Discover 50 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Taiwan. Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (Taichung), National Museum of Natural Science (Taichung) or Kuo Yuan Ye Museum of Cake and Pastry (Taipei).
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Taiwan.
Table of Contents
National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Taichung
Also known as: 國立臺灣美術館
Museum in Taichung, Taiwan. The National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts is a museum in West District, Taichung, Taiwan. NTMoFA was established in 1988 and is the first and the only national-grade fine arts museum in Taiwan. The major collections are works by Taiwanese artists, covering modern and contemporary Taiwanese arts. The museum covers 102,000 square meters, including the Public Outdoor Sculpture park, making it one of the largest museums in Asia.
National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts was temporarily closed for renovation in 1999 due to damages caused by the 921 Earthquake and reopened in July 2004. From 2011 to 2016, NTMoFA attracted more than 1 million visitors each year.[1]
Address: No. 2號, Section 1, Wuquan West Road, 403 West District
National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung
Also known as: 國立自然科學博物館
Museum in Taichung, Taiwan. The National Museum of Natural Science is a national museum in North District, Taichung, Taiwan.[2]
Address: No. 1號, Guanqian Road, 404 North District
Kuo Yuan Ye Museum of Cake and Pastry, Taipei
The Kuo Yuan Ye Museum of Cake and Pastry is a pastry culture and making museum in Taiwan.
The museum has two branches in Taiwan, one in Shilin District, Taipei and another in Yangmei District, Taoyuan City.[3]
National Science and Technology Museum, Kaohsiung
Also known as: 國立科學工藝博物館
Museum in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The National Science and Technology Museum is a museum of applied science and technology in Sanmin District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.[4]
Address: No. 720號, Jiuru 1st Road, 807 Sanmin District
Linji Huguo Chan Temple, Taipei
Linji Huguo Chan Temple is a Buddhist temple located in Zhongshan District of Taipei, Taiwan.[5]
Heritage and Culture Education Center of Taipei City, Taipei
The Heritage and Culture Education Center of Taipei City is located in the historic Bopiliao area in Wanhua District, Taipei, Taiwan.[6]
Address: 10852台北市萬華區廣州街101號, Taipei (万华区)
Anping Tree House, Tainan
Also known as: 安平樹屋
Heritage building in Taiwan. The Anping Tree House is a former warehouse in Anping District, Tainan, Taiwan. The "treehouse" name refers to the living banyan roots and branches that cover the building.[7]
Address: No.106-108 Gubao Street, Anping District, Tainan
Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, Kaohsiung
Also known as: 高雄市立美術館
Museum in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts is located in Gushan District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It was founded by the Kaohsiung City Government and has been administrated by the Kaohsiung Bureau of Cultural Affairs since 2003. It occupies about 8.15 acres and started in 1994. It is the third public arts museum in Taiwan, after the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts and the Taipei Fine Arts Museum.
The museum is a part of the Neiweipi Cultural Park (內惟埤文化園區), which occupies about 40 hectares. The first stage of Neiweipi Cultural Park’s construction started in 1989 and was completed in 1994. During this phase, the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts was completed. Later further developments were made to the entrance plaza, sculpture park, and ecology park.[8]
Address: No. 80, Meishuguan Rd, 804 Gushan District
Lotus Pond, Kaohsiung
Also known as: 蓮池潭
Artificial lake in Taiwan. Lotus Pond is an artificial lake and popular tourist destination on the east side of Zuoying District in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Opened in 1951, it is famous for the lotus plants on the lake and the numerous temples around the lake, including the Spring and Autumn Pavilions, the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas, and the Confucian Temple.
Lotus Pond was the site for several water sporting events for World Games 2009, including canoe polo, water ski, and dragon boat.[9]
Changhua Roundhouse, Taichung
Historical landmark in Changhua City, Taiwan. Changhua Roundhouse is a railway roundhouse operated by the Taiwan Railway Administration in Changhua City, Changhua County, Taiwan. The roundhouse is located directly north of Changhua railway station. Built in 1922, it is the only surviving railway roundhouse in Taiwan.[10]
National Museum of Taiwan Literature, Tainan
Also known as: 國立臺灣文學館
Museum in Tainan, Taiwan. The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is a museum located in Tainan, Taiwan. The museum researches, catalogs, preserves, and exhibits literary artifacts. As part of its multilingual, multi-ethnic focus, it holds a large collection of local works in Taiwanese, Japanese, Mandarin and Classical Chinese.
