iconography as well as the art and engineering feats of the temple, as if you were in a museum. They will explain the 22 physical markings of the Buddha, why one holds a medicine ball in his hand while another holds a lotus, and why one sits on a white elephant with six tusks and another is so fat.
National Palace Museum
Address 221 Zhishan Rd, Sec 2, Waishuanghsi Phone tel: (02) 2881 2021 Transport bus: 213, 255, 304, red 30, minibus 18 & 19 to National Palace Museum stop Hours 09:00 – 17:00 Web www.npm.gov.tw Keyword art-related, museum This extraordinary collection was begun during the 10th century, when Chinese Emperors began to annex art treasures. In the 20th century, thousands of artworks were ferried in crates from city to city, and finally to Taiwan to escape invading armies. Miraculously, most of the collection survived and is considered the top collection of Chinese art in the world.
Tainan
Transport plane: from Taipei
train: from Taipei
bus: from everywhere Keyword religious/spiritual Tainan, on the southwest coast, is Taiwan’s temple town. Designated the provincial capital for over 200 years, until the 1880s, Tainan still has a firm grip on Taiwan’s traditional culture. It’s also one of the best places in the country to witness Buddhist parades and festivals.
There are hundreds of temples in Tainan: some of the most interesting are East Mountain, a busy Taoist temple where people come to communicate with dead relatives or exorcise ghosts; Mito, with its magnificent statue of the 1000-armed goddess Kuanyin; Chuhsi, Tainan’s largest and most beautiful temple, set in an athletic park; and Kaiyuan, a classical Buddhist temple with spacious grounds and plenty of pagodas.
To see temple building in action, visit the suburb of Luerhmen, where three temples are constantly trying to outdo one another for the title of ‘biggest temple in Taiwan’. Choose your favourite and donate some cash to building expenses – your name will be engraved on a temple artefact in gratitude.
Taroko Gorge
Transport taxi: from Hualien Keyword valley/canyon An awe-inspiring canyon with marble-walled canyons, lush vegetation and cliffs so giant they block out the sky, Taroko covers 120,000 hectares with mountain peaks rising to 3700m. The environment of this massive park is filled with high mountain peaks and the Liwu River, which cuts through the centre of the gorge, forging many deep valleys, ravines and waterfalls in its course. There are an abundance of hiking trails that lead visitors to shrines, temples, hot springs and panoramic vistas of the mountains and the sea.
Taiwan: Money & Costs
In Taiwan, costs for the traveller are on a par with a good number of European countries, reflecting the rise in the standard of living on the island. However, Taiwan is still cheaper than Japan (which isn’t saying much). If you stay in youth hostels, live on noodles and travel by bus, you could get by on US$15.00 to US$20.00 a day. If you want a bathroom of your own, a few souvenirs, a couple of taxi trips and a decent feed or two a day, budget US$35.00 to US$50.00 a day. Staying in Taipei will cost you more than heading out to the country.
Travellers cheques and cash can be changed at international airports and large banks, but you’ll have trouble in rural areas. When changing money it’s best to stick to US dollars for cash and cheques if you can – other currencies will cause you problems. When changing cheques, shop around, as commission costs can vary widely. For the most part, only