EXPERIENCE THE CHINESE LANTERN AT PINGXI TAIWAN

PINGXI 

During Chinese New Year it is especially encouraged for tourists to visit Pingxi and release a Chinese lantern into the sky!

Both Pingxi and Shifen  are both towns rich in culture and history and provide a nice glimpse at Taiwan's beautiful natural scenery. Events such as the Sky Lantern Festival draw visitors year round to create a Chinese Lantern  with a wish written on it to set into the sky, all for a modestNT$100-200.

Shifen Waterfall 

Pingxi Old Street 

Enjoyed the taste of the ice cream At Pingxi Old Street 

Shifen is well known for the Shifen Waterfall  a 20 meter tall waterfall that creates a rainbow as it splashes into the lake, widely regarded as the most scenic in all of Taiwan. The train station, originally built for transporting coal, was built right alongside the Shifen Old Streets and today stands as a reminder of Taiwan's history and culture. With the marketplace surrounding the train station and the openness in which people can freely cross the tracks running straight through the centre of town, the marketplace area of Shifen is definitely an interesting place for visitors to check out.

Pingxi is special for its unique architecture and design, as its market area, Pingxi Old Street is built into a hill with a train track going overhead right through the middle with shops around selling local food and gifts. Visitors are able to check out shops built during the 1930s and 1940s, as well as wooden houses built during the Japanese occupation era.

Historical place and one of the wooden houses built during the Japanese occupation era.

@Pingxi Bridge

Both towns are located along the Pingxi Line  of the train system (accessible from Ruifang), and is a great day trip.

A nice route to follow is first disembark at Shifen Station to visit the old streets town area andwaterfall. Continue on the train towards the terminal station, Jingtong , to visit the town and its historical attractions. Finally, walk back along the tracks to Pingxi (around 20 mins) to enjoy a nice snack and set a lantern into the sky. Hopefully by then it will be dark enough for you to light your lantern and watch it fly over the horizon. Don't forget to stand on the train tracks as you let your lantern go!

In 2017, the Lantern Festival ( Yuanxiaojie) will be held on 11 February.

Pingxi at night time is a very different experience than that during the day. Many visitors choose tostay overnight in Jiufen prior to visiting due to its closer proximity, or Keelung for its amazing night market.

How to Get There? 

From Taipei Main Station, take anorthbound train (except Keelung-bound trains) towards Ruifang Station. Transfer to the Pingxi Line  and purchase a One Day Ticket for the Pingxi Line, NT$52.

Trains depart from Ruifang daily at the following times(as of 01 Dec, 2015, schedule link)
05:19, 06:27, 07:23, 08:08, 09:10, 10:03, 11:08, 12:05, 13:05, 14:05, 15:05, 16:08, 17:05, 18:30, 19:22, 20:55, 22:55

MRT￫Bus

From MRT Muzha Station (Brown Line1), take bus 1076 towards Pingxi.

One of the Premier Destinations in Northern Taiwan

YEHLIU GEOPARK 

One of the premier destinations in northern Taiwan, Yehliu Geopark is home to a number of unique geological formations including the iconic "Queen's Head" (女王頭), and is located along a cape stretching out from the town of Wanli.

Entrance fee

This is one of the few places in the country where I had to pay an entrance fee to get in. As of November 2016, adults had to pay 80 NTD and kids usually half of that. As I enter the park's premises, I saw lots of rock replications, I just passed by it as I was more interested at seeing the real deal anyway.

Queen's Head

Part of the Daliao Miaocene Formation, the cape stretches around 1,700 meters, formed as thousands of years of geological movement forced the Datun Mountains to change their shape, jutting out into the ocean.

Besides the Queen's Head, other remarkable formations include Sea Candles (燭台石), Fairy Shoe (仙女鞋), Ginger Rocks, Elephant Rock, Ice Cream Rock, Kissing Rock, and Princess' Head.

