Inside Student BlogsShanghai might be a little jealousShanghai, Fall 2009
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- A view of the city from our host school, the National Chengchi University (NCCU).
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- The weather was so beautiful in Taiwan. This is probably the first butterfly I’ve seen in 3 months.
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- Our curriculum included a visit to Taiwan’s legislative body, the Legislative Yuan.
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- IES students in front of the National Palace Museum.
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- Apparently, you don’t need clothes in some of the hot springs in Xinbeitou–hehe
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- The subways (aka MRT) are so clean and orderly in Taiwan; you could get a ticket for eating or drinking past this yellow line.
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- The Lover’s Bridge in Danshui’s Fisherman’s Wharf.
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- Taiwan is famous for its snack food–here I am eating a large fried chicken.
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- Nights markets are also popular in Taiwan–plenty of shopping here!
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- My favorite place in Taiwan was Taipei 101 (the green building), currently the tallest building in the world.
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- Taipei 101 is located next to a huge mall filled with ritzy stores.
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- Called a “Damper Baby,” this little guy was my favorite Taipei 101 mascot.
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- The world’s largest and heaviest damper ball helps counteract the building’s movement.
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- In one of the night markets, I passed by a vendor selling ice cream in a toilet-shaped bowl…
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- The NCCU students were the best! They took us to some really cool places in Taipei and were overall just fun, friendly people.
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- In the Taroko National Park in Hualien, we saw this huge rock formation shaped like a man’s head.
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- A perfect picture on the 9 Turns Trail in Taroko.
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- Our view of the Pacific Ocean from Chi Xing Tan, a bay on the east coast of Taiwan.
Oh my goodness, where to begin…I absolutely love Taiwan! The weather was absolutely gorgeous (with the exception of a couple of rainy days), and Taipei is so much cleaner and more orderly than Shanghai. For example, taxis actually wait for pedestrians to cross the street and not once (OK, maybe once) did I hear a car honk. Also, people actually wait in line in the subway stations and don’t push to get on or to grab a seat.
People in Taipei are a lot nicer and friendlier than in Shanghai. I will never forget the people that we met, especially the National Chengchi University (NCCU) students. They were so helpful in showing us around the city. It was also easy to get along with them, partly because most of them spoke fluent English and partly because of our similar cultures and lifestyles.
As an IES-sponsored trip, we were required to attend a couple of interesting lectures about Taiwan at NCCU. But afterward, we were free to explore. Here are a couple of things I would definitely recommend doing in Taiwan:
- Shih-Lin Night Market: One of the largest night markets in Taipei, Shih-Lin has so many delicious snack foods to try and many shops to buy from.
- Foot massage: I got my first massage in Taiwan! After the best shoulder massage ever, I had my feet massaged. According to traditional Chinese medicine, the feet are linked to the rest of your body, so if a body part is not healthy, you feel it in your feet…I guess I’m not that healthy…
- Xinbeitou Hot Springs and Danshui: Another first for me–going to a hot spring! I have never felt as relaxed as I did after the hot spring. Then, I went to Danshui and shopped at its markets, tasted its local specialties (like iron egg and A-Gei), and visited the Fisherman’s Wharf.
- Taipei 101: My favorite place in Taipei hands down. After riding the world’s fastest elevator (from floor B1 to 89 in 39 seconds), I was at the indoor observatory. I couldn’t see a lot at night because of the heavy fog, but it still left me in awe to be there in the world’s tallest building.
- Hualien: Our day trip to Hualien (located on Taiwan’s east coast) included a stone carving museum, a visit to Taroko National Park, a view of the Pacific Ocean, and an Amis aboriginal dancing show.
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November 26th, 2009 at 1:09 am
hi Amanda!
I am very happy to know that you enjoyed your trip to Taiwan.
We also enjoyed spending time with all of you very much.
I hope to see you soon again in the not-too-distant future
November 29th, 2009 at 10:23 pm
I loved the blog on Taiwan and plan to visit in the future in the future esp. to see the 101 bldg. I love snacks and may be a good place to start trying all kinds esp. sweets.
December 18th, 2009 at 11:45 am
I would love to show you around Taiwan! There is so much to see and do that I wouldn’t mind going back to visit. I think I like Taipei more than Shanghai, but shhh…don’t tell Shanghai that.