 |
 |
|
|
 |
Taiwan |
| |
Taiwan's total land area is only about
36,000 square kilometers; it is shaped like a tobacco
leaf that is narrow at both ends. It lies off the southeastern
coast of mainland Asia, across the Taiwan Straits from
Mainland China-- a solitary island on the western edge
of the Pacific Ocean. To the north lies Japan and Okinawa,
to the south is the Philippines. Many airlines fly to
Taiwan, helping make it the perfect travel destination. |
| |
Top |
|
|
|
Hsinchu City |
| |
The town of Hsinchu, now famous for its
Science-based Industrial Park, was first developed in
1723. It was first called Hsinchu in 1875, and was upgraded
to a provincial city in 1982. The Hsinchu administrative
district include Siangshan and covers an area of about
104 square kilometers. It has gained considerable prosperity
and an international reputation since the creation of
the Hsinchu Science-based Industrial Park Hsinchu City
is loacted in the northwestern part of Hsinchu County,
its highest point rising only 120 meters above sea level. The Hsinchu plain slopes upward to the east, and merges
into Shrpajianshan and Nioupushan mountains. Most of the
eastern part of the county is covered with foothills
and small mountains.
Hsinchu is the closest point in Taiwan to the southeast
coast of Mainland China. The biggest part of its people
are Hakkas. Its frequent strong breezes have led it to
be named the "windy city" and its favorable climate has
facilitated its development of the famous Hsinchu vermicelli
and persimmon cake.
The snacks at the City God Temple have always been a culinary
and tourist landmark for the city. The temple was first
constructed during the Qianlong reign (1736-1796) of the
Qing Dynasty, and numbers of snack vendors gather in its
courtyard. The older ones have been operating there for
upwards of 50 years, and they are especially attractive
to visitors who want a taste of history. The so-called
"City God Temple snack vendors" also means those at Falian
Temple, which is devoted to the worship of Guanyin, the
Goddess of Mercy, and is located just beside the City
God Temple. Most of the vendors at the City God Temple
sell traditional Hsinchu meat balls and "tribute meat-ball
soup," but the also serve up soft cakes, rice with pork,
cuttlefish stew, and ox-tongue cakes.
In addition to snacks, since Hsinchu County has the highest
concentration of Hakka people in all of Taiwan this is
also an excellent destination for travelers who want a
taste of delicious Hakka cuisine. Traditional Hakka foods,
including pickled vegetables, board noodles, intestines
with shredded ginger, and thrice-cooked pork with cured
turnip greens, each has its own distinctive mouth-watering
flavor.
The Series of Tour Guide-Visiting Hsinchu City
http://subject.hccg.gov.tw/tour_guide/index.htm |
| |
Top |
|
|
|
People |
| |
Taiwan has a population of 23 million.
The larger part of the island's inhabitants are the descendants
of immigrants from the various provinces of mainland China,
but in particular from the southeastern coastal provinces
of Fujian and Guangdong. Because the different ethnic
groups have fairly well integrated, differences that originally
existed between people from different provinces have gradually
disappeared. Some 360,000 indigenous people, the original
inhabitants of Taiwan, still live here; they can be distinguished
into 12 different tribes. |
| |
Top |
|
|
|
Language |
| |
The official language of Taiwan is Mandarin
Chinese (Guoyu), but because many Taiwanese are of southern
Fujianese descent, Min-nan (the Southern Min dialect,
or Holo) is also widely spoken. The smaller groups of
Hakka people and aborigines have also preserved their
own languages.
The most popular foreign language in Taiwan is English,
which is part of the regular school curriculum. However,
to be on the safe side, when taking a taxi in Taiwan it
is advisable to prepare a note with your place of destination
written in Chinese to show the taxi driver. |
| |
Top |
|
|
|
Nature |
| |
Formosa (beautiful island) is what the
Portuguese called Taiwan when they came here in the 16th
century and saw the island's verdant beauty.