The Mushroom Rocks

Sea Candles Rock

Fairly Shoe Rock

Gingers Rock

Elephant Rock

a hippopotamus looking at the tourists of Yehliu
Some call this the elephant rock, but in my opinion, it resembles a hippopotamus. They have associated a legend with it that says this was an elephant that was a fairy’s pet. She forgot to take her back so the animal is still waiting for her on the waters of Yehliu up to this date. :(

Ice-cream Rock

Next to the geopark is the Yehliu Ocean World (野柳海洋世界), which is an oceanarium with ocean exhibits, and sea life including dolphin and sea lion performances. Tickets for the oceanarium can bereserved online, and is a fun addition to the more educational experience at the geopark.

Yehliu Ocean World 

Yehliu Cape

Happy to Visit one of God's Great Creation 

Taking picture with the Queen's Head Rock

How to Get There?

Located along the north coast, Yehliu Park is a bit remote, but well worth the effort to visit.

By Long Distance Bus:
From Taipei West Bus Station - Terminal A (located at Taipei Main Station), go to the KuoKuang (國光) window and purchase a ticket for NT$96 to Yehliu Geopark (野柳地質公園). The journey takes around 90 minutes, and the bus will drop you on the main road just outside the park entrance. Walk down the lane on the left side to enter.

By Shuttle Bus:
Ride comfortably in a shuttle bus from Ximen to Yehliu, followed by the Ying Yang Sea, 13-Layer Remains, Golden Waterfall, Jiufen (九份), and Shifen Old Streets (十分老街), leaving at 9AM and returning at 17:45.

By North Coast Shuttle Bus (from Tamsui (淡水, Danshui) or Keelung):
Take the North Coast Shuttle Bus NT$200 all day unlimited rides from either MRT Tamsui Station orKeelung Railway Station.

TAMSUI

TAMSUI

Tamsui in Taiwan is not in the heart of the city, but is one of the many treasured locations on the island. Sometimes the people there they take it for granted the beauty that lies directly in front of them. People often ask what keeps us here, and why they should visit. Other than the incredible people, culture, and food, these views are something we're fortunate
enough to appreciate every day.

Located at the northern tip of Taiwan, Tamsui is located along the north coast about 40 minutes from Taipei by MRT and very accessible as a day trip, especially popular with locals during the weekend. Home to a variety of western colonial, Japanese, southern Fujianese, and native Taiwanese cultural and architectural attractions, Tamsui is a must visit location for all visitors to the Taipei area.

Most renowned for its amazing sunset landscape, Tamsui is home to a large array of restaurants, cafés, shops, hawker stalls, street performers, traditional cultural performances, and is the gateway to Taiwan's scenic North Coast.

A special attraction ticket for tourists is available forNT$80, permitting access to Tamsui Museum,Hongmao Cheng, Tamsui Customs House Museum, and Hobe Fort.

Tamsui Pier Sunset

Tamsui Old Street 

Tamsui 

TAIPEI TRAVEL GUIDE

Taipei Taiwan Travel Guide

Taipei is the capital of the Republic of China (Taiwan) situated at the northern tip of taiwan, taipei is located on the tamsui river,it is about 25km(16mi) southwest of Keelung, a port city on the Pacific Ocean. It lies in the taipei Basin,an ancient lakebed bounded by the two relatively narrow valleys of the Keelung and Xindian Rivers,which join to form the Tamsui River along the city's western border.

The most important places to visit in Taipei are:Yangmingshan National Park, Beitou Hot Springs,  Building Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial, Martyr Shrine, National Palace Museum,  Longshan Temple, Taipei 101 Tower and many more.

This video offers a lot tips to help you plan the perfect vacation if you want to save time and money, the most important Taipei Travel Tips is to compare prices before booking a hotel room or a flight. 

Time For Family

Back to the (other) day job: Roger Federer takes twin sons Lenny and Leo out in Italy as he plays doting dad after eighth Wimbledon win

He took out his eighth Wimbledon title and an incredible 19th Grand Slam championship earlier this month.

But on Monday it was back to dad duties forRoger Federer as the tennis ace stepped out inItaly with his twin sons.

The 35-year-old seemed to be enjoying a well-deserved day off with his three-year-old boys Lenny and Leo, as they strolled around the docks in the seaside town of Porto Cervo.

