Like It Formosa 來去福爾摩沙

05/07/2024

▎Our guests found the same spices they have in the Philippines!

- Golden Age Tour with our guide Eva on 2024/06/29.

“Our group today included a mother-daughter combo from the Philippines, with the daughter staying for her studies in Taiwan for the next year.

As we walked through the stores on Dihua Street, the mother suddenly smelled something familiar - it was the same spices they had back home! After the end of the tour, they quickly moved through the market to stock up - seems like they will have something familiar for dinner tonight!”

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02/07/2024

▎Things you didn’t know about the people of Taiwan

From indigenous tribes with ancient roots to modern-day immigrants shaping its future, Taiwan's diverse population offers a rich cultural mosaic. Learn about our stories, traditions, and the dynamic interplay of old and new that defines this island nation.

Dive into our exploration of Taiwan's people and uncover what makes this place truly unique!

Read the full blog here: https://muf.pse.is/65hkj2
No matter if you are an urban traveler, nature lover, or history enthusiast, there is a destination for you here!
Join our Free Walking Tour, available in every major city in Taiwan!
Follow us on Instagram for more tips about visiting and living in Taiwan ► https://muf.pse.is/6257bz

Uncover the fascinating stories of Taiwanese people, from indigenous groups to modern immigrants!

01/07/2024

▎It is truly impressive how relevant Confucius still is even after thousands of years!

- Downtown Tour with our guide Jill on 2024/06/29.

“We had guests from Spain and the Netherlands each started their job in Taipei last year, and seemed to be getting used to the local weather. The Dutch guest even brought her own umbrella in case of sun or rain!

When passing by the Confucius Temple, we discussed Confucius’ philosophy of lifelong learning, friends visiting from afar, and the power of resilience. The guest from Hong Kong mentioned that they also had to study Confucism back home. It is truly impressive how relevant Confucius’ lessons are even thousands of years later!”
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28/06/2024

▎She found her grandfather’s name displayed in the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas!

- Religion Tour with our guide Yu-Cheng on 2024/06/22.

“During the walking tour on the summer solstice, even the family from Florida, United States said it was too hot for them!

One of the guests shared that she immigrated to the U.S. when she was 10. Our biggest surprise today was finding her grandfather’s name on the donation list displayed in the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas. It was such a touching moment for all of us - I am sure we are bringing some extra blessings home today!”

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24/06/2024

▎Get to know the local religions in Taiwan!

Confused by the local religions when visiting Taiwan? We've got you covered!

According to ARDA, 43% of Taiwanese practice folk religion, 26% Buddhism, and 12% Taoism. But many households combine these beliefs, worshiping ancestors alongside Taoist and Buddhist gods.

Meet some of Taiwan's most popular deities in this blog post with a comprehensive overview of Taiwan's spiritual landscape, including the unique mix of local religions, and learning to identify the different temples and gods!

Read the full blog here: https://muf.pse.is/64kywv

Sign up for our Religion Tour in Kaohsiung!

Join us in exploring these fascinating cultural landmarks and experience the vibrant traditions and harmonious coexistence of Taiwan's spiritual practices!
Follow us on Instagram for more tips about visiting and living in Taiwan ► https://muf.pse.is/6257bz

From the bustling temples in Taipei to the serene shrines in the countryside, religious practices are deeply woven into the fabric of Taiwanese life. Whether you're exploring ancient Taoist rituals or joining the joyous celebrations of the Mazu pilgrimage, the spiritual landscape of Taiwan offers a....

24/06/2024

▎Our group cosplayed as Chinese zombies today!

- Historic Tour with our guides Patrick and Susie on 2024/06/20.

“Everyone knows about Western zombies, but what about Chinese zombies?

Today, our group cosplayed the Chinese zombies on the location of the Bopiliao Historic Block with the help of some charm paper and a guiding bell. Unlike zombies in Hollywood movies, these zombies can only jump in straight lines - Don't you think our group looks pretty believable?”
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18/06/2024

▎Taiwanese engineers use Kuai Kuai snacks to keep their machines in check!

- Historic Tour with our guides Yuan and Susie on 2024/06/14.

“One of the guests today is a semiconductor engineer from Germany who is visiting Taiwan for business and is leaving for Hsinchu in a couple of days. We could not help but introduce him to the local magical snacks - Kuai Kuai (literally meaning “obedient” in Mandarin), which Taiwanese engineers would put next to or on top of machines, to keep the devices in check. We even found a Kuai Kaui postcard for him while stopping at Ximen Red House!

For those who are trying this at home - make sure it is the green pack of Kuai Kuai, and not expired (remember to switch it out before the expiry date!) ”

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14/06/2024

▎Discover Taiwan's Culinary Wonderland!

