Taiwan is a country where centuries of temple culture meet cutting-edge technology. Incense-filled shrines, misty mountain trails and sprawling night markets still define its character, but today’s Taiwan also pulses with third-wave coffee shops, indie design studios, and a youthful creative energy reshaping its cities. Taipei’s skyline keeps rising, family-run businesses are reinventing tradition for new generations, and a sleek high-speed rail network makes exploring the island effortless.

Beyond the temples and tea houses, visitors will find generous hospitality, a food scene that runs from night-market snacks to Michelin stars, and some of Asia’s most accessible mountains – hundreds of peaks over 3,000 metres just a train ride from the capital. Taiwan offers not just a journey through layers of indigenous, colonial and immigrant history, but a glimpse into a confident, forward-looking society – Asia’s first to legalise same-sex marriage – ready to welcome the world.