THERE are many quiet historical scenic spots in Taipei, Taiwan. Among them are Dadaocheng and Beitou which are great leisure places for roaming and strolling.
Dadaocheng is situated at the city center not far away from Taipei Main Station, which was an important trade harbor of northern Taiwan in the early times. It was a prosperous area of northern Taiwan a century ago. All groceries and dry food, medical materials and tea were imported and exported from the port of Dadaocheng back then. Dadaocheng offers a rich history and is one of the best ways to begin learing about Taiwan. Dihua Street, on the other hand, is the must go place to enjoy traditional delicacies. In addition, there are many pottery and tea art places, as well as cultural shops and coffee shops which make Dadaocheng a cultural and traditional place. People can spend more than half a day strolling around exploring history and appreciating the sunset of Tamshuei River at the Dadaocheng Wharf.
The delicacies of Dadaocheng are scattered around Dihua Street Yonglo Market like stinky Tofu, pig’s blood pastry, thick rice noodles, milkfish thick soup. There are also many old restaurants with traditional delicacies in northern Taiwan which can satisfy the appetites of gourmands.
Different from the atmosphere of Dadaocheng, the downtown Beitou hot spring area situated in Yangmingshan National Park was the place where rich businessmen would visit during vacation to bathe in the hot spring back in the old times.
It was called Taiwan hot spring town and there are still many spring houses and scenic spots inherited from the Japanese colonial period.
Beitou Hot Spring Museum, Beitou Library and Beitou Museum all feature the styles of thee Japanese colonial period. Beitou Park even has Japanese relics from that old period.
A one day trip around Beitou is very convenient. It takes less than half an hour via MRT from Taipei to Beitou. And you will be able to find hot spring areas everywhere.
Beitou Library is also a highly recommended destination. The wooden building is very quiet inside, and is surrounded by green bamboos and a trail full of green ivory giving you a similar feel of being in a forest. Tourists will love taking a rest here because of its very relaxing atmosphere.
You can plan spending a day each at Dadaocheng and Beitou hot spring; or spend half a day at Dadaocheng to bathe at the hot spring by taking MRT to Beitou in the morning, then heading to Dadaocheng in the afternoon to appreciate the night view of Dadaocheng Wharf after dusk. The trip may even be extended to Ximending at night.
For more events, please visit Taiwan Tourism Bureau website http://taiwan.net.ph/ or https://www.taiwan.net.tw/ (PR)