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Taishan City

Taishan (台山; Táishān in Mandarin, Hoi3san1 in Taishanese) is a city in Guangdong Province in China. The "First Home of the Overseas Chinese", Taishan is the ancestral homeland of hundreds of thousands of ethnic Chinese in North America.

Understand

Taishan County-level City falls under the administration of Jiangmen Prefecture. It is divided into 20 townships.

The mainland townships are Baisha, Beidou, Chixi, Chonglou, Diajiang, Doushan, Duanfen, Duhu, Guanghai, Haiyan, Nafu, Sanba, Sanhe, Shenjing, Shuibu, Sijiu, Taicheng and Wencun. The island townships are Shangchuan and Xiachuan.

Sanba was merged into Baisha and Nafu into Shenjing in 2006. Shangchuan and Xiachun on the Chuandao Islands are governed as a single entity. Taicheng, or Toising, is the administrative capital and the largest township by far with the most of the civilized amenities.

By train
is served by high-speed trains from Guangzhou and other cities in Guangdong, which connections from Hong Kong and many other cities.

From Macau, cross the border to Zhuhai and take the train from Zhuhai Station. You may have to transfer in Guangzhou or Xinhui.

From Guangzhou, take the metro to Guangzhou South Railway metro station. Then take one of the Guangzhou-Maoming or Guangzhou-Zhanjiang trains to Taishan Station, which is located some 7 km north of downtown Taishan (Taicheng). As of 2018, about a dozen trains a day in each direction stop at Taishan station, and the train ride from Guangzhou South to Taishan takes a bit under 1 hour; the second-class fare is ¥65. In terms of moving vehicle time, this is the fastest option as the trains hits 200-225 km/h. But after adding transfer wait time, total trip might be even longer. However, if you haven't ridden high speed rail before, it may be worth the experience although this is only medium speed compared to the 350 km/h lines sprouting up between the major cities of China.

If you are at Guangzhou South Station, and the last train for Taishan has already left, you can take a train to a closer station, Xinhui, which has more service than Taishan. (Besides the D trains, it also has the "intercity" C trains). After a 15 minute walk (or a 3 minute motorcycle taxi ride) from the Xinhui train station to the next door bus station, you can take a local bus to Taicheng (about 60 km by road).

By bus
From most major cities in Guangdong province, you can take direct buses to the main city of Taicheng.

From Hong Kong, you can take a cross-border bus direct to Taicheng. This trip costs roughly HK$250 and takes 3 hours. You will have to get off the bus to cross into Shenzhen and then get back on. Buses are available at the Airport and in Mongkok. Alternatively, first take the ferry to Zhuhai, then taxi to Gongbei bus station where you can book a 2-hour bus ride to Taicheng (with a stop in Duhu Town).

From Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, there is a direct bus from the airport, costing about ¥100.

From Guangzhou, you can also book a direct bus from the bus stations outside Kengkou metro station and Tianhe Coach Terminal metro station. Both will cost about ¥65. The Kengkou buses take 2 hours while the Tianhe buses take 3 hours as Tianhe buses make more stops.

Get around

To travel between the towns of Taishan, local buses go everywhere. The two main bus stations in Taicheng are Taishan Central "Juong Cheh Jaam" and "Top Saan" stations.

Within any of the towns in Taishan, expect to use taxis whether 4-wheel cars, motorcycles or 3-wheelers. In the smaller towns, motorcycle and 3-wheel taxis will be the only option.

Taishan towns are relatively small and flat so biking is a good way to get around. At ¥200 to purchase a 1-speed commuter bicycle, it may be cheaper and easier to buy and sell it afterwards at a loss than to find a fancier rental.

Finally, you can hire a van taxi to drive you around both within the local cities and between them.

Talk
The local language of Taishan is Taishanese "Hoisanwah" (99% similar to the local languages of Kaiping and Enping), which is a Yue Chinese language like Cantonese and often considered a dialect of it even though it's truly not, and has low mutual intelligibility with it. However, Cantonese is the lingua franca of Guangdong province (outside of Shenzhen where Mandarin dominates) while Mandarin is the national official language, so most non-elderly locals would also be able to speak Cantonese and Mandarin at least decently.

As in most of China, English is, long story short, non-existent.

See

The word "shan" in Mandarin (saan in Cantonese) means mountain and Taishan is chock full of them. Almost any small village you visit with have a picturesque landscape towering above fields of rice. Most of the time, these mountains are not hikeable but during tomb sweeping month (see below in the Do section), trails will be cleared.