Taiwan is a food lover's paradise, offering a rich culinary heritage that reflects its diverse cultural influences. From bustling night markets to fine dining, Taiwan's gastronomic scene caters to every palate.

Do you ever wonder about what to start with when walking through a night market in Taiwan?

Are you meeting up with local friends at a traditional restaurant but not sure what to order?

Or, when it's finally your turn at the internationally acclaimed Din Tai Fung, but you find the options on the menu almost overwhelming?

Read our blog here to get all the tips for eating in Taiwan!
https://muf.pse.is/63hlb8

Whether you are a first-time visitor or staying here long-term, discover the insights and real-life experiences of traveling in Taiwan with Like It Formosa!

Follow us on Instagram for more tips about visiting and living in Taiwan ► https://muf.pse.is/6257bz

Discover the best places to eat in Taiwan with our ordering tips when eating in Taiwan. From night markets to dining, savor the flavors!

11/06/2024

▎The herbal tea might not taste great, but it soothes your body!

- Historic Tour with our guide Susie on 2024/06/06.

“Our group today got to share some herbal tea on the tour. Many were wary of the taste, as it is nothing like what they have back home - a bit minty but also full of herbal flavors!

Some guests were feeling unwell in the middle of the tour, they were worried that it was because of the tea but as it turned out, they were among the guests that did not sample the tea. So, perhaps the herbal tea actually soothes your body even though the taste wasn’t great!”

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04/06/2024

▎ Everyone loved the ice cream break at Miyahara Optometry Clinic!

- Rail & River Tour with our guide Judy on 2024/06/01.
“Our group today included 18 exchange students from the United States, who joined us on their second day in Taiwan!
They told me they already took Mandarin courses back home and were all very interested in our history, language, and culture. Even though it was an English tour, they were eager to practice sharing their thoughts in Mandarin.
It was probably Taichung's hottest day this year, so we all appreciated the ice cream break at Miyahara Optometry Clinic! ”

***
Time: Every Thursday, Saturday, Sunday 10:00AM - 12:30PM
Place: Meet up @ Taichung Station Visitor Information Center (2F, near exit 6)
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03/06/2024

▎Do people in Taiwan speak English well?

How easy is it to get around in Taiwan as an English speaker?
At what age do Taiwanese people start learning English?
What are some language tips for travelers and visitors in Taiwan?

If you have also wondered about these questions, read this blog post to dive into the language landscape of Taiwan and see how English is becoming our bridge to the world!

Read the full blog here https://muf.pse.is/6256sh

Whether you are a first-time visitor or staying here long-term, discover the insights and real-life experiences of traveling in Taiwan with Like It Formosa!

Follow us on Instagram for more tips about visiting and living in Taiwan ► https://muf.pse.is/6257bz

Planning a trip to Taiwan but worried about the language barrier? Read this blog to learn about essential tips when visiting!

31/05/2024

▎The beef is so fresh that she thinks the restaurants butcher the cows on site!

- Historic Tour with our guide Fu on 2024/05/30.

“Our group today included an interesting guest - her husband is a local Taiwanese but she originally came from Thailand. She told me about their romantic meet cute in Phuket, Thailand and later settling in Kaohsiung, Taiwan during the pandemic, now four years ago!

From her time living here in Taiwan, she told me how amazed she has been with Southern Taiwanese cuisine, especially the famous beef soup in Tainan. In fact, the beef tastes so fresh that she suspects the restaurants butcher the cows on site, right after taking your order!

It is always so reassuring when someone from another foodie country compliment our local dishes!”

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29/05/2024

▎We had a lovely day despite the humidity and heat!

- Religion Tour with our guide Yuting on 2024/05/27.

“It's getting warmer every day in Kaohsiung!

Our day started off with meeting up at the Kaohsiung International Airport, and then moving towards Kaohsiung Arena after dropping off the luggage at the train station. Most of our walking was in the afternoon when the sun was so brutal that not even locals might come out - kudos to our group for their dedication to learning about Taiwanese history and culture!

We had a lovely day in spite of the humidity and heat!”

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23/05/2024

▎Foreign guests are astonished that Taiwanese politicians physically fight each other!

- Historic Tour with our guide Cathy on 2024/05/19.

“As I shared the news of the fighting Taiwanese legislators yesterday, many guests were astonished that I did not mean “arguing” but “physically fighting” to prevent a bill from passing- with a couple of even hospitalized, and the subsequent protesting running until late at night!

Of course, it's never good to see someone hurt, but it is interesting to see how foreigners compare Taiwanese politicians with their own back home!”
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21/05/2024

▎Tainan City is the capital of Taiwanese cuisine!

- Old Town Tour with our guide Jill on 2024/05/19.

