forest passes of Yushan the next, and then finishing up on the white northern beaches around Fuguei Cape.

Generally, the central national parks and east coast are the most spectacular regions; the west coast is flat and highly developed with urban areas spreading over the river basins and flood plains that lead to the sea.

Festivals and events

Public holidays that may impact travel include:.

Founding Day of the Republic of China

Republic Day Holiday

Chinese New Year

228 Peace Memorial Day

Qingming Festival /Tomb Sweeping Day

Children's Day

Dragon Boat Festival

Mid-Autumn / Moon Festival

ROC National Celebration Day

Please note dates of Taiwan's public holidays may vary.

Top 5 attractions in Taiwan

1. sun moon lake.

One of Asia’s best-kept secrets, Sun Moon Lake is easily the equal of any Como, Bled, or Windermere. It’s a huge blue oasis hidden among the green peaks of Taiwan’s central mountain ranges. By day it’s merely beautiful, but in the blue-gold light of dawn, with mists rolling over the water and local fishermen paddling past, it’s like something out of a fairy tale.

2. Taroko Gorge

They have to shoot a James Bond chase scene through here, that’s all there is to it. Taroko Gorge was made for the cinema. It’s a winding maze of looming marble crags, huge cut-out roads tunneling right into the mountains, rushing river gorges, and looping alpine passes. If you are ever being chased by gangsters in your supercar, you want it to be here.

3. Qingshui Cliffs

Just google an image of ‘Qingshui Cliffs’ before we continue. All done? Now you know what we’re talking about. They’re basically a 21 km stretch of sheer jungle-covered cliffs plunging straight into the East China Sea, with a tiny highway clinging on about halfway up. This is not a journey for vertigo sufferers, but for fans of jaw-dropping natural wonders, it’s a must-do.

An easy one to tick off, since it’ll probably be your first stop in Taiwan. The northern city of Taipei is the island’s capital and offers a beating, chaotic counterpoint to the Zen-like beauty of the southern national parks. If you think it’s crazy by day, just wait until night, when a neon glow lights the sky and lantern-lit markets spring up in the colorful Songshan district.

5. Penghu Islands

Penghu is one of Taiwan’s hidden gems, an archipelago of 90 islands between the mainland and China. They’re remote, but worth the journey, with brilliant beaches devoid of crowds, glorious temples, towering basalt columns, and genuine old-fashioned Chinese hospitality. Penghu is also a windsurfing mecca and a nesting ground for rare green sea turtles. Not bad for one tiny volcanic island chain.

Further reading

Taiwan travel faqs, do i need a visa to travel to taiwan.

TAIWAN VISA

Nationals of most countries are eligible for the visa exemption program, which permits a duration of stay of 30-90 days. Please check with your nearest consulate for your specific eligibility.

Is tipping customary in Taiwan?

Tipping is not really common practice in Taiwan, except perhaps in the more high-class hotels. Most restaurants have a service charge built into the price, and taxi drivers will usually return your change to you.

What is the internet access like in Taiwan?

As one of Asia’s more tech-savvy destinations, cyber cafes are common in the major cities. Free Wi-Fi can also usually be found at the local library.

Can I use my cell phone while in Taiwan?

Cell phone coverage is excellent in Taiwan, apart from some of the more remote mountain areas. Ensure global roaming is activated before leaving home if you wish to use your mobile while traveling.

What are the toilets like in Taiwan?

Modern flushing toilets are commonplace in Taiwan, although it can be hard to find a public toilet in large cities.

Can I drink the water in Taiwan?

Water in Taiwan is usually filtered, and therefore safe, but use your common sense. Restaurants will generally filter their water, as will most of the drinking fountains. If you can’t find these in the more rural areas, bring some purification tablets to treat the water.

Are credit cards accepted widely in Taiwan?

Most hotels and department stores accept VISA and Mastercard, but Diners and AMEX are not usually accepted. For restaurants and small stores, cash is the normal form of payment.

What is ATM access like in Taiwan?

ATM access in Taiwan is exceptional, with most of their ATMs able to withdraw money from anywhere in the world using the Plus or Cirrus system. There is usually a TWD 20,000 limit for cash withdrawals.

Is Taiwan accessible for travellers with disabilities?

We’re committed to making travel accessible for everyone, regardless of ability or disability. That’s why we do our best to help as many people see the world as possible, regardless of any physical or mental limitations they might have. We’re always happy to talk to travelers with disabilities and see if we can help guide them toward the most suitable itinerary for their needs and where possible, make reasonable adjustments to our itineraries.

