This is the story of someone with a household registration from a poor mountainous area who somehow managed to get a Taiwan G endorsement thanks to a Guangzhou residence permit. 
A big part of why I wanted to go to Taiwan was Home. I watched it in high school and was hit hard by it, in a way I still cannot quite explain. Since then I kept imagining that one day I would visit Taiwan. During university, after I had already been to Hong Kong and Macau, I thought about adding Taiwan to the list, but even after graduation it still had not happened. So I kept thinking: I have to go to Taiwan at least once — before reunification, I joked to myself. I just had to go.
It was my first time booking a flight, my first time flying, my first time applying for an Entry Permit, booking a hostel, and planning a trip more than twenty days in advance. Planning a trip like this felt like a gamble. There were too many things to consider, and it was definitely not as straightforward as going to Hong Kong or Macau.
Before leaving, I made a rough itinerary. The plan was more or less followed, though the estimated budget and actual spending did not match perfectly.
Day 1: Finally, Taiwan
“Finally made it to Taiwan!”
I flew directly from Guangzhou. Since it was my first time on a plane — and I was traveling alone — I was honestly a little nervous. I got to the airport early, collected my ticket, went through security, and waited.
The flight was with EVA Air. I would recommend it, although to be fair it was also the only flight I had ever taken at that point. What I did not expect was that the outside of the plane was covered in an adorable Hello Kitty design. The cabin crew were as polite as I had imagined. Taiwanese politeness really is not a myth; it is worth learning from. I assumed there would be no meal on a two-hour flight, so I had eaten something before boarding. Then, unexpectedly, there really was an in-flight meal.
As soon as the plane landed at Taoyuan Airport, I saw the very obvious blue sky, white sun, and red field flag. Hahaha — I had arrived in a Chinese region where I did not need SSR. After immigration, I immediately exchanged money for New Taiwan dollars, bought an EasyCard, and went straight for the MRT, because I was worried I would not make it in time to watch The Outsiders.
Check-in at the hostel went smoothly. The moment I walked out of the hostel, I felt extremely happy, because the Taiwan trip could finally begin properly. I managed to buy a ticket for the movie version of The Outsiders. Movie tickets in Hong Kong and Taiwan really do feel well made. I was probably the only person from the mainland in the entire theater — then again, who goes to Taiwan and heads to the cinema first?
Watching The Outsiders was actually a coincidence. I had once seen on Instagram that the drama I watched over ten years ago had been turned into a movie. My first thought was: would it still be showing when I went to Taiwan? Nostalgia is deadly; it can defeat me ten thousand times.
After the movie, I realized that on the way from the hostel to the cinema I had already passed Ximending without noticing. Anyone visiting Taiwan probably would not skip that place. Of course, wherever there are lots of people and excitement, there will naturally also be... that kind of thing.
Day 2: Baidu Can Win Again
First, I have to thank Booking. I slept quite well at the hostel. If you cannot sleep well, how are you supposed to have the energy to travel?
The place I stayed was not far from the Presidential Office, so I decided to walk there with navigation. One interesting thing was comparing Baidu Maps with Google Maps. The two names for the same place were different. Baidu called it the “Office of the Leader of the Taiwan Authorities,” while Google called it the “Presidential Office of the Republic of China.” At that moment I thought of a sentence that had been circulating not long before: Robin Li can win one more time. Hahaha — after all, Baidu understands the national situation.
There were soldiers, known in Taiwan as the “national army,” guarding the area. Looking at it from the outside, it did feel quite heavily secured.
After wandering around the Presidential Office area, I prepared to take a bus to the National Palace Museum. Here I must complain a little about buses in Taiwan. Many of them run on fixed schedules, often with more than thirty minutes between buses. Some only depart at specific times of the day. Waiting for a bus can really break your heart.
I had long heard that many priceless treasures were not in the Palace Museum in Beijing, but in the National Palace Museum in Taipei. So this was naturally a place I had to visit. The museum building itself did not feel especially grand or luxurious, but the things inside were truly astonishing. Unfortunately, I noticed that many galleries were closed, so I probably missed quite a lot.
By the time I came out of the museum, it had started raining — the kind where the sun is still out while rain is falling. When I arrived at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, I found a notice outside saying it was under maintenance and would not reopen until Thursday. That was awkward, because if I did not count Friday, Thursday would already be my last day in Taiwan, and I had no idea whether I would have time to come back.
There was nothing I could do, so I just walked around nearby. The one comfort was that from the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, Taipei 101 was visible, and the view was quite good, though unfortunately it was raining a little. I had originally planned to go up Taipei 101 the next day to see Taipei from above, but since I had already seen it from here, I figured I might as well take a look from the outside first.
