Qiaotou

I had originally intended to go to China after Hong Kong but Chinese bureaucracy got the better of me. Giving up on getting a Chinese visa I booked flights to Taipei with very few expectations. I'm glad that I did because Taiwan turned out to be a highlight of the trip! I only spent a day in Taipei before heading to Lukang, a small historical town on the west coast.

Lukang was once a major port and the 2nd largest city in Taiwan. However, the silting of the port and the local governments refusal to build a train line led to a decline of the city. While unfortunate for the local economy this meant that Lukang avoided much of the modernization that other cities in Taiwan underwent leaving the historical centre well preserved.

These days it is a chill yet bustling town, and although you don't tend to see many foreign tourists it is popular with the Taiwanese. The famous Lukang Old Street, which is lined with well preserved buildings housing souvenir shops and food stalls is rammed by day with Taiwanese day-trippers. Away from the old street there is a network of old lanes that are in normal everyday use as people's homes and businesses and are far less busy. Most of the lanes are too small for cars and can only be accessed by foot or moped. Some are so narrow that only one person at a time can pass through.

Taiwan has a huge number of Chinese temples. One of the post popular is the Lukang Mazu Temple, a temple to the Goddess Mazu, the goddess of the sea and patron deity of fishermen. Like the Chinese temples in Hong Kong, these are very atmospheric with the incense, the chimes, and the activities of people having their fortunes read.

One thing that Taiwan is famous for is the street food. As winter is strawberry season in Taiwan, there were many desserts and drinks containing them around - so I had to make the most of it! One of the favourites is the strawberry mochi. This is a strawberry packed in a red bean paste and then covered in 'mochi', a glutinous cake made of rice or cornstarch. By itself the mochi doesn't taste of much and has a strange texture, but with the bean and strawberry it's actually quite good. Another favourite of mine was a dumpling filled with oyster, egg, some kind of green veg, and glass noodles, with chilli sauce piped inside. This stall had a large queue so I knew to get in it and whatever they were cooking would be good, and I wasn't disappointed!Read more