It was planned as a national-level organization to fill in a long-perceived gap in how the Republic of China's institutions had handled Taiwanese literature as a field of academic inquiry and popular discourse. Tainan was chosen for its historical significance as a cultural center.[11]
Address: No. 1號, Zhongzheng Road, 700 West Central District
Fort Zeelandia, Tainan
Also known as: 安平古堡
Historic Dutch fortress-turned-museum. Fort Zeelandia was a fortress built over ten years from 1624 to 1634 by the Dutch East India Company, in the town of Anping on the island of Formosa, the former name of Taiwan Island in Taiwan, during their 38-year rule over the western part of the island. The site had been renamed several times as Orange City, Anping City, and Taiwan City; the current name of the site in Chinese is 安平古堡.
During the seventeenth century, when Europeans from many countries sailed to Asia to develop trade, Formosa became one of East Asia's most important transit sites, and Fort Zeelandia an international business center. As trade at the time depended on "military force to control the markets", the value of Formosa to the Dutch was mainly in its strategic position. "From Formosa the Spanish commerce between Manila and China, and the Portuguese commerce between Macau and Japan could by constant attacks be made so precarious that much of it would be thrown into the hands of the Dutch, while the latter's dealings with China and Japan would be subject to no interruptions."
On behalf of the VOC, ships departing from Formosa could head north to Japan, west to Fujian, or south to Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, India, Iran or Europe.[12]
Address: No. 82, Guosheng Rd, 708 Anping District
National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium, Kenting National Park
Also known as: 國立海洋生物博物館
Aquarium with marine exhibits and movies. The National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium is the most notable museum and research institution for marine biology in Taiwan, which located in Checheng Township, Pingtung County, Taiwan.
In 2004, NMMBA cooperated with National Dong Hwa University to jointly establish NDHU College of Marine Sciences and Graduate Institute of Marine Biology, which was the first academic partnership between university and museum in Taiwan.[13]
Address: No. 2, Houwan Road, Checheng Township, 944 Kenting National Park
Xian Dong Yan, Keelung
Xian Dong Yan, also called Fairy cave or Deity's cave, is a natural sea cave in Zhongshan District, Keelung, Taiwan. It is a designated Cultural Landscape by the Bureau of Cultural Heritage in Taiwan. The cave was a shrine and resting place for fishermen during Qing dynasty period and was converted into a Buddhist Temple since Japanese occupation period.[14]
Eluanbi Lighthouse, Kenting National Park
Also known as: 鵝鑾鼻燈塔
Lighthouse in Taiwan. Eluanbi Lighthouse is a lighthouse located on Cape Eluanbi, the southernmost point of Taiwan, which separates Taiwan's South Bay from Banana Bay and the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea from the Philippine Sea. It is near Eluan Village in the township of Hengchun in Pingtung County, Taiwan. The lighthouse is open to the public all year around.[15]
Address: Eluan Road, Hengchun Township, Kenting National Park
Gangkou Suspension Bridge, Kenting National Park
Suspension bridge in Taiwan. The Gangkou Suspension Bridge is a pedestrian suspension bridge in Manzhou Township, Pingtung County in Taiwan. It crosses the Gangkou River.[16]
Hsinchu Zoo, Hsinchu
Also known as: 新竹市立動物園
Zoo in Hsinchu, Taiwan. The Hsinchu Zoo is a zoo in East District, Hsinchu City, Taiwan.[17]
Address: No.279 Gongyuan Rd., East District, Hsinchu
Hsinchu Performing Arts Center, Hsinchu
Concert hall in Hsinchu, Taiwan. The Hsinchu Performing Arts Center is an art center in North District, Hsinchu City, Taiwan.[18]
YM Oceanic Culture and Art Museum, Keelung
Also known as: 陽明海洋文化藝術館
Museum in Keelung, Taiwan. The YM Oceanic Culture and Art Museum or Yang Ming Oceanic Culture and Art Museum is a museum about oceanic culture and art in Ren'ai District, Keelung, Taiwan.[19]
Address: No. 4, Gangxi Street, 200 Ren’ai District
Mount Shimen, Taroko Gorge
The Mount Shimen is a mountain in Ren'ai Township, Nantou County and Xiulin Township, Hualien County of Taiwan.[20]
Lee Tze-fan Memorial Art Gallery, Hsinchu
Art gallery in Hsinchu, Taiwan. Lee Tze-fan Memorial Art Gallery is a gallery located in East District, Hsinchu City, Taiwan and dedicated to the Taiwanese painter Lee Tze-fan.
