Taipei Travel

So many people making wishes in the lanterns and flying them up. There are shops as well that sells small lanterns as souvenirs. Best take the Tour buses if you want a hassle free journey.

This area is very famous for 2 things: the train that passes in the middle of the town, and lanters. there is a big business around it. to enjoy it at its best, I suggest to go there close to the sunset, during the day it is not much of an experience.

We went to Shifen via the TRA at Taipei Main Station and we reached there around 4pm. The staff operating at the train station were very friendly and helpful. Lots of beautiful and obedient little cats! We didn't make it on time to see the Shifen waterfalls so we decided to take a stroll down Shifen and see the bridge. Shifen waterfall closes at 430pm and it takes about 30-45 minutes on foot to get there, so go earlier if you want to catch it. We did the sky lantern, of course. Prices are all the same throughout the track, even for different vendors, so don't bother trying to find cheaper options. NT$150 for 1 colour, and NT$200 for 4 different colours. We also tried the chicken wing that was stuffed with rice just a few steps away from the station. Tasted really good and the chicken was tender and nicely marinated. Has a peppery taste. Should try! We also tried the peanut ice cream burrito. Should try too, but by the time we ordered, there was no more coriander (not that i wanted it, i hate coriander) so that's for you to decide! The bridge we went on is the Jingan Suspension Bridge and it is a beautiful bridge, good for instagram photos!

Really enjoyed this stop. This was one of the stops that I had researched and put in our itinerary. Cool to see the layout of the town with the railroad tracks right in the middle. Probably would be a good idea if traveling with kids to keep a close eye on them since the tracks are active and there are trains going through. When I did the research did not really know exactly what this stop entailed. I read about the lantern but guess I thought you just go buy them and let them go. Was very cool to find out that there is a bit more to it then that. First our tour guide Stephen said that you do not want to buy your own. Buy for someone else to make their wish. Then you get to pick the colors that you want and what they stand for. Then you personalize your lantern with your thoughts, wishes, etc.. We enjoyed a couple local beers while painting our lantern . It was a lot of fun, really enjoyed this stop. Then you get to release your lantern and watch as it ascends.

There was a heavy downpour in the morning but it was not enough to dampen our enthusiasm for the place. We went there primarily for the sky lantern but we managed to shop for souvenirs as well. Our Taipei experience would not have been complete without a visit to this place and I am sure a lot of tourists feel the same way. The place is charming because of the old railroad station that is used as platform for releasing the sky lanterns and equally fascinating because of the row of souvenir shops with interesting finds.