Taiwan’s Nantou County and Tainan City were recently named among the top 10 destinations on the rise in Asia for 2018 by leading international travel website TripAdvisor.
Nantou, situated in central Taiwan, ranked fifth and was described as possessing an abundance of natural and cultural assets. These include lush forests, mountainous ranges and scenic lakes, with Yushan—the highest peak in Taiwan and Northeast Asia at 3,952 meters—and Sun Moon Lake given special mention.
On the cultural front, the region’s farms, temples and villages were spotlighted, as well as indigenous communities and Formosan Aboriginal Cultural Village—a 62-hectare facility dedicated to raising awareness of the country’s main tribes and offering visitors the opportunity to experience over 25 amusement rides.
Two spots behind in seventh was Tainan in southern Taiwan. Billed as one of the country’s oldest cities with over 200 years of history, the former capital under Zheng Cheng-gong, aka Koxinga—a revered Ming dynasty (1368-1644) general, and the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) represents a heady blend of tradition and modernity.
In addition, the metropolis’s 1,000-plus temples—including the first built in Taiwan solely for the study of Confucianism—and an array of mouthwatering local cuisines and street fare make it a religious and food center beyond compare.
The other destinations comprising the top 10 in Asia were Japan’s Ishigaki Island and Takayama in first and second, respectively; South Korea’s Busan in third; Cambodia’s Phnom Penh in fourth; mainland China’s Shenzhen in sixth; South Korea’s Seogwipo on Jeju Island in eighth; Sri Lanka’s Negombo in ninth; and Nepal’s Pokhara in 10th.
Janice Lee Fang, communications director for TripAdvisor, Asia Pacific, said Jan. 9 that the “destinations have grown in attractiveness because of what they can offer travelers, be it places to stay and eat, as well as things to see and do. There is something for everyone.”
The sixth edition of the list was determined on the basis of a year-on-year increase in positive traveler review ratings for accommodations, attractions, restaurants and search and booking interest from October 2016 to the same month the following year, according to TripAdvisor. (KWS-E)
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