Our capital city doesn't have the international reputation of cultural capitals like London or Paris, but a closer look at Taipei reveals delightful hidden corners just the same.

Gold was not just discovered in Egypt or Africa; the precious element was once buried on this little island, too. The two mountain villages on the northeastern tip of the island bustled with gold fever - Jioufen and Jinguashih – boomed through the 1960s, when the region's ores were depleted and inhabitants moved away.

It's not a very well-known fact that the Chinese name given to the northern Taipei suburb of Beitou is a corruption of an old aboriginal word meaning something like "witch's den," but it's easy enough to work out why the area's original inhabitants gave it this unusual name.

Just over a decade ago I went to Sanxia (三峽) in Taipei County (臺北縣) for the first time. I wrote about that trip for this newspaper, and I don't need to refer to my old article to recall what struck me during that visit: the rainy, blustery weather; the magnificence of the town's major temple; and the dilapidated yet picturesque redbrick houses along what was then called Minquan Street (民權街).

Taiwan is often referred to as one of the most underrated adventure sport destinations in Asia if not the world. With a large portion of the island covered in huge mountains filled with hidden lakes, thousand year old forests, cascading waterfalls, and memorizing scenery it's hard to see why.

The lush, rugged and incident-packed landscape lining the upper reaches of the Keelung River Valley makes this a stunningly beautiful area, and one which deservedly attracts crowds on weekends to enjoy its scenic riches.

Ever wondered where Maokong (貓空), that ever-popular hillside on the southern edge of Taipei where everyone goes to drink tea, got its name?

The summer time is the reproduction period for some wild birds in Taiwan. When you walk in the forest and watch the trees carefully, you may easily find bird nests.

For most weekenders, the small town of Sanjhih (三芝) is nothing more than a hazy memory along the road to bigger, more well-known places such as White Sand Beach (白沙灣, surely the loveliest beach in north Taiwan) and Cape Fugui (富貴), which combines a fisherman's market (offering delicious seafood lunches) with some wild and panoramic sea views from Taiwan's northernmost point.

Taiwan was ruled by Japan for half a century until the end of World War II. Dozens of splendid examples of architecture from that era can be found in Taipei (台北) and other cities, yet very little evidence of Shinto – the official religion of Japan throughout the colonial period – has survived.