Daddy duty! Roger Federer was back to playing dad on Monday as the tennis ace stepped out in Italy with his twin sons after his eighth Wimbledon win

He completed his stylish look with a pair of white sneakers and a shiny wristwatch, throwing on a pair of shades to keep the glare at bay.

Roger doted on the boys as they explored the town, holding their hands and leading them around to see the sites.

Double trouble: The 35-year-old enjoyed a well-deserved day off with his three-year-old boys Lenny and Leo, as they strolled around the docks in the seaside town of Porto Cervo in Italy.

Dressing down: The Swiss athlete kept things casual on the outing, stepping out in a pair of baby blue shorts and a mint green t-shirt

Relaxed: Roger completed his stylish look with a pair of white sneakers and a shiny wristwatch, and wore a pair of shades to keep the glare at bay

The boys looked adorable in matching blue polo shirts, with one of the blonde-haired youngsters wearing light blue board-shorts and black sandals.

Meanwhile, his brother sported navy-coloured shorts and bright red sandals.

The trio appeared to be having a wonderful time, as the boys pointed at things and pulled faces as they walked.

Wimbledon Day Six: Federer and Djokovic through to fourth round

Having fun: The tennis champion doted on the boys as they explored the town, holding their hands and leading them around to see the sites



Cute: The boys looked adorable in matching blue polo shirts, with one of the blonde-haired youngsters wearing light blue board-shorts and black sandals

Cute: The boys looked adorable in matching blue polo shirts, with one of the blonde-haired youngsters wearing light blue board-shorts and black sandals

Roger seemed to be using the time to recover, having beaten Croatian player Marin Cilic in straight-sets during the men's Wimbledon final on July 16.

Speaking after his record-breaking win the tennis champion said: 'I hope it isn't my final match here and hopefully I can come back next year and defend the title.' 

On hand to watch his win was Roger's wife Mirka, their twin boys and the couples other set of twins - seven-year-old girls Myla and Charlene.

The picture perfect family were dressed in matching ensembles and sat court-side during the final to cheer the dad on.

His sons stole the heart of the nation when they were pictured pulling faces at the side of the court, while daddy collected the trophy.

After his win, Roger later said that even though his daughters - who are also twins - understood what was happening, the court was more like a playground for his three-year-olds.

'They have no clue what’s on,' he said. 'They think it’s probably a nice view and a nice playground. 

'But it’s not quite like that here, so one day hopefully they’ll understand,' he added.

On his girls, he continued: 'They enjoy to watch a little bit. They come for the finals, I guess.'

Victorious: Roger looked relaxed and recovered on the getaway, having beaten Croatian player Marin Cilic in straight-sets during the men's Wimbledon final on July 16.

Taiwan Overview

TAIWAN OVERVIEW 

national flag consisting of a red field (background) with a blue canton incorporating a white sun. The width-to-length ratio of the flag is 2 to 3.

The first Chinese republic lasted from 1911 until 1928. Its national flag consisted of five equal horizontal stripes of red, yellow, blue, white, and black, symbolizing the principal ethnic groups of the nation. Following the death of the country’s original leader, Sun Yat-sen, a new regime was established under the military and political leadership of Chiang Kai-shek. Consequently, a new national flag was adopted on October 28, 1928, to reflect this change. The new flag, which had been the naval war ensign since 1914, had a background of red with a blue canton bearing a white stylized sun. The three colours stood for the Three Principles of the People of the Nationalist Party (Kuomintang)—nationalism,democracy, and socialism. The leadership of the Kuomintang in national development was emphasized by the use of its party flag (a white sun on a blue field) as the canton for the national flag. The red colour was the traditional ethnic symbol of the Han, or Chinese, majority population. The Kuomintang party flag had originally been created in 1895 by Lu Hao-tung, a revolutionary then living in exile.



 Taiwan is located off the southeastern coast of mainland China in the Western Pacific Ocean.Taiwan's capital city is Taipei. The official language is Mandarin Chinese, and the currency is the New Taiwandollar (TWD).