Our flight back home was scheduled in the evening, so we wanted to make use of our last few hours in Taiwan for some last-minute shopping. We decided to head back to Taipei 101 Mall, since we didn’t know of much places to shop in during the day time (as opposed to the many options of night markets in the evening).
Jiufen gives off its own calming charm as a tourist destination being ways away from the bustling and busy city center of Taipei. Similar to Tagaytay in the Philippines, Jiufen is situated in a mountain area just within the Ruifang District of the New Taipei City.
What excited me the most about going to Jiufen was that you can find there the famous 100-year old A-Mei Tea House that served as the inspiration for the popular animated film, Spirited Away. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to drop by due to time constraints. 🙁 But, seeing the rest of Jiufen with all its hanging lanterns, and stalls with local goods somewhat made me feel like I was walking around the actual set of Spirited Away. ♥
We dedicated an entire day for Jiufen since we knew that the travel time would take about an hour (one-way) from the Taipei Main Station. We had to make sure that we were able to get enough rest just the night before.
Continuing on from Part 1 of my Day 2 blog post, we headed to Huashan Creative Park after our nap time (the 1-2 hour nap time I mentioned in Part 1. lol!). This time, we were fully prepared attire-wise (no more thick shirts!!). The art center wasn’t that far from our place, so we ended up just walking there.
I think because we visited an art center (I ended up taking pictures of EVERYTHING hahaha!) on this day, I ended up having to divide our Day 2 into two parts! Not to mention, we had lunch in such a unique restaurant, that I just had to take as much pictures as I could to preserve the memory (and share the experience!).
Anyway, for Day 2, we started out our day by visiting the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall. For a bit of a backgrounder, the memorial hall was put up in memory of Chiang Kai-Shek, who was the former President of the Republic of China. The monument is surrounded by parks and plazas, and to the north and south of the monument are the National Theater, and the National Concert Hall.
I’d have to say that, out of all my travels, my trip to Taipei has been the most gastronomical of all. About 80% of our trip comprised of visits to famous night markets, restaurants, etc., and that all just literally translates into food, food, and even more food!
Aside from famous night markets, Taiwan also has so much more to offer. We also got the chance to visit some prominent landmarks like the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, the famous Taipei 101, and much more.