Taiwan Dream Trip

April 17-23, 2017 | 7 Days and 6 Nights

Observations on Traveling to Taiwan

  • The temperature ranges from -17 to 26 degrees Celsius. If you are going to Alishan, the weather is quite cold, so you should bring a raincoat, umbrella, and warm clothes.
  • The terrain is mountainous, with frequent thunderstorms and typhoons. Each day, you will experience rain, cold weather, and varying temperatures.
  • The exchange rate is 1 New Taiwan Dollar = 1.0967 Thai Baht as of September 25, 2017.
  • Taiwan uses 110 V, 60 Hz electricity with two-pin flat plugs. Some hotels may have three-pin flat plugs, so it is recommended to bring a universal adapter.
  • If you need internet access, you can buy a SIM card in Thailand and activate roaming upon arrival.
  • The official language of Taiwan is Mandarin Chinese, and the local language is Hokkien. English is also widely spoken.
  • Taiwan is one hour ahead of Thailand.

Day 1: Travel

  • Departure: Board the flight at Don Mueang International Airport at 00:20 AM. The flight duration is approximately 4 hours, arriving at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in Taoyuan County, Taiwan, around 5:00 AM.
  • Arrival: After clearing customs in Taiwan, we will travel to Nantou City, the largest county in Taiwan.

Day 2: Temple Visits and Sightseeing

  • Zhongtai Chan Monastery: This is the largest temple in Taiwan and one of the three largest in the world. Built with an estimated budget of 10 billion baht, it stands 150 meters tall and was designed by the same engineer who designed the Taipei 101 skyscraper.

This is the entrance to the temple. Outside, there are shops selling food and drinks, as well as restrooms.

  • This temple is very large and houses many sacred objects and bodhisattvas for your veneration.

  • Upon entering the temple, the first thing you will encounter is the golden bridge of longevity, made of copper.

The interior will house a monastic university with 1,000 classrooms for monks to study Buddhist scriptures.

  • While ascending the stairs, refrain from taking photographs. Photography of nuns is strictly prohibited. Additionally, please maintain silence. Should you violate these rules, you will be promptly notified. If a nun discovers you taking their photograph without permission, they will approach you and request its immediate deletion.

The second location is a cruise on Sun Moon Lake.

Sun Moon Lake is the largest natural freshwater lake in Taiwan, located in the mountains of Nantou County in the central part of the island. It is known for its beauty and has been dubbed the "Switzerland of Taiwan." The lake is 33 kilometers long.
  • The first cruise departs at 8:45 am and the last cruise departs at 6:00 pm.

  • Our trip will depart from Syuanguang Pier, which is home to the Tang Sanzang Temple, a major tourist attraction on Sun Moon Lake.

  • This area serves as a boarding point for boat tours offering panoramic views and a visit to the world's smallest island.

  • The atmosphere on the day we visited was in April. The atmosphere was like it was going to rain all the time, with dark clouds and fog all around the island. The air was fresh, cool, and the wind was very strong.

  • Most of the service providers are women who assist us when boarding the boat, including driving the boat, and they depart on time.

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The boat ride offers stunning views of the surrounding area. There are charging stations available on board, though the journey only takes about 15-20 minutes to reach the shore.

  • This is the path to pay respects to the relics of Tang Sanzang. Please ascend the stairs to the top.

  • The stairs leading up to the location of the Tang Sanzang Temple, and directly on the way up is the famous Sun Moon Lake tea egg shop.

  • As you walk up, the scenery becomes increasingly beautiful. The high vantage point offers stunning views, and the cool breeze is refreshing.

  • After a five-minute walk, we arrived at the site where the ashes of the Tang Monk are enshrined to pray for blessings. In addition to paying respects to the monk, we were also able to enjoy the view of Sun Moon Lake from the hill.

  • Visitors can stroll around the temple, admiring its beauty and learning about the history of the Tang Sanzang monk, whose information is displayed. Alternatively, they can climb further to see the majestic seven-story pagoda perched atop the mountain. Don't forget to take a picture with the engraved stone bearing the lake's name.

  • No matter where it is, it's perfect for taking pictures. Hehe.

  • As you walk out, there will be souvenir shops along the road where you can choose to buy souvenirs. The prices are moderate and not too expensive.
  • However, fruits are relatively expensive compared to our home country.

The third site is the Guan Yu Shrine at the Hewinwu Temple, also known as the Guan Yu Temple.

This site is dedicated to the worship of Confucius, the god of wisdom, and Guan Yu, the god of loyalty.
The temple is located on a hill north of Sun Moon Lake.

This temple boasts a rich history and is revered as a sacred site where Taiwanese people bring their children to pray for academic success.

  • Two marble lions stand in front of the temple entrance, each valued at 1 million Taiwanese dollars.

A statue of the deity Guan Yu, which is located at the front entrance of the temple.

  • The first hall you encounter upon entering the temple houses a majestic statue of the goddess Guan Yin seated on a throne.

  • To pay respects to the deities, incense sticks can be lit at the designated area provided by the temple.
  • It is customary to light only two incense sticks. After offering prayers, one stick is placed in the inner pot and the other in the outer pot, completing the ritual.

  • The innermost pavilion is the "Dacheng" Hall, which houses the statue of Confucius, the god of education.

  • This is the Nine-Dragon Gate. After paying respects to Confucius, you can admire and photograph the magnificent Nine-Dragon Gate, which is constructed from intricately carved large stone slabs.

Upon exiting the temple, visitors are greeted with stunning views of Sun Moon Lake.

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  • Thank you to the generous sponsors who made this wonderful trip possible, including SiS Distribution (Thailand) Public Company Limited.
  • Thank you to Fpresso and the SiS team for the photos.
  • Thank you for taking such good care of us throughout the trip.
Please forgive any errors.
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# Taiwan
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