“Some days, the foreign guests are interested in the culture and history, or even architecture and politics - but today’s group was the most enthusiastic about the local food recommendations - especially after our three-hour walking tour!

Just their luck, as Tainan is the Capital of Taiwanese cuisine! I was happy to share all my local recommendations with the guests - I hope everyone gets to find a favorite dish when visiting Tainan!”
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16/05/2024

▎It's always rewarding when the guests are eager to learn more!

- Old Town Tour with our guide Joyce on 2024/05/13.

The Dutch family today showed an incredible amount of interest in the architecture built during the Dutch colonization, as well as in the local culture in Anping. Along the tour, they showed me corners of the street that I never noticed before.

The mother shared that she is an architect back home and asked if I knew who is the designer behind ​​Tainan Art Museum Building 2. We ended up googling together to find out that it was the renowned Japanese architect Shigeru Ban!

It's always rewarding to the tour guide when the guests are eager to learn more!”
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14/05/2024

▎The temple lottery answers are hard for even native speakers to understand!

- Religion Tour with our guide Yu-Cheng on 2024/05/11.

“Another typical hot and humid day in Kaohsiung!

Despite the weather and the two-hour-long tour, everyone was eager to visit the different temples surrounding Lotus Pond - and excited to know their answers from the fortune-telling lottery. Sometimes, the language is so vague and poetic that it’s even hard for a native speaker like me to understand the answers. I guess this is why they have the lottery interpreters in the temples!”

***
Time: Every Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday 3:00PM - 5:30PM
Place: Meet up @ Entrance of Dragon and Tiger Pagodas (before the bridge)
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06/05/2024

▎A walking tour is the best way to see a new city!

- Old Town Tour with our guide Emily on 2024/05/04.

“Unlike last weekend, Tainan showed her best weather today. The sun was beaming with the tropical humidity that so many visitors love, and the guests were eager to know more about our beautiful city.

No rain in sight means that Master Yen is out working on his latest project. He even had time to interact with our group, it's impressive that an artist with his fame and age still insists on working outdoors on his painting as much as he does.

Some people think walking tours take too long or involve too much walking - but as we all agreed at the end, this is certainly the best way to see a new city!”
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03/05/2024

Tour guide for one day | English Break S4 International Community Radio Taipei (ICRT)

Follow ICRT's DJ Ron on his visit to the Xiahai City God Temple with Like It Formosa's CEO Sarah and COO Jeff to learn the secrets of becoming a successful tour guide!

Things to watch out for in the video:

1. Can you tell what the different kinds of moon block answers mean?
2. What kinds of gods can you find at the Xiahai City God Temple?

Bonus question:
What kind of question do you think Ron asked the gods today?
-

Want to know more about the culture in Taiwan as a foreign visitor or traveler?

Join one of our Free Walking Tours today!
Book in advance on our website
https://muf.pse.is/5w798n

#國發會 #2030雙語政策 #英語導覽員 #台北霞海城隍廟

https://muf.psee.ly/5w7942

為了提升臺灣國際競爭力，打造雙語化環境，ICRT 和國發會共同推出「English Break」特別單元✨ 第四季將由 ICRT 的 DJ 帶領大家認識「會使用英語的職務」，看看職人使用英語的時機以及行話！本集特派員是熱愛台灣的 DJ Ron，他訪...

01/05/2024

▎People must have gone through way worse when arriving here 400 years ago!

- Religion Tour with our guide Yu-Cheng on 2024/04/28.

“It’s always fun to have Spanish and Dutch guests in our walking tour group, sometimes they didn’t even know that our history overlapped centuries ago.

The guests shared their experience of the frequent earthquakes this past week, which was scary for everyone - including the Taiwanese! We also discussed that their ancestors must have gone through way worse when arriving on the Island of Formosa 400 years ago - mosquitos, the humid tropical weather, and anything else that the unknown world had to offer.”

***
Time: Every Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday 3:00PM - 5:30PM
Place: Meet up @ Entrance of Dragon and Tiger Pagodas (before the bridge)
Review us on TripAdvisor ► goo.gl/7U5lom

29/04/2024

▎It’s amazing that Taiwanese do not waste any part of the animal!

- Food Tour with our guide Frances on 2024/04/28.

“The foreign guests were very amazed that Taiwanese cuisine does not waste any part of the animal when cooking. Instead, parts of pigs, chicken, and fish that are usually discarded by chefs and family cooks in other countries, are made into different kinds of creative delicacy by local food vendors here.

Minimizing waste, maximizing eating possibilities - that’s the Taiwanese spirit!”

**
Time: Every Thursday and Saturday 11:00AM-1:30PM
Place: Meet up @ Exit 1 of Dongmen Station
Price: NT$1,800/person (10% discount for a group of 3 or more!)
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25/04/2024

▎Traditional Chinese is not a language that you can just “casually pick up”

- Old Town Tour with our guide Emily on 2024/04/21.