Taiwan generally has   accessibility   in mind when building new infrastructure, however, as a mountainous place there are many natural barriers to those with limited mobility. Outdoor activities such as hiking or visiting national parks are common on itineraries and may be off limits to wheelchair users or travelers for who steps or uneven ground are an issue. Wheelchair-accessible tour buses may be able to be booked in advance and taxis are good value. MRT trains have accessible facilities. Many hotels and guesthouses will have barrier-free rooms, but often cafes and restaurants have seating on upper floors without lifts. Outside Taipei and Kaohsiung cities and towns can lack sidewalks.

Do I need to purchase travel insurance before traveling?

Absolutely. All passengers traveling with Intrepid are required to purchase travel insurance before the start of their trip. Your travel insurance details will be recorded by your leader on the first day of the trip. Due to the varying nature, availability and cost of health care around the world, travel insurance is very much an essential and necessary part of every journey.

For more information on insurance, please go to: Travel Insurance

How do I stay safe and healthy while traveling?

From Australia?

Go to: Smart Traveller

From Canada?

Go to:  Canada Travel Information

From the UK?

Go to:  UK Foreign Travel Advice

From New Zealand?

Go to:  Safe Travel

From the US?

Go to:  US Department of State

The World Health Organisation also provides useful health information.

Does my trip support The Intrepid Foundation?

Yes, all Intrepid trips support the Intrepid Foundation. Trips to this country directly support our global Intrepid Foundation partners, Eden Reforestation Projects and World Bicycle Relief. Intrepid will double the impact by dollar-matching all post-trip donations made to The Intrepid Foundation.

Eden Reforestation Projects

Eden Reforestation Projects are helping to mitigate climate change by restoring forests worldwide; they also hire locally and create job opportunities within vulnerable communities. Donations from our trips support restoration across planting sites in 10 countries around the globe. Find out more or make a donation World Bicycle Relief

World Bicycle Relief provides people in low-income communities with bicycles to mobilize school kids, health workers, and farmers in far-out areas – giving them access to vital education, healthcare, and income. Donations help provide Buffalo Bicycles – specifically designed to withstand the rugged terrain and harsh environment of rural regions – to those who need them most. Find out more or make a donation

The website uses Cookies and other relevant technologies to optimize services. To provide you with a better experience, if you continue to use our site, you are consenting with our use of Cookies. The website can also find scenic spots for users. To activate and utilize this AI-based service, please allow the site to acquire your location first.

Tourism Administration, Republic of China (Taiwan)-Taiwan Tourism Administration's Taiwan Tourism Information Website

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Arrival & Departure

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Restrictions on Entering Taiwan:  National Immigration Agency - Restrictions on Entering Taiwan (Chinese)

For the latest Taiwan entry/exit and quarantine information, please refer to the website of the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare:  Taiwan Center for Disease Control - Border Quarantine

Updated COVID-19 Response Actions

From August 15, 2023:

• If you have suspected symptoms of COVID-19 or receive a positive quick test, please follow the "0+n self-health management" approach. Under this system, no quarantine is required, but such individuals should avoid any unnecessary departures from their residence/hotel room and they should wear a mask at all times when they go out. These procedures should be followed until a negative quick test is received, or 5 days after the most recent positive test.
• Individuals with severe risk factors should seek medical attention as soon as possible.

Foreign travelers may obtain tourist visas if they hold foreign passports or travel documents valid for more than six months in the Republic of China for purposes of sightseeing, business, family visits, study or training, medical treatments, or other legitimate activities. Visa requirements included one completed application form, incoming and outgoing travel tickets, one photo, documents verifying the purpose of the visits, and other relevant documents. The Visitor Visa Application Form can be downloaded from the website of the Bureau of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The completed form should be submitted to an Embassies and Mission Abroad of the Republic of China for visa issuances.

For any further information, please visit the website of the Bureau of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs . For any further questions about visa application, please contact: e-mail: [email protected] , TEL: +886-2-2343-2888.

• Countries eligible for Visa-Exempt Entry
• Countries eligible for Landing Visas
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• ROC Embassies and Missions Abroad
• Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport

Custom hints for Passenger please check Directorate General of Customs' website at  Taipei Customs Office . 

