Taiwan Travelogue

Disclaimer: The content of this article is purely a travel record and does not represent my political views on the Taiwan region or mainland China.

This trip actually took place from late November to early December of ‘25, which was more than half a year ago. Due to various reasons, it is only now that I have finally found the time to organize the photos from this journey.

I would also like to express my great gratitude to @Yilue for planning the itinerary and traveling along with me. Without him, this pleasant trip probably wouldn’t have happened.

Taipei

Departing from Singapore Changi Airport. Ashamed to say, I’ve been in Singapore for a year and a half and have traveled back and forth three or four times, yet I had never taken the Skytrain that offers a view of the Jewel Changi waterfall.

Rain waterfall pouring down from the dome chandelier into a circular pool

City high-rises brightly lit at night

Taiwanese street view of a multi-story commercial building with exterior walls covered in signs

Traditional Chinese ancient architecture with flying eaves and brackets

Exterior of Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei with tourists

Front of a memorial hall building in Taiwan with a tourist square

This part of history is quite interesting. I already knew that the KMT’s operations during that period were somewhat “absurd,” but I didn’t expect it to be this hilarious.

A Chinese poster introducing the background information of the song "Banging Spring Breeze" (Wang Chunfeng)

Traditional brown sugar making site in Taiwan

A Japanese-style corner shop with potted plants at the entrance

Everyday city scenes in the streets and alleys of Taipei

Coffee shop sign hanging on the 2nd floor against blue sky and white clouds, with the moon visible

Motorcycles parked along the street at sunset in Taipei with pedestrians strolling

Busy traffic at the bustling Shibuya crossing in Tokyo at night

The rainbow crosswalks on the street. It’s said that this carries LGBTQ connotations? It’s indeed very rare to see this kind of cultural symbol in mainland China and SG.

Pedestrians crossing a rainbow crosswalk at night

Holding two steaming bowls of rice noodle soup in both hands

Crowds surging in the street of Ximending night market in Taipei

Motorcycles and cars running parallel on a Taipei night market street

Paper box food containing fried chicken, french fries, and tofu skin

Sign saying "Beigao 50th Floor Recruiting the Most 'Stacked' You"

There are quite a few down-to-earth promotional slogans like this on the streets, which gives you a glimpse of the local vibe.

A billboard for "Big Trouble" (Da Mafan) chocolate erected on the street

Motorcycles and cars parked on both sides of a narrow alley in Taipei

Zebra crossing and traffic scene at the main gate intersection of a school in Taiwan

The buses in Taipei are quite interesting; there is actually an emergency escape door on the side opposite the boarding doors. This is indeed my first time seeing this.

Safety warning slogans and emergency devices next to the train door

This is probably the easiest place in the world to buy genuine physical Chinese light novels and manga.

Promotional posters for "The Apothecary Diaries" and a Hatsune Miku cafe displayed side by side

Yellow bookshelves in a bookstore filled with various manga books

Staircase walls covered with posters and artworks

Crowds gathering at the entrance of Raohe Street Night Market

Holding two boxes of black pearl ice cream

A busy intersection in Taipei where McDonald's and KFC coexist

Old streets and alleys of Taipei with high-rise construction sites in the distance

Picture showing three bowls of Japanese rice bowls: fried egg rice, tofu rice, and meatball with soft-boiled egg rice

Tourists strolling in front of the National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall

As for the National Palace Museum in Taipei, I really couldn’t find any photos that were particularly suitable to post (I’m sure you can easily search for those top treasures online anyway), so I’ll just post this interesting “Meat-shaped Stone” to add some fun.

A roasted meat-shaped stone on a golden base

Holding a traditional Taiwanese ice cream in a park

Low-angle night shot of Tokyo Tower, a towering structure

Stained glass brick wall embedded with Chinese poetry

Two ice desserts: one mango tangyuan and one peanut shaved ice

Taiwan’s High-Speed Rail is very interesting; there are only two directions: “Northbound” and “Southbound.” It’s the kind of setup that surprises you at first glance, but on second thought, it makes perfect sense—perhaps I’m just too accustomed to the massive scale of the railway network in mainland China.

Two people holding HSR tickets from Taipei to Tainan

Snow scene at sunset outside the HSR window

Japanese Shinkansen train docked at Platform 3 with passengers waiting to board

Tainan

Arriving in Tainan, you can clearly feel the cityscape shift from the level of an average provincial capital in the mainland to that of a third-tier city, yet it is full of a rich, lived-in atmosphere.

