Journey to Ilha Formosa By Lee Hyon - soo Not only do I love to travel , but I also love to share my travel anecdotes with anybody who listens . This article is about a trip to Taiwan , which used to be internationally known as “ Formosa ” in days gone by . This name dates from 1542 , when Portuguese sailors sighted the main island of Taiwan and named it “ Ilha Formosa , ” which means “ Beautiful Island . ” Taiwan with a population of about 24 million is a de facto independent state and calls itself the Republic of China , but its statehood is not recognized internationally due to the so - called “ One - China Policy . ” So Taiwan participates in international forums and organizations under the name “ Chinese Taipei . ” During the latter half of the 20 th century Taiwan achieved remarkable economic growth , which was called the “ Taiwan Miracle . ” Taiwan is one of the “ Four Asian Tigers ” alongside South Korea , Hong Kong and Singapore . I went to Taiwan to attend a two - week seminar , participated in by about 30 bankers of diverse nationalities . The seminar took place at a hotel situated in the mountain resort , Yangmingshan , in the vicinity of Taipei . Yangmingshan boasts pleasant parks and Chinese - landscape gardens set in the forest , so it was an excellent choice for our gathering . But when we were there , the weather was quite disagreeable — rainy and chilly everyday — and , not surprisingly , most of us came down with a cold . Because of this plus the grueling workload we had to endure , we practically locked ourselves at the hotel for the duration of the seminar . on weekends , however , we drove to Taipei for sightseeing . The city seemed to have a lot to offer to visitors . As I wandered around , I discovered many of the city ' s delights hidden beneath what seemed at first sight a fairly dull exterior . Equally unexpectedly , I came across some fascinating ancient temples concealed by a confusion of narrow shops - cum - houses . My visits to Pao An Taoist Temple and the Temple of Confucius were particularly memorable . The two stand virtually side by side — fitting proximity considering the fact that Taoism and Confucianism are rooted into much of what we know as Chinese culture . Of all the things I saw in and around Taipei , I was most impressed by the National Palace Museum . It stands in the thickly wooded hills of Wai Shung Hsi , a short distance from Taipei . The building itself is imposing — standing like part of a defending great wall — and the collection of Chinese art within is unique both for its aesthetic excellence and its magnitude . So huge is the collection that it cannot be displayed all at once due to a lack of space in the museum — instead it is shown in rotation all year round . I was informed by my tour guide that the entire collection was brought there by Chiang Kai - shek ( also known as Jiang Jieshi ) when he fled the mainland in 1949 . And how can I forget the superb ten - course dinner that the seminar host arranged for the participants at a five - star hotel ? The hotel was grand in size and so unmistakably Chinese in design and mood . It is known for its palatial atmosphere in the Oriental manner . It was a delight to taste many Chinese delicacies that I did not know existed . After dinner , we were given a leisurely tour of Taipei ' s famous nightspots . We did cabaret - hopping , among other things , and had lots of fun . Admittedly I only caught a glimpse of Taiwan , and I regret that I did not have the chance to tour Taiwan ' s beautiful countryside which merits the name Formosa . But the fond memories I brought back from Taiwan still linger in my mind . The Korea TimesFebruary 2017