TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Answering the age-old question of what souvenirs to bring back from Taiwan, travel website TheRealTravelers has created a top 10 list of the best mementos to take home after a trip to country’s capital city of Taipei.
Many of the items listed can be found in one spot — the Taiwan Handicraft Promotion Center — near the National Taiwan University Hospital MRT Station. Another option is the National Palace Museum Shop, which sells replicas of items from its vast collection of treasures.
1. Pineapple Cakes
An obvious choice for number one, pineapple cakes are one of the most famous and popular items tourists buy when they travel to Taiwan. Somewhat similar to a Fig Newton, they are a soft pastry filled with a chewy pineapple filling. Their sweet flavor is appealing to most, they come in relatively small boxes and sell for approximately NT$15 (US$0.50) to NT$45 (US$1.50) per piece. They also come in other fruit flavors, such as mango, blueberry and taro, and can be easily be found in shops throughout Taiwan.
2. Taiwan Oolong Tea
Tea has been one of Taiwan’s best known agricultural products for centuries, with the earliest record of tea trees going back to 1717 in Nantou County. Of Taiwan’s many tea varieties, Taiwanese Oolong is considered one of the best in the world by tea connoisseurs.
Light varieties include Dongding, Pouchong and Ruan Zhi. Dongfang Meiren and Alishan have more of a fruity flavor, while Pouchang and Osmanthus have more of a floral scent. Iron Goddess originated in China and has a stronger taste and nutty character. High mountain Oolong varieties are grown 1,000 meters or above and include Lishan, Dayuling, and Alishan have smaller growing areas and are highly sought after, so they tend to be the priciest.
3. Mini Sky Lanterns
Each year, the sky lantern festival attracts tens of thousands of visitors to New Taipei City’s Pingxi District, the only place in Taiwan where the release of sky lanterns is permitted. The Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival is such an amazing festive destination that it even made it to the list of 10 Best Winter Trips released by National Geographic.
A good way to commemorate this unique cultural tradition is to buy some mini versions of the lanterns at the Shifen Old Street in Pingxi where the larger versions are launched from. They can also be found where other souvenirs are sold such as the Ningxia Night Market. Prices range from NT$50 for regular mini sky lanterns to NT$100 for mini sky lanterns with LED lights.
4. Taiwan Glove Puppets
Taiwanese glove puppetry, or Budaixi, is a form of Chinese opera using puppets that started in Fujian Province and was brought to Taiwan in the early 1600s. Traditional shows can still be seen in traditional traveling trucks that tour the country. The Taiyuan Asian Puppet Theatre Museum in Taipei’s Datong District is a good place to both see a wide variety of antique puppets as well as live glove puppet shows.
A much larger, more lifelike version of the glove-puppets has evolved over the past 30 years and can now be seen on kung fu action TV shows which incorporate spectacular special effects. These modern puppets can be seen in action at the Dadaocheng Theater, located on the 8th and 9th floors of the Yongle Market.
5. Chinese Knots
Chinese knotting goes back to the practice of keeping records by tying knots, dating to at least the Warring States period (481-221 BCE). It later became a decorative handicraft in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). It consists of basic knots and combined knots, and there are 14 basic types using one, two or more threads. They come in many colors, sizes and shapes and are very easy to fit into luggage.
Different types of knots have different symbolic meaning. For example, a butterfly knot signifies fortune and blessings, Bagua-shaped knots ward off evil spirits, twin fish knots stand for abundance, and twin coin twist knots are said to bring wealth and prosperity.
Source: https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3223162
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