Yvonne Lim Has Called Taiwan Home For 3 Years And These Are Her Favourite Places There

For a respite from Taipei’s urban jungle, Yvonne suggests heading to riverfront park Bitan (‘emerald lake’ in Chinese) that is popular among the locals. Indulge in Yvonne’s son AJ’s favourite activity: Gliding across the green lake in an old-school swan paddle boat. Yes, you can do it here in Singapore too, but over in Taiwan, you get to pedal-boat and ogle gorgeous mountain scenery. You can find the swan boats docked on the riverbank under the Bitan Suspension Rainbow Bridge, so named ’cos the bridge’s multi-coloured lights are lit up at night to resemble a rainbow arching across the waters. In summer, firefly trails are also available.

For a taste of tribal life, make a beeline to Wulai, a small aboriginal village home to the Atayal people, just an hour away from Taipei. Saunter down Wulai Old Street, a 100m-long narrow alley lined with stalls selling indigenous souvenirs and street food. Yvonne’s “must-try” traditional Atayal delicacies include bamboo-tube rice, wild-boar sausages and hot spring eggs.

Hop on the Wulai Scenic Train, a super-cute rail cart that runs along a 1.6km railway line from Wulai Old Street to the 80m tall tourist spot Wulai Waterfall. Learn more about the history and culture of the village’s residents at the free-admission Wulai Atayal Museum or go for a relaxing dip at one of the many hot spring establishments around the village.

The Wulai Waterfall is a majestic sight to behold.

For a different kind of museum-going experience, amble over to the National Museum of Marine Science and Technology in Keelung. Dive into a sea of knowledge about marine science with fun, interactive exhibits. Tourist hotspot it may not be, but there’s plenty to see and do and Instagram in this ocean-themed enclave. Make like a hermit crab and duck into a life-sized shell! Pose against a coral reef sculpture! You can also pit your running prowess against a virtual marine animal. Choose from a list of creatures like dolphins and sea turtles. At the end of the ‘race’, the screen will display your running speed alongside your competitor’s. A whale of a time guaranteed here.

The exterior of the National Museum of Marine Science and Technology is an architecture buff's dream.

Can you really say you’ve been to Taiwan without tucking into a piping bowl of lu rou fan (braised pork rice)? Dig into a bowl of what Yvonne hails as the “best braised pork rice in Taipei” at Jin Feng Braised Pork Rice, a hole-in-the-wall eatery popular among the locals. Expect a queue during lunch hours, or opt for late-night supper at this dining spot that opens till 1am daily. Post-meal, skip over next door to Nanmen Market where you can get fruit fresher than elsewhere, if you don’t mind forking out the extra dollar or two.

Braised Pork Rice from Jin Feng.

Oyster mee sua stalls are a dime a dozen in Taiwan, but Yvonne recommends going for your vermicelli noodle fix at Qiao Tou Mee Sua. Look for a queue in front of the nondescript food stand located along Changsheng Street (they have another outlet along Guangming Road).

Oyster mee sua from Qiao Tou Mee Sua.

For something more atas, Chinese restaurant Le Palais, Taiwan’s only three-Michelin-star restaurant at the Palais de Chine hotel in Taipei, serves Cantonese banquet fare like their signature roast duck and dim sum in an oriental-glam setting. (Photo Credit: Le Palais)

Yvonne’s suggested must-try at Le Palais is the tender, succulent and melt-in-your-mouth char siew which “is the best dish in the house and the one that won the award”. (Photo Credit: Le Palais)

Fancy a taste of old-school Taiwanese desserts? Yvonne recommends popular dessert stall Sweet Uncle that hawks traditional sweets in retro surrounds. She recommends the Taiwanese-style ice kachang aka Bao Bing (shaved ice topped with sticky rice balls, assorted fruits, root crops and other ingredients of your choice). Her tip: Go for the super-Q and yummy yam and pumpkin balls. (Photo Credit: Sweet Uncle)

According to Yvonne, the Taipei Station Wholesale Market is a haven for bargain hunters. Popular shopping spots like Ximending get their goods from here, and mark up prices by three or four times. Some of the gems you can find here include hair, fashion and make-up accessories, snacks and beverages, clothing, and daily essentials. Foodies will love the Ningxia Night Market, touted to have the best street food.
(Photo Credit: Hai Mian Bao Bao De Fengli Chengbao)