The Atlas Obscura Guide To Taiwan

81 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Taiwan

Updated September 27, 2024

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Unusual Attractions in Taiwan

Futuro House Exterior

New Taipei City, Taiwan

Wanli UFO Village

A rare pod of derelict midcentury Futuro and Venturo houses lines a semi-abandoned beachfront resort outside Taipei.

The rooftops, streets, and everything in-between

Taichung City, Taiwan

Rainbow Family Village

Grandpa Rainbow felt the neighborhood needed some color, so he picked up a paintbrush and went to work.

Houtong Cat Village

New Taipei City, Taiwan

Houtong Cat Village

Once a prosperous mining village, this tiny Taiwanese town is now overrun with cute cats.

Kaohsiung City, Taiwan

The Dome of Light

The world’s largest work of glass art hides in this stunning Taiwanese subway station.

Xiulin Township, Taiwan

Taroko Gorge

An extraordinary natural landscape of mountains, waterfalls, and rocky cliffs riddled with tunnels.

Toilet hot pot. Appetizing!

Taipei City, Taiwan

Modern Toilet Restaurant

Looking for a crappy restaurant? Pull up a porcelain bowl and enjoy your meal.

Eternal Spring Shrine

Xiulin Township, Taiwan

Eternal Spring Shrine

A waterfall runs right through the middle of this Taiwanese shrine to the hundreds of workers killed while building a nearby highway.

Taipei City, Taiwan

Tuned Mass Damper of Taipei 101

Enormous pendulum helps keep Taiwan's tallest building from swaying.

See All 81 Things To Do in Taiwan

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Taiwan

Toilet hot pot. Appetizing!

Taipei City, Taiwan

Modern Toilet Restaurant

Looking for a crappy restaurant? Pull up a porcelain bowl and enjoy your meal.

Carton King Creative Park.

Taichung City, Taiwan

Carton King Creative Park

Life-size animals and furniture made entirely from cardboard fill this odd paper-themed restaurant.

Taichung City, Taiwan

Gulu Gulu

Paiwanese restaurant run by native indigenous Taiwanese singer songwriter, and home to a DIY arts-and-crafts folk garden.

Fuli Township, Taiwan

Luoshan Organic Tofu Farm

Learn to make this village's specialty: volcanic mud tofu.

See all 15 Places to Eat in Taiwan

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Architecture 11

Museums 10

Restaurants 9

History & Culture 7

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Art 6

Temples 5

Unique Restaurants & Bars 5

Architectural Oddities 5

Sacred Spaces 5

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Stories About Taiwan

Lee's festive spread of holiday dishes includes several vegan meat substitutes.

In Taiwan, Vegetarian Meat Isn't Trying to Fool You

Vegan chef George Lee’s new cookbook explores the potential of plant-based foods.

by Andrew Coletti

If the bones aren’t taken care of correctly, the spirit could put a curse on the family.

Meet the Man Who Digs Up Graves to Lift Curses

Families hire a bone collector in Taiwan to fix problematic tombs—and sometimes deal with ghosts.

by Clarissa Wei

October 5, 2023

A Taiwanese feast.

‘Made in Taiwan’ Is a Love Letter to the Island Nation

Clarissa Wei’s debut cookbook celebrates centuries of Taiwanese culture and foodways.

by Diana Hubbell

September 15, 2023

Boba trended in Taiwan before making its way to the rest of the world.

How Taiwan's Boba Tea Took Over the World

It’s much more than a drink.

Podcast: Jadeite Cabbage

A tiny stone cabbage has a big backstory stretching from Beijing’s Forbidden City to Taipei's National Palace Museum.

by The Podcast Team

February 22, 2023

Mid-Autumn Festival means mooncakes.

Meet the Bakers Giving Mooncakes a Modern Twist

When it comes to these treats, trends trump tradition.

by Clarissa Wei

August 31, 2022

Podcast: Beishan Broadcast Wall

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.

by The Podcast Team

August 24, 2021

Taiwan Railway staff sorts out lunch boxes at the 2016 Taiwan Culinary Exhibition in Taipei.

How to Make Taiwan's Iconic Train Bento

These convenient, compact meals have a devoted fanbase.

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