Because of the rain, my mood was affected a bit, so I returned to the hostel early and ended the day there.
Day 3: Weather That Calls for Sunglasses
I prayed it would not rain. And sure enough, the sun was high in the sky that day. Heat did not matter at all — as long as it did not rain. I was fairly lucky, because the next few days were all clear skies stretching endlessly. The typhoon Mangkhut, which I had been a little worried about, did not arrive either.
Looking at the map, I realized the hostel was not too far from the National Taiwan Museum and Bangka, so I chose to walk again. Only along the way did I understand how correct that decision was. Walking allowed me to slowly take in the scenery, and I even came across an unplanned historical area: Bopiliao Historical Block.
The whole street gave me the feeling of the 1940s or 1950s. There were some exhibition spaces related to Taiwanese culture. Staff members would actively invite visitors in to look around, and it was free. When you left, they would say, “Thank you for visiting.” Honestly, when it comes to manners, there really is nothing to criticize.
Arriving in Bangka counted as another kind of experience. I came here partly because I had watched the Taiwanese film Monga a long time ago. The area also has a night market and is somewhat famous. But I really did not know the adult service industry in Bangka could be so direct. There were DVDs at three for 100 New Taiwan dollars. For a moment I even wondered whether I should buy a few as souvenirs, but then I imagined being checked by customs on the way back and felt that would be far too embarrassing. When I passed by and glanced around casually, people immediately tried to pull me in for business. Well, this is Taiwan.
Longshan Temple seems to have quite an important position. Inside, it is similar to some temples in mainland China: people pray and make offerings. But there was also an area where fruits and snacks were placed for visitors to taste for free. Before eating, people would first bow toward the Buddha statues. My inner thought was: if this were in the mainland, everyone would probably pack it all up and take it away. Many foreigners also visit, perhaps out of curiosity, to experience Taiwanese culture.
When I arrived at National Taiwan University, it felt really nice. The only thing was that I suddenly realized I had already become somewhat out of place in a campus environment.
Near dusk, I finally went up Taipei 101. The first time I ever saw that building was in Black & White. My overall feeling was: this is the “capital” of Taiwan? Is this all? It did not feel extremely prosperous. But the ten or so minutes when night was falling were genuinely, incredibly beautiful.
Day 4: From Keelung to Takao
Thinking back, the round trip to Keelung probably took more than four hours. But the moment I saw the scenery at Heping Island, I felt it was all worth it.
My first impression of Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall was that it felt more imposing than the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall.
Day 5: Turns Out the Presidential Office Can Be Visited
The original plan for this day was to go paragliding. I had already contacted the staff. But the night before, I left a comment under Tsai Ing-wen’s Instagram asking whether the Presidential Office could be visited. Someone replied saying there were open days.
When I passed by the Presidential Office the previous night, I specifically asked the “national army” soldier on duty whether the Presidential Office could be visited, and whether mainland residents were allowed to visit. After receiving a definite yes, I could not think of a reason not to go.
There were dedicated guides leading visitors through, and they looked like university students. The explanation was very earnest, though I was a little excited at the time and did not really listen carefully. We were taken around in groups of about a dozen people. After walking through the route, we arrived at a place selling souvenirs. I was a little surprised — the Presidential Office also does business?
Technically, there was still time to go paragliding afterward. But after the visit, I messaged the staff member and got no reply. I became a bit anxious, since I had even been thinking of going to Yangmingshan after paragliding — in hindsight, that was a pretty bold plan. Without waiting for a reply, I took a bus and prepared to go directly to Yangmingshan. But when I reached the transfer station, I discovered that only fixed-schedule buses were available, and if I wanted to wait, the next one would not arrive until 4 p.m. Fine. I gave up.
I opened the map on my phone and noticed Fisherman’s Wharf. Since I still had the whole afternoon and did not want to waste it, I went straight there. Only after arriving did I realize I had actually been lucky that day. An unplanned stop could turn out to be such a surprise. At the time I just kept thinking: how can it be this beautiful? In my heart I kept repeating, too beautiful, too beautiful, too beautiful. Maybe I just had not seen enough of the world.
From Fisherman’s Wharf, I could take a boat directly to Tamsui Old Street, which was another unexpected discovery. The old street had so much food, all kinds of milk tea, and such a good atmosphere that I did not want to go back.
Day 6: Leaving Taipei
Early in the morning, I took the MRT from Taipei Main Station to Taoyuan Airport. With that, I finally completed Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan — though in order, it should actually be Macau, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.
I think everyone who visits Taiwan will feel that Taiwanese people are genuinely nice. I will definitely go again. Next time, I need to find a way to start from Takao.