A Week in Taiwan: Good Food and Picture-Perfect Spots (Day 1)

Day One.

First thing on the agenda: Have breakfast! We arrived just in time for breakfast, and for our first meal in Taipei, we went to Fu Hang Soy Milk–a really famous breakfast place in Huashan Market. It's just about a 20-minute walk away from our hotel!

We arrived at around 6:30 AM but weren't able to get in 'til after about 30 minutes. The photo below does not even cover the entire queue, as the actual stall is on the second floor of the building.

The line was long–as expected–but I was actually surprised when I saw that we only waited 30 minutes, based on my photos' timestamps. That's not too bad, right? We came early, though. I read if you come later in the morning, the wait could be 1-hour long.

We ordered flatbread and doughnuts–which were filling–but the doughnuts were a bit too oily for my liking.

The donut tasted plain on its own but it's great when dipped in hot soy milk. I've never really been a big soy fan, but this sweet soy milk soup was really good! 

My order: Sesame flatbread with egg and donut stick (~80 NTD)

After breakfast, we walked another 20 mins to the 228 Peace Memorial Park.

A quick stroll in this beautiful park was the perfect way to begin our Taipei tour. Every spot here is just picture-perfect! 

This was also where I started regretting wearing a sweater out. I totally did not expect it would be hot that day. 

If I weren't already melting inside, I would have taken more photos and portraits!

Inside the park, you'd also find a monument and museum dedicated to the victims of the February 28 Incident.

228 Memorial Monument

We spent a good hour here, enjoying the peaceful ambiance and Instagrammable spots. Then from here, we took a train to our next stop–the Taipei Liberty Square.

Main gate

Here you'd find three major Taipei landmarks–the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, the National Theater and the National Concert Hall. 

Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall

We were able to catch the Changing of the Guards ceremony, but there were so many people, I couldn't see that well. So I just spent most of my time taking photos of the view outside.

Tip: If you want to be able to watch the ceremony (which happens every hour from 9 am to 5 pm), be there around 10-15 minutes before it starts to get a good spot for taking photos and videos!

National Concert Hall

National Theater

Here's me smiling but melting inside. All for the gram!

For lunch, we went to Hangzhou Xiao Long Bao, which was very near Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial. 

It was my first ever xiao long bao experience, and boy was it a good one!

We ordered xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), shrimp dumplings, crab and shrimp shiaomai, and custard buns.

Everything was delicious! We had to wait a few minutes to get in because the line was a bit long, but it wasn't too bad, considering it was lunchtime. And the wait was worth it!

After lunch, we walked and walked to our next stop–Longshan Temple, one of the most well-known temples in Taipei.

Just a very quick visit but long enough to see and admire the architecture, the intricate decorations, and even the man-made waterfall near the entrance.

Our last stop before heading back was Bopiliao Old Street. 

If you're looking for Instagramable walls, then you'll enjoy walking around this historic and cultural block.

Brick everywhere!

The day's not over yet, but we had to go back to the hotel to check-in and rest for a few hours. Come dinner time, we explored the streets near our hotel to look for a place to eat.

As mentioned in my previous post, our hotel's location was perfect! There's a convenience store right beside the building, and there were a lot of establishments nearby if you want to eat or shop.

Noodle soup, meat and fishball soup for dinner

To cap the night off, my sister and I went and got our first legit Taipei milk tea drink ;)

It was a tiring but over-all good first day! For more info on our accommodation, transpo, etc., *click here.*

Stay tuned for Day 2 of our 7-day stay in Taipei! In the meantime, you may watch our travel vlog below.