Unfortunately she is coming when I’m not there. She doesn’t have a car and will most likely be only within MRT length of things.
What to see and what to eat?
I think night markets is a must, 101, what else?
Tell her to take a bus out to Jiufen. It’s only like an hour each way, right? Very Taiwanese market town… lots of great food, temples, plus it has that famous tea house that all those anime fans are into. 
5 Likes
Ting Tai Fung (Din Tai Fung or DTF) imo is a must for a visitor. It’s not amazing but it’s a good place for someone visiting to taste a lot of good stuff if they don’t know where and what to get.
1 Like
I don’t know… I’ve had much better xiao long bao at a lot of other local (and cheaper) places. Plus, it’s all over the world now. I’ve seen it in the US, Australia, Korea, Japan… is it really that special anymore? I guess the quality does vary from chain to chain. Maybe the Taipei original is better than some of the other global outlets.
For just xio long bao yes. But DTF has a lot of stuff and easier for someone to order. I think the Taipei ones are definitely better. Their stuff isn’t bad at all though. Cost is not a huge issue as they’re on vacation and it’s not like a expensive restaurant either.
1 Like
By western standards, no. By Taiwanese standards, definitely. But like you said, it’s probably not an issue for her.
Just out of curiosity, what else could one do in Jiufen next to visiting the Old Street and perhaps climbing the nearby mountain (Jilong Shan if I remember correctly). I’m asking because I also always “must” bring my friends there, but after several visits, I can’t help but wanting to see something new there.
Jinguashi (Gold Museum), Gold Waterfall, Yingyang Sea, Nanya Rocks, Bitou Cape, Fulong, all on one one bus route.
3 Likes
Skip Jilong Shan. You want Teapot Mountain on the other side of the valley.
2 Likes
If you don’t want to hike that high, from the Gold Museum walk uphill to the remains off the Shinto shrine, skip the shrine and walk further up, the views get better the further you walk up.
1 Like
Dadaocheng. Visit the tea places, small coffee shops, the wharf. Hopefully take the ferry up to Tamsui.
Tamsui: visit the red castle, the university area, the fisherman´s wharf.
Go to Badouzi in Keelung by train. Enjoy pedalling the rail bikes, watch the sea. Go to the maritime museum. Eat at the night market.
Visit a traditional daytime market, like Chengzhong, or Dongmen.
2 Likes
Go up the Moakong Gondola from Taipei Zoo station and visit the tea farms. Not a lot of good food to eat up there, but a good place to enjoy some local tea in an authentic tea house. Zhinan Temple is up there too, which is one of the older Daoist temples in Taiwan and has some awesome mountain views.
2 Likes
Oh yeah? Worth going?
That convenience is a giant factor in DTF’s favor for tourists. If you know the language and the city, sure, there are probably better places, but for a visitor who knows neither the language or the place? DTF is great.
If they like traditional culture, Bao’an Temple is excellent, with pretty good descriptive information on their website, and it’s close to a Confucian temple as well. (Easy walking distance from Yuanshan MRT station.)
Jiufen is nice, but I’d strongly recommend against going on a weekend. (Kind of goes for most places in Taiwan, but Jiufen in particular to me is “broken” by excessive crowds.)
On the off-chance they’re into Miyazaki films, Jiufen did not inspire Spirited Away, but there is a branch of Donguri Republic in ATT4Fun - apparently that sort of merchandise is a bit tough to get.
2 Likes
Kids like it. Building is cool.
2 Likes
That’s for this one. I think they’ll like it.
Well that makes sense/
They have guided tours and diy workshops for the special ceramic used in temple decorations.
1 Like
Which place? I’m not clear.
Bao An temple. We have taken groups there for that.
1 Like