Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
To reach the museum from Shilin MRT station, head out Exit 1 to Zhongzheng Rd and
catch R30 (red 30), minibus 18 or 19, or buses 255, 304 or 815. It's about 15 minutes to
the museum. From Dazhi MRT station take bus B13 (brown 13).
Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines
MUSEUM
(Shùnyì Táiwān Yuánzhùmín Bówùguǎn;
www.museum.org.tw
; 282 Jishan Rd, Sec 2; admission
NT$150; 9am-5pm Tue-Sun, closed 20 Jan-20 Feb; Shilin)
There are currently 14 recog-
nised indigenous tribes in Taiwan, and the exhibits at this museum cover the belief sys-
tems, festivals, geographic divisions, agriculture and art of them all. Fine examples of
aboriginal handicrafts can be seen on each level, and videos relate the tribes' histories
and other aspects of tribal life.
The museum is across the road and up a short distance from the entrance to the Na-
tional Palace Museum.
Shilin Official Residence
PARK, GARDENS
(Shìlín Guāndǐ; 60 Fulin Rd; gardens free, house NT$100; 8am-5pm Mon-Fri, to 7pm Sat & Sun;
Shilin)
For 26 years, this two-storey mansion and its elaborate Chinese- and Western-
style gardens were once part of the official residence of Chiang Kai-shek and his wife,
Soong Mei-ling. Today the entire estate is a lovely public park and even the house itself
is open, though it merely displays the rather humdrum domestic life, and middlebrow
tastes, of the Chiangs.
Shilin Night Market
MARKET
(Shìlín Yèshì; Jiantan)
Locals have mostly abandoned this market as a place to eat, but
it's still hugely popular with travellers, who come to enjoy the carnival of streetside
snacking, shopping, games and people-watching. It's best to avoid the basement food
court area across from Jiantan MRT station, however, as the amount of smoke and grease
in the indoor venue can be unpleasant.
Cixian Temple
DAOIST TEMPLE
(Cíchéng gōng; 84 Da Nan Rd; Jiantan)
Dedicated to the worship of Matsu, this 1927 re-
construction of the original 1864 design sits at ground central for Shilin Night Market.
It's worth a visit even if you aren't in the area to snack in order to examine the masterful
