Taiwan attractions

One of the oldest and most important buildings in New Taipei City’s Tamsui District, Fort Santo Domingo has stood tall for nearly 400 years. A historic base for Spanish, Dutch, and Chinese interests before becoming a British consulate, the vermillion-hued landmark (and the adjacent red-brick consular residence) now stands as a living symbol of Taiwan’s colonial past.

The Lin Family Garden represents the best preserved surviving example of traditional Chinese garden architecture. Built in the late nineteenth century in Qing Dynasty style for one of Taiwan’s wealthy merchant families, the mansion and asymmetrical gardens were designed to make the residents feel closer to nature.

One of Taiwan’s most prized natural attractions, the East River Valley National Scenic Area (Huadong Valley is a long, narrow tract of land that stretches from Hualien to Taitung. It encompasses mountains, fields of flowers, hot springs, and other scenic highlights, and is popular among trekkers and day-trippers alike.

Learn about the aboriginal cultures of Taiwan, stroll through a beautifully landscaped garden, and enjoy thrilling amusement park rides—all in the same visit—at Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village. Comprising three distinct areas, the village offers a day of educational fun for travelers of all ages.

The National Theater and Concert Hall, located at the National Chiang Kai-Shek Cultural Center, are two of Taiwan’s first, and premier, performing arts venues. Constructed in 1987, the twin buildings mirror one another and feature classical Chinese palace architecture. Both host a wide array of musical and theatrical performances.

Perched in the hills near the Taipei Zoo, Chih Nan Temple was founded in 1882, making it one of the oldest in the country. As with many of Taipei’s temples, Chih Nan blends Taoist, Confucian and Buddhist traditions within its four main halls and five smaller halls. The temple’s main deity, Lu Tang Pin, thought to dwell within one of the temple’s courtyards, was a Confucian scholar who became honored as the immortal Deliverer from Poverty. You’ll see many families bringing their young children to the temple, as offering a child as a foster son or daughter of Patriarch Lu is thought to help cure their ills.

Spanning 64 acres (26 hectares in central Taipei’s Da’an District, Da’an Forest Park is one of the city’s largest and most popular green retreats. An oasis from the Taiwansese capital’s always-on bustle, the park offers walking trails, ponds, athletic facilities, public artworks, and plenty of grassy space for lounging and picnicking.

One of Taiwan’s most unusual attractions, the Houtong Cat Village, located in the island’s northeast, is famously home to many stray cats. There are now more felines than humans in this former mining village, making it a popular (and adorable) day-trip destination for visitors from nearby Taipei and Keelung City.

One of Taipei’s most significant 20th-century landmarks—and now a listed national historic site—Zhongshan Hall was built in 1936 and is recognizable for its distinctly modernist architecture. Used by Chiang Kai-shek for public speeches and the site of Japan’s formal surrender to the Allies in 1945, the building is today a popular tourist destination and performing arts space.

Yingge has long been considered the heart of the Taiwanese ceramics industry. Located in the New Taipei City municipality, the district has produced top-quality porcelain for more than 220 years. Today, hundreds of vendors sell ceramic pieces on Jianshanpu Road, and the Yingge Ceramics Museum captures the area’s history.

One of the largest and most diverse theme parks in Taiwan, Leofoo Village Theme Park combines an amusement park and seasonal water park with an animal safari experience. With more than 60 rides, live entertainment, special events, and a variety of dining and shopping options, it offers a fun day out for the whole family.

A former illegal settlement and one of Taipei’s oldest historical neighborhoods, Treasure Hill got a major facelift in 2010, transforming it into a living artists’ village. Today the area contains performance spaces, galleries, and shops, all squeezed together along the narrow alleys and stairways of this hillside community.

Just a short train journey from the center of Taipei, Fulong Beach provides a tranquil escape from city life, one filled with white sands and clean waters. An addition to its great opportunities for surfers and sun-worshippers, the beach is home to a hiking trail that reveals spectacular views of Taiwan’s Pacific Coast.

Dedicated to the 20th-century Taiwanese sculptor Ju Ming, the Juming Museum is both a key cultural stop and a popular place for outdoor recreation. Located in the Jinshan District north of Taipei, the museum is home to a sprawling sculpture garden. Head inside to learn more about Ju Ming’s career and see works by affiliated artists.

A traditional district located in New Taipei City, Sanxia has been a busy trading center since the Qing dynasty. Today, it’s renowned for the red-brick buildings that line its Old Street, its many shops and street-food stalls, and its proximity to sights like the Qingshui Zushi temple and the Manyueyuan National Forest Recreation Area.

