The first independent travelers from Hong Kong to visit Taiwan in three years after COVID-19 travel restrictions were lifted on Monday said that night markets and popular eateries were among what they had missed the most about Taiwan.
“It has been a long time since I had Taiwanese braised pork rice,” said a woman, identified by her last name, Tang (鄧), as she arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in the morning.
She last visited Taiwan three years ago, Tang said.
Photo: CNA
She was among the 147 passengers on Cathay Pacific flight CX-488 from Hong Kong, which mainly consisted of transit travelers flying to Canada and Indonesia.
Tang said she plans to visit Raohe Night Market (饒河夜市) in Taipei during her two days off from work, adding that due to the shortness of her stay, she would focus solely on food.
The Mainland Affairs Council on Tuesday last week announced that Taiwan would end all COVID-19-related border restrictions imposed on Hong Kong and Macau residents on Monday.
The change in policy enables residents of the two territories to apply to visit Taiwan for tourism individually, instead of with a tour group, for the first time since February 2020.
Taiwan started to allow tour groups from Hong Kong and Macau to apply to enter the country in November last year as the COVID-19 situation eased.
A woman surnamed Tam (譚) said that after graduating from National Taiwan Sport University in June 2019 and returning to Hong Kong that year, she has not been able to return.
Tam said she plans to see some of her friends and teachers, visit Taipei 101 and tour the night markets.
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