I'd taken Taiwan a little lightly. Close, easy — that kind of attitude. Got there and was completely won over. The food is good, the people are kind. Not just better than expected — the trip was outside what I'd imagined.
This time, three days. Based in Taipei, with side trips to Keelung, Jiufen, and Shifen.
Keelung — Zhengbin Fishing Harbor: this view should be illegal
About 30 minutes by train from Taipei, Keelung is a port town. Inside it is "Zhengbin Fishing Harbor" — a place I'd been desperate to visit.
A row of colorful buildings along the harbor, with fishing boats. This is what a Taiwanese harbor looks like? It's almost too stylish. It used to be just an old port town, until they repainted the buildings in bright colors and Instagram blew it up. But it doesn't have that staged "for the photo" feel — fishermen still work the docks. It's a living harbor, and that's what makes it good.
Coming in the evening was the right call. The sunset reflects on the water, and the colorful buildings light up even more. I wandered around with my camera and before I noticed, more than an hour had passed.
Walk a little further and you see locals casually getting dinner ready, kids playing. Even with the tourism, you can still smell the daily life. I love places like that.
Keelung Night Market
A short walk from Zhengbin, Keelung Miaokou Night Market is one of Taiwan's most famous night markets. The lantern-lit street is packed with stalls, and locals and tourists mix together.
Lu rou fan, oyster omelet, fish ball soup… I ordered too much and ended up almost bursting. Whatever you eat in Taiwan is good, and it's cheap. There's no way you don't end up satisfied.
Jiufen
About 30 minutes by car from Keelung is Jiufen. Once a flourishing gold-mining town, it was the setting for the film A City of Sadness. Stone-stepped alleys lined with tea houses and souvenir shops — every angle is a picture.
Shifen and Shifen Waterfall
Shifen is best known for sky lanterns, but the nearby Shifen Waterfall is just as worth seeing. The wide spread of water falling onto the green rock is the reason it gets called "Taiwan's Niagara." Worth the trip.
Taipei — Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
I also stopped by the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei. A massive building put up to commemorate Chiang Kai-shek, with a vast plaza around it. Inside is a seated statue of Chiang, with honor guards standing at attention.
Having read a bit about Taiwan's modern history beforehand made standing in front of that statue heavier. "Great leader" or "dictator" — both could be argued — and tourists are taking photos in front of his enormous statue. History is complicated.
Shifen — sky lanterns: I'll never forget this night
The thing I'd been most looking forward to was releasing sky lanterns at Shifen — that experience of writing a wish on a paper lantern and sending it up.
Reached by local train over the mountains from Taipei, Shifen used to be a coal town. Today it's known for sky lanterns and Shifen Waterfall, with the old street lined with lantern shops.
One by one, lanterns rise into the dark sky. At first just a few, then more and more — and before I knew it, the sky was tinted orange.
Since it was a tour I couldn't pick the color, but the woman who guided us carefully explained what each color of lantern meant. Apparently the meanings can vary by place and by shop, but roughly:
The moment a lantern disappears into the night, it's a strange feeling — like letting go of something important, but also like being released. That's a sensation you have to experience to understand.
And the people are just kind
What stayed with me in Taiwan wasn't only the sights and the food. The people, above all, were kind.
I used Uber for everything. Just open the app, the car shows up, and even without language they take you straight where you're going. A lot of the cars are recent models — Teslas and the like — felt more advanced than Japan, honestly.
When it started raining, an Uber driver gave me two umbrellas. "Take them," he said with a laugh. He wouldn't pull away until I'd accepted them.
Studying an underground mall map, a passing local stopped and addressed me in Japanese. Not just walked past — actually stopped to talk. It didn't feel like the practiced kindness of someone used to tourists, but plainly, simply, kindness.
Even more than the scenery, what stays with me from Taiwan is the warmth of the people.
Want to come back. Soon.
Three days wasn't anywhere near enough. Tainan, Kaohsiung, Hualien, Taroko… all places I didn't reach. For somewhere this close to Japan, it's rare to feel this much "abroad."
Next time, a week — preferably circling around on a scooter or a rented bike. Can you do a full loop of Taiwan? I'm pretty sure you can.