Asia is without a doubt my favorite corner of the world. Below is a blog roll of all my posts related to traveling in Asia. You’ll find that Taiwan features the most prominently, as I’ve called it home for over 10 years, but you’ll also find articles about Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, and more!
Having lived, worked, and traveled extensively in both Taiwan and Thailand, I’m writing this article to make some subjective and objective comparisons between them. My wife is Taiwanese, I’ve lived in Taiwan for over a decade, and our kids have been born and raised there. But whenever we travel to my home in Canada or …
All across Taiwan, Dahu (大湖) is practically synonymous with strawberries. Every winter, plump, juicy, bright red strawberries from Dahu township in Miaoli County make their appearance in fruit markets around the country, with the best ones fetching high prices. But for the best Taiwanese strawberry experience, nothing beats going right to the heartland of strawberry …
For some 338 years (1664 to 2002), large quantities of salt were produced in the coastal regions of Tainan and Chiayi in southern Taiwan. Today, Cigu Salt Mountain (七股鹽山) stands as a testament to Taiwan’s salt-producing past. Visitors can climb to the top of it, then head to nearby Qigu Salt Museum (臺灣鹽博物館) to learn …
The east coast of Taiwan is a remote region of unparalleled beauty and the perfect place for a Taiwan road trip. In Part 1 of this guide, I covered the popular Yilan County and Hualien City regions, including Taroko Gorge, the east coast’s most famous attraction. In this post, we will continue our road trip …
Fo Guang Shan (佛光山 or Foguangshan) is one of the four large Buddhist organizations in Taiwan. The order’s headquarters, Fo Guang Shan Monastery in Kaohsiung, Southern Taiwan, is one of Taiwan’s top attractions and most popular places to visit in Kaohsiung. The enormous, sprawling Fo Guang Shan Temple complex more than doubled in size with …
One of the most enticing draws of Southeast Asia is the abundance of mesmerizingly gorgeous temples dotting the landscape. Shimmering with gold, dominating cityscapes, beckoning the masses to devotion – Southeast Asian temples are testaments the region’s rich colonial history, cultural diversity, religious syncretism, and piousness of its people. In this article I have …
Is autumn a good time to visit Taiwan? I would say that it’s not just good. In fact, it is my favorite season of the year to be living in Taiwan. Fall is Taiwan is characterized by pleasant, warm to cool weather and blue skies. There is little chance of rain, and it’s the perfect …
Where should you go if only visiting Taiwan for 1-2 weeks? Most say that if you like history and culture, stick to the west coast. If you like scenery and nature, head to the east coast of Taiwan. While this is a simplistic breakdown of Taiwan’s diverse and abundant attractions, but there’s no denying that …
Yingge, Taiwan is the country’s undisputed center of pottery and ceramics, and one of the most interesting day trips from Taipei for anyone interested in ceramics and the arts. Taiwanese ceramics range from perfect renditions of ancient Chinese styles to creative, modern innovations. For a country that is one of the world’s great producers of …
I’m navigating my way though Ximending, a shopping paradise for the young and trendy, to find Light Program Red House. Olivia Wu, an acquaintance of mine and also certified practitioner of knife massage (dao liao or刀療) and I Ching (yi jing or 易經) divination, has invited me to experience an ancient Chinese knife massage in …