Located along the southeast coast of the Asian Continent
at the western edge of the Pacific Ocean, between Japan
and the Philippines and right in the center of the East-Asian
island arc, Taiwan forms a vital line of communication
in the Asia-Pacific region. It covers an area of approximately
36,000 square kilometers (14,400 square miles) and is
longer than it is wide. Two-thirds of the total area is
covered by forested mountains and the remaining area consists
of hilly country, platforms and highlands, coastal plains
and basins. The Central Mountain Range stretches along
the entire island from north to south, thus forming a
natural line of demarcation for rivers on the eastern
and western sides of the island. On the west side lies
the Yushan Mountain Range with its main peak reaching
3,952 meters, the highest mountain peak in Northeast Asia. |
| |
Top |
|
|
|
Cultures |
| |
If this is your first visit to Taiwan,
you will most certainly be amazed at the diversity of
things this beautiful island has to offer, as a rich historical
background has provided Taiwan with a multifaceted culture.
People from many different places and backgrounds, such
as Taiwan's indigenous people, the southern Fujianese
from early China, Hakka immigrants, the Dutch, Spanish,
and Japanese, and the recent immigrants from mainland
China have all played a role in Taiwan's development.
While gradually developing a new culture indigenous to
Taiwan, they also held on to their respective customs
and traditions; as a result, you will be able to sample
indigenous, Taiwanese, and Chinese cultures and even find
traces left by the Dutch and the Japanese when traveling
in Taiwan. |
| |
Top |
|
|
|
Climate |
| |
Taiwan enjoys warm weather all year round.
The strongest fluctuations in weather conditions are during
spring and winter, while during summer and autumn the
weather is relatively stable. Taiwan is extremely suitable
for traveling, as the annual average temperature is a
comfortable 22°C with lowest temperatures ranging from
12 to 17°C (54-63°F). Therefore, with the exception of
a few mountain areas where some traces of snow can be
found during winter, no snow can be seen throughout Taiwan.
2010 VLSI-TSA will be held in late April. During that time, Hsinchu’s mean temperature is about 21.5°C and the mean relative humidity is 69% with 74.4 mm precipitation record. |
| |
Top |
|
|
|
Cuisine |
| |
The culinary culture of the Chinese people
goes back a very long time; and while Chinese food can
be enjoyed in every large city in the world today, true
gourmets know that only in Taiwan is it possible to enjoy
fine authentic cuisine from all the different regions
of China. In Taiwan, where it seems the people live to
eat, it is said that there is a snack shop every three
steps and a restaurant every five. These establishments
serve all kinds of Chinese food, from the roast duck,
smoked chicken, lamb hotpot, fish in wine sauce, beef
with green peppers, and scallop and turnip balls of the
north to the camphor-tea duck, salty fried chicken with
spices, honey ham, stir-fried shrimp, dry-fried eggplant,
and spicy bean curd of the south. As the island's economy
has developed rapidly in recent years, its culinary culture
has expanded beyond the traditional Chinese foods to Chinese-style
fast-food chains, thus bringing greater complexity than
ever before to the art of Chinese dining. Foreign foods
from all over the world have also made their appearance
in Taiwan, and the island is now filled with eateries
serving American hamburgers, Italian pizza, Japanese sashimi,
German pig's knuckles, Swiss fondue, and just about everything
else. All of this makes Taiwan a veritable paradise for
gourmands. Taiwan's own native cuisine has also become
known around the world, and if you try it just once you
will remember it forever. |
| |
Top |
|
|
|
Attractions |
| |
Taiwan is known for its towering mountains,
and is reputable as a "Mountainous Island". The island
is spotted with numerous mountains over 3,000 meters.
It is also home to Northeast Asia's highest mountain,
Yushan Mountain, which is nearly 4,000 meter in height.
Besides mountains, beautiful coastal scenes are also part
of Taiwan's great natural asset. Starting from the northern
tip of the island is the North Coast & Guanyinshan
National Sccenic Area and Northeast Coast National Scenic
Area that features various sorts of coastal geography.
