Living in New Taipei City
Livning Area Condition
General Information
1. Location: Based on your school, the housing will be somewhere within 40 mins – 1 hour of commuting time.
2. Facility: Desk, chair, wardrobe, bed, fridge, washer. The kitchen is excluded if it is a suite.
3. Rent: NTS$8,000 to NTD$15,000/month (USD$250-$470) and utility is excluded.
4. Flatmate: You may share the apartment with ETA/ETF or individual suite in the same community.
Sanxia
Sanxia is a district located on the southwest side of the Taipei Basin. Sanxia Old Street has popular snacks, such as the Golden Croissants and handmade bean curd. Visit featured tourism factories such as Sanxia Dyeing Workshop and Tea Soap Tourism Factory during the holidays to experience Sanxia's craft culture.
Stores and restaurants map
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1aHnaoD_rQbGe0W_O-P1P6uG8CXZi2iM6&usp=sharing
North Coast
Wanli is in a breathtaking location, three sides surrounded by mountains and one by the sea. The rock formations of Yehliu, the Queen's Head and Fairy's Shoe are super unique and impressive. You can also enjoy the water activities at Feicui Bay or try paragliding. The delicious seafood at Guihou Harbor is also a must to try!
Ruifang
Before deposits of gold and coal dried out, the mountainous district of Ruifang was an important mining town. Today instead of miners, the streets are filled with prowling cats. The famous Jiufen Old Street is full of tea houses and snack bars for children.Ruifang is filled with natural treasures, history and culture. Come to Jiufen Old Street to experience the charm of a mountain town, visit Golden Museum to learn about mining culture.
Xindian
Xindian are distinguished for its natural beauty,weather is the Hemei Mountain Trail that beside the suspension bridge or the Shitou Mountain Trail near the metro station,are good choices for family trips,you could rent a bicycle to ride along the riverfront pathway,enjoy the view of the Xindian River. If you like hiking, you can take a public bus or the free Taiwan Tour Bus, head into the mountains like Yinhe Cave Trail, the Shihzihtou Mountain Trail etc.
Transportation
City Bus
Currently, most buses in Greater Taipei accept both Easy Cards and cash. No change is available for cash paid into the ticket box. The bus fare is determined by the number of the ride’s “sections” of bus routes, which are categorized as “one-section route”, “two-section route”, or “three-section route”. Intersection points are set for bus routes based on the travel distance. The passenger is charged a two-section fare if the ride passes the intersection point. The adult ticket for one-section ride is NTD15 for adults. Passengers taking both bus and Taipei Metro with an Easy Card are given transit discount. Passengers taking a bus within one hour after getting off Taipei Metro are charged only NTD8 for adults.
Taipei Metro Transfer Bus
In order to help passengers identify the buses with access to Taipei Metro stations, buses in Greater Taipei passing Taipei Metro stations are named by the color of the metro line they access and a number. For example, Red 13 passes stations of the Tamsui Line (Red Line) and Blue 15 passes the Bannan Line (Blue Line).
Free bus connection
For the convenience of local citizens and to boost local tourism, the New Taipei City Government has established several free bus routes in all the districts. Some routes only function on holidays, such as Tucheng Holiday Bus. Some bus connections are established for some specific events, such as Tucheng Tung Blossom Festival Shuttle Bus. There are also normal buses, such as Xindian District Free Shuttle Bus.
Express bus
The Taipei City/New Taipei City express bus route travels between transit hubs of two cities via highways/expressways, providing citizens with fast, convenient and direct bus service. The route is designed to take less than one hour per one-way journey and avoids taking unnecessary turns or detours to achieve direct, quick bus service and materialize the benefits of express bus. The aim is to realize the goal of one-hour living circle between the two cities.
Link for New Taipei City Government Bus Dynamic System
Link for Taipei ebus
Taiwan Tourist Shuttle
The Taiwan Tourist Shuttle service, is designed for convenient travel. From the major attractions, Taiwan train station, High Speed Rail stations, the shuttles take passengers to the main tourist attractions in Taiwan. It is the most suitable travel method for people without a car.