Located inside Taroko National Park, Zhuilu Old Trail is one of the most spectacular hikes in Taiwan. Plan ahead if you want to hike this popular trail, featuring a steep ascent, narrow path, vertical cliffs with sheer drop-offs, and fantastic views of Taroko Gorge, Swallow Grotto Canyon, and the Zhuilu Marble Cliffs.

The largest marine ecology display center in the country, the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium is one of southern Taiwan’s top attractions. Tunnels, a touch pool, and other exhibits let you get up close and personal with a diverse array of marine life, including whale sharks, belugas, and penguins.

Spanning an impressive 494 acres (200 hectares), the Lihpao Land resort complex is one of Taiwan’s largest entertainment zones. Attractions include the Discovery World theme park, the Mala Bay water park (summer only), go-karting, a Ferris wheel, an escape-room complex, an outlet mall, a hotel, and a range of dining options.

One of Taipei’s most distinctive destinations, the Miniatures Museum of Taiwan was founded in 1997, and is the first collection of its kind in Asia. Established by Lin Wen-jen and Lin Chin-mei—two impassioned collectors—it features dozens of miniature creations of phenomenal detail and complexity, and is aimed at both kids and adults.

Taiwan’s leading contemporary art museum, the Taipei Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA is housed in a colonial, red-brick building—and former elementary school and city hall—dating to the 1920s. Inside, the airy exhibition spaces showcase groundbreaking Taiwanese and international artists in a series of temporary exhibitions.

Explore exhibits related to the ocean, marine life, and marine science at the National Museum of Marine Science & Technology in Taiwan. Housed in a former power plant near Keelung, the museum focuses on the importance of oceans and sustainable development via exhibitions, films, and educational programs.

Located in Taiwan’s geographic heart and ringed by mountains, the small town of Puli is often seen as a gateway to top-tier nearby attractions like Sun Moon Lake, Taroko National Park, and Hehuanshan mountain. But it’s worth staying to discover everything from historic wineries and butterfly centers to a strikingly modern temple.

Located in the Zhongshan district of Taipei, the Miramar Entertainment Park is a landmark shopping mall known for the large ferris wheel on its roof. It’s also home to plenty of shops, restaurants, a popular food hall, one of the largest IMAX theaters in Asia, and other gaming and entertainment options.

One of Taipei’s highlight green spaces, the Taipei Expo Park is so named because it hosted the 2010 Taipei International Flora Exhibition. Today, the large multi-use public park offers walking and biking trails, ornamental gardens, museums, a garden maze, and recreation areas. It even hosts the occasional flower festival still.

Nestled among the verdant hills of southern Taiwan, Wushanto Guanziling Hot Spring offers a relaxing escape from Tainan, the former capital and bustling second city of Taiwan. From a vantage point 270 meters (885 feet) above sea level, the springs provide spectacular views of the area’s mountainous terrain and sit close to natural attractions such as Hongye Park and the Wushantou Reservoir.

Towering Taiwan cypresses stretch into the sky and thousands of indigenous wildflowers dot the hillsides of Taipingshan National Forest, one of Taiwan’s most beloved outdoor destinations. Wooded hiking trails lead to scenic overlooks with spectacular views of places like Renze Hot Springs, Forest Park, and Cuifeng Lake.

Guandu (Kuantu) Temple is dedicated to Mazu, the goddess of the sea and one of the most important deities in Taiwan. Built in 1661 into the side of a mountain along the banks of the Tamsui River, Guandu Temple is a grand, multistory complex that also offers great panoramic views over the Tamsui River.

Constructed in 1967, Xingtian Temple is dedicated to Guan Yu—a deified general and patron god of businesspeople—and is frequented daily by around 10,000 believers seeking spiritual guidance. The temple is known for its forward-thinking approach; for environmental reasons, it became the first to ban incense in Taiwan in 2014.

Right next to the National Palace Museum, the Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines is dedicated to the history and culture of Taiwan’s 16 Indigenous ethnic groups. The four-story museum showcases an array of historical and contemporary objects and artworks, including clothing, weapons, photographs, and more.

Established in 1908, the National Taiwan Museum is the oldest museum in Taiwan. Learn about Taiwan’s heritage, culture, and development through the museum’s expansive collections and exhibitions covering the geology, history, anthropology, culture, botany, and zoology of Taiwan and Southern China.