Busy traffic at a city intersection at night

Taiwanese night street scene with shops and parked motorcycles

Night architecture of a traditional Taiwanese temple

Motorcycles driving and pedestrians waiting under a green light on a night market street

The shrimp at this restaurant was super delicious; you could actually taste the flavor of crab roe. The owner heard our mainland Chinese accents and was very curious about how we got here, mentioning that a mainland girl had also come to eat last month. It seems mainland tourists coming to Taiwan are indeed quite rare lately.

Four plates of seafood fried rice and stir-fried shrimp and crab dishes on the dining table

Hands wearing plastic gloves peeling open a crab shell to reveal crab roe

Main content of the picture: A person standing in front of large potted plants next to the trash

Vehicles passing through a city street intersection

A worker climbing a ladder to repair a traffic light at an intersection

Chinese slogan and bird decorations affixed above a toilet water tank

Ashamed to admit, this was actually the first time in my life taking a regular-speed train (Taiwan Railways). When I was a kid, I usually flew for long trips, my family drove for short ones, and later we went straight into the high-speed rail era, so I had never experienced this kind of regular express train.

Tainan Station sign hanging on the train station platform

Passengers waiting for an orange train to pull into the station platform

Kaohsiung

Taiwanese city streets with shuttling traffic and towering skyscrapers

This is a place HCM really likes.

Orange train and green overpass on the train station platform

A group of people sitting on benches watching an outdoor exhibition

Warships and a white passenger ship docked at a Japanese port

Coastal city skyline reflected in the sunset

Multiple boats anchored in the harbor at dusk with a distant castle

Compared to Taipei, the “ACG (Anime, Comic, and Games) concentration” of the street posters in Kaohsiung seems to be even higher.

Elevator poster reminding passengers how to ride, featuring a pink-haired anime girl

Holding the comic book "Invincible Magical Girl 2" bought at a bookstore

Whole chicken and braised eggs boiling in a stainless steel pot

Two bowls of congee and a fried egg on a wooden table

Interestingly, that day happened to be when the Taiwan authorities announced a ban on Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book). During the day, Yilue asked me if I could open it. The mobile app could still browse normally at the time; it seemed only the web version was blocked. But by nighttime, even the mobile app required some “special methods.” However, rumor has it that you can actually bypass it just by changing your DNS? It seems that in terms of blocking technology, they are still far behind the other side of the strait (laughs).

A short-haired woman indoors looking up at a TV on the wall

This cram school poster has probably been circulating on mainland Chinese forums for years, and I finally got to see the real thing this time.

A poster of a blue-bandana anime girl pasted next to an automated tutoring machine

Birdcages, fish tanks, and small animal cages placed at the entrance of a pet store

Taichung

Holding two HSR tickets from Tainan to Taichung

HSR train pulling into the station with passengers waiting on the platform

Taipei night market street with heavy traffic and flashing neon lights

Two portions of Korean bibimbap with side dishes and rice

A 7-11 convenience store meeting the traffic flow on a city street

Holding a Japan Rail ticket pass

Holding a photo against a lakeside harbor background

A clear lake surrounded by green mountains under a blue sky and white clouds

Tourists viewing from a lake pavilion with a mountain background and towering cable cars

I strolled around Sun Moon Lake and felt that its commercial development was already very thorough. In fact, before the trip, I had asked my Taiwanese classmates at school for their opinion on Sun Moon Lake. Their answer was, “I don’t know why mainlanders yearn for this attraction so much.” In a sense, the local tourism bureau really ought to thank the editors of our primary school Chinese textbooks.

Bustling street with surging crowds, full of shops accompanied by mountains and sea

Checked in at Chun Shui Tang; rumor has it that this store is the birthplace of bubble tea?

Caramel milk tea pudding drink in a goblet

A rich bowl of Japanese ramen with multiple side dishes on the dining table

Top-down view of Tokyo subway tracks and platform

The airport on the return trip was very distinctive; every waiting lounge had its own unique thematic design.

A large tree standing in the center of the indoor hall, surrounded by greenery

Multiple paintings displayed in an art exhibition hall

Many people waiting in a forest-themed rest area of the airport waiting zone

Bonus: Hong Kong

Transiting through HK to return to my home country, I took the opportunity to leave the airport and explore for half a day.

Hong Kong night view of brightly lit high-rise residential buildings

Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong at night with towering skyscrapers and dazzling lights

Hong Kong night view with the side mirror of a boat reflecting the stern and city lights

I wandered over to Hong Kong University (HKU). For me, this was once a potential life option. I really struggled with the decision for a long time back then before finally rejecting HKU’s offer and coming to SG.

Centennial celebration mural display at HKU subway station