Ah, Taroko! Even the name, which means “human being” in the language of the indigenous Truku tribe evokes magic.Best known for its gorgeous gorge, the park itself is known collectively as Taroko Gorge National Park.
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All articles filed in Culture
Firewalking in Taiwan for Beginners
Six years ago, I walked over a bed of hot coals. While I didn’t burn myself that night, I’ve been raking myself over the coals since.
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5 ways to experience Tainan, Taiwan’s Ancient Capital
Tainan is an Taiwan’s oldest city, and (some say) Taiwan’s most “Chinese” city. Without getting too political, we think it’s safe to say that visitors looking for either a true taste of Taiwanese Culture or something approaching the classic Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon vibe of ancient China (the two intersect many places) will find what…
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Lord of Formosa: A Traveler’s Review
Taiwan Scene reviews Joyce Bergvelt’s Lord of Formosa, a sweeping historical novel about Taiwan’s Dutch colonial period and the life of Admiral Koxinga.
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Exploring the History, Handicrafts and Culture of Tainan City
Not long ago my partner Stephanie and I were invited to take part in a two day tour of Tainan by the Tainan City Tourism Bureau. They offered us a few suggestions for places to check out, but were also genuinely interested in customizing the tour to fit our desires.
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13 Tips for having a deeper Taiwan Temple experience
Taiwan has thousands of temples, ranging from large multi-story buildings bearing multiple shrines and countless deities to small single-shrine structures barely big enough to fit a single god. Taiwanese temples can be dedicated to Taoist, Buddhist or Confucian beliefs, and often times multiple faiths (and deities) coexist peacefully under one roof.
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HsinPu Persimmons, Golden Pearls of Wisdom
It takes the right time, the right place, and the right relationships for the mouth-watering traditional dessert to be passed down from generation to generation.
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Friday the Thirteenth in Taiwan
(4/13/2018) Today is Friday the thirteenth, a date most westerners associate with ill tidings, negative omens and bad luck in general. An entire blood-soaked film franchise is based on Friday the Thirteenth’s nefarious nature, and more than a few folks avoid traveling on the 13th day of any month that happens to fall on a Friday.
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Give Me Back My Name
Before coming to Taiwan to study Chinese, my language school required me to give them a Chinese name. I didn’t put much thought into coming up with a new name.
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The Living History of Dadaocheng
Modern Taipei is a massive city overlaid by a spider web of intercrossing metro lines on which you can spend 90 minutes getting from one end of town to the other. But Old Taipei, which sprang alongside the eastern bank of the Danshui river, was a smaller place, and much of it fit neatly inside the confines of a city wall, among the last built in the waning days of the Qing dynasty.
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