2019-20 Bucket List: 40 Things I Want to Do in Taiwan

It’s day 11 for me in Taiwan, and I’m so mentally exhausted from meeting new people, visiting new schools, and starting orientation training. Nonetheless, I’m a strong believer in using bucket lists to make the most of my experiences so here’s a list that I have compiled to guide my year in Taiwan. As an extroverted introvert, I have realized that I can be perfectly content staying at home for days without leaving so I hope this bucket list will also motivate me to learn and explore new places, things, and foods. Keep scrolling down to read my bucket list items and look at the photos I have taken in the past 11 days…

 

 

General bucket list items:

1. Go to a night market

2. Master riding a scooter (Eep!)

3. Attend a concert by a Taiwanese or Chinese artist

4. Eat at a vendor in Chiayi that was featured on Netflix’s Street Food.

5. Be able to converse in Mandarin on the phone

6. Show a visiting friend/family member around Yunlin and/or Taiwan

7. Go to a Taiwanese baseball game! (even though I know nothing about baseball)

 

9. Win something at a claw machine (they’re everywhere!)

10. Ride the Taiwan High Speed Rail

11. Visit a hot springs

12. Figure out if Din Tai Fung is overrated

13. Try not to die while eating stinky tofu (I’ve always smelled it but never tried it!)

 

 

Yunlin County:

14. Go see a puppet show

15. Walk down Taiping Old Street

16. Visit Bei Gang Chao Tian Temple

17. Yunlin Story House, Huwei

18. Visit Hushan Temple

19. Stroll through Yun Zhong Street Cultural and Creative Area

 

Taipei:

20. Visit the Miniatures Museum of Taipei

21. Read up on Chiang Kai-Shek at the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall

22. Learn more about Chinese history at the National Palace Museum

23. See the city from above at Taipei 101

24. Visit the first cat cafe in the world! (The Kitten Coffee Garden)

25. Hike up Elephant Mountain to see Taipei’s cityscape

 

 

 

Taichung:

26. Visit the colorful Rainbow Village

27. Gaze at the blend of architectural styles of Wufeng Lin Family House

28. Walk through CMP Block Museum of Arts

29. Grab boba at Chun Shui Tang Tea House, presumably the origins of pearl milk tea

30. Learn about the destructive 1999 earthquake at 921 Earthquake Museum of Taiwan

31. Stroll through Shenji New Village and see the area’s revitalization

 

 

 

 

Kaohsiung: 

32. Visit the Dragon Tiger Tower & Lianchi (Lotus) Lake

33. Admire the architecture of Kaohsiung Main Public Library

34. Appreciate the glasswork at Formosa Boulevard Station

35. Learn about the eight pagodas at Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum

36. Explore the former British Consulate At Takao

37. Take a ferry to Cijin Island

 

 

 

And for my cute cafe/restaurant obsession:

38. Play with alpacas at Oia Alpaca Cafe

39. Take instagram pics at Rilakkuma Cafe in Taipei

40. Channel my inner lazy egg at Gudetama Chef restaurant

 

I’ve compiled this list of 40 items after reading blogs, hearing about others’ experiences, and finding new foodie spots. Let me know in the comments if you have any suggestions to add!