#taiwan

A traditional Chinese-style hall with orange roofs in Taipei

18 Nov 20252 min readThoughts

Learning a third language, slowly

Vietnamese is home, English is work, and Chinese is still a door I am learning to open. Some thoughts on being a beginner as an adult.

A red pavilion reflected in a mountain lake

7 Oct 20251 min readTaiwan

Taiwan's mountain spine

Most of Taiwan is mountains. A short introduction to the island's high ranges, its national parks and the best seasons to go up.

An alley in Taiwan with old buildings and greenery

30 Sept 20252 min readLife

On being a Vietnamese student in Taiwan

Some reflections on studying far from home: language, small routines, and why the distance between Vietnam and Taiwan is both short and long.

16 Sept 20252 min readPhoto Essays

Taipei 101 in every weather

Blue sky, storm clouds, orange sunset, blue hour. One building, photographed again and again, and what that repetition teaches about looking.

Rows of red lanterns strung across a space in Kaohsiung

22 Aug 20252 min readTaiwan

Kaohsiung, the harbour city of the south

Taiwan's great port city has spent recent decades reinventing itself, from shipyards and steelworks to riverside walks, art warehouses, temple lakes and lantern-lit festivals.

Performers in painted faces and ornate headdresses at a temple festival

1 Aug 20251 min readPeople

Temple festival performers in Taiwan

Painted faces and ornate headdresses at a temple festival, with the lanterns, carved roofs and offerings that surround them.

A giant golden seated Buddha beside a pagoda in Taiwan

8 Jul 20252 min readPhoto Essays

The many Buddhas of Taiwan

Giant golden statues above the trees, carved eaves, flowers on an altar. Notes on how religion fills the landscape of Taiwan, from the monumental to the everyday.

The arched footbridge at Sanxiantai on the east coast of Taiwan

2 Jul 20252 min readTravel

Taiwan's east coast by train

Between the Central Mountain Range and the Pacific, the east coast is the slower, greener side of Taiwan. The railway makes it surprisingly easy to reach.

9 Jun 20253 min readTaiwan

Tainan, the old capital

Taiwan's oldest city was its capital for more than two centuries. Today it is known for temples on almost every street, slow afternoons and food that leans a little sweet.

The Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei

9 May 20251 min readPlaces

Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Liberty Square

White walls, a blue roof and a monumental gate: one of Taipei's great public spaces in colour and in black and white.

18 Apr 20253 min readTaiwan

Taipei, district by district

Taipei sits in a basin ringed by mountains, and each part of the city holds a different chapter of its history: old river ports in the west, a colonial-era centre, and a glass-and-steel east.

3 Apr 20252 min readLife

Half sugar, less ice: learning to order milk tea in Taiwan

Bubble tea was born in Taiwan, and ordering it here is a small language of its own. Notes on sugar levels, ice levels and why the drink matters.

18 Mar 20252 min readTravel

Taipei in a weekend: a simple plan for a first visit

Two days are not enough to know Taipei, but they are enough to like it. A loose plan built around the MRT, a few landmarks and the evenings.

14 Mar 20251 min readPlaces

Taipei 101 and the Taipei skyline

One tower, many moods: Taipei 101 in clear sky, at sunset, at blue hour and under heavy cloud.