About Taiwan

Taiwan's culture is fine and diverse. At each corner, one can find some unique stories and local sentiments to enjoy. You are cordially invited to travel in Taiwan and discover Taiwanese lifestyles. The beautiful island has many off-the-beaten-track destinations to offer. Why not savor Taiwan's culture and nature and meet our hospitable locals! Friendly, wise and full of wonderful experiences – Taiwan cordially awaits you!

Travel Information

• Weather

   

  Taiwan enjoys a subtropical climate with warm weather all year round. Taiwan is extremely suitable for traveling. It will be around 29-31 degree Celsius in August in Taipei.

• Time Zone

   

  Taipei is 8 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

• Electricity

   

  Taiwan uses electric current of 110 volts at 60 cycles, appliances from Europe, Australia or South-East Asia will need an adaptor or transformer.

• Currency

   

  The official currency in Taiwan is the New Taiwan Dollar (NT$). Foreign currencies can be exchanged at government-designated banks and hotels. Major credit cards such as American Express, Master Card, and Visa are accepted and traveler's checks may be cashed at foreign-exchange banks, some tourist-oriented businesses, and most international tourist hotels.

• Tipping

   

  Tipping is not customary in Taipei, but some hotels and restaurants automatically add a 10% service fee to the bill.

• Tax / VAT

   

  VAT Refund Requirements:

  1. Foreign travelers who enter the R.O.C. with the following documents and stay for no more than 183 days from the date of Arrival: * Passport of a country other than the R.O.C. * R.O.C. passport without personal ID No. recorded. * Travel documents. * Exit & Entry permit. * Temporary entry permit (Note: only eligible for use in claims made at an international airport or port, not applicable for on-site or designated tax refund service outside of airports or ports).

  2. Foreign travelers, with the entry document, who make purchases of at least NT$2,000 on the same day from the same designated stores with the "Taiwan Tax Refund"-label are eligible to request the "Application Form for VAT Refund." To claim the refund, they must apply at the port of their departure from the R.O.C. within 90 days following the date of purchase, and they must take the purchased goods out of the country with them. More Information

Destination Taipei

The city is situated in a basin in northern Taiwan that was inhabited by aboriginal peoples until settlers from China moved into the area about 300 years ago. Eastern Taipei was largely underused fields until the nineteen-seventies, when the city began to develop the area as a financial and commercial district. Here, the modern face of Taipei shines through, with its glass and steel skyscrapers, wide boulevards, and the world's tallest building, Taipei 101. Taipei also boasts dozens of world-class performance venues, where you can enjoy world-class theater and concert events. The city also offers a wide range of other diversions -- shopping malls, nightclubs, live-music bars, quality hotels, and exotic restaurants. More Information

Taipei Attraction

• National Palace Museum

   

  The National Palace Museum houses the world's largest collection of priceless Chinese art treasures, one which spans China's nearly 5,000-year history. Most of the museum's over 600,000 art objects were part of the Chinese imperial collection, which began over 1,000 years ago in the early Song dynasty. Travel Information

• Dadaocheng Wharf

   

  Dadaocheng developed with shops and homes rising up along the Tamsui River. After Tamsui Port opened, Dadaocheng became the main entrepot in Taipei under the administration of Liu Ming-chuan. Yanping North Road and Guide Street were at the center of commercial activity in the district, and tea and cloth were the main items traded during this colorful and memorable time of years past in Dadaocheng. In recent years, Dadaocheng Wharf has hosted major fireworks festivals. There is also a bikeway by the wharf for riverside cycling in scenic and historic Dadaocheng. Travel Information

• Shilin Night Market

   

  The Shilin Night Market is one of the well-organized and most popular night markets. At the Shilin Night Market, visitors can shop from store to store and have a large selection of clothes and accessories that they can bargain for reasonable prices. Also a lot of the foods from Shilin Night Market are famous for their local flavors and are only available at the Shilin Night Market. Visitors are able to enjoy a wide range of local food, including Sausage Wrapped in Glutinous Rice, Stir-fried Squids, Oyster Omelets, Shilin Super Size Sausages, and many more. Travel Information

