One way to learn other culture is no doubt through experiencing their lifestyle. And with the accessibility of cheap air tickets these days, breathing a different air is just one flight away.
One of the top destinations that Malaysians love visiting is Taiwan, with all the attractive streets, food, and culture. Not so different from the Malaysian Chinese, the Taiwanese speaks the Chinese language as well, with some old folks able to communicate in the Hokkien dialect too.
It takes 1,787 miles to reach Taiwan from Kuching, Sarawak via air travel. Unlike our tropical country, Taiwan has four seasons – spring, summer, autumn and winter.
Famous for its old streets filled with numerous local delicacies and street food, these are the several famous streets located in Taipei city.
Ximending Youth Shopping District
Just several years ago, the Ximending Youth Shopping District is filled with clothing stores, restaurants, cafes, bars, and cinemas. However, most recently, claw machines and arcades have taken over the place. Walking the streets in 2019, you will be able to catch arcades in between one another at a stone’s throw away.
Nonetheless, its identity as the youth shopping district remains as the place will always be filled with teenagers and young adults shopping away. A variety of restaurants targeted to youngsters can also be found here such as MOS Burger, Hotpot, Mcdonald, Starbucks and others. Then again, it is not lacking in its street food as there are also mobile stalls selling pancakes, mixed meat bowls, and fruits.
The street located in Wanhua District was established in the 1930s and is known as the ‘Harajuku’ or ‘Shibuya’ of Taipei. To get there via MRT, street-hunters can take the blue line or green line MRT to Ximen Station.
Jiufen Old Street
Located 35 kilometres away from Taipei City, Jiufen Old Street is a decommissioned gold mining mountain town by the ocean originally built by the Japanese.
Long before it became a labyrinth of local delicacies and souvenirs, Jiufen was an isolated village until the Japanese discovered gold in 1893. Many of its architectures remain unchanged since World War II, and after the war, gold mining activities declined and since 1990s, only exist as a remembrance of the history of Taiwan.
Crowded with tourists daily, Jiufen Old Street’s must-have dessert will be the taro balls. Apart from that, tourist flocking the place can also pick up souvenirs for their loved ones, and rent Chinese traditional costumes to walk around in. Other shops available at the area are the quaint tea houses, food eateries, and street food stalls.
To reach there, street-hunters can use the train at Taipei Main Station to Ruifang Station and walk to the nearest bus station when they arrive to catch bus 827 or 788 heading to Jiufen.
Another alternative would be to take bus number 1062 outside Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT station to Jinguashi, and alight at Jiufen. An easier alternative though, is to hire a private charter albeit it is more expensive than public transportation.
Shifen Old Street
Famous for its sky lanterns, Shifen Old Street is just 30 minutes away from Jiufen Old Street. Tourist from different parts of the world will visit the street to have their wish granted via releasing the sky lanterns.
Costing at an average of TWD 200 (RM 28) per lantern, tourists will then be able to light up their wishes at the railway tracks which is still operating until today. A scenic view of the lanterns flying up can be seen even from afar. Combined with the old architecture shrouding the railway track, the picturesque landscape offers a touchy feeling from within.
The railway track may also be familiar to TV addicts as many movies and dramas featured scenes shot on the track. Originally built to transport coal during the Japanese occupation, the track runs through the Pingxi village.
To get there, take the northbound train from Taipei Main Station towards Ruifang Station and transfer to Pingxi line.
Tamsui Old Street
Also located by the sea, Tamsui Old Street is another must-visit street in Taiwan. Brimming with souvenir shops, and street food, tourists visiting the street will never forget to bring home a zodiac clay animal as souvenir. Walking straight from its entry point at Starbucks, turn left at the junction and you will see the shop located on the left side.
Apart from that, visitors to the area can also have some local delicacies or buy specially-wrapped century eggs. It is of a different taste than Malaysian century egg. Taiwan’s century eggs is less metallic-tasting and more sweet. They also have the quill version of century eggs.
The English name “Tamsui” is a romanisation of the original Taiwanese Hokkien name for the town, roughly pronounced in Hokkien as dam zwèe.
To reach the area, take the red line MRT to reach the end of the line to Tamsui. From Tamsui Station, the old street takes roughly five minutes to reach.
Wufenpu Shopping District
Like a maze, walking within the district may get you lost. The huge shopping area consists of cheap and quality clothing laid neatly on the floor. At most shops, do look out for their TWD 100 (RM 14) rack for an even cheaper steal.
There is no way a lady can enter without purchasing a thing or two as there are more than a hundred shops await them. What piques the visitors more is that no shop has the same design as the other, as with each walk, each shop showcases different varieties.
Originally belonging to the Aboriginal Ketagalan people, the land was purchased by five Fujianese families, renaming the area Wufenpu and converting it to farmland. However, after World War II in 1958, the land was used to relocate people who were affected by a typhoon that flooded Taipei City.
To reach the ‘city’ of trendy apparels, take the green line MRT to Songshan Station or blue line MRT to Houshanpi. Once exiting the station, there will be a signboard showing fashion hunters where to cleverly spend their money on clothing.