Traveler Luggage Clearance

Foreign Currencies: value over US$10,000 should be declared. New Taiwan Currency: under NT$100,000. A traveler should apply for the permission to the Central Bank for amounts over such value. There is no restriction on the amount of gold that a traveler can bring out of Taiwan; however, a traveler should declare to the customs office. When carrying out gold valued over US$20,000 out of Taiwan, a traveler should apply for an export permit to the Bureau of Foreign Trade, MOEA (Tel : +886-2-2351-0271 ext. 352) and apply for customs clearance to the customs office.

NB: A traveler should register at the customs office counter when bringing out of Taiwan gold, foreign currencies or new taiwan currency in excess of the said amount. (Tel: +886-3-398-2308, +886-3-398-3222)

Inbound Travelers' Luggage Inspection Flow

Last update time：

Taiwan Tours & Trips

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10 best Taiwan tour packages

Compiled by

Steff Taiwan travel expert at TourRadar

A Taste of Taiwan by Train

Taiwan express, around formosa taiwan, 5-day classic taroko gorge, sun moon lake & alishan (private), taiwan island - 9 days, around taiwan 8 day private tour (premium), tailor-made best taiwan tour with daily departure & private guide, taiwan explorer 11 days panorama tour, customized private taiwan tour with daily departure, best of taiwan 9 days tour package.

• Indulge on street food delights in Taipei’s night markets
• Dine on local delicacies in Taiwan’s underrated culinary capital
• Cycle the majestic forested trails surrounding Sun Moon Lake

“Everything was perfectly organized, hotels were good, train was fun, all in all it was a good experience.”

• In-depth Cultural
• Christmas & New Year
• Learn at Kavalan Whisky Distillery and arts center
• Discover Kenting Park and coastal natural beauty
• Explore Taipei's historic and modern sites

“We enjoyed good food, excellent hotel. Taiwan is very safe place for visiting.”

• Coach / Bus
• Discover Kenting Park and coastal lighthouses
• Experience Taipei's culture and tea farms
• Tour Taroko Gorge and marvel at marble cliffs

“Good variety of places of interests. Guides were all informative, communicated efficiently about the following day's activities.”

• Mountain Hikes
• Hiking & Trekking
• Sample black tea at Antique Assam Tea Farm
• Drive along the stunning Suhua Highway
• Cycle around the scenic Sun Moon Lake

“Our itinerary was changed last minute due to a devastating earthquake, and the steps taken to ensure that we'd be safe while still having a lovely trip were amazing.”

• Circumnavigate the island in 9 days - carefully planned for the most complete Taiwan experience at the proper pace.
• Learn about the history of Taiwan’s indigenous Amis community and savor the authentic flavors of Taiwan’s agricultural abundance in through Amis’s cuisine.
• Overnight in Taroko National Park’s only 5-star hotel to end and start your day in the embrace of Taiwan’s most magnificent nature reserve.

“The hotels were superb as were the meals that were chosen for us. We feel that we have really seen a very varied and interesting side of this country.”

• Discover Taroko Gorge's stunning landscapes
• Cruise on Sun Moon Lake's tranquil waters
• Ride the Alishan Forest Railway at dawn

“The itinerary was well put and we have a great time and learned a lot about Taiwan.”

• Dine at Michelin-starred Din Tai Fung
• Witness sunset at Gaomei Wetlands
• Boat and cable car rides at Sun Moon Lake

• Discover Taroko Gorge's marble cliffs
• Tour Dharma Drum Mountain and Yehliu
• Visit Jintong and Shifen Waterfall

• Explore the ancient town of Lugang
• Cruise around the scenic Sun Moon Lake
• Cycle through Taitung's Forest Park

• Visit Fort Zeelandia and Anping Old Street
• Experience King Car Kavalan Whisky Distillery
• Discover Kenting National Park's coast

“The trip was great. Communication was great. They followed up every step of the way.”

Discover TourRadar

Taiwan Tourism Visitor Information Centre has officially Opened

Taiwan Tourism has opened a new Visitor Information Centre in the heart of Sydney on 19 June 2019.

It li located at Suite 206 13-15 Wentworth Avenue, Syndey NSW 2000.

The office can be contacted on +61-2-9931 2650.

Find out more information, feel free to contact the centre.

| Privacy Policy | Accessibility |

Copyright © Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of China (Taiwan)

Taiwan Insight

The online magazine of the Taiwan Research Hub

Tourism in Taiwan: The Need for Environmentally Responsible Behaviour

Written by Tsung Hung Lee and Fen-Hauh Jan.

