Taiwan ought to be a stop on anybody's first trip to mainland China, because the story of the island, just 100 miles off the coast, is the other half of modern Chinese history. You can get a sense of what Communist China might have looked like if Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek and the Nationalists had won the civil war 60 years ago. Just a three- or four-day visit (in the fall, after the summer monsoons) will do: two days in Taipei, to take in the National Palace Museum, the grand Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, some of the best provincial Chinese cuisines in the world, and a luxurious hot spring; plus a day or two to hike in the unspoiled mountains, stay at a Buddhist monastery, or see the narrow cliffs of Taroko Gorge.

Taipei, the capital, is not a beautiful city. Its charms are found in the backstreets, where multigenerational families hang out and peddlers on bicycles tout their services (knife sharpening, say) and goods (sweet custard made from bean curd, or stinky doufu, a fermented tofu that lives up to its name). But the most important stop in Taipei—indeed in all of Taiwan—is the National Palace Museum, which houses the best of the imperial treasures taken by Chiang's government from the Forbidden City as they evacuated Beijing during the war against Japan (npm.gov.tw).

The country code for Taiwan is 886. Prices quoted are for October 2008.

Lodging

The Grand Hotel, with its swooping yellow roof and red columns, is a wonderful throwback to the era of Chiang Kai-shek. The rooms are elegant in an old money way, with painted ceilings and slightly old-fashioned furniture (2-2886-8888; doubles, $188–$360). The state-of-the-art Sherwood is the opposite: chic amenities and luxury but no history (2-2718-1188; doubles, $335–$500). Similarly, the Grand Hyatt Taipei has minimalist decor (2-2720-1234; doubles, $285–$417), and the Song dynasty–style Shangri-La's Far Eastern Plaza caters to high-end guests such as native son Ang Lee (2-2378-8888; doubles, $277–$395). The all-white Ambience Hotel is for a much groovier set, with furniture by Philippe Starck (2-2541-0077; doubles, $150–$223). My favorite Taipei hotel is the low-key, elegant, more homey Les Suites Da-An, where the buffet breakfast is served in a cozy living room (2-8773-3799; doubles, $174–$177).

Outside the city, Beitou's Villa 32, with just five suites, is the perfect place to enjoy the island's famous hot springs. Spa treatments are as close to nirvana as you can get without going to a Buddhist monastery (2-6611-8888; suites, $524–$819). Dharma Drum Mountain is a true retreat where you can do some serious meditation, eat simple vegetarian food in silence, and stroll the lush hills. Overnight stays are available for volunteers only. You'll need an interpreter when calling (2-2893-9966, ext. 6440; contributions only).

Taroko Gorge, outside Hualien city, has a number of pleasant hotels, including the Grand Formosa Taroko (3-869-1155; doubles, $197–$280). Leader Village Taroko is a rustic eco-lodge (simple futon bed, nicely designed bathroom) that provides jobs for the local aboriginal people and supports local culture. When the mist settles on the mountainside in the evening, you feel like you're in a traditional Chinese ink brush painting (3-861-0111; doubles, $51–$138).

Down south in Lukang, the hotel choices are fewer. The main place in town, Leader House Lukang, is drab but functional (4-778-6699; doubles, $137–$173). There's also the newly opened LK Bed and Breakfast (4-777-4446; doubles, $72–$95). I recommend getting into the local vibe by staying in a motel: These are all the rage among couples plotting trysts (you drive your car into a garage under the room). The Red Chambers Motel is particularly swinging, with rooms to fit every taste, from sleek minimalist to kitsch Louis XIV (4-784-1201; doubles, $68–$260).

Dining

Shin Yeh serves Taiwanese delicacies like oyster omelets, as well as a set dinner of abalone, shark's fin soup, grouper, sea cucumber, asparagus, and rice dumplings (45 Shi-fu Rd.; 2-8101-0185; prix fixe, $75). Shi Yang Shan Fang, in the Shilin hills outside the city, is decorated with candles, rustic wood, and semi-transparent screens separating diners. It serves a 12-course set dinner of delicate nouvelle Chinese cuisine, which might include a tangy mango and white mushroom soup; a bite-size vegetable roll made with peanut curd, bamboo shoots, and potato; and rice with tofu and sweet potato topped with a single scallop and poached egg (160 Lane 101, Jing-shan Rd.; prix fixe, $65). The Hangzhou-style Tien Hsiang Lo, at the Landis Taipei Hotel, serves delicacies such as stir-fried shrimp with tea leaves, steamed grass carp with black vinegar, and noodle soup with chicken. For dessert, try the soul-warming sweet fermented rice soup with sesame rice balls (41 Min Chuan E. Rd., Section 2; entrées, $26–$32).

A simpler choice is Dintaifung, Taiwan's most popular dumpling chain, with linoleum tables and lines of loyal customers waiting in the street (194 Xinyi Rd., Section 2; dumplings, $2–$13). King Join, a Beijing-style vegetarian chain, serves all kinds of sweet cakes, congees (sweet pea curd), and noodles (18 Shih-wei Rd.; phone 2-2701-3225; entrées, $16–$65). A breakfast of sweet warm soybean milk and a deep-fried dough stick served inside a baked sesame bread pocket is a must. There are zillions of eateries where you can find it—Yong He Soy Milk King is a good one (132 Fu Xing South Rd., Section 2; dishes, $1–$2).

Reading

To get a sense of China's history before the Communists came along, pick up Madame Chiang Kai-shek: China's Eternal First Lady, by Laura Tyson Li (Atlantic Monthly Press, $30), and The Soong Sisters, by the intrepid 1930s war correspondent Emily Hahn (e-reads.com, $20). Forbidden Nation: A History of Taiwan, by Jonathan Manthorpe, is a good read on the geopolitics of Taiwan and the mainland (Palgrave Macmillan, $25). Lonely Planet's Taiwan is a handy user guide ($26). Watch Ang Lee's Eat Drink Man Woman for a glimpse of Chinese family dynamics and cuisine, represented by the loves and lives of three sisters and their father, a master chef.