The evocation of the island of Taiwan immediately refers to the electronic chips and high-tech expertise that characterizes the famous "Made in Taiwan". It must be said that this independent island in southeastern China has experienced impressive technological progress as a result of a successful agrarian reform and economic revolution in the second half of the 20th century that earned it the nickname of the "Taiwanese miracle".

This small country, 394 kilometres long and 144 kilometres wide, whose living standards rival those of the most industrialized countries, is not limited to its technological wealth. Of course, its capital Taipei is an ultra-modern metropolis, especially with its incredible Tower 101, the second highest skyscraper in the world after the Burj Al Arab in Dubai.

But do we know that barely 300 years ago, this capital, where businessmen in a hurry and in a rush jostle each other, was only a heap of swamps and meadows? Even today, it retains traces of the past, such as the Longshan temple, erected in 1738 under the Qing dynasty. Generally speaking, if the western part of the country remains the most modern and urbanized, Taiwan's high-speed line, which came into service in January 2007, places Taipei 90 minutes from Kaoshiung, its major cities are also of real historical interest.

One can thus walk in Kaohsiung, second city of the country and visit there the Lake of Lotus or the temple of Confucius. Within an hour's drive, the village of Maolin will seduce hiking enthusiasts: you can cross suspension bridges and observe magnificent waterfalls. Not to mention the hot springs of the nearby Aboriginal village of Tona.

On the other hand, the east coast of the island of Taiwan, formerly known as the island of Formosa, after the nickname given to it by Portuguese sailors when they discovered this island at the end of the 16th century, is much wilder and more abundant. The deep gorges of Taroko, carved by the rivers through the marble and granite mountains, are particularly suitable for exploring. The surrounding sites are also very beautiful: the temple of eternal spring, the swallow cave or the tunnel with nine bends are as many sites that you can visit during your stay in Taiwan.

A little further on, in Tienhsiang, a visit to a Buddhist temple and a panoramic pagoda is worthwhile: it is indeed necessary to cross a suspension bridge to be able to go into these gorges which stretch over 19 kilometres. Nearby: still and always hot springs, in this case those of Wenshan. And if you want to indulge in beach tourism, the Penghu Islands, actually an archipelago of 64 islands and located some 40 minutes by plane from Taipei, are likely to offer you beautiful beaches of fine sand, and pretty fishing villages.

So that the pleasure is complete, it is better to choose with care the date of your holidays in Taiwan. The island enjoys a warm and rainy tropical climate: from April to September, the summer monsoon brings rain and typhoons. We therefore prefer to visit from late October to early March.

"Taiwan can be proud of several refined teas like the Oolong tea of Nantou, or that of Mujha. Feel free to participate in a tea ceremony. If so, bring this wonderful beverage home."

Art and culture in Taiwan
Taiwan stands out in particular for the quality of its opera most often played outdoors, it is embodied by characters outrageously masked. The plot is based on tales and legends and the opera is sung in regional languages. Another essential element of Taiwanese culture: the puppet shows: the dolls are dressed with very pretty costumes and evolve on a background of drum rolls and gong. Finally, visitors can also enjoy modern dance performances. Taiwan can be proud of well known troupes such as Cloud Gate Dance Theatre, which distinguished itself at the Sydney J0 in 2000.

What to visit in Taiwan
Besides the famous Taipei 101 tower and the Chiang kai-shek memorial, you can also visit a night market such as the Shilin Night Market. It is also necessary to visit the caves of Taroko and to go also in one of the high places of the hot springs, like Jiaoshi, inhabited more than 400 years ago by the aboriginal tribes Gemalan and Taiya. Finally, one will not be able to leave Taiwan decently without having visited its oldest Buddhist monastery, that of Foguangshan: it has the particularity of covering 100 Buddha statues. Perhaps you will also have the opportunity to attend the Buddhist monks' morning meditation? To do that, you have to get up at dawn...