Taiwan: Where cute meets culture and then is now

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Upon landing at Taoyuan International Airport, we, a boisterous mix of lifestyle and business journalists from Manila, were immediately whisked to Taiwan’s most iconic landmarks, Taipei 101. As it was my first time visiting the country, nth timers in the group told me it is a must-see. But height — at least in buildings — does not impress me, as walking on glass 101 floors above ground is not my idea of fun. But I guess one has to know how exactly the building keeps up with the perils of its own tallness to appreciate it: that is, with a giant ball of steel, called a mass damper. This golden ball acts like a shock absorber through earthquakes and strong winds common in this part of the world, I am told. This rush of science at the beginning of our trip, although unexpected, was not unappreciated. I could tell Taiwan wasn’t going to be just like Hong Kong (with farming), Korea (without Innisfree), or Japan (without Don Quijote), after all.

Kaohsiung

From the North of Taiwan, we headed straight to the South in one fell bullet train swoop. It took us about two hours to get to Kaohsiung, Taiwan’s second largest city, 358.2 kilometers (or Manila to Ilocos and back) from Taipei. Our guide, Albert, was hesitant about referring to our mode of transport as a bullet train; perhaps he thought it wasn’t bullet train-y enough. But to a Filipino? Hell, yeah, it’s a bullet train.

Kaohsiung, once a manufacturing city and still Taiwan’s largest port, is the perfect example of the past marrying the present in style. We’re talking about a Pinterest-worthy wedding. Located in Kaohsiung is Pier-2 Art Center, where abandoned warehouses from the 1970s are now a hub for Taiwan’s contemporary art scene. Each warehouse offers a different experience — a coffee shop, a gallery, a club, and all are very IG worthy. At the edge of area is a park that seemed to have grown out of forgotten railroads, a fine spot for spending a fine day. There is a low-key cinema, which lures you in with a Mandarin-language horror movie blaring on loudspeaker. There is a bookstore called Eslite, which also has a 24-hour branch in Taipei. There is a bazaar of cool objects: soaps, stickers, jewelry, and totes made into art.

Those looking for a more retro-historic side of Kaohsiung would appreciate its temples, such as the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas, and the Spring and Autumn Pavilion located along Liantan Road. There, you’ll find Kaohsiung Bear, a statue of the city’s mascot.

Tainan

We took our tour bus to Tainan, a laid-back city on Taiwan’s southwest coast. If you look at the map of Taiwan, you’d see that we’re slowly working our way up the country, one day at a time. In Tainan, we visited Chihkan Tower and the very adorable Shennong Old Street. Under the 37-degree morning sun, we explored the shops along Shennong, mostly still closed, but beautifully decorated with weirdness. Each shop is an OOTD backdrop waiting to happen, and they are all along what is considered the best-preserved street in Tainan. At the end of the two-block street is Yaowang Temple — if you have to miss making a stop at Jiufen, the home of a 100-year-old A-Mei Tea House that’s said to have inspired Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away bathhouse, the temple at the end of this street, as well as the little shops that lead to it, come pretty close.

Silaya

A little over an hour’s drive from Tainan City is Siraya Green Valley, home of the indigenous Siraya tribe, which has a population of 80,000 in Tainan and Kaohsiung. We took our tour bus up to a certain spot and then transferred to a smaller van to get through the narrow, inclined roads. Our driver was an elderly man; the van was built like an FX (remember those?) but instead of a third row of seats, there were unbolted monoblock chairs that slid around as we went up the hills.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by a half-Filipino Sirayan, Edgar Macapili, a Bisaya who is married to the indigenous tribe’s princess. He introduced us to our driver — their freaking King. They call Siraya Green Valley a place of cultural activism where they try to revitalize the language, which has not been spoken in over 200 years, through music and art. Edgar played traditional Sirayan songs while we sipped bamboo infused tea on a stormy afternoon. It was a campfire moment, sans the fire, and with WiFi.

Sun Moon Lake

My personal favorite of all our stops, Sun Moon Lake is magical at night. It’s quiet, dark, and cooler than the rest of Taiwan (27 degrees, compared to Taipei’s 37). Located at the foothills of Taiwan’s central mountain range, it got its K-drama-sounding name from its geography: it’s the merging of two lakes, the diamond-shaped Sun Lake and cresent Moon Lake. It’s the biggest mountain lake in Southeast Asia. We arrived at night and had to walk to our hotel, LeaLea Garden Hotel, because our bus wouldn’t fit on the road. Luggage in tow, we enjoyed the brief and pitch black hike. Our exhaustion did not keep us from cackling up that hill. After sundown, it feels more like Camp Crystal Lake than Sun Moon Lake, but all was good. No resurrected masked villains. Just cute coffee and souvenir shops closed for the night.

The morning was misty and wet. We boarded a comfortable boat and took an hour-long cruise around the lake. Our guide, Albert, told us that even more beautiful from January to March, when the Formosa Cherry Blossom trees bloom with deep red flowers. There are various hiking trails for nature lovers, from the three-kilometer Mt. Maolan trail to the 5.6-kilometer Mt. Shuishe trail.

Taichung, Taoyuan and Taipei

The final stretch of our tour introduced us to Taiwan’s techie-slash-business side. Apart from the trip being a familiarization tour, it’s a chance to discover a side of Taiwan that we don’t get to see as tourists. From Sept. 29 to Oct. 1, Taiwan Association Inc. and Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) will be holding Taiwan Expo 2017 at SMX Convention Center in Manila to develop stronger economic and cultural links with the Philippines. The exhibit will have eight themed pavilions: Study in Taiwan, Culture and Tourism, Inno-Tech, Agriculture-Tech, Health and Lifestyle, City Marketing, General Support, and Taiwan Association Philippines’ booth, the event’s organizer, which is led by president Allan Lin and honorary president Seimo Huang. There will be 170 exhibitors and 4,500 Taiwan products, and we got a sneak peek at some of them during our visits to the Taiwan Green Industry exhibit, Acer Inc., Controlnet Internation (innovators of hybrid energy sources). Saucedo Food Co. Ltd., and Noodles Origin in Taichung and Taipei, while Taoyuan gave us a glimpse of their airport city, which is also an emerging business and cultural district.

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Maybe you’ve noticed that I didn’t mention a lot about street food and night markets — let me tell you now that everything they say about it is true. Every night market is a street food mecca, and every town, no matter how small, has one. They skewer meats you’ve never seen skewered before. In terms of shopping, there is an abundance of sportswear and sneakers, as well as edgy local fashion. Uber is a reliable alternative to taxis.

Some notes: If traveling in July, prepare for extreme sun and expect to walk a lot.  There’s a lot more to discover on foot, you will want to stop and take pictures, because Taiwan’s mixed aesthetic — a fusion of traditional, hip and downright odd — is worth every ‘gram.

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Special thanks to Taiwan Association, TAITRA, and JERON Travel and Tours Corp. For information on Taiwan Expo, visit https://ph.taiwanexpoasean.com/ or http://manila.taiwantrade.com/. Follow the author on Instagram @chonxtibajia. Photos CHONX TIBAJIA