I’m heading to Taiwan in January, and am trying to decided where to teach. I’ve read a lot of threads that talk about the good and bad aspects of living in various places, but wanted to elicit some more info. First I’ll give you a bit of background. I’ve spent the last four years in Mainland China. I am nearly fluent in Chinese, both spoken and written, so I’m not worried about being in a place where there isn’t much English spoken (in fact, I’d prefer it). Because I’ve been in China for four years, I’m not real keen on living in a big, crowded city. I would actually like to live in a small, clean city somewhere in the mountains. A bustling nightlife is not the ultimate, deciding factor in where I want to live. I’m actually much more concerned with environment. It seems that the Taichung area is somewhat popular with people, and honestly that’s where I’m being drawn to. I want green, and mountains, and someplace by the sea would be good, too. I don’t know if there are many foreign Buddhists on these forums, but I am a Buddhist, and I’d like to also be in a place with temples.
Despite the above, I am keeping Taibei as an option because a classmate of mine is there, we studied Chinese together in Hangzhou, China. Even though it’s big, crowded, and more expensive, Taibei is a modern, clean city (unlike cities in the Mainland), and if I’m going to live in a big city, those are the traits I’m looking for. I don’t want to end up in a dirty, run down city. I’ve had enough of those! Cleanliness and modernity are some of the driving factors in my moving to Taiwan. That being said, I have gotten used to living without a lot of conveniences (I’ve been in Asia for 6 years altogether, and China is not the least developed place I’ve lived). To clarify, I can sacrifice some modern conveniences for a beautiful environment, but I don’t want to live in some nether region where there is no nature, and not many comforts of more developed areas.
How about Taidong? It ticks the nature boxes but there is virtually no expat life there and jobs are hard to come by. But from Taiwanese friends i know who have lived there they love it because it is so rural.
Taipei County (suburban Taipei) is far grittier, grosser, dirtier and Mainlandesque than Taipei City. ShiJr, Linkou, Wugu, LuJou, Sanchong, YungHo, Zhonghe, are all toilets while Banqiao is mostly toilet and Xindian, NeiHu and Mucha are less so (but still not as nice as the city). There will be people here who live in Taipei County and tell you how great it is, but they are full of ish, they’d move to XinYi or DaAn districts of Taipei City in a heartbeat if they could.
Taipei City’s nicer neighborhoods will set you back rent wise.
If I were you I’d move to Hualien. Beach, mountain, temple etc…are all 10 minutes away no matter where you are in the ‘city’ and it seems quite clean.
Hualien, Ilan, Loudong or Taidong are your best choices (judging from your criteria).
Really, best move? So you are saying you think living 2 minutes from the MRT in a mountainous neighborhood with hiking trails and a swimmable river, connections to 200km of bike paths and a lovely new riverside park with attractive modern cafes and open air restaurants is comparable to having Da’an Park nearby? I mean really?
Da’an Park. Gosh if only I had something like that nearby. But living in grubby southern Taipei City all I have is this:
Really, best move? So you are saying you think living 2 minutes from the MRT in a mountainous neighborhood with hiking trails and a swimmable river, connections to 200km of bike paths and a lovely new riverside park with attractive modern cafes and open air restaurants is comparable to having Da’an Park nearby? I mean really?
Da’an Park. Gosh if only I had something like that nearby. But living in grubby southern Taipei City all I have is this:
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Ha! I can almost see my old house on the mountain in the background
Really, best move? So you are saying you think living 2 minutes from the MRT in a mountainous neighborhood with hiking trails and a swimmable river, connections to 200km of bike paths and a lovely new riverside park with attractive modern cafes and open air restaurants is comparable to having Da’an Park nearby? I mean really?
Da’an Park. Gosh if only I had something like that nearby. But living in grubby southern Taipei City all I have is this:
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nice flood wall, you swim in that river do you?
lol
Most of SE Taipei City (DaAn and XinYi Districts) are two minutes away from hiking trails, mountainous neighborhoods, attractive modern cafes, open air restaurants, bike trails…Everything you cite…but not that damn ‘swimmable’ river…I guess you got me there (not to mention the parasites). Happy swimming! Perhaps you can swim all the way to work too, might be more convenient than that 45 minute MRT ride.
Your problem, MM (apart from your apparent illiteracy) is that you’re looking at that mountain from entirely the wrong angle. You should see it from the OTHER side. It was particularly pretty this morning, by the way – very clear indeed.
[quote=“Deuce Dropper”]Taipei County (suburban Taipei) is far grittier, grosser, dirtier and Mainlandesque than Taipei City. Xizhi, Linkou, Wugu, LuJou, Sanchong, Yonghe, Zhonghe, are all toilets while Banqiao is mostly toilet and Xindian, Neihu and Muzha are less so (but still not as nice as the city). There will be people here who live in Taipei County and tell you how great it is, but they are full of ish, they’d move to Xinyi or Da’an districts of Taipei City in a heartbeat if they could.
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I wouldn’t … I live in Sanxia, close enough to Taipei, right at the foot of the mountains, we have one of the oldest temples of Taiwan … hey, and I have great food and beers … what more does one want
[quote=“lilongyue”]
Because I’ve been in China for four years, I’m not real keen on living in a big, crowded city. I would actually like to live in a small, clean city somewhere in the mountains. A bustling nightlife is not the ultimate, deciding factor in where I want to live. I’m actually much more concerned with environment. It seems that the Taichung area is somewhat popular with people, and honestly that’s where I’m being drawn to. I want green, and mountains, and someplace by the sea would be good, too. I don’t know if there are many foreign Buddhists on these forums, but I am a Buddhist, and I’d like to also be in a place with temples. [/quote]
Heed not the biased.
Suburban Taipei, indeed…
:neutral:
Taizhong has many areas in close proximity to the factors you described above.
I personally would recommend Puli, in Nantou County.
[maps.google.com.tw/maps?hl=en&q= ... 1&ct=title](http://maps.google.com.tw/maps?hl=en&q=puli+nantou&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&resnum=1&ct=title)
I wouldn’t swim in that one probably – not deep enough. I swim in this one though, many times. It’s very pleasant.
But please, stay up there in your lovely Xinyi. All the more room for us in the know who are smart enough to have moved elsewhere.
I wouldn’t swim in that one probably – not deep enough. I swim in this one though, many times. It’s very pleasant.
But please, stay up there in your lovely Xinyi. All the more room for us in the know who are smart enough to have moved elsewhere. [/quote]
I wouldn’t swim in that one probably – not deep enough. I swim in this one though, many times. It’s very pleasant.
But please, stay up there in your lovely Xinyi. All the more room for us in the know who are smart enough to have moved elsewhere. [/quote]
Where is this a picture of?[/quote]
It’s my special happy place, where I go to curl up in a ball and whimper pathetically when all the nasty city people poke fun at me. I’m not telling.
It was particularly pretty this morning, by the way – very clear indeed.