The gallery was established on August 6, 1994, and the building was reconstructed from Lee's former residence. The owner of this gallery is Lee Tze-Fan Memorial Foundation for Art Education. The foundation has been received the donation from Lee's family and students, and focus on researching, collecting and digitizing Lee's paintings and belongings, so they can operate the gallery without selling paintings and fundraising.
One of the gallery's feature is exhibiting Lee's original studio, diaries, letters and painting tools.[21]
Address: 57 林森路, Hsinchu
Wenhua Road Night Market, Chiayi
Also known as: 文化路夜市
Night market in Chiayi, Taiwan. The Wenhua Road Night Market is a night market in West District, Chiayi City, Taiwan.[22]
Eternal Spring Shrine, Taroko Gorge
Also known as: 長春祠
Shrine in a picturesque setting. Eternal Spring Shrine, also called Changchun Shrine, is a landmark and a memorial shrine complex in Taroko National Park in Xiulin Township, Hualien County, Taiwan. It is one of the major picturesque points of the park, with the view of the mountains and the waterfall, and one of the main memorials for veterans.
It was planned for construction in 1958 while the Central Cross-Island Highway was built nearby. It commemorates the memory of 212 veterans who died while constructing the highway (1956—1960).
The name of the temple comes from the Changchun Falls that never stop running. The Shrine is located right above the waterfall streams.
It has been rebuilt at least twice, after being destroyed by landslides. The most recent shrine was built in 1989.[23]
Address: in Taroko National Park, Taroko Gorge
Shakadang Trail, Taroko Gorge
Hiking area in Taiwan. Shakadang Trail or Mysterious Valley Trail is a trail in Taroko National Park, Xiulin Township, Hualien County, Taiwan.[24]
Address: Taroko Gorge, Taroko Gorge
Heping Island Park, Keelung
Scenic spot in Taiwan. Heping Island Park is a park in Heping Island, Zhongzheng District, Keelung, Taiwan.[25]
Sun-Shooting Tower, Chiayi
Also known as: 射日塔
Tower in Taiwan. The Sun-Shooting Tower or Chiayi Tower is a tower built inside Chiayi Park, East District, Chiayi City, Taiwan.[26]
228紀念碑, Chiayi
The First 228 Peace Memorial Monument is a monument in East District, Chiayi City, Taiwan. It was built in 1989, which is the earliest 228 Peace Memorial Monument built in the island. It is the only 228 Peace Memorial Monument to have been built before the 1990s. It was built as a memorial of the February 28 Incident of 1947, in which more than 10,000 Taiwan residents were killed during an uprising against the government. The monument is one of the landmarks of Chiayi City.[27]
Memorial Hall of Founding of Yilan Administration, Yilan
Also known as: 宜蘭設治紀念館
Heritage building in Yilan, Taiwan. The Memorial Hall of Founding of Yilan Administration is a memorial hall dedicated to the founding of Yilan County Government located in Yilan City, Yilan County, Taiwan.[28]
National Palace Museum, New Taipei City
Also known as: 國立故宮博物院
Museum in Taipei, Taiwan. The National Palace Museum, located in Taipei, Taiwan, has a permanent collection of nearly 700,000 pieces of Chinese artifacts and artworks, making it one of the largest of its type in the world. The collection encompasses items spanning 8,000 years of Chinese history from the neolithic age to the modern period. Most of the collection are high quality pieces collected by Chinese emperors. The National Palace Museum shares its roots with the Palace Museum in the Forbidden City of Beijing, whose extensive collection of artwork and artifacts were built upon the imperial collections of the Ming and Qing dynasties.[29]
