Billy Shyu

What Is Bubble Tea and Where Did It Originally Come From?

Bubble tea is a cool, refreshing, sweet drink with tapioca pearls. It is also known as pearl milk tea (珍珠奶茶 zhenzhe nicha), boba drink, and boba milk tea (波霸奶茶 boba nicha). It was created in Taichung, Taiwan, in the 1980s. “Bubble” refers to the milk froth generated after shaking the cup. At the same time, “boba” symbolizes the tapioca pearls, which ...

Billy Shyu

Different flavors of bubble tea.

The Stunning Longdong Bay in Taiwan

Located in the Gongliao District of New Taipei City in northeast Taiwan, Longdong Bay is the largest bay on the northeast coast. It is a popular attraction famous for snorkeling, scuba diving, and rock climbing. It is listed as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Taiwan by a famous website known as Wandering Educators. ...

Billy Shyu

Longdong Bay.

An Interesting LOHAS Trip to Yilan, Taiwan

Located in Yuanshan Township in northeastern Taiwan’s Yilan County, Neicheng (內城) was a quiet farm village. However, Neicheng Community Development Association’s novel ideas have transformed this quaint village into an agricultural leisure area featuring LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) activities. For more exciting images of LOHAS activities in Taiwan’s Yilan County, please watch the ...

Billy Shyu

A Tie Niu Li Aka tractor pulling tourists.

A Dazzling Night Scene Featuring the Ghost Festival in Taiwan

To celebrate the Keelung Ghost Festival, many public buildings, plazas, and temples in downtown Keelung and the iconic Main Altar (主普壇) at Keelung Zhong Zheng Park are charmingly decorated with beautiful art installations from the first day to the end of the seventh lunar month.

Billy Shyu

The Magnificent Baiyang Trail in Taiwan

The Baiyang Trail is located on the Central Cross-Island Highway in central Taiwan. It is a unique trail that features tunnels, valleys, cliffs, rivers, and waterfalls. There are eight tunnels in the 2.1-kilometer (1.3 mile) trail. The Baiyang Suspension Bridge offers spectacular views of the waterfalls and the valley. The Baiyang Trail is one of ...

Billy Shyu

The Beautiful Plum Lake in Taiwan

Plum Lake, also known as Meihua Lake (梅花湖), is a natural reservoir located at Dongshan Township in northeast Taiwan’s Yilan County. Lush green hills surround the lake on three sides, covering a total surface area of about 20 hectares (49 acres). It is the main attraction of the county’s Meihua Lake Scenic Area.  For more ...

Billy Shyu

Plum Lake is a beautiful natural reservoir in northeastern Taiwan.

Here’s Why Taiwan Is One of the Healthiest Countries in the World

Although not a member of the World Health Organization (WHO) and often barred from attending the World Health Assembly (WHA) as an observer, Taiwan still stands out in the international medical community. In 2000, the Economist’s Intelligence Unit (EIU) of London ranked Taiwan second only to Sweden in terms of being the healthiest country in the world. In November 2005, Nobel Prize Laureate ...

Billy Shyu

Taipei Chang Gung Memorial Hospital.

The Breathtaking Southern Cross-Island Highway in Taiwan

Commonly referred to as Provincial Highway No. 20, the Southern Cross-Island Highway is one of the three breathtaking cross-island highway systems that cut through Taiwan’s Central Mountain Range. The other two are: the Northern Cross-Island Highway (Provincial Highway 7), and the Central Cross-Island Highway (Provincial Highway 8). For more beautiful images, please watch the following ...

Billy Shyu

A stretch of the Soputhern Cross-Island Highway.

The Joy of Picking Pomelos

It is fun and interesting to pick pomelos yourself at a leisure farm. In particular, it is meaningful to pick pomelos with your family in the run-up to the Moon Festival (the Mid-autumn Festival), because both the pomelo fruit and the moon are round in shape, representing family reunion. For more photos of picking pomelos, ...

Billy Shyu

A pomelo orchard.

Chike Mountain, a Breathtaking Daylily Mountain in Taiwan

Chike Mountain (赤柯山) is located at the top of the Coastal Mountain Range in eastern Taiwan’s Hualien County. It covers an area of ​​300 hectares (741 acres) at elevations of between 800 meters (2,624 feet) and 1,200 meters (3,937 feet) above sea level. The mountainous terrace is one of the three most famous tourist attractions ...

Billy Shyu

A field of daylilies.