Taiwan has long been a favorite destination among people around the world. The island has a rich and diverse cultural charm and is also a foodie paradise. The north and middle part of Taiwan has its capital city and many popular destinations of culture, food and city beats. Let鈥檚 rock the road and start our 48-hour journey.

Day 1

11am-1pm

After arriving at the Taipei Songshan Airport, you need really authentic beef tenderloin noodles to prepare yourself for the exciting journey. The noodle restaurant at Neihu District, Taipei City, offers dry-aged beef tenderloin noodles with chicken and beef bone broth cooked for more than 35 hours. The noodle toppings are listed as sliced Waygu beef, beef tenderloin, tripe, ribs, tails and other fresh boiled vegetables. You can choose the braised beef topping which is cooked with home-made soy bean sauces and more than 20 spices or the plain one with the original taste. The recommended one is beef belly meat noodles which are chewy in texture and fresher in the taste.

2-3pm

Taking around an hour to drive, we will arrive at Jiufen in New Taipei City. Jiufen gets its name because the village housed nine families, thus the village would request 鈥渘ine portions鈥� every time shipments arrived from town during the first years of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It was also a town of gold during the 1890s. The resulting gold rush hastened the village鈥檚 development into a town. The three-story Gold Museum at Jinguangshi area features a mining history and works of gold. You can also try washing the gold sand and take the harvest home.

3-4pm

Start your cuisine journey at the gate of Jishan Street where many stalls sell authentic local food, folk art, tea and souvenirs. When night falls, many red lanterns hang from the houses of Jiufen. Many former visitors find its resemblance to the Japanese anime movie 鈥淪pirited Away.鈥� Jiufen is also known for Hou Hsiao-hsien鈥檚 movie 鈥淎 City of Sadness鈥� which was filmed here.

A must-try is taro balls soup. The locals recommend a store named 鈥淎 Gan Yi鈥� at the higher place of the mountain which has a great view of the sea. The taro balls are handmade from taro or sweet potato powder to keep their bouncy and smoothie texture. They go through 16 procedures including steaming, twisting and stirring, and then they are put in a red bean soup. You can choose warm or iced flavor.

Besides, the fish ball soup, tea eggs, rice cake, fermented bean curd, chicken rolls and roasted potatoes are good choices too.

4-5pm

Walking down from the moutain, you will find the first theater in Jiufen, Shengping Theater, which was set up in 1914 and is in a Baroque style. You can check the program lists including movies, Taiwanese opera and puppetry. The square in front of the theater used to be surrounded with the restaurants, ice cream stalls and commodity shops.

5-8pm

When you feel tired, the A Mei teahouse is an ideal place to rest. It was originally a blacksmith shop run by A Mei鈥檚 grandfather and then transformed into a teahouse. The exterior of the teahouse is wrapped up by wooden walls to maintain the original flavor of Jiufen. Recommended is the specially brewed osthumus wine and some homemade tea snacks.

Day 2

9am

Driving around two hours toward the northeast coast of Taiwan, we arrive at Fulong, one of the most popular beaches in northern Taiwan. The Sand Sculpture Festival running through July 15 is a summer paradise. The golden sand beach and clear sea water offer water sports, beach volleyball, barbecue and beach motorcycles.

11am

Driving another two hours to Taichung City, we try the food of aborigines. It is pretty much like the nongjiale, or agritourism, in China鈥檚 mainland. The farm-to-table cooking style keeps the taste of the original food. Recommended are the mullet roe topped with spring onion and slice cabbage, steamed pork liver, bitter gourd steamed with meat balls and pork intestine fried with sliced ginger. Do try the Taiwan beer, which has very old-fashioned great taste.

3-5pm

One of the most famous dessert and gift shops is Miyahara. Started by Takekuma Miyahara, this historic building used to be an eye hospital and is 91 years old. The banner of the building has 20 characters exhibiting the skill and style of Cochin, the display wall artwork incorporates the Taiwanese plum flower and even the ceiling design about the book tower presents the Chinese symbol for 鈥渢wice-blessed,鈥� using a paper cut.

You can choose from 18 ice cream flavors made from Taiwan鈥檚 local fruit, including native mango, lychee and grape. You can also try brown sugar, ginger and oolong tea flavors. The toppings are free and choices include peanuts, almond balls, native pineapple cake, cheese cake and fresh fruits. You can also buy nice packed gifts like sun cake, honey rice cake, floral cake and nougats. They are packed into books, vinyl records and jewelry casket.

7pm

After more driving of around two hours, we got some food for dinner at Taipei City. You can either choose to stroll down the night snack streets of Ningxia Road or Shilin Market or go to some famous seafood restaurants. The Haijiu Seafood restaurant offers freshly caught seafood from Penghu Islands in southern Taiwan. The high clicks include the boiled octopus, abalone, sea crabs and lobster.

Day 3

10am

Choose a hotel in downtown Taipei City can save you lots of time and experience the local life easier. The Jianguo Flower Market on Jianguo Road is a popular place inhabited by local people. Here you can bargain with a local stall owner for an orchard plot or buy some mini rich bamboo for gifts and decorations. Everyone here is so relaxed and happy to help. Besides, you can go to Dongmen Market, a local wet market, for some brunch or buy some fresh fruit and vegetables.

Where to stay

If you want to experience authentic local culture and lifestyle and aren鈥檛 particular about a luxury hotel service, then a B&B guesthouse is an ideal choice. The guesthouses in Jiufen are clean and enjoy great view of the mountain and sea.

For those wanting a higher standard service, with English-speaking staff, the Fullon Hotels and Resorts chain of the Lih Pao Construction is a safe choice. 鈥淲ith steady operation and promoting hospitality to new heights, we aim to offer 鈥榁isit Fullon, enjoy your stay in Taiwan鈥� to all the guests,鈥� said Chen Chih-Hung, general manager of Lihpao (Shanghai) Properties Inc.

Located at the northeast coast of Taiwan, Fullon Hotel Fulong is built along the beach side, with just a 10-minute walk from Fulong Railway Station. The Fullon Hotel Taipei is located at Taipei鈥檚 Da鈥檃n District, with easy access to the MRT Da鈥檃n Park Station of Xinyi Line that lead to tourist spots, museums and malls.

Fullon Hotel Fulong

Address: 41 Fulong St, Gongliao District, New Taipei City

Tel: 02-2499-1188

The Fullon Hotel Taipei

Address: 266 Jianguo Rd S., Da鈥檃n District, Taipei City

Tel: 02-2701-9266