Taiwan

‘Touch Your Heart’ is Taiwan’s logo, an enticing invitation to discover the island, beyond the usual T-shirts and computer chips. Exotic culture or lush scenery, Taiwan has much to offer and with new non-stop flights from London, getting there is easy.




Barely the size of Holland, the island claims 200 peaks above 3000 metres, the highest density on earth, glorious beaches, gorges and cliffs, a bustling capital and colourful year round festivals. Most spectacular is the Chinese New Year in February when on the last day of celebrations, thousands of paper lanterns are released into the night sky, carrying good wishes and prayers to the stars. There are fireworks and temple offerings, lucky red envelopes filled with cash and traditional dumplings shaped like the full moon.

Up north, in the cusp of the hills, Taipei shares in the festivities among chaotic traffic, green cycling lanes, sizzling food stalls in the night market and red and gold pagodas nestling below the tower blocks. But the capital’s pride and joy is Taipei 101, towering 508 metres above the city. Named after its 101 floors, it houses a financial centre, glamorous boutiques and the world’s fastest lift whizzing visitors up to the viewing platforms, at 1010 metres a minute. It’s a showcase of Feng Shui design, including a 660 ton golden pendulum to keep the tower straight in typhoons and earthquakes. Taiwan sits on a fault line which on the positive side, means an abundance of hot springs, highly popular in the winter months.

Most developments are found around Taipei and the western plains where bullet trains rush towards the tropical south. On the other side, the east coast is rugged and wild with precipitous cliffs plunging into the Pacific and tribal lands heading into sparsely populated mountains. Fourteen aboriginal groups are officially recognised, accounting for just 2% of a mostly Chinese population, but each one preserving a unique culture. Among them are the Truku who live around Taroko, one of eight national parks, where a dramatic gorge digs its way down to the ocean. There are meandering trails and turquoise pools, marble rocks, caves and cliffs, exotic birds, butterflies the size of your hand, red-faced monkeys and the occasional black bear. You can stay in luxurious tribal venues, eat glutinous rice and bird’s nest fern, bargain for local craft or watch children dance ‘over the rainbow’ to honour their ancestors.

South of the romantic Sun Moon Lake and close to the Tropic of Cancer, the district of Alishan is another lovely spot, home to the Tsous who grow tea and coffee in green rolling hills. Here red-roofed villages shelter in the hollows, ornate temples splash colour on lonely hilltops and veils of mist drift through whispering bamboo. Taiwan’s highest peaks beckon all around. At nearly 4000 metres, Jade Mountain is the ultimate challenge but in the shivering dawn, most visitors opt for the nearby Celebration Mountain, conveniently close to rail and road and the best place to enjoy a magical sunrise. When the first golden rays sweep across the sea of clouds at your feet, Taiwan is sure to touch your heart, just like the Chinese lanterns glowing after dark.

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