Cuisine & Culture the Chinese Family Way
After visiting Shifen and releasing a sky lantern, we headed towards Jiufen. Looking at photos of Jiufen, it looks absolutely stunning—especially at night. It was such a shame that we only had 1 hour and 45 minutes to spend there and had to leave by 4:45 pm. We missed the beautiful red-lantern-lit alleyways, but nevertheless, it was still a fantastic trip. I would highly recommend this place.
Visiting Shifen and releasing a sky lantern was one of the highlights of our day tour. Earlier in the day, we had explored Yehliu Geopark, and after Shifen, we would continue on to Jiufen. Located in New Taipei City, Shifen is roughly a two-hour drive from Yehliu.
Our day tour meeting point was conveniently located just outside our hotel at Taipei Main Station. As the underground walkways were quite complicated to navigate, we decided to head up to ground level and look for the Taipei Main Station East 3 meeting point instead. It was an early start, as we had a long day ahead. I did find it quite challenging to locate the meeting point, as the station is massive. Nevertheless, I eventually found it, along with many other groups waiting in the same area.
Longshan (or Lungshan) Temple is a Buddhist and Taoist temple located in Taipei’s Wanhua District. It was founded in 1738 by settlers from Fujian and enshrines Guanyin, along with more than 100 other deities.
We were recommended to visit Zhulinshan Guanyin Temple (Bamboo Forest Mountain Guanyin Temple) by Master Kuo for blessings, and we were glad we followed his advice. Located in Jinghu Village, Linkou Township, the temple enshrines the magnificent Eighteen-Armed Guanyin Bodhisattva.
The Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End special exhibition was held at the same venue as the One Piece Emotion exhibition—on Level 7 of the National Taiwan Science Education Center.
The One Piece Emotion Exhibition 25th anniversary tour has been held in Tokyo, Kumamoto, Mie, Fukuoka, and Osaka since 2024. Now, it has made its first overseas stop in Taiwan. We were lucky enough to visit the exhibition during our trip. It is currently on display at the National Taiwan Science Education Center from 10 am to 6 pm, with the final day on 6th April 2026.
We finally made it to the Pokémon Center in Xinyi — Taiwan’s flagship Pokémon store — and it definitely lived up to expectations.
It is not every day you get to step into a First Class Lounge! Luckily for us, my sister is a Solitaire PPS Club member and she was allowed to bring a guest. We were so fortunate to be flying with her and her girlfriend to Hong Kong and enjoying all the privileges that came with it.
When I think of Hong Kong, the first thing that pops into my mind is Cha Chaan Tengs (local Hong Kong cafés). Back in my childhood, my sisters and I would binge-watch Hong Kong dramas, always drooling over the dim sum scenes and those cozy café settings.
Hong Kong is truly a foodie’s paradise. From roast goose and wonton noodles to claypot rice and beyond, the city serves up some of the best comfort food in the world. On top of that, it’s also home to countless Michelin-starred restaurants and Bib Gourmand eateries.
It’s been almost 30 years since I last set foot in Indonesia. The last time was way back in 1996, when three of my secondary school friends and I went on a graduation trip to Bali before starting polytechnic. Fast forward to today, and this time, I’m bringing my children along for a short getaway to Batam — one of the many Indonesian islands I had yet to explore.
We absolutely love visiting animal cafés whenever we travel! So far, we’ve ticked off two in Korea — Samoyed Café Winters Village and Meerkat Friends — plus one in Japan. And now, we finally got to visit Malaysia’s very first capybara café: Capyba Cafe in Johor Bahru.
In my earlier post – Navigating the Hong Kong Island’s Most Iconic Attractions – I mentioned that we first discovered Man Mo Temple through the Hong Kong: Through the Looking Glass Miniature Exhibition 2025 at the Peak Tower. While there are several Man Mo Temples across Hong Kong, the one we visited is located in Sheung Wan on Hong Kong Island.
In my previous post, I mentioned our visit to the Peak Tram, where we were lucky enough to catch the Hong Kong: Through the Looking Glass Miniature Exhibition 2025 (ended on 23rd August 2025), organised by the Joyful Miniature Association (JMA). Admission was free, making it a must-see event for locals and tourists alike.
The exhibition featured over 20 miniature displays across two floors of the Peak Tower. Each scene was crafted at scales as small as 1:300, turning Hong Kong’s cultural landmarks, street views, and traditions into stunning works of art. You can also watch the video I captured of the miniature exhibition on Instagram.
On Day 3 of our trip, we set out to explore some of Hong Kong Island’s most iconic attractions. And honestly, if you’re visiting Hong Kong, you simply can’t miss the Central–Mid-Levels Escalator and Walkway System — it’s one of those “only in Hong Kong” experiences!
