Our 7 Month Travel Blog

Bye bye Japan, hello Taiwan

Sadly, after over two weeks, it was time for us to say goodbye to Japan and continue our travels.

We were lucky before we left Japan to cross paths with an old friend from uni, as she travelled up from Kyushu, and we travelled back to Osaka.

We then headed to the airport to get our flight from Osaka to Taipei.

We arrived in Taipei and picked up our customisable Easy Cards for getting around on public transport. Quite similar to the Oyster Card, except it works anywhere in Taiwan! This was really easy, although all the machines seem to only accept cash…

We quickly noticed a difference with Japan, in the lack of western tourists, and how much quieter and more authentic it was. Mandarin was now the language and there was a noticeable lack of English translations, unlike in Japan.

We checked into our hostel in the centre of Taipei and were pleasantly surprised by how nice it was. Money goes a lot further in Taipei than our box in Tokyo!

There was also a really nice little communal area (where shoes off was required!), with floor seating and an honesty bar and snacks!

The next day, we planned to visit Bishanyan Kaizhang Shengwang Temple. It was a quick train and then mini bus ride up Mt. Bishan.

Once we arrived, we both were struck by how amazing the temple was and agreed this was one of the most incredible places we had ever seen!

The attention to detail and architecture were remarkable along with the panoramic views over Taipei!

We were then able to walk up another set of stairs climbing higher up the temple.

We got some even more incredible views!

Bishanyan Kaizhang Shengwang Temple is a Taoist temple dedicated to Kaizhang Shengwang.

Established in 1751 it has been reconstructed many times, including during Japanese occupation, where it faced restrictions but was a symbol of Chinese identity.

The temple also has an incense burning ritual, which is a spiritual offering. We did the ritual, which involves collecting three sticks of incense, lighting the incense…

And then placing the incense in the three burners…

The incense each represent heaven, earth and humanity.

What made the temple more special was how quiet it was, there was not a single other tourist visiting and several people invited us below to have free coffee!