Address: No. 221, Sec 2, Zhi Shan Rd, 111 Shilin District (士林区)
Ci-en Pagoda, Sun Moon Lake
The Ci En Pagoda is a pagoda in Yuchi Township, Nantou County, Taiwan.[30]
Tianpu Reservoir, Kinmen
Reservoir in Asia. The Tianpu Reservoir is a reservoir in Jinsha Township, Kinmen County, Taiwan. It is the catchment area of water supplied from Mainland China through the Jinjiang–Kinmen Pipeline.[31]
Luodong Forestry Culture Park, Yilan
Also known as: 羅東林業文化園區
Tourist attraction in Luodong, Taiwan. The Luodong Forestry Culture Park is a park in Luodong Township, Yilan County, Taiwan.[32]
Address: No.118 Zhongzheng North Road, Luodong Township, 265 Yilan
Dongdamen Night Market, Hualien
The Dongdamen Night Market or Dongdaemun Night Market is a night market in Hualien City, Hualien County, Taiwan. It is the largest night market in the county.[33]
Address: 50 中山路, Hualien
Luodong Night Market, Luodong
Also known as: 羅東夜市
Night market in Luodong, Taiwan. The Luodong Night Market is a night market in Luodong Township, Yilan County, Taiwan.[34]
Address: Luodong Station, Luodong
Penghu Tianhou Temple, Penghu
Also known as: 澎湖天后宮
Place of worship in Magong, Taiwan. The Penghu Tianhou Temple is a temple dedicated to the sea goddess Mazu located on Zhengyi Street in Magong City, Penghu, Taiwan. It is usually considered the oldest Mazu temple in Taiwan and, despite differences in characters, is the namesake of the surrounding city of Magong. It is open from 7:00 am to 5:30 pm daily.[35]
Address: No.19 Zhengyi Street, Magong City, 880 Penghu
Xueshan, Shei-pa National Park
Also known as: 雪山
Expansive mountain for hiking and climbing. Xueshan, formerly known as Mount Sylvia and by other names, is a mountain in the Heping District of Taichung, Taiwan. It is the 2nd-highest mountain in Taiwan and in East Asia, at 3,886 m above sea level. It is located in the Shei-Pa National Park and is visible in good weather from hills near Taiwan's capital Taipei.[36]
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, New Taipei City
Also known as: 中正紀念堂
Cultural landmark in Taipei, Taiwan. The National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall is a national monument, landmark and tourist attraction erected in memory of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, former President of the Republic of China. It is located in Taipei.
The monument, surrounded by a park, stands at the east end of Memorial Hall Square. It is flanked on the north and south by the National Theater and National Concert Hall.[37]
Address: 21 Chung-Shan S Rd, New Taipei City (中正区)
Tzuhu, Taoyuan District
Also known as: 慈湖陵寢
Heritage building in Taiwan. Cihu Mausoleum, officially known as the Mausoleum of Late President Chiang or President Chiang Kai-shek Mausoleum, is the temporary resting place of President Chiang Kai-shek. It is located in Daxi District, Taoyuan City, Taiwan. When Chiang Kai-shek died in 1975, he was not buried in the traditional Chinese fashion but entombed in a black marble sarcophagus, since he expressed the wish to be eventually buried in his native Fenghua in Zhejiang province once the Kuomintang recovered mainland China from the Communists.[38]
Houhu Seashore Park, Kinmen
The Houhu Seashore Park is a park in Jinning Township, Kinmen County, Taiwan.[39]
Chiang Kai-shek statues, Taoyuan District
Chiang Kai-shek statues are statues of the late Republic of China President Chiang Kai-shek. They are found almost everywhere in Taiwan, from parks to schools to military bases, and are usually made of a bronze alloy, although it varies from location to location.