Do

Many areas around the world are famous for exporting foods and goods from the local area. Taishan is famous for exporting people. Everybody in Taishan has a relative who just emigrated to another "country" (whether developed in North America/Europe/Hong Kong/Singapore or developing ones in Latin America/Africa). Some are waiting their turns for their parents/off-spring/siblings to sponsor them and many more get money sent to them from overseas.

Hence Taishan's primary industry is leisure for not only vacationing overseas Taishanese but for the many locals who don't need to work. What you will find are scores of karaoke clubs, hair salons, foot massage parlors, facial treatment parlors, hotspring spas (outside Taicheng), internet bars.

Go to Miniso. It's a high-end Japanese discount store where you can find many small cute soft things. Their baskets will not be big enough for you to hold all the stuff you want so you will have to make a trip there everyday you are in the city.

Buy

Eat

The primary cuisine in Taishan is Cantonese with an emphasis on simpler fares. For example, you will not find much of the deep fried dim sum found in larger Guangdong cities. Likewise, instead of fried rice/noodles common in Chinatowns around the world, steaming in stainless steel cabinets is the cooking style of choice.

The most famous dish in Taishan is Stone Bowl Eel Rice "Wong Seen Fon". In Guangdong's major cities, a scattering of restaurants will have "Toisan Wong Seen Fon" as a specialty but Taishan is the place to go to experience the original, especially Shuibu Town. Rice is first cooked halfway before being mixed with precooked eel in a clay pot. The clay pot is then fired up to finish cooking the rice. Where the rice touches the clay pot, oil from the precooked eel drips down and makes a crispy layer called "fon jil". (Taishanese call this layer "nuong" which is also the word for burnt.)

Also popular amongst Taishan locals are restaurants that serve western, Cantonese and coffee and tea. In the local language, this is referred to as "Cha Chaan Teang" which roughly translates to Tea Cuisine. If you have a hankering for sandwiches, steaks, pizza or spaghetti, you can halfway satisfy your need. The Western foods are cooked in a style similar to "Hong Kong style fast food" you might find in Chinatowns around the world.

Finally, Taishanese love late night dining. After dinner at 6PM, it is common for locals to head out at about 9PM-10PM to fill their stomachs with everything from dim sum to street vendor fare to breakfast foods to desserts.

There are three main fruits that are grown locally:
 * Cavendish and latundan bananas available year round. Local "boon day" bananas sell for ¥3/lb, Hainan's for ¥5/lb and Thailand for ¥7/lb.
 * Sugar cane available from January to March. During this period, street vendors with carts of sugar cane are everywhere.  For ¥1.5-2/lb, they will peel and chop a 7 foot tall stalk of cane for you.  If your teeth are not up to chomping down on tough fiber, either choose the softer black variety or find a vendor who will squeeze a cup of juice for ¥1/cup.
 * Durian is available from May to August. The variety grown is Taishan is somewhat less fragrant than those in other parts of Southeast Asia -- but for some people, even that's too much to take.

Connect
The following places have free Wi-fi for customers. Some will be password protected but don't be shy to ask for the password -- say "serng mong mut mah" and point to your smartphone/tablet/laptop.
 * Hotel Gaoye (entire building including the Western Buffet and Chinese restaurants)
 * Cu San
 * Hua Yuan Ka Fei
 * Tian Meng Yuan -- 2nd location at Fucheng Ave near Huanshi East Rd (1st location near Pedestrian St does not have Wi-fi)
 * Xin Da Di -- confirmed at Gaoye Shopping Center location
 * He Lan Ka Fei (Holland Coffee) -- near east end of Pedestrian St on 2nd fl above a clothing retailer
 * Chabel Snacks
 * Young Station Snacks
 * Vinroy Coffee at Caolang St and Jiankang Rd (near Tian Liang back entrance)

There are also numerous internet cafes "mong bahr". Near Pedestrian St, you will find one at:
 * Tian Liang Shopping Center (back entrance to the right of a bedding store)

Cope

Pharmacies are plentiful in Taicheng. Here are two listings:
 * Gaoye Shopping Center, outside level (to the right of Hotel Gaoye's entrance)
 * Tian Liang Shopping Center, outside level (to the left of KFC)

Stay healthy
When it gets warmer (over 80°F/25°C), mosquitoes come out in droves. Unlike more modern cities, there are plenty of streams, ponds and rice paddies for these blood sucking insects to breed. Many locals don't show much reaction to bites but if you have no such resistance, you may soon be sporting ugly welts. Pick up mosquito repellent "mun pah suoy" and avoid shorts even though it can get scorching hot during summer days.

