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My sister and I extended our trip and off to Kaohsiung we go after our parents left.

It was a 4 to 5 hours bus ride from Taipei and tickets can be purchased from Taipei Main Station.

I was quite excited to explore Kaohsiung cause it was my first time there!

Compared to Taipei, Kaohsiung is more laid back, food are relatively cheaper and the city is not as advanced. Not forgetting the weather in Kaohsiung was way warmer than than Taipei's. Sunscreen is a must if you're traveling there during midyear.

If it's your first time to Kaohsiung like me, here are 12 things you should do!

1. 莲池潭 (Lotus Pond)

Address
Zuoying District. Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 813

Does it look like I have been to Taiwan way too much? I've been there twice for the past 2 years, and I was there again for the third time during July. However, it was my first time being there during mid year and the weather was horrible, it was much warmer and sunnier than Singapore.

I visited Taipei once again and I was with my family this time round. It has been ages since our last family vacation. So my sister and I decided to bring my parents to some of the tourist attractions and our favourite dining spots. And this trip, we've discovered more awesome food!

Segmented this post by the places that we visited in Taipei.

西門町 (Ximending)

Address
Wanhua District, Taipei City, Taiwan 108

I don't visit hair salon much, probably twice on a yearly basis for a cut, and once in every 2 years for colouring. In between, if I need a trim, I'll do it myself and if I have to touch up those ugly black roots, I'll get hair colouring products from Watsons and do the colouring on my own.

Taiwan's supermarkets and convenience stores are everywhere. Aside from the really affordable prices, they offer an extensive selection of products which are good for your own consumption or gifting as a souvenir. If you are stopping by any stores, make sure to add the following items to your shopping cart!

卡迪那香脆芋片 (Cadina Yam Chips)

中正紀念堂 (Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall)

Address
21, Zhongshan S.Rd., Zhongzheng District, Taipei City 10048

Getting There
中正紀念堂 (Green / Red Line) Station, Exit 5

Probably the most prominent historical landmark in Taiwan, the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall was erected in honour and memory of Generalissimo Chiang Kai Shek, the former President of the Republic of China, and was opened in 1980 as part of a national park.

Standing at 76 metres, the octagon shaped white building is covered with blue tiles and red accents, echoing the flag of Republic of China. The eight sides represent the Chinese cultural symbolism of the number eight which is traditionally associated with wealth and fortune.


The two flights of stairs that leads to the 76 metres building which houses a large bronze statue of Chiang Kai Shek, consist 89 steps each flight represent Chiang Kai Shek's age of death.

The hourly changing of the honour guard is probably the most popular sight with visitors. I wasn't there at the right time, so I missed the session.


The majestic view from the memorial hall.

Opposite the memorial hall is 自由廣場 (Liberty Square), it is named to honour Taiwan's long road to democracy.



At the sides, it's the 國家戲劇院 (National Theatre) and 國家音樂廳 (National Concert Hall) where renowned musicians and arts group hold their concerts and performances.

The place is enriched with the beauty of chinese architectures which makes it a must visit attraction for sightseeing and photo taking.

南門市場 (Nanmen Market)

Address
中正紀念堂 (Green / Red Line) Station, Exit 2

Getting There
8, Section 1, Roosevelt Rd, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, Taiwan


Credits x

Nanmen Market is one of the oldest traditional markets in Taipei that was established during the Japanese Colonial Era. Located just opposite Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall, the 4 levels market offers a diverse variety of food and is mostly frequent by locals to purchase their groceries, dried goods and Chinese New Year's goodies.

There are a number of similar stalls that are selling preserved food and snacks. You can get the pork paper which I've mentioned in my previous post from here as well!

Get glimpse of the Taiwanese's daily life here!

金峰魯肉飯  (Jin Feng Braised Pork Rice)

Address
中正紀念堂 (Green / Red Line) Station, Exit 2

Getting There
10, Section 1, Roosevelt Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei, Taiwan

Found my favourite place for Taiwan's national dish, 魯肉飯 (Braised Pork Rice), and that's no other than the famous Jin Feng Braised Pork Rice.



We arrived during lunch hour and there was a long queue outside the shop. But the queue moved pretty quickly as the patrons are required to share tables in the shop and time taken to serve order, less than 10 minutes. If you wouldn't want to wait, takeaway service is available!


The combination of the moist short grained topped with slow cooked braised minced meat and mushrooms is so satisfying and comforting. The ratio of the lean and fatty meat is perfect. And it's best enjoyed with a braised egg. I think I can have this everyday, it's so simple yet delicious.


Apart from the signature Braised Pork Rice which you can't miss ordering, try their double boiled soups! Ordered a Ginseng Chicken Soup and it only cost around SGD2. Double boiled, comes with real ginseng and chicken thigh, wolf berries. And the best thing, I don't feel thirsty after the meal. We all know how annoying it is to feel super thirsty after having a really delicious but MSG loaded soups.



Apart from braised meat rice and double boiled soups, they have plenty of sides to choose from as well as noodles! Guess I will need a trip there again to try out the other food options.


In my opinion, Jin Feng served the best Braised Pork Rice, even better than 鬍鬚張魯肉飯 (Formosa Zhang). It is also much more affordable, and they are generous with the food portion. Totally worth standing in the queue for as long as it takes.

So, don't waste your trip to Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall by just visiting the memorial hall!

Known as the Santorini of Taiwan, 九份 (Jiu Fen), is a famous attraction among tourists and even the locals! Regardless weekdays or weekends, 九份老街 (Jiu Fen Old Street) is always bustling with people and activities, it felt like Chinatown during Chinese New Year.

Situated on Mount Yangming (阳明山), Yangmingshan National Park is the only national park in Taipei City and is one of the more popular national park in Taiwan amongst the Taiwanese and tourists. The park also features popular scenic sites such as 擎天冈 (Qing Tian Gang) and the 竹子湖 (Zhu Zi Hu).

Despite being one of the famous tourist spot in Taiwan, this place was a disappointment because the weather was really bad when we got there. With that, it was pretty much a wasted trip. We didn't get the best view of all the scenic spots due to the foggy and wet weather.

Getting There
劍潭 (Jian Tan) Station (Red Line), Exit 1 (Turn left)
Take Bus Red-5 or 260 to 阳明山 (Yangmingshan) stop

Upon arriving at Yangmingshan stop which is also a tourist information centre, there will be a queue area just beside the tourist information centre that's where you can take the shuttle bus to travel around the park.

These are the recommended spots that you should visit:

• 绢丝瀑布 (Juan Si Waterfall)
• 冷水坑 (Leng Shui Keng)
• 擎天冈 (Qing Tian Gang)
• 小油坑 (Xiao You Keng)
• 二子坪 (Er Zi Ping)
• 竹子湖 (Zhu Zi Hu)

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, what's better is that Taiwan's breakfast selection is really awesome! I couldn't stress enough how much I look forward to a hearty and wholesome breakfast every morning in Taiwan. It has got to be my favourite meal of the day.

With that, I concluded that the following are my favourite breakfast joints in Taipei so far.

八方雲集

Headed to 花莲 (Hualien) after spending a day at Taipei.

Getting There
Take a shuttle bus from Taipei to Luodong (area of Yilan)
Take a local train from Luodong to Hualien
The shuttle bus stops at Luodong bus station (30 metres away from the train station)

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Dear 2017,

It's a new year. New mistakes are going to make along with new promises and regrets. All I'm asking is that you'll be better than last year. I'm not praying for a miracle, I just want a better year than the previous.

What is coming is better than what's gone.