Tourism can result in adverse environmental effects, particularly as greenhouse gas emissions are associated with travelling and other recreational activities. Tourism does not only contribute to global warming but also contributes to the physical degradation of tourist destinations. Whether tourists intentionally or unintentionally damage the environments at tourist destinations, continues to be discussed. Reducing the impact of tourism on the environment, and educating tourists on environmentally responsible behaviour (ERB) have now become growing and important issues. Thus, the ways in which human activities cause serious environmental damage must be elucidated from a range of perspectives in order to reduce environmental harm and provide solutions.

Taiwan is located on the fault line that separates the Euro-Asian and Philippine continental plates. Approximately 75 percent of its land mass is mountainous and about 59 percent of its forested areas are in the central region along the north-to-south axis of the island. The significant variation in altitudes in this region causes a large variation in climatic conditions, generating a considerable variation in forest diversity. Taiwan has abundant and numerous national forest recreational areas, which are becoming increasingly important because they form a network of ecological conservation areas.

Taiwan is surrounded by ocean and has a long coastline that offers varying natural scenery. The west coast has many wetlands that are commonly used for farming and fishing. In recent years, some wetlands have been developed as recreational areas. For example, Guandu, Aowu, Haomeiliao, Cigu and Sihcao have been developed as nature-based tourism sites.

“ Tourists should be invited to work as “conservation partners” or “environmental volunteers” who engage in pro-environmental behaviours. This is in preference to the imposition of regulations or laws to control tourists’ adverse environmental behaviours during their participation in recreational activities. “

Taiwan has several small islands, such as Liuqiu and Penghu , that have been developed as low-carbon islands to support sustainable tourism. Island-based tourism provides various attractions, including beautiful scenery, natural resources, island experiences, and local cultural activities which attract many visitors.

Taiwan used community-based development models in the mid-1990s as a means of increasing the sustainability of tourism in rural Taiwan. Since Taiwan’s agricultural sector lost its competitive advantage following the accession of Taiwan to the World Trade Organisation in 2002, community-based tourism – integrating both sustainable tourism and environmental conservation – has become one of the best alternative development models for economically depressed rural areas.

Although there exists an extensive literature on the assessment of ERB, studies regarding the methods of measuring ERB are lacking. Lee, Jan, and Yang (2013) first attempted to assess tourists’ ERB by using three surveys to establish a reliable and valid 24-item scale with a first-order and seven-factor model. They defined ERB as “tourists who strive to reduce their environmental impact, contribute to environmental preservation and/or conservation efforts, and do not disturb the ecosystem and biosphere of a destination during recreation/tourism activities.” They developed seven constructs; civil action, financial action, physical action, persuasive action, sustainable behavior, pro-environmental behavior, and environmentally friendly behavior, for conceptualising and evaluating the ERB of tourists.

However, as with most research, there are limitations. This scale relies on a self-reported measurement of tourists’ own ERBs, and so may not fully capture actual behavior. Applying the above concept and measurement of the ERB of tourists , the authors examined the factors that affect ERB and developed a series of theoretical models on ERB. They found that environmentally aware tourists’ develop significantly more positive attitudes regarding demonstrating ERB. Moreover, several precedent variables such as recreational involvement, place attachment, and conservation commitment affect tourists’ ERB.

Given that recreational activities in nature may affect tourists’ ERBs, with regards to both environmental attitudes and biospheric values, organisers of a nature-based tourism destinations should design and provide tourist activities that focus on the ecosystem and wildlife to enhance tourists’ biospheric values. They should also use pro-environmental activities, such as ecological hiking, environmental education, and environmental workshops, to help improve tourists’ environmental attitudes and their general ERBs. Tourists should be invited to work as “conservation partners” or “environmental volunteers” who engage in pro-environmental behaviours. This is in preference to the imposition of regulations or laws to control tourists’ adverse environmental behaviours during their participation in recreational activities.

Nature-based activities and tourist destinations are important for tourists who want to enjoy nature and take part in outdoor activities. Area/tourist managers who can identify the critical factors that cause environmental damage, and promote recreational engagement and experiences, develop environmental attitudes, and biospheric values, and also promote conservation among tourists, will be able to better develop sustainable tourism and ERBs.

One final observation is in regard to the assessment of studies which use self-reported measures to test ERB. Many may over-estimate their own ERB because of their own social desirability. Future studies should focus on observing participants in order to better evaluate ERB models.

