Taipei Travel

Shilin District The Intellectual LOHAS Route

09:00

Tianmu Shuiguan Road Trail

The most significant aspect of this trail is the water pipeline along the roadside. This pipe was laid to conduct spring water from Yangmingshan (陽明山) to the Tianmu (天母) and Shilin neighborhoods in the Japanese era. The trail is a beginner-level hike; first, you have to climb more than 1,000 steps, but once you get to the flat gravel road, it gets much easier. The whole trip takes about one and a half hours. When you stroll the low-altitude subtropical broadleaf forest with its flowing creeks, you’ll feel cool and comfortable!

From MRT Zhishan Station, take Bus 267, 601, or 224 to the Tianmu Stop, then walk to Tianmu Police Station

11:00

Shidong Market

With the clever makeover fashioned by its design team, this traditional market has become trendy. This place has a chic, arty atmosphere with an elegant and clean look. It’s now air-conditioned, and has shopping carts provided. All of these improvements have consumers smiling, and have earned this emporium the designation: “Five-Star Traditional Market!” Shop the first floor’s fresh produce area till you’re tired, then head up to the second floor food court for a snack and a beverage.

From MRT Zhishan Station, take Bus 616 or Citizen Minibus 11 to the Tianmu Baseball Stadium Stop

12:00

Michelin 1-Star – Golden Formosa

The ultra-popular must-try dishes here are the crispy pork ribs (排骨酥) and the plain boiled chicken (白斬雞). And, although their signature dish, “Buddha Jumps Over the Wall,” (佛跳牆) must be preordered, it is certainly worth waiting a few days to enjoy. During the cooking process, the chef sometimes works with a knife in each hand, and sometimes he’s seen fishing crispy deep-fried pork ribs from the hot old pan. This pot contains all kinds of toothsome ingredients and regularly attracts celebrities to dine.

From MRT Shipai Station, take Bus R 12 or 645 to the Taipei School of Special Education Stop

14:00

The National Palace Museum

Situated in the green mountains of Waishuangxi (外雙溪), the National Palace Museum (國立故宮博物院) has collected over 690,000 artifacts, paintings, books and documents, mainly from the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. Other than the most famous pieces, like Jadeite Cabbage with Insects (翠玉白菜), which are on permanent display, museum exhibits rotate on a regular basis. Many products at the gift shop are cleverly designed and full of fun, such as the roll of paper tape: Qing Court Communication as Reflected Brush and Ink of Kangxi Emperor (朕知道了). You can also visit the Zhishan Garden (至善園) at the foot of the mountain to appreciate traditional landscape architecture, with many spots great for picture taking.

From MRT Shilin Station, take Bus R 30, 255, 304, 815, Little 18, Little 19, or Citizen Minibus 1; or, from MRT Jiannan Rd. Station, take Bus BR 20

19:00

Bib Gourmand Selection – Hai You Pork Ribs

Bib Gourmand recommended only one food stand out of Shilin Night Market (士林觀光夜市) stalls, and that is Hai You Pork Ribs (海友十全排骨). Their signature dish is pork rib soup cooked with 15 herbs for 10 hours. The soup is clear, leaving your palate with a mild and sweet aftertaste, and the meat is tender – an unforgettable dish! Sometimes the waiting line is so long that the owner has to beg people not to come, surely makes the ones who’ve already finished their soup smile!

MRT Jiantan Station