Traveling all the way down from here, one will first arrive
at the scenic East Coast National Scenic Area and East
Rift Valley National Scenic Area, and then the Tapeng
Bay National Scenic Area blessed with sunshine and tropical
touch. Alongside the mountainous areas is the Maoling
National Scenic Area, where a lot of aborigines live and
place one can check out the world of butterfly, Lukai
stone-made houses and Natural scenes in Taiwan. Legendary
tales depict subtle beauty of Alishan National Scenic
Area, where you can enjoy the relaxing scene of sunrise
and the cloud sea. Natural setting of Sun Moon Lake National
Scenic Area , eagle-spotting at Bagua Mountain, home of
fruit-Lishan can sacred Buddhist sanctuary- Lion Mountain,
can bring to you the many faces of the island's beauty.
Penghu National Scenic Area, comprising of sixty-four
islets, scattering around the Taiwan Strait. Flat landscape
makes it different from Taiwan Island. It is blessed with
the most spectacular view in Taiwan. Located in Pacific
Ocean southeast of Taiwan, Lanyu and Green Island offer
the enjoyment of nature environment, whale spotting and
scuba diving. Matzu National Scenic Area comprises four
townships on five islands. Most of the tourist sites are
located in Nankan. Peikan has its stone houses and fish
noodles. Chukuang has its fishing port, as well as a lighthouse
designated as a Class 2 historic site. In Tungyin one
will find fantastic rock formations and the Tungyin branch
of the Matsu Distillery. Southwest Coast National Scenic
Area is the 12th national scenic area. The scenic area's
main attraction is a varied coastline that consists of
sand dunes, sand banks, marshes and wetlands, offering
precious ecological habitats for wildlife. Taiwan now
has 6 National Parks - Yamingshan National park in Taipei
suburban, which is famous for its volcanic landscape;
the Shei-Pa National Park, acrossing Hsinchu & Miaoli
counties and famous for special fish species-formosan
Oncorhynchus masou ; locating in Hualien county adjacent
to Li-Wu creek, Taroko National Park is known for its
lofty canyon landscape; acrossing many counties in central
Taiwan, Yushan National Park is famous for its bright
sunshine; locating in south tip, Kenting National Park
gives you a total touch of Southeast Asia; last on the
list is Kinmen National Park which is known for legacies
from the war decades ago. In addition to the beautiful
natural setting provided, above six National Parks also
offer great ecological environment for tourists. Besides,
National Palace Museum, located in outskirt of Taipei
City, is home to essence of the five-thousand-year Chinese
history. It has the finest collections of Chinese Arts,
providing an eye-opening experience of Chinese culture.
Taiwan is somewhere you can experience the amazement of
Chinese culture. |
| |
Top |
|
|
|
How to come to Taiwan |
| |
Taiwan's international flights are well
developed and there are two international airports, Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and Kaohsiung International Airport.
Thirty-four Airlines fly to 56 major cities around the
world from Taiwan, and the average flight time from Taiwan
to major cities in the Asia-Pacific region is only two-and-a-half
hours. A direct flight from the West Coast of the U.S.
to Taiwan takes only 12 hours, and flights are frequent.
Visitors can take advantages of the domestic flight, Taiwan's
island-wide railway system, comprehensive highway network
and convenient bus services to visit the beautiful island.
The convenient international airport for the conference is the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. |
| |
Top |
|
|
|
Visa for Arriving Taiwan |
| |
Foreign nationals may obtain visas from embassies consulates or representative offices of the Republic
of China. |
|
| |
Visa Exempt Entry : 30 days (no extension is permitted) |
| |
30-days visa-free privileges are afforded to citizens of the Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, U.K., U.S.A and Vatican City State.
Requirements for the entry are:
1. A passport valid for at least six months.
2. A confirmed return air ticket or an air ticket and
a visa for the next destination, and a confirmation air
seat reservation for his (her) departure.
3. No criminal record of law violation. |
|
| |
Landing Visa : 14 days (no extension is permitted) |
| |
Fourteen-day landing visas can be obtained upon arrival at Taoyuan airport. Passengers with passports
of the above listed countries plus the Czech Republic,
Hungary, Poland and Switzerland are to apply for landing
visa. Requirements for the entry are:
1. A passport valid for at least six months.
2. A confirmed return air ticket or an air ticket and
a visa for the next destination, and a confirmation air
seat reservation for his (her) departure.