• Xinyi Shopping District

   

  Xinyi is a one-of-a-kind tourism area in Taiwan. Xinyi is also home to Taiwan biggest bookstore chain, Eslite and the international landmark Taipei 101 building, Songshan Cultural and Creative Park, an internationally-renowned Michelin star restaurant, eye-catching buildings and installation art, and the annual Taipei New Year Eve Party all further add to the sparkle of Xinyi District. For shopping, entertainment and delicious cuisine to art, culture and international MICE facilities, Xinyi District serves up the best of Taiwan. Travel Information

• Yangmingshan National Park

   

  Yangmingshan National Park is the only park in Taiwan that has volcanic geography and hot springs. The magnificent mountainous scenery and comfortable weather have made Yangmingshan National Park a perfect summer resort. Total area of the park is 125 hectares, designed in traditional Chinese style. The natural beauty of the part has won it the reputation as urban forest and the Taipei garden. Travel Information

• Taipei Grand Mosque

   

  The Taipei Grand Mosque is a center of worship for Taipei's Muslims community. Designed by the renowned architect C.C. Yang, the mosque was built in 1960 with funds donated from Taiwan and Saudi Arabia. The main distinguishing feature of the mosque is its enormous domed roof. The dome is 15 meters high, 15 meters in diameter and is supported entirely without beams. The mosque is adorned with handmade Persian rugs and chandeliers presented by kings of countries allied with Taiwan. The mosque also has two minarets that rise impressively to over 20 meters. When visiting Taipei Grand Mosque, please be sure to follow the mosque rules. Only Muslims are allowed to enter the main prayer hall and second floor prayer hall for women. Travel Information

  Taiwan Halal Certified Restaurants

  Muslim-friendly Environment

Transportation

• Mass Rapid Transit System (MRT)

   

  The MRT currently has six lines in operation. Tickets can be purchased at automatic-ticket machines in all MRT stations. A "Single-journey Ticket" costs between NT$20 to NT$65 depends on distance. A NT$180 "Taipei one-day Pass" purchased from a service booth will allow unlimited travel among all MRT lines within one day. The MRT runs from 6 am to 12 midnight seven days a week. Smoking, eating, drinking or gum chewing are strictly prohibited on all MRT trains.

   

  Travel Pass Discounted Ticket (One-Day, Multi-day Pass and more)

  Joint Tickets (Taipei Metro & Taoyuan Airport MRT and more)

• Taxi

   

  Taipei has a huge fleet of taxis. Charges are NT$70 for the first 1.25km and NT$5 for each additional 200 meters. An additional NT$5 is charged for every two minutes of waiting, and a 20% surcharge is added to fares between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. All fares appear on the meter, except for a NT$10 charge for cabs dispatched by phone and for each piece of luggage placed in taxi trunk. Tips are not required.

• Youbike

   

  The Taipei Bike Sharing System is abbreviated as YouBike. It uses an unmanned automated management system to provide “A Leases and B Returns” 24- hour bike rental service, in hope that the citizens will choose bikes as their short-distance transit vehicles. You may rent a Youbike either as a Member or as a Single rental user. Single Rental users can use Kiosks at each station to rent a bike and use credit cards to pay usages fees. The rate is NT$ 10 per 30 minutes within the first 4 hours, NT$ 20 per 30 minutes between 4 to 8 hours, and NT$ 40 per 30 minutes exceeding 8 hours.

• Airline

   

  In Northern Taiwan, there are two main airports, Taoyuan International Airport in Taoyuan city and Taipei Songshan Airport in Taipei city. There are 60 international airline companies with flights to Taiwan. To be eco-friendly to our environments, we'd like to invite you to have your trips with these airlines which take part in Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) or other similar projects. Cathay Pacific, Cathay Dragon, China Airlines, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, United Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Emirates Airlines