Search results for

The cultural fabric of Taipei is made up of distinct neighborhoods, districts and even streets, one of which is the well-known Dihua Street. Situated in one of the oldest parts of town, the buildings around Dihua Street used to be massive storehouses for goods transiting in and out of Taiwan. Today it’s the best place in Taipei to find dried goods of every ilk. Squid, nuts, fruits, teas, and more are all found sold by the kilo, and a walk through provides a great education in the culinary customs of Taiwan. For a fun treat, many shop owners offer samples of their fruits and nuts; just be sure to buy a small bag (about $2) before leaving to be polite. Dihua Street is also home to some of the best street food stalls in town. The eating is simple and even hectic at times, but the hot bowls of meat and noodles is truly hearty eating at its best.

Ask anyone in China, and they’ll tell you that Guangzhou is considered the home of dim sum. If you love dim sum like I do, you’ll be eager to take your appetite on this cultural journey. Many of Guangzhou’s dim sum restaurants have been in existence for hundreds of years. Some of them comprise multiple rooms connected by stone bridges, one over a small lake. Some are just crammed into old Cantonese buildings. (The coolness of the building seems to have no reflection on the deliciousness of the dim sum.) Here are some of the more famous locations for dim sum in Guangzhou: Pan Xi Restaurant (泮溪酒家), 151 Longjin West Road (龙津西路151号) Datong Restaurant (大同酒家), 63 Yanjiang Road (沿江路63号) Taotao Ju Restaurant (陶陶居), 20 Dishifu Road (第十甫路20号) Four Seasons Restaurant (中国大酒店四季厅), 122 Liuhua Road (流花路122号中国大酒店) Liuhua Congee House (流花粥城), Renmin North Road (人民北路903号流花湖公园)

“Founded in 1890, Wang is the best place to experience tea culture in Taiwan. It’s in an elegant building that has red wallpaper and an old-timey Oriental atmosphere. Order a green tea and enjoy the live performances of nanguan, a type of traditional Chinese music.” —KK Yeh

This appeared in the November/December 2017 issue.

An earlier temple at this location was destroyed by the Japanese (who occupied Taiwan from 1895 to 1945), and the building visitors see today was constructed by a famous Fujian craftsman in the 1920s. Dedicated to China’s most famous philosopher, the temple is an oasis of calm in the Datong district of Taipei. There are interactive displays about Confucius’s teachings and a so-called 4-D cinema showing Confucian-themed films. (The extra D is for the physical effects that are part of the movie experience, including vibrations and wind.) Across the road, the spectacular 200-year-old Baoan Temple relies on traditional construction methods from the Fujian province of China.