Taiwan’s
visa-free entry for Philippine passport holders is extended until July 2021.
This is according to an announcement from the Taipei Economic and Cultural
Office in the Philippines. This is also to further promote the New Southbound
Policy, which strengthens the ties of the Taiwanese government to its
neighboring countries in Southeast Asia.
Approximately 1 hour & 45 minutes
flight via plane, Taiwan is one
of the closest countries to visit for Filipinos. During the
16th century, Taiwan was named by the Portuguese “Formosa”, meaning a
“Beautiful Island”. Aside from that, did you also know that Taiwan is rich
in beautiful mountains? Most of its peaks are more than 3,000 meters high,
making mountain climbing one of the most popular leisure activities in the
country.
Rock formations at Yehliu Geopark
One of Taiwan's famous attractions is the Yehliu Geopark, a premier destination to visit
located in Wanli District, New Taipei City. This place is one of the best
natural geologies in the country where you will be able to see different rock
formations eroded from the sea. This includes the famous “Queen’s Head” which
was named after its resemblance with Queen Elizabeth I. Other remarkable
formations include Kissing Rock, Elephant Rock Sea Candles and Fairy Shoe.
Due to its bizarre rocks and unique landscape,
the park has been a source of local legends and enjoyable stories. One legend
tells of a turtle-elf that does bad things that frightens local people. Because
of this, the Jade Emperor punishes him by sending a fairy that can make him
wounded. So every time the local people see smoke or spray on the water, they
believe that it is the wounded turtle-elf’s breath.
Seaside around Yehliu Geopark
Taiwan
is not just a bustling city full of skyscrapers. It also houses New Taipei
City’s 40-meter tall waterfall that when light refracts through the water, a
rainbow can be formed. It is known as the Shifen Waterfall! Shifen means ‘very’ or ‘fully’.
The waterfall is also called the "Little Niagara”, definitely a must-see
when in Taiwan!
Another attraction that you should visit is
located in the Pingzi District, the Shifen
Old Street - which historically built to be a means of transport for
coal. Railroad tracks are still active, it runs through the old
street. Though it doesn’t have safety fences around it and tourists need
to step aside every time the train passes, locals always make sure that the
safety of the tourists comes first. Aside from the thrilling activity where
tourists can be able to witness the train as it passes slowly in a close
distance, another exciting thing that you should do when in Shifen Old
Street is the sky-lantern lighting.
The Sky Lantern Lighting in Shifen Old Street is an ancient practice of flying a sky lantern. But did you know the reason behind it? Legend says that lanterns are a way of communicating military intelligence. Another story says that when thieves wander along with the villages, lanterns symbolize a signal that thieves already left and that locals can safely return to their homes.
During the early
days, locals were said to be passionate about agriculture and an active
religion. Farmers make use of lanterns to send prayers to the gods for a
fruitful year. They would also send their personal wishes, like asking for more
boys to help them out in farming. These prayers were written onto the paper
lanterns and then light it up to the sky for it to reach heaven, which is very
visible up to this year.
Ever wonder what’s the meaning of every color of your sky lantern?
Well if you wish to experience lighting up a sky lantern, you can choose which
color to write your prayers with. Let’s say it is for health and peace, choose
the color red. Pray for good fortune and wealth, write it in yellow or orange.
Wishing for forever love with your partners, have it in pink. These are just a
few of the colors to choose from, make sure to send all prayers to the right
one.
Aside from the unique geological features and historical
destinations of Taiwan, one of the tallest buildings in the world can be found
here – the Taipei
101! Before the completion of Burj Khalifa in Dubai, Taipei 101 has been
classified as number 1 the world’s tallest building from its opening in 2004
until 2009. You can also find the world’s largest and heaviest wind damper
inside Taipei 101. The damper is a device used to reduce the wind and
earthquake vibrations in the building. Did you know that it can reduce the
movement of the building up to 40 percent? The damper’s diameter reaches 5.5
meters and weighs 660 metric tons.
Could you just
imagine that the damper moved 100 centimeters from its central position? Yes
and this has been the biggest movement that Taipei 101 recorded. This happened
last August 08, 2015, due to the strong winds that Typhoon Souled brought.
Well, good thing that damper is in the building; it does keep the movement of
the building controlled!
Being
a well-developed city with its beautiful story and breathtaking landscapes, you
should not miss the chance to visit this Taiwan. We are all patiently waiting
on all the borders of the world to open. When all is good and back to normal,
hopefully, we can all have the opportunity to have a break and enjoy the one of
a kind – Taiwan!
Get
ready to experience all of these by booking our Affordable Taiwan package, call now to
check our available travel dates!
Blog
Contributed by: Nina Gabica
Photos
by: Rakso Travel & Nina Gabica
* * *
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