Qimei

The Penghu Islands, situated in the Taiwan Strait, are Taiwan's archipelago: around 90 islets boasting basaltic coasts, white beaches, and heart-shaped stone fish traps. From Taipei, it's about an hour's flight to the main town of Magong; ferries serve Chiayi and Kaohsiung.The four main islands are linked by bridges, including the over 2.5-kilometer Penghu Bridge; the rest are reached by boat. The optimal time is April to June and September, as strong northeasterly winds blow in winter.

Tainan in the southwest is Taiwan's oldest city and was its political center for centuries. Those interested in history, temples, and traditional street food will find more here in a compact area than anywhere else on the island.The Dutch East India Company erected Fort Zeelandia in 1624 in today's Anping district; its remains are now known as Anping Fort. After Koxinga expelled the Dutch in 1662, the city served as the seat of his kingdom and later, under the Qing, as the capital of Taiwan Prefecture. The Confucian Temple, built in 1665, is considered the island's first Confucian academy, and the city boasts more Buddhist and Daoist temples than any other in Taiwan.

Kaohsiung is a major port city in southern Taiwan and the terminus of the high-speed rail from Taipei. The city boasts a revamped harbor district filled with art, colorful pagodas on Lotus Lake, and a short ferry ride to Cijin Island, home to beaches and seafood restaurants.Near Zuoying Station on Lotus Lake stand the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas, which, according to tradition, you enter through the Dragon's mouth and exit through the Tiger's. In the former warehouse district by the harbor, the Pier-2 Art Center has established itself with galleries, installations, and cafes. Formosa Boulevard Metro Station is renowned for its glass dome, the Dome of Light, and the Liuhe Night Market is located nearby.

The south is warmer, more leisurely, and for many, the culinary heart of Taiwan. Tainan, the island's oldest city, the port city of Kaohsiung, and the beaches in Kenting National Park are only a few hours apart.In Tainan, the Dutch founded Fort Zeelandia in 1624; later, the city was long the island's capital. Kaohsiung is the terminus of the high-speed rail from Taipei and the starting point for buses to the southern tip. There lies the Kenting National Park, founded in 1984, Taiwan's oldest national park.

The mountain village of Shizhuo is located on the road from Chiayi to Alishan and is home to Alishan high-mountain tea. Above the village, hiking trails lead through tea plantations and bamboo forests. All buses from Chiayi to Alishan stop here; the journey from Chiayi takes about an hour.