YouBike
In a bid to promote cycling as the short-range transportation tool among the public, Transportation Department, New Taipei City （hereafter referred to as organization） launched “New Taipei City YouBike System Installation, Operation and Management Program”. By combining urban bikeway network with bicycle rental stations, the aim is to encourage the public to make use of low pollution, low energy consumption public bicycles as the short-range transportation tool. This minimizes the ownership and use of private motor vehicles and achieves the objective of improving urban traffic congestion, environmental pollution, and energy consumption. In an effort to elevating the urban living culture and support the global energy conservation and carbon reduction trend, New Taipei City Government collaborated with Giant Bicycles Taiwan to launch the New Taipei City Public Bicycle Rental System Service Project called “YouBike”.
For rental details, please browse the YouBike website
Food
Handmade desserts contain a variety of dessert for afternoon tea, have a try on the cheesecake, you will immediately be filled by its rich flavor and exquisite texture of the cheese cake.
Sanxia- Golden Croissants三峽金牛角
On a trip to Sanxia, golden-horn buns(croissants) are the must buy. Some stores are flaunted as having an original, traditional taste, while others are known as having a new, innovative flavor. The wide array of choices provide many different options to tourists. Make sure to pick up a few boxes of golden-horn buns and bring home to enjoy it! Or to give to family and friends. Let it be your best memories of Sanxia Old Street.
Sanxia- Rice Dumplings 肉粽
There are many stores in the traditional market near Sanxia Old Street that sell sticky rice dumplings, most of which are northern Taiwan style. Although they contain less ingredients than dumplings that hail from the south, each ingredient was carefully selected. Don’t forget to take away a few dumplings, either share with friends and family or savor themselves at home.
Ruifang (Jiufen)- Taro Balls九份阿柑姨芋圓
The taro balls can be made by mixing mashed taro with water and sweet potato flour or potato flour.
Some of the ingredients you can choose for either a sweet soup or sweet ice treat, such as starch balls, jellies, taro, sweet potato, and tapioca among others.
Ruifang (Jiufen)- Peanut Ice Cream Roll 阿珠雪在燒
Peanut ice cream roll is the combination of traditional peanut powder and modern ice cream. The peanut sugar is ground up and added with ice cream into a spring roll wrapper.
Shenkeng- Stinky tofu 深坑臭豆腐
Stinky tofu is a common snack in Taiwan's night market. Stinky tofu is fermented tofu, so it has a strong smell that can be smelled within tens of meters. Normally, we usually have stinky tofu with pickled cabbage, a sweet and salty sauce, and chili sauce.
Ruifang (Jiufen)- Mugwort Rice Caken 阿蘭草仔粿
Mugwort Rice Cake is mixed with squirrel grass and has a dark green appearance. The filling of radish shreds have a salty and sweet taste. It is a souvenir that Ruifang must not miss.
Tamsui- Agei, Fish Balls 淡水阿給
The most famous food in Tamsui, steamed the oily tofu which is filled with vermicelli, and covered in sweet chili sauce, the best street food in Tamsui!
Tourist Attraction
Wulai
Sanxia Blue Tie-dye
Blue Dye is a traditional Taiwanese cloth dying technique. Woad, once the cash crop of Taiwan, was used as a colorant. Crisscrossing blue and white flower cloth was made after a complicated dying procedure. Sanxia used to be the center of the cloth dying industry of Taiwan during the late Qing dynasty. Up until this day, one can still see plaques of dye workshops along the street. Almost every family is into cloth dying work at the time, and there are different features and formulas in each one. The Sanxia Cloth Dying industry no longer has the glamor that it used to have, but many of the dying architectures were preserved. The Sanxia Dye Workshop (Blue Dye Display Center) was established for the blue dye culture. The most important thing besides understanding blue dye culture here is to experience blue dyes DIY, creating your own very unique blue dye product!