Tsung Hung Lee is a Distinguished Professor at National Yunlin University of Science & Technology, Taiwan. Fen-Hauh Jan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Tourism and Hospitality at TransWorld University, Taiwan.  Image Credit: CC by William Cho/ Flickr

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ข้อมูลหนังสือเดินทางและวีซ่าเข้าไต้หวัน

บ่อน้ำพุร้อน

สิ่งแวดล้อม และสุขภาพ

ท่องเที่ยวเชิงอนุรักษ์

เที่ยวทางรถไฟ

ตลาดกลางคืน

ผู้มีความต้องการพิเศษ

ปั่นจักรยาน

จุดเด่นของอาหารไต้หวันอยู่ที่ศิลปะในการทำอย่างพิถีพิถัน ที่ผสมผสานกลิ่น สี รสชาติ หน้าตาของอาหารได้อย่างลงตัว ซึ่งเป็นการแปลงโฉมวัตถุดิบที่หาได้ทั่วไปให้เป็นอาหารรสเลิศเหมือนมาจากฝีมือผู้เชี่ยวชาญในไต้หวัน เทคนิคการทำอาหารไม่ใช่เพียงแค่การใช้สูตรเฉพาะตัวสไตล์พื้นบ้านเท่านั้น แต่ยังมีความกลมกลืนของเทคนิคสมัยใหม่เพื่อให้เข้ากับยุคสมัย ความพิเศษนี้ทำให้นักท่องเที่ยวอยากมาเยือนที่ไต้หวันเพื่อสัมผัสรสชาติของอาหารโอชาเหล่านี้ที่มีตั้งแต่หมั่นโถวไปจนถึงติ่มซำ

ทริปปั่นจักรยาน: ชมวิว กินของอร่อย ไทเป – เมืองซินจู๋

#Bicycle Tours

ทริปสองวัน – ทัวร์ตลาดกลางคืนที่เกาสง

#Historic Sites

ทริปสองวัน – ทัวร์เมืองจิ่วเฟิ่น-จินกัวสือ

ทริปสองวัน – เยือนเมืองซินจู๋

#Temples & Blessings

ทริปสองวัน – ชิมอาหารและแหล่งวัฒนธรรมในเมืองไถจง

#FengjiaNightMarket

ทริปสองวัน – ตะลอนเมืองเจียอี้

#Night Markets

ทริปสองวัน – เยือนถนนโบราณในเมืองลู่กั่ง

#TianweiHighwayGarden

ทริปหนึ่งวัน – เที่ยวเมืองหยุนหลิน

#BeigangChaotianTemple

ทริปหนึ่งวัน – เที่ยวชมป้อมปราการในเมืองจีหลง

ทริปหนึ่งวัน – หาของทานเล่นในเมืองจีหลง

#Jhongjheng

ทริปสามวัน – ตะลุยชิมอาหาร และเยือนสถานที่น่าสนใจในเทไป

#RaoheStreetTouristNightMarket

ทริปหนึ่งวัน – ไหว้พระ 3 วัดศักดิ์สิทธิ์ในไทเป

ทริปหนึ่งวัน – ตะลุยสถานที่ท่องเที่ยวสุดฮิต กลางเมืองไทเป

#PresidentialOfficeBuilding

ทริปหนึ่งวัน – เที่ยวรอบ ตั้นสุ่ย/ปาหลี่ (Tamsui/Bali)

ทริปหนึ่งวัน – ตระเวนกินในเกาสง

She was raised in a tiny gold-mining town in Taiwan. Now it's become a tourist trap — and she's fighting for the soul of the place.

• Jiufen's tourism boom is overwhelming its 1,600 residents.
• The former gold-mining town's transformation into a tourist hot spot hit the big time with the animation "Spirited Away."
• Tourism has brought business opportunities as well as challenges to the daily lives of residents.

"Sorry, but I just work here, I don't live here," said a salesperson as I made my way to a shop in a tiny mountain town in Taiwan in late June.

It's a common refrain in Jiufen, just an hour's drive from the Taiwanese capital of Taipei.

I looked intently at my Google Maps app before stepping into a small opening between two shops. It led me down a flight of stairs and snaked past several homes before hitting a narrow street.

I found my interview location quickly, mostly because Jiufen is so small that it's hard to get really lost.

It's also precisely because Jiufen is so small that the millions of tourists — primarily daytrippers — making their way through its tiny alleyways each year overwhelm the 1,600 residents living here. In 2023, the tourist zone where Jiufen is located welcomed nearly 4 million visitors.

Most would be headed for Jiufen, a historic gold-mining town known for its striking likeness to the set of Oscar-winning Japanese animation "Spirited Away."