Some statues have been removed starting in 1999, with greater publicity surrounding removals starting in 2007 under pro-Taiwan independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led government initiatives, which in turn led to protests and opposition on the grounds of culture and history. Many Chiang statues have since been relocated to a central location and placed in a memorial garden. The relocation of Chiang statues has been suggested as a peaceful alternative fate for Confederate statuary. Since the movement to remove Chiang statues began, individual vigilantes have begun to vandalize the statues, typically coincident with the anniversary of the 228 Incident.[40]
Central Street, Penghu
Also known as: 中央老街
Central Street is a street in Magong City, Penghu County, Taiwan.[41]
Taitung Children's Story House, Taitung
The Taitung Children's Story House is historical building in Taitung City, Taitung County, Taiwan.[42]
Address: No. 103 Datong Rd., Taitung City, Taitung
Window on China Theme Park, Longtan
Also known as: 小人國主題樂園
Amusement park in Taiwan. The Window on World Theme Park is an amusement park in Longtan District, Taoyuan City, Taiwan.[43]
Penghu Guanyin Temple, Penghu
Temple in Magong, Taiwan. The Penghu Guanyin Temple is a Buddhist temple, like other temples which belongs to the Integration of Buddhism and Taoism in Taiwan, Guanyin Temple does not only serve Guanyin, but also Long-Wang.
This temple was founded in 1696 during the Qing dynasty, the founder is Xue Kui, a military officer of Penghu Navy. It is located at the noted touristic attraction, close to the beach area. Since 2003, Guan-Yin-Ting would gather thousands of visitors from everywhere for attending the Firework Festival from April to June.[44]
Address: No. 7, Jieshou Road, Penghu
Yilan Museum of Art, Yilan
Also known as: 宜蘭美術館
Museum in Yilan, Taiwan. The Yilan Museum of Art is an art museum in Yilan City, Yilan County, Taiwan.[45]
Chen Jing-lan Western House, Kinmen
The Chen Jing-lan Western House is a former house in Jinhu Township, Kinmen County, Taiwan. It is the largest Western-style house in Kinmen.[46]
Taipei 101, New Taipei City
Also known as: 台北101
Skyscraper in Taipei, Taiwan. Taipei 101, formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center, is a skyscraper in Taipei, Taiwan. This building was officially classified as the world's tallest from its opening in 2004 until the 2009 completion of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, UAE. Upon completion, it became the world's first skyscraper to exceed a height of half a kilometer.
The elevators that transport passengers from the 5th to the 89th floor in 37 seconds (attaining 60.6 km/h (37.7 mph)) set speed records. In 2011 Taipei 101 received a Platinum rating under the LEED certification system, becoming the tallest and largest green building in the world. The structure regularly appears as an icon of Taipei in international media, and the Taipei 101 fireworks displays are a regular feature of New Year's Eve broadcasts.
Taipei 101's postmodernist architectural style evokes traditional Asian aesthetics in a modern structure employing industrial materials. Its design incorporates a number of features that enable the structure to withstand the Pacific Ring of Fire's earthquakes and the region's tropical storms. The tower houses offices, restaurants, and indoor and outdoor observatories. The tower is adjoined by a multilevel shopping mall that has the world's largest ruyi symbol as an exterior feature.
Taipei 101 is owned by Taipei Financial Center Corporation. The skyscraper opened on 31 December 2004 to celebrate New Year's Eve.[47]
Address: New Taipei City, No. 7, Section 5, Xinyi Road, Xinyi District
Hutou Mountain Park, Taoyuan District
The Hutou Mountain Park is a park in Guishan District and Taoyuan District of Taoyuan City, Taiwan.[48]
Address: 42 公園路, Taoyuan District
Furen Temple, Longtan
The Furen Temple is a Chinese temple dedicated to Kai Zhang Sheng Wang, and is located along Daxi Old Street in Daxi District, Taoyuan City, Taiwan. It is the largest temple in Daxi.[49]
Miaoli Railway Museum, Miaoli
Also known as: 苗栗鐵道文物展示館
Museum in Miaoli, Taiwan. The Miaoli Railway Museum is a railway park in Miaoli City, Miaoli County, Taiwan.[50]