Based in China? Looking to travel during the upcoming Tomb Sweeping Holiday (Qing Ming Jie) that is taking place from April 2-5, 2012? If so, now is the perfect time to pull together a last minute escape. And there is no better escape than Taiwan.
Known to the first European travelers to set eyes on Taiwan as “Ilha Formosa” (Portuguese for “Beautiful Island”), this pacific island is a thought-provoking and delightful destination that will send you off with memories to treasure for a lifetime. Join WildChina as we launch this pioneering 5-day exploration of Taiwan. Called the “Ilha Formosa” (“Beautiful Island”) by passing Portuguese travelers in 1544 and famous for its complex relationship with Mainland China, Taiwan has a fascinating political, historical, and cultural story to tell.
This 5-day trip around the north end of the island will have you bathed in the colorful neon lights of Shilin night market, flying down the eastern coast on the Suhua Highway, and transported back in time in the Japanese-era Taroko National Park. WildChina will arrange access to the Caoling Historical Trail, the first land connection between Taipei and Yilan, to follow in the footsteps of the first Han settlers to Taiwan as they foraged their way to Taipei to trade. This journey also includes a rare opportunity to interact with some Taiwanese aborigines who have managed to retain their traditions in the face of Taiwan’s rapid modernization. For the more adventurous, adrenaline-seekers WildChina will plan for white water rafting in Taiwan’s biggest national park.
For an entire generation of western Sinophiles and Chinese enthusiasts, who studied Chinese in the 60s and 70s, Taiwan gave them access to a world unattainable through the mainland. These insiders, for whom Taiwan remains a point of nostalgia and fondness, are now experts in the fields of Chinese scholarship, politics, history, and language. Today, Taiwan is a vibrant Chinese democracy boasting immense modern skyscrapers, such as Taipei 101, that reign high above a medley of European and Japanese colonial architecture lending the Taiwan capital an allure all its own.
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Ready for your visit to the Ilha Formosa? Get in touch at info@wildchina.com to arrange your visit or take a look at Taking on Taiwan:The Ilha Formosa of the Pacific on WildChina’s website.