“The group we had today was lovely! When passing through Rouge Lane, I noticed that many guests stopped walking in front of a wall, seemingly discussing something. Turned out, that they were trying to read the traditional idioms written on the wall, which all had something to do with numbers.

The guests shared the challenges they faced when trying to improve their language skills while only knowing to read basic Traditional Chinese - we came to the conclusion that Chinese is certainly not a language that you can just “casually pick up”!

Even as a tour guide, I learn something new from the travelers all the time.”

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23/04/2024

▎His boasted love for blue cheese now seems like nothing in the face of Stinky Tofu!

- Food Tour with our guide Cathy on 2024/04/13.

“Our group today included a retired American couple and an Australian guy traveling in Taiwan for vacation. While everyone loved the different food we tasted, the Flaky Scallion Pancake was hands down the most popular - they suggested I should compliment it next time with steak and hot sauce on the side!

Like true guests on a walking tour, they were eager to learn how to interact with the food vendors in basic Mandarin. When passing by the Stinky Tofu stand, the guests were shocked by the smell. The American wife made fun of her husband, saying that his boasted love for blue cheese now seemed like nothing in the face of this mysterious new odor.”
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17/04/2024

▎It is uncommon in China to stop for a snack break unless it is affiliated with the tour!

- Historic Tour with our guide Erik on 2024/04/10.

“What a great group today - lots of questions, discussions, and laughter along the tour.

The guest from the U.S. was eager to know about every single god at Longshan Temple; a q***r couple from the U.K. shared their appreciation for the LGBTQ friendly-environment in Taiwan and asked me if I had any recommended local drag shows. We almost didn't have enough time for all the extra questions!

Interestingly, we did have a Chinese guest who was curious about why we stopped at the ice cream store. Apparently, it is not common in China to stop for a snack break on a tour, unless it is affiliated with the tour management.

I explained that Yongfu Ice Cream is a frequent stop for our Historic Tour in Taipei due to the usually warm weather. Opened in 1945, they continue to produce traditional Taiwanese ice cream with local flavors such as passion fruit, plum, peanut, and red beans. Personally, I encourage my guests to grab an ice cream cup on the go before we resume the tour!”
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15/04/2024

▎The foreign guests found it unbelievable that there was no littering, or that locals would carry their trash back home!

- Old Town Tour with our guide Emily on 2024/04/09.

“Our guest from Germany today got three divine answers in a row from the plague god at the Anping Xilong Temple - it left me wondering what question she asked for!

Walking in the alleys in Tainan, I was always asked why you can’t find garbage bins on the street. The foreign guests found it unbelievable that this did not result in littering everywhere, or that locals would just carry their trash until they got home!”
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11/04/2024

Our Rail & River Tour is available every Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday morning - don’t miss us during your visit to Taichung!

Check out our tour photos from March to see where we will take you!
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Taichung Rail & River Tour: Every Thursday / Saturday / Sunday 10:00AM - 12:30PM
Meet up @ Taichung Station Visitor Information Center (2F, near exit 6)
Interested in joining us?
Sign up for the Rail and River Tour here https://pse.is/5shh5p
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11/04/2024

▎So many heritage buildings in Taichung have been renovated into coffee shops!

- Rail & River Tour with our guide Judy on 2024/04/04.

“My guests traveled from the United Kingdom and India, respectively, and had to reroute their trip to Taichung from Qingjing Farm (清境農場) located in the mountains, due to the recent earthquake on April 3rd. Interested in East Asian culture, they asked a lot about the Japanese colonial period of Taiwan. As we visited the older parts of the city, they found it especially fascinating that a good amount of heritage buildings in Taichung have been renovated and turned into coffee shops - I wonder what that says about us Taiwanese!”

***
Time: Every Thursday, Saturday, Sunday 10:00AM - 12:30PM
Place: Meet up @ Taichung Station Visitor Information Center (2F, near exit 6)
Review us on TripAdvisor ► goo.gl/7U5lom

10/04/2024

▎She was once invited to play the violin at the National Concert Hall!

- Historic Tour with our guide Susie on 2024/04/01.

“Halfway through the tour, we passed by a traditional shaved-ice shop. Calvin (in blue) asked if we could make a pit stop to have some shaved ice, which is his wife’s (in red and black blouse) favorite summertime snack. The short break really helped as the weather was very warm that day (even I got a strawberry milk), and we left for the second half of the tour soon after.

As we approached the CKS Memorial Hall on Ketagalan Boulevard towards the end, Calvin and his wife pointed at the rooftop of the National Concert Hall showing through the trees with excitement - turns out, she was invited to play violin here years ago!”
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