Taiwan’s 10 most appealing towns for cultural, historical and environmental sightseeing were named by the Tourism Bureau March 14 following a two-month long islandwide competition and expert review.
The initiative is part of an ongoing ROC government campaign to promote Taiwan’s diverse beauty, according to a bureau official. “The contest results will be the focus of future international promotional campaigns.”
The top 10 tourist towns include historic sites such as Anping District in the southern city of Tainan, Daxi Township in Taoyuan County and Lugang Township in Changhua County.
Villages known for their natural beauty—Jiaoxi Township in Yilan County, Jincheng Township in Kinmen County and Rueifang District in New Taipei City—also made the list.
Several towns with special characteristics were included as well: Beitou District in Taipei City, known for its hot springs, Jiji Township in Nantou County, famous for its railway culture, Dajia District in Taichung City, home of the annual Mazu pilgrimage, and Meinong District in Kaohsiung City, the celebrated home of many Taiwanese of Hakka descent.
According to the bureau, the views of experts accounted for 80 percent of the final result, while those of the general public accounted for 20 percent. Expert opinion was based on factors such as the number of tourists to a particular site and maintenance of facilities and services.
The views of the general public were determined by popular vote. Daxi Township, which received 511,109 votes, was chosen the most popular tourist destination, followed by Miaoli County’s Sanyi Township, with 470,733 votes.
According to the bureau, candidates for future top 10 lists include Beigan Township in Lienchiang County, Luye Township in Taitung County, Liuqiu Township in Pingtung County and Magong City on the outlying island of Penghu. (HZW)
Write to Kwangyin Liu at kwangyin.liu@mail.gio.gov.tw