Pingxi
Pingxi and Shifen are just two of several towns alongside highway 106, a narrow back road that runs between southern Taipei and southern Keelung. Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival is one of the three most popular and well - known celebration event during the Lantern Festival. Since 1999, the Taipei County Government has devoted substantial resources to promote this festival, in a bid to promote it to become an international and multi - ethnic culture exchange activity. Through this festival, presenting the Sky Lantern tradition and the natural beauty of Pingxi to the public and prayers to the heavenly God and wishing for prosperity and peace for the nation and its citizens.
Tamsui Fisherman's Wharf
Tamsui Fisherman's Wharf is a multi-purpose leisure fishing port developed by the New Taipei City Government. There are magnificent floating piers and a spacious park, with a bridge in the shape of a boat spanning across the harbor and a wooden path stretching over 300 meters at the waterfront. It is relaxing to lean against the fence enjoying the breeze and sights at the Tamsui River mouth. In the evening, this is the best place to watch the view of the sunset.
Xindian- Bitan Scenic Area
Bitan was one of "Taiwan's Eight Views and Twelve Wonders". There are many theories regarding the naming of Bitan. One was the emerald lake water, and another was the magnificent cliff along the river. Nevertheless, both describe the beauty of Bitan’s lake and mountain.
When you visit Bitan, do not miss the installation art and the stairway paintings on the east bank as well as southeast Asian cuisine in a scenic restaurant, and do get some snacks and drinks in the riverside commercial district. Then, stroll to the west bank of Bitan by crossing the Bitan Suspension Bridge and walk up to the Bi-ting gazebo above the "Bitan" inscription to overlook the scenery. In addition, you may take the blue line of the Hemeishan Trail to admire the woods and lake, or the green line to reach the top and overlook Nangang Mountain and Taipei 101.
North Coast- Yeliou Geo-park
Yeliou Geo-park features all sorts of strange-looking rocks. It is part of Datun Mountain that stretches out to the sea. Weathering, marine erosion, and crustal movement together created the world-renowned scenery of mushroom rocks, sea caves, tofu rocks, candle rocks, and giant’s kettles. Among all, Queen’s Head is the most representative landmark and check-in attraction in Yehliu. Cute Princess, a rock that resembles a girl with a ponytail, is considered the successor of Queen’s Head.
Ruifang- Teapot Mountain
Teapot Mountain, also known as “Earless Teapot Mountain '' appears as if a teapot with a handle when viewed from Jingguashi. The Teapot Mountain Hiking Trail is a short roundabout hiking trail of an hour’s travel, which is not far. One can overlook beautiful sceneries of Yinyang sea, Keelung mountain and the entire Jingguashi.
Besides overlooking Yinyan sea, one could also see the magnificent Keelung mountain view from across the water!
Learning Mandarin
1. National Taipei University of Education, Chinese Language Education Center
Group online course
Class size: 3-8 students
Class time: Classes are held twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays, a total of 30 hours.
10:00-11:30
13:30-15:00
17:00-18:30
Fees: NT$7,500
Website: https://clec.ntue.edu.tw/p/404-1018-8952.php?Lang=en
2. National Chengchi University, Chinese Language Center
Group online course
Class size:
Class A: 3-8 students, Class B: 4-8 students
Class time:
Class A: 20:10-22:00 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. A total of 60 hours in 10 weeks.
Class B: 16:10-19:00, Monday to Friday. A total of 180 hours in 12 weeks.
Fees per semester:
Class A: NT$30,000, Class B: NT$54,000
Registration fee: NT$1,000
3. Ming Chuan University, Mandarin Studies and Culture Center
One-on-one private class
Class size: One-on-one / One-on-two
Class time: Adjustable
20 lessons are the minimum number of lessons during the semester.
Fees: NT$600 per lesson Website: https://mscc.mcu.edu.tw/en/
4. TCA | Taiwan Chinese Academy
Evening Chinese Course
Class size: 2-6 students
Class time: 2 hours per class for 12 weeks
Monday & Wednesday or Tuesday & Thursday
19:00-21:00Fees: NT$15,000