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Bella Cariaso - The Philippine Star
February 17, 2025 | 12:00am
TAOYUAN — Taiwan is on a vigorous tourism drive as it invites Filipinos to visit the self-ruled island.
The Taiwan Tourism Administration (TTA) recently hosted a six-day media familiarization tour to promote its different cities and further boost its tourism.
The TTA said members of the media from at least 20 countries – including the Philippines – participated in the familiarization trip organized “to tell the world that Taiwan welcomes visitors” as it hopes to restore or even raise the number of tourists to pre-pandemic level.
Highlighting the familiarization trip was a lantern festival officially unveiled by Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te on Feb. 12. The festival is also known as Taiwan’s “Little New Year.”
TTA Bangkok Office director Cindy Chen said that through the trips, members of the media can share their experiences with Philippine readers especially their visits to different cities such as Taoyuan, Taipei, Keelung, Miasoli, Hsinchu and Yilan.
On Dec. 20, 2024, the grand opening of the Taiwan Tourism Information Center (TTIC) was held in the Philippines.
During the day one of the familiarization trip, members of the media were toured around the Zhongzheng New Village Cultural Park in Taoyuan, a vast former military camp turned tourist attraction.
Among the sites at the New Village Cultural Park is the Lost Army Story Museum, which was established in 2022. It aims to collect, research, preserve and showcase the history of Taiwan. The museum is open for free as it hopes to promote peace and preserve the most comprehensive records of the Lost Army, according to Simon Wang, who built the museum. Wang, now 75 years old, was only 15 when he became part of the Lost Army.
“We want to emphasize in this Lost Army Story House that we don’t want war. Our goal is peace as no one wins in any war, all are losers,” Wang added.
According to Wang, many of the soldiers were buried in foreign lands during the war.
The Lost Army Story Museum is just one of the tourist spots located in the former military base in Taoyuan.
A cultural hub, blending the traditions of Yunnan, Myanmar, and Thailand, occupies the former Zhongzheng New Village.
Local activists helped in preserving 70 neighboring houses, safeguarding the historical memory of the Lost Army.
Among these are the Zhongzheng Gathering Hall, St. Mary’s Kindergarten, and the original home of Army Noodle. These were transformed into the Zhongzheng New Village Cultural Park.
One of the attractions in the Zhongzheng New Village is the National Flag House. Zhang Laowang, the owner of the National Flag House was not even 10 years old when he experienced war in foreign lands and came to Zhongzheng New Village with his father, a guerilla leader.
In memory of his mother, he sewed a national flag by hand as a token for her sacrifice for following his father in guerilla warfare. From then on, he vowed to fly the national flag for the rest of his life until his death. The National Flag House serves noodles to veterans and tourists.
The Zhongzheng New Village also boasts of stylish coffee shops, charming restaurants and vibrant displays of Golden Triangle ethnic fashion.
In Taoyuan, members of the media visited the Baishajia Lighthouse, inaugurated in 1901 as the only brick and stone lighthouse in Taiwan. It was the third lighthouse built by the Japanese in Taiwan and the best-preserved lighthouse from the early Japanese occupation period. In 2001, the Council for Cultural Affairs included the lighthouse in Taiwan’s top-100 historic buildings.
Also included in the media itinerary was the Zhuwei Fishing Harbor Situated just three kilometers from Taoyuan International Airport. Zhuwei Fishing Harbor was a former foreign trade port redeveloped for tourism.
The fish market on the first floor sells both freshly caught and processed seafood. A food court occupies the second floor. At the harbor’s north entrance is the Nielsen-Lohse steel arch span, a major landmark that offers a good vantage point for viewing the sky and the sea.
Another attraction in Taoyuan is the Xiao Wulai Skywalk. The Xiao Wulai Skywalk provides a spectacular vantage point for the scenic valley and falls in Xiao Wulai in Fuxing District, Taoyuan City.
The walkway has a tempered glass bottom and projects out 11 meters, creating among visitors an impression of walking in the clouds. The skywalk has a maximum capacity of 25 people.
Also a must-visit is the Beipu Old Street in Hsinchu. Beipu Old Street was Beipu’s most thriving commercial district in the Qing period. Today, it boasts of having the highest concentration of historic sites in Taiwan, with seven such locations along a short 200-meter stretch.
Currently, Filipinos enjoy visa-free travel to Taiwan.