And did we mention scorching hot? Temperatures over 90°F (32°C) are pretty common during the summer with an extra +10°F/+5°C for humidity. Apply sunscreen generously and carry an umbrella to keep the sun off your head. The umbrella also will be useful for the summer thunderstorms that roll through without warning.

Men in China smoke like fiends and Taishan is no different. (Females rarely smoke in mainland China.) If you can't handle the smell of second-hand smoke, stick with either outdoors restaurants or places with private rooms. Luckily, almost every medium/large restaurant will have private rooms. The key words to say are "law fong" which in this context means "get me a room".

Stay safe
In Taicheng's outer neighborhoods, streets with have either wide sidewalks or separate roadways for bikes/mopeds. But inside the shopping core around Pedestrian street, sidewalks will often be blocked by motorcycles/mopeds or vendor wares. Hence expect to be walking alongside car traffic while hugging parked cars. Obviously if you can find stop lights to cross at, walk the extra block instead of saving the few minutes. Where not available, you will need to follow locals in crossing to the middle of the street and then waiting for traffic on the other side to subside. Luckily, drivers in Taishan are not as psychotic as in other parts of China -- you don't see the absolute blatant disregard of traffic lights and laws common in Hainan. While most won't stop to let pedestrians cross, they at least won't purposely try to endanger you. No sudden moves, let cars work their way around you and keep alert.

Traffic is mostly light except for 4 commute periods. For a less chaotic walking experience, avoid these times:
 * 7.30AM-8AM -- people going to school/work
 * 11.30AM-noon -- people going home for lunch
 * 1.30PM-2PM -- people going back to school/work
 * 5.30PM-6PM -- people going home

Go next

 * A 15 minute bus ride north will bring you to the neighboring town of Kaiping "Hoi Ping" and its historic diaolous.
 * 45 minutes west are the numerous hot springs of Enping "Yun Ping".
 * Further west (40-50 min by train, or 2 hours by bus) is Yangjiang "Yerng Gong", the knife manufacturing capital of China.
 * 1 hour north on the way to Guangzhou is Heshan "Hawk saan" with its temples in the mountains overlooking the highway.
 * The closest major city (1M+ population) is Jiangmen "Gong Moon".

title: Taishan City


text:
Taitung

Taitung (臺東 Táidōng) is a city in Southeastern Taiwan.

Understand
Taitung is situated on a small plain between the mountains and the ocean at the southern mouth of the East Rift Valley. This provides Taitung with not only spectacular scenery but also an ocean breeze that makes this tropical city surprisingly comfortable. Taitung was developed by the Japanese in the early part of the 20th century and they were responsible for the construction of the roads and railway to the area. This in turn brought an influx of Han Chinese settlers into the area that already had several indigenous groups, creating a diverse city of indigenous, Hakka, and Hoklo populations.

This uniquely Taiwanese blend is still easily discernible in part because a lot of the recent advances in Taiwan's economy have passed Taitung by. This has prevented Taitung from devouring itself the way more successful cities have. There are still large areas filled with Japanese houses in various states of use and disuse. There are still winding alleyways filled with single-story Chinese-style houses with their unapologetic rustic appearance. There are still neighbourhoods that are largely aboriginal with their own celebrations and unique attributes. One thing that is relatively sparse, however, are 7-Elevens. All this is surrounded by miles of quiet rice fields and orchards. The city has an artistic feel to it and is much more relaxing than other Taiwanese cities.

Politically, Taitung is regarded as a KMT stronghold due to its large indigenous population, though the DPP has made inroads among the younger generation.

By train
By train, Taitung is on the main East Coast express route. From the north, the journey from Taipei takes 5½-7½ hr depending on the type of trains you take. From Hualien, expect about 3 hr. From the south, from Kaohsiung to Taitung on the Southern route, the trip takes from just over 2 hr to a little over 3 hr depending on the type of train. From Tainan, expect about 3 hr.

There are also 2 smaller stations situated within the city:

By plane
By plane, Taitung is served by a local airport with flights to Taipei, Lanyu and Lyudao.

On foot
The main part of Taitung is small and compact enough to make walking a pleasant way to explore the city.

