#56 best destination in the world

National Palace Museum, Taipei

Best time to travel: Jan-March, Nov-Dec
Ease of travel: Easy
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $

Museum with a permanent collection of nearly 700,000 pieces of ancient Chinese imperial artifacts and artworks
The collection encompasses 8,000 years of Chinese History from the Neolithic age to the modern
Most of the collection are collected by China’s emperors

Best time to travel: March-May
Ease of travel: Moderate
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $

Building officially classified as the world’s tallest from its opening in 2004 until the 2009 completion of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, UAE
The elevators that transport passengers from the 5th to the 89th floor in 37 seconds set speed records
Taipei 101 has postmodernist architectural style fused with traditional Asian aesthetics in a modern structure

Best time to travel: May, July
Walk difficulty: Hard
Ease of travel: Hard
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $$

One of the nine national parks in Taiwan, and was named after the Taroko Gorge, the landmark gorge of the park carved by the Liwu River
Erosion by the river against the constantly elevating land, due to tectonic plate activity, combined with the heavy sub-tropical rains resulted in a rapid transformation of the landscape
Marble, which is relatively hard and resistant to erosion, nevertheless relented to these forces resulting in the unusually steep and narrow canyons

Best time to travel: March-May
Ease of travel: Moderate
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $

National monument, landmark and tourist attraction, built from 1976 to 1980, erected in memory of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, former President of the Republic of China
The roof is blue and octagonal, a shape that picks up the symbolism of the number eight, a number traditionally associated in China with abundance and good fortune
Two sets of white stairs, each with 89 steps to represent Chiang’s age at the time of his death, lead to the main entrance
The ground level of the memorial houses a library and a museum documenting Chiang Kai-shek’s life and career, with exhibits detailing Taiwan’s history and development
The upper level contains the main hall, in which a large statue of Chiang Kai-shek is located, and where a guard mounting ceremony takes place at regular intervals

Best time to travel: Feb, April-June, Sept-Nov
Walk difficulty: Easy
Ease of travel: Hard
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $$$

Lake in Yuchi Township, Nantou County, it is the largest body of water in Taiwan
The area around the lake is home to the Thao tribe, one of aboriginal tribes of Taiwan
The east side of the lake resembles a sun while the west side resembles a moon, hence the name
The area surrounding the lake has many trails for hiking

Best time to travel: March-May
Ease of travel: Easy
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $

Chinese folk religious temple in Wanhua District, in Taipei
The temple was built in Taipei in 1738 by settlers from Fujian during Qing rule in honor of Guanyin
It served as a place of worship and a gathering place for the Chinese settlers
In addition to its Buddhist elements, it includes halls and altars to Chinese deities such as Mazu and Guan Yu

Best time to travel: March-May, July, Sept-Oct
Walk difficulty: Hard
Ease of travel: Hard
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $

One of the nine national parks in Taiwan, located between Taipei and New Taipei City
The national park is known for its cherry blossoms, hot springs, sulfur deposits, fumaroles, venomous snakes, and hiking trails, including Taiwan’s tallest dormant volcano, Qixing (Seven Star) Mountain