World Guide

Taiwan

Territory · Asia, Eastern Asia

Taiwan
Photo: xiangyang17, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Taiwan is an island territory in Eastern Asia, located near China, Japan, and the Philippines. The capital city is Taipei, and the territory has a population of about 23 million people living across 36,193 square kilometers.

Highlights

This site covers 9 major sights across the territory. In the capital, Taipei, travelers can visit the Taipei 101 skyscraper, the National Palace Museum, the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, and Longshan Temple. Outside the capital, the natural landscapes include Sun Moon Lake and the Taroko National Park. Historical sites include Cihu Mausoleum and Fort Zeelandia. Additionally, the Spratly Islands are a point of interest.

Food and drink

The local cuisine features a variety of dishes including mooncake, pineapple cake, stinky tofu, and General Tso's chicken. Other traditional options are oyster omelette, suncake, kuih, ló͘-bah-pn̄g, bah-uân, small sausage in large sausage, tàⁿ-á-mī, and oyster vermicelli.

When to go

Taipei experiences a humid climate with rain throughout the year. January and February are the coolest months, with daily highs around 17 °C to 18 °C. Temperatures rise steadily through spring, reaching daily highs of 27 °C in May and peaking at 31 °C in July and August. Rainfall is frequent, with the highest precipitation occurring in September at 459 mm and June at 320 mm. Travelers may prefer the cooler months of December, January, and February, or the warmer but potentially wetter summer months depending on their comfort with heat and rain.

Practical notes

The currency is the New Taiwan dollar. Mandarin Chinese is the spoken language. The electrical system uses 110 V with plug types A and B. Driving takes place on the right side of the road, and the time zone is UTC+08:00.

Cities

Food and drink to try in Taiwan

  • Mooncake
  • Stinky tofu
  • Pineapple cake
  • General Tso's chicken
  • Oyster omelette
  • Suncake
  • Kuih
  • Ló͘-bah-pn̄g
  • Bah-uân
  • Small sausage in large sausage
  • Tàⁿ-á-mī
  • Oyster vermicelli

Top sights in Taiwan

  1. Taipei 101Taipei 101Taipei
  2. National Palace MuseumNational Palace MuseumTaipei
  3. Chiang Kai-shek Memorial HallChiang Kai-shek Memorial HallTaipei
  4. Sun Moon LakeSun Moon Lake
  5. Fort ZeelandiaFort ZeelandiaTainan
  6. Longshan TempleLongshan TempleTaipei
  7. Taroko National ParkTaroko National Park
  8. Cihu MausoleumCihu MausoleumTaoyuan
  9. YangmingshanYangmingshanJinshan
  10. Presidential Office Building, TaipeiPresidential Office Building, TaipeiTaipei
  11. Fort ProvintiaFort ProvintiaTainan
  12. Tainan Confucian TempleTainan Confucian TempleTainan
  1. Shihmen Dam · Taoyuan

Weather by month

The warmest month is July, with an average high of 31 °C. The wettest is September, with about 459 mm of rain.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Average high, °C171821242729313129252219
Average low, °C131315182124262524211815
Rainfall, mm151208192180253320235306459344258169
Rainy days161518182224182321171816

Temperatures and rainfall: 1981–2010 averages for Taipei (4 km grid), from CHELSA. Rainy days: 2015–2024, NASA POWER.

Also worth a look

Neighbouring countries and territories