Mickey Tseng, 36, paused and searched for her words when I asked her what she thought about the changes in the quiet mountain town where she grew up with her grandparents. She, like many others who hail from Jiufen, spent her childhood chasing after frogs, cooking sweet potatoes in the mud, and frolicking by the rivers.

"I got really angry with how this place became," Tseng told me. "I looked at the crowds and asked why they didn't think to pay attention to culture and heritage."

It's not hard to see Jiufen's allure, especially at dusk, when red lanterns cast a glow on old shopfronts and teahouses that seem to have stood still in time. Or after a shower lifts to leave a mist that stretches into the sea.

But, like tourist hot spots from Venice and Barcelona to Kyoto, Jiufen is now more about vibes than history. Reviews throw up predictable descriptions: magical, crowded, tourist trap.

The fading gold-mining town

Visitors to the town typically head to Jiufen Old Street, a narrow winding street with shops on both sides hawking anything from tea and Taiwanese snacks to generic tourist junk.

Many travelers also duck into the teahouses located in and around the street.

Residents — some of whom have lived in the area for generations — try to avoid being around Jiufen Old Street during the day, Tseng said. There's nothing they could possibly want from here.

"The shops in the old street used to cater to residents' daily needs like groceries, food, clothes, and shoes but as the number of residents dwindled, they all closed one by one," said Tseng, referring to scenes from a Jiufen whose glory days were already over when she was born.

Now, the shops in town are mostly geared toward tourists. Many residents make their way down the mountain for their grocery runs. The elderly wait for their kids to visit with their weekly hauls.

On the old street today, there is just one OG shop selling braised pork buns, said Tseng. It was closed when I was in the area, but the owners of the shop used to cater all the events around Jiufen from weddings to other celebrations, she added.

The shop now mainly caters to tourists.

Tseng's Jiufen

Born in 1988, Tseng spent her formative years in this tiny Jiufen where everyone knew everyone else.

Related stories

Her mother's family has been living in the area for six generations, she said. They were farmers before gold was discovered the area, sparking a rush that her grandfather, Tseng Shui-Chih, joined around 1949 at the age of 14.

Like other gold miners of the time, he set up home in Jiufen, an area that's made up of three parallel streets and one intersecting street.

When the gold rush took hold, as many as 50,000 people lived in Jiufen at one point.

But the gold mines shut by 1971 and the town fell into decline. The town's population tanked and the young people — like Tseng's mother — left to seek work elsewhere.

Tseng was born in Taipei. She was sent to live with her grandparents a week later while her parents continued working at a garment factory in the capital. Tseng spent her elementary school and college years away from Jiufen, but was always back during her term breaks.

As Tseng grew up, she saw the town change from a sleepy town to a tourist hot spot after the Taiwanese movie "A City of Sadness" was filmed in the area. The 1989 film went on to win numerous international awards — including the Venice Film Festival's prestigious Golden Lion prize — creating a wave of new businesses, notably teahousees, in Jiufen.

In 2001, Japanese auteur Hayao Miyazaki's "Spirited Away" set off an even bigger wave of sightseeing frenzy.

Miyazaki has categorically denied that the mountain town was his inspiration for the animation's set, but it hasn't stopped travelers from coming in droves.

With visitors far outnumbering residents, social spaces for the local community have shrunk significantly. Today, residents tend to emerge from their homes only when tourists leave.

Locals like to stroll in the quiet of night, chatting with one another, said Tseng. But it's far from the Jiufen of the past.

Now shops close around 7 p.m., which Tseng said is "shocking" —because Jiufen used to be a town that never sleeps.

"What do you think miners used to do after work?" Tseng asked.

It turns out the hard workers did what all hard workers do: eat, drink, be merry, and — in this case — gamble too: "It was like Las Vegas," she said.

Since most shops on the old shopping street used to be run by residents who lived in the same spaces, they would also keep them open late into the night, Tseng said.

In the 1990s, following the hype from "A City of Sadness," teahouses in Jiufen even operated into the wee hours of the morning to serve local tourists unwinding over the weekends. Tseng knows — because she used to work in one.

Today, it can get eerily silent at night in Jiufen after the daytrippers leave — which is a different sort of charm in itself. However, it's just not the soul of Tseng's hometown.

Launching a night tour business

Tseng now hopes to revive some of the nocturnal buzz by running a night tour after daytrippers leave. It's a business as much as a salve for her own existential anxiety.

"As things I remember started disappearing, I began to doubt myself. I started to doubt if something I remember really existed in the first place," Tseng said. "I had to do something."

She charges 400 New Taiwan Dollars, or $12.30, per person for the tour and can see as many as 25 people for each tour. A minimum of five people are required to form an English tour.

