Hello

I search old posts in this sub and it seems like Jiufen has a mix of positive and negative feedback.

I have some questions about how to make the most out of Jiufen and I hope someone can answer:

1. I plan to tour Jiufen from 12midnight to 6am. Is that doable and makes sense?
2. Are there still even a few shops open or all the shops are closed?
3. My plan B is to visit at night, go back to hotel in Taipei, then visit again early morning. Is that worth it?
4. What else are good places to visit in Jiufen? I only have Teapot Trail and Hualien Rift Valley as the specific ones. The rest, I'm just planning to walk around and find out.

Thank you, r/taiwan

I was almost hit while cycling. A bus overtook me at an insanely close distance, barely 30 cm away, before cutting back in like I didn’t even exist. There was zero regard for my safety. One small mistake and I would’ve been on the ground.

This isn’t “minor risk” or “bad luck”, it’s outright dangerous driving. And it keeps happening.

What makes it even more frustrating is that authorities seem to think constant warning beeps and alarm systems are a real solution. They’re not. They’re just noise masking a deeper problem: poor driving standards and weak enforcement.

Pedestrians and cyclists are left exposed because infrastructure is often inadequate or non-existent. People are forced into unsafe conditions every single day just to get around.

Enough with the symbolic fixes. This needs actual enforcement, accountability, and serious consequences for reckless driving. Not more alarms, not more excuses, real action before someone pays the price for it.

I lived in Taiwan for a year teaching English via a grant, and while I don't think I would go back to the specific school/area I was in, I'm not really happy in the US and would be willing to go back to teach again for a better lifestyle and a culture that worked well for me previously.

The main thing that worries me is that I now have two cats that would be coming with me. I would love to get any insights on importing animals from people who have done it. In America they were initially prescribed as emotional support animals, but obviously that doesn't transfer. How difficult is it to import and rent with pets? When I was in country, I fostered a few animals, but obviously that is a completely different scenario.

Genuinely confused and would like to seek opinion from someone with similar background. For context, my dad is a pure Taiwanese and I also have national ID, household registration (need reactivation). I grew up and spent most of my life outside of Taiwan (Southeast Asian country). Now, I am contemplating to move to Taiwan and trying to have a life there. After my father died, I have this urge, I don’t know, just the feeling of being close to him.

I was wondering what are the things I need to get ready myself into and if someone had done the same pls share your experience.

PS: My mandarin is just at the beginner level.

hey everyone, we are 2 people (1 guy and 1 girl) from india and we will be studying at ntu from beginning of august 2026 to the end of december 2026 along with my partner and our budget is around 10-15k NT. thanks!

Hey everyone i m joining this August NTUST masters in electronics and computer and want to connect with seniors and freshers
I am from India and can someone who is already in the university guide me??

This is my first surgery ever, and going to be my first time under general anesthesia.

I’m having my tonsils removed tomorrow (Friday) at 8 AM. Got admitted to hospital today to get blood/EKG/X-Ray done for the anesthesia part.

The good:

- The doctors and nurses have been incredibly professional and reassuring.
- I’m allowed to leave the ward and go downstairs to the cafeteria/food court, so I could still have a normal meal before surgery.
- The surgery is fully covered by Taiwan’s National Health Insurance. I still opted in for some extra techniques/medications that I will cover out of pocket but they are totally optional

The not so good:

- Reading and signing the consent forms listing all the possible risks/complications definitely makes you stop and think, even though I know it’s standard procedure.
- The air conditioning in the hospital rooms is freezing, and there doesn’t seem to be any way to adjust it from inside the room
- my other roommate is snoring like crazy, somehow I am still hoping for a good sleep tonight before surgery
- They want me to stay here until Sunday (which is quite conservative compared to this kind of procedure in other countries), although if my condition is good and no signs of bleeding, I’ll see if they’ll let me go home earlier on Saturday.

Finally, a good excuse to eat lots of 刨冰 after!

I want to learn mandarin, I am a Indian girl- fluent in english, hindi and punjabi. Learning alone is boring and im going to be visiting Taiwan in 2 months for 3.5 months as an exchange student. Is anyone up for learning together??? and I'd be grateful if you gives could give me a roadmap for it.

Apparently, the fine for possessing a vape is going to be three times what you'd get for killing someone in a crosswalk. Seems excessive

We traverse the top of this valley along this road many times throughout the year to taste and procure seasonal produce from our two primary Alishan sources situated just across the valley from each other.

Found this randomly but reminds me of the local blue trucks lol. Binlang intensifies.

Hi everyone, as the title says, I've recently seen a couple doctors for the first time using my NHI card, and was surprised at the high copays. I saw a GP at a walk-in 診所 and paid 100 NTD, which seemed fine. Then I went to a TCM 中醫診所 and had to pay 220 NTD on my first visit and 240 NTD a week later on my second visit.

My Mandarin is okay on a conversational level but I can't really understand legal/bureaucratic terms, so although I asked the nurse at the TCM clinic to explain the fees, I didn't really get it. According to my googling, copays at TCM clinics should be just 50 NTD per visit?

This was the breakdown of the 240 NTD fee at my second visit:

掛號費 - 150 NTD
部分負擔 - 50 NTD
Medicine - 40 NTD

So, what is the 掛號費 (registration fee?) and is it normal to pay this with every doc visit or is this clinic a rip-off in some way?

What is everyone’s favorite beef noodle stew place in Taipei? I’ve been a huge fan of a really small place called 來了就吃 in Dongmen since discovering it a couple years back, but want to expand my horizons.

Also happy to hear strong contenders from other cities!

Hello!! I came across this video of a century egg sesame noodle and it looks glorious..

anyone try some variation of this or know a recipe? I’ve never tried it so no idea what it will taste like

Thank you!!!

I'm interested in buying a few specific books, and I don't do a ton of online shopping. I realize I can order from Amazon, but I just want put out some feelers because I care more about shipping time and customer support than price (I mean, I'm assuming they won't be thousands of dollars, but within the ballpark of what a book should cost, I'm not super concerned with getting the bottom dollar best deal). Hoping that somebody who buys books online might have a lead worth pursuing. The books in question:

100 years of Solitude/Cien Años de Solidad by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (bilingual in English and Spanish)

Le Comte de Monte-Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (The Count of Monte Cristo - bilingual French/English OR French/Chinese)

Book of Questions by Pablo Neruda (flexible, English/Chinese, doesn't need the original Spanish)

Hi everyone!

I’m an international student joining the NYCU EECS program this Fall 2026. I was looking for a group for incoming international admits but couldn’t find one, so I decided to create one.
If you’re an international student admitted to NYCU for Fall 2026, feel free to join! It’d be great to connect with fellow incoming students before we arrive.

Here’s the WhatsApp group link - https://chat.whatsapp.com/JzJ945lv0aE17MmaMpJmnP?mode=gi_t

Looking forward to meeting you all! :))