By bus
There are car and scooter rentals near the train station if you have an international drivers license. If not, you can take a bus or taxi to the city which is some distance from either the train station or the airport. Taitung's public transportation is somewhat limited compared with other Taiwanese cities. There are bus routes, while these are inexpensive, the timetables are in Chinese.

The bus 8101 does the Taitung-Sanxiangtal route and can be used for day trips out and back into the city.

By bicycle
Bicycles are a good alternative form of transportation and can be rented at several locations beach side, or near the entrance to the Forest Park at the north end of Jhongshan Rd. For excursions to the attractions on the outskirts of town a taxi may be your best option. Taxis are quite plentiful around the Old Railway Station downtown (near the intersection of Guanming Rd. and Sinsheng Rd.)

Islands

 * Green Island – A quite beautiful island off the east coast near Taitung, featuring one of the world's few saltwater hot springs.

Cycling
Serious cyclists or even moderately serious cyclists will find Taitung a perfect place for cycling. The Taiwanese cyclist already know this and you will find no shortage of them. For anything longer than a casual ride around the city you will need to bring your own bike which is fairly easy thanks to the train. The coastal highway heading north to Hualien is quite popular and has many places for camping and many homestays along the way. The East Rift valley is also a popular ride heading north. For a more strenuous ride Hwy 197 heading north to Luye and Guangshan is a rewarding ride. South from Taitung the strip of land between mountains and the ocean evaporates and the ride winding along the base of the hill is spectacularly picturesque.

Eat
Taitung has an eclectic food culture that reflects the various cultural influences that the city has had. There are good examples of all manner of Taiwanese, Aboriginal, and other East and Southeast Asian food. While many people equate Taiwanese food with street food to do so is a disservice to the food cultures that make up Taiwan and miss out on some great food. Like all Taiwanese cities street food can be found throughout downtown. You might want to try the sugar-apples (釋迦 shìjiā), a local sweet fruit. Thanks to the large number of aboriginal groups in the area there are several different aboriginal restaurants in and around the city. Taitung is also home to a fair number of goat meat restaurants along Jhongjheng Rd.

Best to just walk down the fruit night market (towards the beach), then continue on Zhonghua Road Section 1 until Jhongjheng Road, and finally northwest from there. This should leave you with enough options to choose from.

 * Kasa, 102 Heping (和平) Street (near the junction with Zhonghua Road). A cafe and eatery (with a full bar) specializing in Western dishes such as, bagels, burritos, quesadillas, tostadas and curried chicken - an average meal costs around NT$180.
 * Kasa, 102 Heping (和平) Street (near the junction with Zhonghua Road). A cafe and eatery (with a full bar) specializing in Western dishes such as, bagels, burritos, quesadillas, tostadas and curried chicken - an average meal costs around NT$180.
 * Kasa, 102 Heping (和平) Street (near the junction with Zhonghua Road). A cafe and eatery (with a full bar) specializing in Western dishes such as, bagels, burritos, quesadillas, tostadas and curried chicken - an average meal costs around NT$180.
 * Kasa, 102 Heping (和平) Street (near the junction with Zhonghua Road). A cafe and eatery (with a full bar) specializing in Western dishes such as, bagels, burritos, quesadillas, tostadas and curried chicken - an average meal costs around NT$180.

Drink
Taitung's night life has been described as subdued, that may be true however there are of course some bars. What Taitung does have however, is a rather large number of cafes. Since Taitung County actually grows coffee beans it is also possible to find truly local coffee at several establishments.

Stay safe
Taitung is one of the safest places in Taiwan. Like everywhere in Taiwan, be careful in traffic, and avoid confrontations in bars.

Very few people in Taitung speak even a little English, and most of them will expect you to speak Chinese. It is not uncommon to meet people only able to speak Taiwanese.

Sleep
Many places apply a 10-30% surcharge during weekends (Friday and Saturday) and holidays. Expect to pay a lot more during Chinese New Year, up to double price. Ranges below show the lowest (weekday) and highest (Chinese New Year) prices.

If you are looking for a camping option, there is an observation tower between the Forest Park and the beach, see above.

Connect
The iTaiwan Wi-Fi is available virtually everywhere in Taitung.