3. An application form with one photo.
4. Landing Visa application fee is TWD 300. (Approximately 10 US dollars)
5. No criminal record of law violation.
For more details of visa application, please go Bureau of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of China (Taiwan) web site http://www.boca.gov.tw/mp.asp?mp=2 |
|
| |
Visa for people holding passport of Mainland China |
| |
Since it might take more than 2 months for China visitors to apply the entry visa to Taiwan, the conference registrar is now in the process of collecting list of attendees (including authors and speakers) from China. If any of your paper presenter or any of your team member is from P.R.O.C (or holds a passport issued by P.R.O.C government) and want to attend the conference, please immediately contact the conference registrar, Ms. Yvonne Chen (YvonneChen@itri.org.tw) for more information. |
| |
Top |
|
|
|
Currency |
| |
The Republic of China's unit of currency
is the New Taiwan Dollar (NT$). Bill denominations are
NT$2000, NT$1000, NT$500, NT$200, and NT$100. Coin denominations
are NT$1, NT$5, NT$10 and NT$50. As of January 2010, the
exchange rate was quoted around NT$32 to one US Dollar.
Foreign currencies can be exchanged at the airport upon
arrival, or at government-authorized banks, tourist hotels,
and large department stores. Receipts are given when currency
is exchanged, and must be presented in order to exchange
unused NT Dollars before departure. Traveler's checks
in major currencies may be cashed at some tourist-oriented
businesses and at most international tourist hotels. |
| |
Top |
|
|
|
Credit Cards |
| |
Hotels, department stores, airlines, large
stores and restaurants accept major credit cards. Cash
is generally preferred elsewhere. |
| |
Top |
|
|
|
Banking Hours |
| |
Banks are open from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.,
Monday to Friday. |
| |
Top |
|
|
|
Telecommunication Service |
| |
One local call from a pay phone costs
NT$1 for 1 minute, after which additional coins are needed
or the line will be automatically disconnected. On private
phones, the overseas operator may be reached by dialing
"100." Direct dialing is available to some phones, after
first dialing the prefix "002." International direct dialing
rates are calculated every six seconds. |
| |
Top |
|
|
|
Time Zone |
| |
Taiwan is eight hours ahead of Greenwich
Mean Time (GMT) and does not practice daylight saving
time in summer. You can check Taiwan's local time and
the time difference from your local time via this link: http://www.worldtimeserver.com |
| |
Top |
|
|
|
Electricity Supply |
| |
Taiwan uses electric current of 110 volts
at 60 cycles, appliances from Europe, Australia or South-East
Asia will need an adaptor or transformer. Many buildings
have sockets with 220 volts especially for the use of
air conditioners. |
| |
Top |
|
|
|
Customs |
| |
Personal items are free of duty. Visitors
over 20 years old may bring in, duty free, 200 cigarettes
or 25 cigars or 0.5 kg of tobacco, one bottle of liquor
and one used camera. Gold cannot be exported without a
permit issued by the Ministry of Finance. Passengers arriving
with gold and silver and planning to take it out at departure
must declare it and leave the items with Customs until
they leave Taiwan. |
| |
Top |
|
|
|
Tipping / Taxes |
| |
Tipping is optional. It is usual, however,
to tip hotel porters and for restaurant service. A 10%
service charge and a 5% value-added tax are added to room
rates and meals. |
| |
Top |
|
|
|
Taxis |
| |
Major cities have an abundance of taxis.
Charges are TWD70 for the first 1.5km and TWD5 for each
additional 300 meters. An additional TWD5 is charged for
every two minutes of waiting, and a 20% surcharge is added
to fares between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., TWD10 dollars tip
needed for cab dispatched by phone and for luggage placed
in taxi trunk. Basically, taxi fares in all major cities
are set by local city government itself and are in a minor
discrepancy. Out-of-town or long-distance travels may
not apply to meter charge; travelers are suggested to
confirm charging method before getting on taxi. |
| |
Top |
|
|
| |
( Some of the contents here were provided
by the Tourism Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and
Communications, Republic of China. For more detail of
the travel information, please visit: http://www.tbroc.gov.tw/ ) |
|
|
|
