Taiwan Bucket List

I live near Shi Da Night Market in one of those top-floor apartments without a mailbox. Cockroaches the size of my thumb have the run of the place, and a couple buildings block my view of Taipei 101. On summer nights, sweat leaks into my bed linens, and in the winter I wear a scarf to bed. This is Taiwan.



With every passing day it becomes more clear to me that a lot of my future will be taking place in Taiwan. There are 2 questions that I have yet to find sufficient answers to:

1. Why should I go home?
2. Why should I leave Taiwan?

Taiwan is such an amazing place, and so many people agree that it's hard to find something original to say about it. Anybody that knows anything about Taiwan knows that a long time ago, the Portuguese dubbed Taiwan as "Formosa," meaning "beautiful," which, although it is an accurate preview, is an understatement.

Blogs, websites, and guide books alike highlight "must see" destinations and "must eat" specialty foods for those that are travelling here. Everybody that's traveled to Taiwan has been to the top of Taipei 101, eaten stinky tofu, lit a lantern in Pingxi, and seen Taroko Gorge. All of these places and foods warrant the "must" in their description, but I see a lot of people that are merely checking things off a "to do list."

Show up in a tour bus, take a picture to prove you were there, and leave without having truly embraced your surroundings.

More than 23,000,000 people live in Taiwan, but how many actually experience Taiwan?

Since I know that my stay here is going to be long-term, I'd like to make the most out of it. That's why I'm making my Taiwan Bucket List: to set my self apart from tourists, travelers, and most importantly, that community of foreigners who "teach" English by day, and paint the town red by night.

Taiwan Bucket List

• Achieve some level of fluency in Chinese:
• There are loads of people here that don't care to learn the native language, and therefore have no means to actually experience the local culture. I don't know how fluent I need to get to check this off my list, but I'm determined to stop relying on translations.
• Watch the sunrise from Jade Mountain (YuShan/玉山):
• Jade Mountain is the tallest peak in Taiwan, and at close to 4,000 meters, it's taller than a lot of places. According to author of the blog in that link, "By far the hardest part of climbing Yushan has to be getting the permit in the first place!" There's snow, monkeys, and gorgeous views (check out that link).
• Visit the most Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western points of Taiwan:

• I have a thing for superlatives, and what better way to say you've experienced a whole country than by saying you've been to its limits?
• East- Sandiaojiao (三貂角), CHECK! There's not a lot going on there, but I woke up early and watched the sunrise there!
• South- Kenting ((墾丁) CHECK! Kenting National Park is home to the Southern tip of Taiwan, which is beautiful beaches all year. 
• North- Shimen (石門區) is where the island of Taiwan's northernmost point (CHECK!), but Taiwan ROC's northern most point has to be the Matsu Islands (馬祖列島), specifically Dongyin (東引鄉).
• West- Kinmen (金門縣) is Taiwan's westernmost point, so far west it's barely 2 kilometers away from China. The island is rich in military history and they sell knives (金門菜刀) made from artillery shells leftover from WWII and the Chinese Civil War. 
• Swim across Sun Moon Lake (日月潭): CHECK!
• It's one thing to visit Sun Moon Lake, and it's quite another to join 27,000 people in the annual Sun Moon Lake Swimming Carnival. The 3.3k swim is usually held in the beginning of fall. 

• Hike REAL trails in Taroko Gorge(太魯閣國家公園):
• The Tunnel of Nine Turns, Shakadang Trail, and Swallow's Grotto are the most famous trails in Taroko, but in the 4 times I've been to Taroko, I've seen people walking these trails in high heels, flip flops, etc. There are a lot of trails that you need a permit to climb, which means they are more dangerous and exciting. I'm looking for rope bridges in "No Flip-Flops Allowed" territory.
• Speaking of Shakadang Trail, I won't leave Taiwan until I've done a flip off this rock:

• Take a trip around Taiwan. 
• I've already driven my scooter along the scenic North Coast, then from Taipei to Taidong, which covers almost the entire East Coast, so I'd be satisfied to go down the West Coast and check this off my list.
• Monkey Mountain (柴山), Kaohsiung
• Maybe it's just me, but seeing a bunch of wild monkeys is something I need to do before I die. 
• Be part of a Dragon Boat team:
• Like anybody that's been in Taiwan on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, I've seen Dragon Boat races. There's a lot of fun tradition behind the holiday and the event, but I want to train and race on a team. 

• Attend Spring Scream: CHECK!
• Every April since 1995, a massive, 3-day, multi-stage music festival has been held in Kenting featuring every kind of music you can imagine. If you want my opinion, save thousands and pitch your tent right at Eluanbi National Park. 
• Get my "15 minutes of fame:"
• A great writer once told me a story about how he used to roller-blade everywhere in Taiwan. The locals found this so fascinating that he ended up being interviewed for the news. This story became sort of a challenge to try to become "famous" in Taiwan (although since then I've watched a lot of Taiwan news and find that they will report on just about anything, mostly from YouTube videos, so it doesn't seem like it should be that challenging). Another writer found his "fame" by selling books in a night market. 

This is it for now, but I will surely be adding things to this list. I'm hoping for some feedback from people who have also chosen Taiwan as their home, and can share a unique experience, including sights, events, foods, etc., that is bucket-list worthy. Something that's not on this list because I don't know about it yet. Something not necessarily accessible to the average traveler.

What's on your Taiwan Bucket List?