Billy Shyu

Wushantou Reservoir: A Reservoir Full of Historical Significance in Taiwan

Wushantou Reservoir (烏山頭水庫) lies in the stunning mountainous landscapes of southern Taiwan’s Tainan City. Completed in 1930, the reservoir is one of the essential reservoirs with far-reaching historical significance for Taiwan. Covering an area of about 1,300 hectares (3,250 acres), this 30-meter-deep reservoir is formed by a confluence of over 30 mountain streams. Because more ...

Billy Shyu

Wushantou Reservoir.

Bonsai Art Saves a Lady’s Life: The Story of Bonsai Master Amy Liang

Professor Amy Liang is an internationally acclaimed bonsai master from Taiwan. She has dedicated most of her life to bonsai arts and gained worldwide recognition.  She said trees have emotions and feelings; pruning a bonsai tree can be quite a rewarding experience, as trimming off unnecessary or uninteresting branches can make the tree happy. In ...

Billy Shyu

Taiwanese bonsai master Professor Amy Liang.

Taiwan’s Breathtaking Golden Trumpet Tree Flowers

The golden trumpet tree is native to Central American and northern South America and is Brazil’s national flower. Since it was introduced to Taiwan in 1969, it has become a common street tree and a widespread tree species planted in parks and along the embankments in central and southern Taiwan. For more amazing photos of ...

Billy Shyu

The Shifen Waterfall in Taiwan

Sitting along the upper reaches of the Keelung River, Shifen Waterfall (十分瀑布) is one of the most famous scenic waterfalls in Taiwan. With a height of 20 meters (66 ft), and a width of 40 meters (130 ft), it is the widest waterfall in Taiwan and is often referred to as Taiwan’s Niagara Falls. It ...

Billy Shyu

Shifen Waterfall in Taiwan.

Taipei’s 2023 Taiwan Lantern Festival

Cosponsored by the Taiwan Tourism Bureau and the Taipei City Government, the 2023 Taiwan Lantern Festival (台灣燈會) is grandly held in Taipei City from February 2 to 19 to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit. It is Taiwan’s first large-scale international event after all Covid-19 entry restrictions were lifted last October.   For other photos, please ...

Billy Shyu

'Starting From the Heart' (從心出發).

The Picturesque Taoyuan Valley in Northeast Taiwan

Referred to as the most beautiful grassland in northern Taiwan, Taoyuan Valley (桃源谷) is a popular attraction featuring picturesque grassland that stretches for about 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) along a beautiful sloped ridge in New Taipei City’s Gongliao District. At the top of the grassy slope, visitors can take in the stunning 360-degree views of ...

Billy Shyu

Taoyuan Valley.

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.