I am very interested in finding locations in Taiwan that are
[quote=“derek1978”]I am very interested in finding locations in Taiwan that are
In Central Taiwan, every April (1st day of the 3rd month in the Chinese calendar) there’s the Matsu festival. It starts in Dajia, heads south to (I think) Beidou, then returns to Dajia. It’s well worth it. I went to Dajia last year for the first day, and it was incredible. I also followed it in Yuanlin and Changhua (where I live) on the penultimate day, and then again in Dajia for the return. It’s the best thing I’ve seen in Taiwan in 3 years living here.
Other than that, there’s Lion Head Mountain (Shitoushan - my spelling could be wrong), which is an interesting mountain area with a number of Buddhist monasteries and temples. It’s in Miaoli county - you can get to it easily from either Chunan or Hsinchu.
Tainan is always a good choice.
Here in Changhua (Zhanghua) there’s a large Buddha statue that was recently restored. At one time, it was supposed to be the biggest Buddha in the world, but I don’t know if that’s true. It can get pretty touristy with Taiwanese tour buses on a weekend, but most of them just take a quick look at the Buddha and move on. There’s also an ecological park hidden away (although it got pretty trashed during the typhoons last year), and a couple of other interesting temples that rarely have people at them.
Also, there’s the historic town of Lukang nearby - it’s quite interesting, although it gets very crowded on a Sunday.
Kinmen is pretty interesting for a view of the Taiwan/China conflict. It’s one of my favorite places that I’ve been to. I ended up taking almost 1500 photo’s in 3 days when I went.
If you find yourself down this way (Changhua). feel free to get in touch with me, and I’ll show you around.
cfimage, ever see the old Dutch built well in Changhua?
And all your other suggestions are spot on, as are Steven’s. I saw Mazu two years ago. Exceptional spectacle. Probably one of the last remaining pilgrimages of this size left in the world. I’ll probably go back again this year.
Meinong is also excellent on a weekday. Just get on a bike and explore.
Don’t miss the Chung Tai Chan Temple in Puli. Temples tours in English in an environment that will make a convert out of you (or at least a fan). Really, don’t miss this. It is not that well known yet, but it is a must-see in this country.
Also, near Taipei in Sanxia is one of the most perfect temples in Taiwan. Restoration has been going on for over 40 years. And just nearby are several blocks of Qing Dynasty buildings. They’ve been restoring them and placing all the cables and electrical wires underground to preserve the old atmosphere. Should be ready now. If it was done as well as the ones in Daxi it should look great. The small sections I have seen look excellent.
Do get yourself a new Lonely Planet, too. A lot of work went in to finding and researching the type of places you want to see.
There’s also a fish farm, soon to be duck farm in the deep south that just can’t be missed! (Sorry, Derek; couldn’t resist… 
)
Mucha man - Yeah, I’ve seen it, it’s not far from my apartment. It’s not that exciting though - well, I guess it is if you’re a history buff. Almost 3 years in Changhua and I’ve yet to take a photo of it - and photo’s are what I do.
[quote=“derek1978”]I am very interested in finding locations in Taiwan that are
Not photographically exciting no. But a 300 year old well in an otherwise modern neighborhood is pretty interesting. Also, old women still do their laundry in a the trough which is not something you see anymore. It’s a quirky spot if you approach it the right way.
I almost forgot: Guqifeng. This is the best private collection of Chinese antiquities I’ve seen in Taiwan. Probably more enjoyable than the Palace Museum. You’ll find it in Xinchu.
Xinzhu? 新竹市?
Do you have the Chinese characters for Guqifeng?
古奇峰
Gu3qi2feng
Thanks, Steven. That only took me 10 minutes to type. 
And it’s just outside Xinzhu (Hsinchu) City. About NT200 for a taxi.
[quote=“Muzha Man”]古奇峰
Gu3qi2feng
Thanks, Steven. That only took me 10 minutes to type.
And it’s just outside Xinzhu (Hsinchu (Xinzhu)) City. About NT200 for a taxi.[/quote]
Many thanks, Robert. I plan to get up to Xinzhu sometime in the next couple of months.
[quote=“StevenCrook”][quote=“Muzha Man”]古奇峰
Gu3qi2feng
Thanks, Steven. That only took me 10 minutes to type.
And it’s just outside Xinzhu (Hsinchu (Xinzhu) (Xinzhu)) City. About NT200 for a taxi.[/quote]
Many thanks, Robert. I plan to get up to Xinzhu sometime in the next couple of months.[/quote]
The glass museum is not bad, the old movie theatre from the 30s is nice and has NT20 movies every night, and there are a number of old structures and buildings to look at. The city’s website lists where you can find all the old traditional snack shops and what to buy at each (in English) if you like to sample local dishes.