The tour starts at the house she shares with her grandmother and uncle, which is also home to a gold ore museum. Founded by Grandpa Tseng, who died in 2012, the museum was what brought Tseng home in the same year.

Before returning to Jiufen, Tseng spent her first two years after college in a few unrelated jobs. She taught Chinese in London, and worked two retail jobs in Taipei.

Tseng's private museum is simple, with displays of metal ores and tools. At the entrance stands a mining cart with Grandpa Tseng's gear and tools. She charges 120 New Taiwan Dollars per visitor and requires a group of at least 10 people for the museum tour.

Tseng doesn't appear to have figured out how to scale up her operations. She markets the tours mainly via local guesthouses. She said she wasn't even receiving a salary in her first decade back in Jiufen, but is driven by a deeper calling.

During her tour, she tells stories about what the town used to be.

"If a place doesn't have memories and culture, the place will disappear. Jiufen wouldn't be Jiufen anymore," she said.

Recently, Tseng also started manning a barbershop after its longtime owner, Miyoko Yang, died at the age of 80. It's not just for heritage but to keep the only barbershop in the neighborhood in service.

Reimagining authenticity amid over-tourism

Like all tourist hot spots, Jiufen residents have a love-hate relationship with the travelers who line up its stairs and clamor into shops.

Visitors have taken over their daily spaces, but tourism has also rejuvenated the town and provided residents with commercial opportunities from running guesthouses to renting out their homes as shop spaces.

"The lives of residents have been impacted but without sightseeing, this place would not survive," said Tseng. "There were no other industries after mining, and that was why it fell into decline. Tourism gave Jiufen a second life."

Tseng is hoping to present a more genuine Jiufen to visitors and to inspire businesses in the area to imagine a future where commercial opportunities can align with the area's heritage.

It's a delicate balance.

"'Authenticity' to local residents is quite different from what tourists expect," Kevin Cheong, an adjunct lecturer at the Singapore Management University and a project consultant to the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, told me.

To local residents of the place, authenticity is about retaining traditional ways of life, forms of worship, rites, rituals, and customs. In other words, it's so that they can go about their everyday lives, so the tourist doesn't exist, explained Cheong.

"However, to tourists, 'authenticity' is like a show performance where the place is on stage delivering a 'song-and-dance' and they pay for such an experience," he said.

Tseng admitted she has considered escaping the tourist trap that is home many times. But she is not looking to leave now that she's so entwined with the local community.

Besides, she can't, the Jiufen local said half-seriously.

"I go to the temple every year over the new year to ask about my career and if it's right for me to continue staying here, if there's a future for me here," Tseng said, referring to a traditional practice of drawing a divination lot in answer to a question or request.

The Earth God that oversees Jiufen has instructed Tseng to stay put — every single year: "He is telling me, 'don't rush, be patient.'"

Watch: How the last artificial flower factory in New York City survived a century

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Oasis says reunion tour tickets can only be resold at face value on official sites

Emma Bowman

A fan uses a smartphone to access an online ticket sales website to purchase tickets for Oasis' "Live '25" tour. Oasis fans queued online early Saturday to buy tickets for the eagerly awaited reunion tour, but many tickets had already been scooped up by resellers charging many times over original ticket prices. Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Oasis fans, many of whom have waited 15 years for the band to reunite, are scrambling to secure a spot at the reunion tour next year after tickets went on sale Saturday. They’re being met with ticket prices many times over the pricing set by the band.

Taking note of the exorbitant pricing on third-party sites, the band is warning buyers that tickets can only be resold at face value through two online sellers: Ticketmaster and Twickets.

The Gallagher brothers are reviving Oasis. Here's a look at their decades-long feud

“Tickets appearing on other secondary ticketing sites are either counterfeit or will be cancelled by the promoters,” the band’s account tweeted on Saturday .

It was their second such warning in two days since presale began on Friday.

The British rock band, led by famously feuding brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher, will play 17 dates in Cardiff, Manchester, London, Edinburgh and Dublin starting July 4.

More than 1 million tickets went on sale on Saturday morning, according to The Associated Press , with prices starting at just under the equivalent of $100 (74 pounds) and going up to $666 for a package that includes a pre-show party and merchandise.

The Gallagher brothers are reuniting for an Oasis tour 15 years after breaking up

However, face-value ticket prices sold through Ticketmaster are not necessarily fixed price and can change, due to the company's “dynamic pricing” system, where prices rise in line with demand . Some tickets on the platform rose to more than quadruple the starting price, with the lowest (standing room tickets) later costing $466 before fees.