Go next

 * Chipen (Zhiben) – Popular for its hot springs.
 * Luye – To the north of Taitung in the Inner Rift Valley, it is a great place to drink tea and an especially popular spot for paragliding. Also is a good spot for cycling for the less adventurous.
 * Dulan – To the north of Taitung on the coast, this little village has an abandoned sugar factory that hosts a vibrant artist community as well as a cafe and gift shop. Surfing is to be had at the rather secluded beaches from here on north if you have your own board.
 * Siaoyeliou – Just a couple of kilometers north of Taitung city this beach offers the most beautiful rock formations on the southern coast. The area just north of here is also popular for snorkeling.

Larger cities can be reached by train: It is advised to book trains to Tainan and Taipei in advance, as there are not so many per day, and they can fill up quickly, especially during weekends.
 * Several trains a day to Kaohsiung and then Tainan. For Tainan, about 3 hr and NT$500.
 * Several trains a day to Hualien and then Taipei. To Hualien count about 3 hr, around NT$400.
 * A scenic commuter train leaves to Fangliao for the sunny Kenting National Park in Pingtung County, checkout the information under Taitung County.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Taitung


text:
Taitung County

Taitung County is on the east coast of Taiwan.

Cities and towns

 * (台東 or 臺東 Táidōng) – The youngest city in Taiwan and was developed by Japan as a base for Pacific expansion. Taitung's population is strongly aboriginal, Hoklo, and Hakka. It is by far one of the most laid-back, relaxing, and beautiful of Taiwan's cities.

 * (卑南鄉) – Home to the Puyuma and Rukai peoples.
 * (長濱鄉) – The northernmost township in Taitung County. The population of the township consists mainly of the Amis people with a Kavalan minority.
 * (成功鎮) – A small town facing the Pacific Ocean which has been renamed several times and is now named after the infamous Koxinga (Chinese name: Zheng Chenggong).
 * (池上鄉) – Home of an annual indigenous Night Ceremony held annually in November.
 * (達仁鄉) – A mountain indigenous township. The main population is comprised of indigenous Paiwan people.
 * (大武鄉) – Known for its extreme heat due to Foehn wind effects during the daytime especially during the summer months.
 * (東河鄉) – A laid back surfers destination located off most travellers' route.
 * – A small town with an art and backpacker community, an old sugar factory, an archaeological site and surf spot.
 * (海端鄉) – Contains the Bunun Cultural Museum, which details the history and culture of the Bunun indigineous people.
 * (太麻里鄉) – A coastal township with one third of the population being comprised of the indigenous Amis and Paiwan peoples.
 * (延平鄉) – A mountainous township populated mainly by the indigenous Bunun people.

Islands

 * (Lyudao / 綠島鄉) — Green Island administered as Lyudao Township
 * (Lanyu / 蘭嶼鄉)

Understand
Taitung County is perhaps Taiwan's most unspoiled area.

Get in
To get in or out, you could take the scenic commuter train between Taitung and, and experience the sunset hours along the coast and through the mountains from a camera friendly open window. Go for the last car of the train, which is distant from the loud loco and much more quiet. Towards the second half of the trip, quite a bit of the route is through tunnels, especially through the mountains, which are loud and unscenic—best to bring earplugs or headphones. At around NT$120, the cheapest option from/to Hengshun or Kenting. The bus between Fangliao and Hengshun (near Kenting National Park) is another NT$120. You can also transfer between train and bus already at, saving some 20 min travel time and maybe NT$40. However, getting from Fangshan Station to the road with the bus stop (or vice-versa) and finding the may require GPS and a digital map. During the evening, beware of the dogs at the station and down the first house; carry a stone and flash light just for safety. (Google says the travel time for the bus is 3-4 hr between Fangshan/Fangliao and Hengshun, which is wrong. The bus takes barely an hour to go down the coast, 20-30 min between Fangshan and Hengshun.)

By train
Trains travel down the East Rift Valley National Scenic Area and are perhaps the most convenient way to travel along Taitung County. Spend a few days slowly making your way down or up this area. The sightseeing is the best in Taiwan for those that love nature and beauty.

See
The tourist information center in Taitung has a very good map of the Taitung County available. Get it and head for the buses or your car.

Go next

 * Hualien County – Popular for the Taroko Gorge, the Chishingtan Scenic Area and the Qingshui Cliff. It is to the north with many highways and a railway.
 * Pingtung County – Popular for the Kenting National Park with some of the best beaches in Taiwan. It is also to the southwest via the South-Link Highway (Tai 9.svg Provincial Highway Number 9) and the South-Link Railway.

title: Taitung County