Taiwan Sightseeing: Icons, Temples and Forts
Where to look first
Taiwan’s sightseeing mixes imperial treasures, working temples, Dutch-era forts and mountain forest, and most of it is reachable by rail. The list below is ordered by how much it rewards a short visit.
National Palace Museum
The collection evacuated from the Forbidden City holds nearly 700,000 imperial artefacts. Look for the Jadeite Cabbage, the Mao Gong Ding bronze cauldron and Ru ware porcelain. Admission is NT$350 for adults and about NT$150 concession, with hours of 09:00 to 17:00 and last ticket at 16:30. Check the closing day at the museum site .
Taipei 101
The 508 m tower is shaped like a stack of bamboo stalks. Its observatory tickets are tiered: NT$600 buys the standard 88th, 89th and 91st floors, and the upper floors and fast-track options cost more. The entrance is on the first floor of the office tower. Inside, a 660-tonne steel sphere acts as a damper against typhoon winds and earthquakes.
Longshan Temple
Taipei’s oldest temple was founded in 1738. Entry is free, and visitors toss crescent-shaped wooden blocks to ask the gods a question. Look up at the dragon roofs and the carved stone panels. Dress modestly and keep your voice low.
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
The white-marble hall with a blue octagonal roof stands over Liberty Square. Entry is free and the changing of the guard happens on the hour. Allow time to walk the gardens and the National Theater next door.
Tainan: the oldest layer
Tainan is the cultural capital, and its sights are compact. Chihkan Tower stands on the site of the 1653 Dutch Fort Provintia, and the Confucius Temple nearby was Taiwan’s first official school, founded in 1665. Fort Zeelandia in Anping dates to 1624. Tainan is a stop on the west-coast high-speed line, which runs only from Nangang to Zuoying, with Taipei to Zuoying at NT$1,490 reserved standard; details are on the THSR site .
Alishan by narrow-gauge train
The Alishan Forest Railway climbs through subtropical forest to alpine cedars. The full Chiayi to Alishan line is running, at NT$600, and booking is on the railway’s official site . The summit has 2,000-year-old red cypress trees and, for early risers, a sunrise train.
Taroko National Park
The east coast is partly open to visitors. Taroko Terrace, Tianxiang, Dacingshui, Chongde, Dali-Datong, Liwushan and Cianyanlishan can be visited, and the visitor centre is open. Check live conditions at the Taroko National Park site before you travel, and reach Hualien by Taiwan Railways, since high-speed rail does not run on the east coast.
Booking guided help
If you prefer a guide for the museum or a day tour, you can compare Taiwan sightseeing tours on GetYourGuide .
Beitou and the north coast
Beitou’s Hot Spring Museum, in a 1913 Japanese bathhouse, sits beside the steaming Geothermal Valley, and the public Millennium Hot Spring costs NT$40 to NT$60. Jiufen’s staircases lead to the Amei Tea House, and Yehliu’s Queen’s Head formation is the best-known of the coastal rocks. Both can be done in half a day from Taipei.
For route ideas, see the 3-day itinerary . Tip: visit Longshan Temple in the early evening, when the lamps are lit and worshippers are most active.