By Saturday afternoon Eastern time, all gigs had sold out. "Please check back later as more [tickets] may be released," read a note on Ticketmaster.

Yet, on third-party resale websites such as StubHub and Viagogo, plenty of tickets remained available for purchase. Some single tickets were going for well over $7,000 — 70 times their original price — several hours after the band issued its warning to resellers.

On Ticketmaster, fans faced long queues and glitches, some of whom saw the line collapse before they had a chance to scoop up tickets.

What’s believed to be a fragile and short-lived sibling reunion has added to fans’ excitement of seeing them live — of maybe catching a whiff of the tension in person — before Oasis (maybe? definitely?) breaks up again.

On social media, many have turned to Oasis lyrics and memes to cope with the ticket chaos. One person posted a mock photo of the Ticketmaster site, with text joking that Oasis had already split up while they were in the queue.

Earlier this year, the Justice Department sued Ticketmaster's owner , Live Nation Entertainment, for having an alleged monopoly on live entertainment. The antitrust lawsuit alleges that Ticketmaster stifles competition and artificially inflates ticket prices through exclusive deals with venues.

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• Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-live-harris-speaks-at-campaign-rally-in-savannah-on-final-day-of-georgia-bus-tour

WATCH: Harris delivers remarks at campaign rally in Savannah on final day of Georgia bus tour

Vice President Kamala Harris delivered remarks at a campaign rally in Savannah on Thursday, the final day of her campaign’s bus tour through Georgia.

Watch the event in the player above.

Harris’ remarks came ahead of a joint interview with her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Thursday night.

The interview with CNN’s Dana Bash will give Harris a chance to quell criticism that she has eschewed uncontrolled environments, while also giving her a fresh platform to define her campaign and test her political mettle ahead of an upcoming debate with former President Donald Trump set for Sept. 10. But it also carries risk as her team tries to build on momentum from the ticket shakeup following Joe Biden’s exit and last week’s Democratic National Convention.

Joint interviews during an election year are a fixture in politics; Biden and Harris, Trump and Mike Pence, Barack Obama and Biden — all did them at a similar point in the race. The difference is those other candidates had all done solo interviews, too. Harris hasn’t yet done an in-depth interview since she became her party’s standard bearer five weeks ago, though she did sit for several while she was still Biden’s running mate.

Harris and Walz are still introducing themselves to voters, unlike Trump and Biden of whom people had near-universal awareness and opinion.

The CNN interview is set to air at 9 p.m. EDT. It is scheduled to be taped at 1:45 p.m. EDT during her two-day bus tour through southeast Georgia that culminates with an evening rally in Savannah. Harris campaign officials believe that in order to win the state over Trump in November, she must make inroads in GOP strongholds across the state.

WATCH: Harris and Walz speak to students in Hinesville during Georgia bus tour stop

Harris, during her time as vice president, has done on-camera and print interviews with The Associated Press and many other outlets, a much more frequent pace than the president — except for Biden’s late-stage media blitz following his disastrous debate performance that touched off the end of his campaign.

Harris’ lack of media access over the past month has become one of Republicans’ key attack lines. The Trump campaign has kept a tally of the days she has gone by as a candidate without giving an interview and have suggested she needs a “babysitter” and that’s why Walz will be there.

“Dana Bash of CNN has a chance at greatness today. If she gave a fair but tough interview of Comrade Kamala Harris, she will expose her as being totally inept and ill suited for the job of President, much as I exposed Crooked Joe Biden during our now famous Debate,” Trump posted online Thursday. “How cool would that be for Dana and CNN???”

Trump has largely steered toward conservative media outlets when granting interviews, though he has held more open press conferences in recent weeks as he sought to reclaim the spotlight that Harris’ elevation had claimed.

After the CNN interview, Walz will peel off and Harris will continue the bus tour alone, heading to a rally before going back to Washington. On Wednesday, they sent time with a high school marching band to the delight of students, and stopped by a Savannah barbecue restaurant.

Harris campaign communications director Michael Tyler said bus tours offer an “opportunity to get to places we don’t usually go (and) make sure we’re competing in all communities.”

The campaign wants the events to motivate voters in GOP-leaning areas who don’t traditionally see the candidates, and hopes that the engagements drive viral moments that cut through crowded media coverage to reach voters across the country.

The stops are meant as moments where voters can learn “not just what they stand for, but who they are as people,” Tyler said.

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