Travelogue | Taiwan Getaways

✿Leofoo Village✿
During my recent trip to Taiwan, I visited Leofoo Village amusement park to relive the cherished memories of my elementary school graduation trip. I strategically chose a time after summer vacation when students were back in school, allowing me to enjoy the rides without long lines and witness the park’s captivating shows. Despite a smaller crowd of only a few hundred people, the performers delivered outstanding performances. The day concluded with a lively parade, a fantastic water party with DJs, and even pirates engaging in water gun battles. As I’ve grown older, the once-terrifying rides like ‘Free Fall’ and ‘high speed roller coaster’ have lost their fear factor for me. Leofoo Village, a forty-year-old park, holds a special place in my heart for its role in creating these wonderful childhood memories.

✿ Lukang Old Town ✿
Upon returning to the humid and scorching subtropical climate, I was initially taken aback by the oppressive heat. However, within a few days, my body naturally adapted to this comfortable environment. The colors of Taiwanese summer are vibrant and captivating, making me gaze in awe, wishing I could engrave them all in my mind. Around the outskirts of Lukang Town, they’ve erected wind turbines, and those white windmills against the deep blue sky are simply breathtaking! While wandering through the town, I also experienced the rich folk religious beliefs, with small temples every few steps and larger ones every few blocks. And, of course, I indulged in many interesting local delicacies, such as the thin noodle soup with brown color, which I couldn’t get enough of.

✿Ghost Month Festival✿
The seventh month of the lunar calendar is known as the Ghost Month in Taiwan. During this time, households, companies, and various organizations set up offerings for the spirits, as well as ancestral worship ceremonies. The main purpose is to provide a resting place for wandering spirits and hungry ghosts, allowing them to enjoy a meal and be treated with respect, while also praying that they won’t cause trouble elsewhere. In Taiwan, local religious practices are a mix of Buddhism and Taoism, and it’s not easy to categorize them strictly as one or the other. In any case, on this beautiful island, people have a deep respect for ghosts and deities, believing in the existence of souls and spiritual energy. Personally, I quite like these folk stories and religious traditions because they often contain fascinating narratives about promoting goodness, fairness, and justice.

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This is a limited edition cake exclusive to Starbucks in Taiwan! The light cheesecake is incredibly creamy, and the chestnut cake is refreshingly subtle without being too heavy. In Melbourne’s Starbucks, it only have croissants and some overly sweet-looking doughnuts, with limited choices, and of course, they don’t have the Alishan oolong tea series of products! ONLY IN TAIWAN! ☕️