Jolin Tsai planned this 24-hour itinerary if you were to spend a day with her in Taipei.

BREAKFAST

YOUR day begins at 7am, with Jolin Tsai taking you out for a traditional Taiwanese breakfast at the famous Yong He Eating House.

'A freshly-made pancake matched with crispy dough fritters, topped with a glass of hot and fragrant soya bean milk, is guaranteed to chase the sleepy bug away,' she wrote in her e-mail reply to The New Paper.

Then, your tour of Taipei city begins.

SIGHT-SEEING

Your first stop will be the National Palace Museum, which is home to many ancient artefacts from China, rare books, paintings, porcelain and jades. It opens at 9am, noted 28-year-old Jolin.

'You haven't been to Taiwan till you visit the National Palace Museum,' added the Dancing Diva, best known for her yoga-inspired moves.

Next, to experience some youth pop culture, Jolin will take you to Ximending, or Taipei's Far East Plaza.

She said it is the most popular hangout for young people, with fashion boutiques, restaurants and a cinema.

On weekends, you can also enjoy many street performances, she added.

(She forgot to mention that Ximending is also where Mandopop singers like her draw huge crowds by holding their fan gatherings and autograph sessions.)

LUNCH

Now, it's time for lunch.

For first-time visitors, Jolin said the world-famous Din Tai Fung restaurant is a must-go.

Its signature dishes are its xiao long bao (steamed pork dumplings) and chicken soup.

There are three outlets in Taipei - on Xinyi Road, Zhongxiao East Road and Fuxing Road.

Jolin added: 'Almost all the foreign artistes who perform in Taiwan ask to dine at Din Tai Fung. Their prices are reasonable and you can eat to your heart's content.'

After lunch, follow your celebrity host to the famous food street along Yongkang Road for a big and 'satisfying' serving of mango ice at the popular Ice Monster.

She raved: 'Taiwan's mango is really the most fragrant, sweetest and most delicious mango I've ever eaten!'

When it comes to food though, the petite singer is known to stick to a strict oil-free diet.

She said she enjoys the less oily dishes like daizai mian (peddler noodles) and lu wei (braised meat, beancurd and others).

'I'm a person who has a lot of self-discipline, and to make myself look better in front of the camera, I'd occasionally have to sacrifice indulging in food.

'What I do sometimes is to buy lots of different foods and share them with all my friends, then I get to eat a small portion of everything.'

SHOPPING

Jolin said she prefers to shop in the newly-developed Xinyi district, where prices and variety range from 'normal to top brands'.

This is Taipei's new Orchard Road, where you find sleek shopping malls like Taipei 101 (world's tallest building, with an observation deck and mall), New York New York, Warner Village and Mitsukoshi.

In July, Taipei will launch its own shopping festival in conjunction with credit card network Visa, offering tourists numerous discounts at participating stores.

One might think it is hard for Jolin to go unnoticed in the streets, especially with the paparazzi culture in Taipei.

But the household face insisted she never tries to disguise herself when she's out shopping.

'The Taiwanese are respectful people. Even if they recognise you, they just look at you excitedly or ask if you are the real person. They won't harass or trail you.'

If you'd like to experience one aspect of Jolin's life as a celebrity, she said you can follow her to the recording of a TV variety show.

'It will be an interesting experience, but the hours are long, it might take the whole afternoon.'

The easy-going singer will even welcome you to her house - although she didn't say where it is.

'You can play with my beloved doggie,' she added.

DINNER

At dinner time, instead of going to a restaurant, Jolin will take you to the famous Shilin night market to try its numerous local delights.

Tuck into hawker fare like fried chicken cutlet, spicy pork sausage, onion pancake, oyster omelette or stinky tofu, washed down with Taiwan's ubiquitous pearl milk tea.

Here, you can also browse through many small shops selling clothes, shoes and accessories, or try Taiwanese style foot reflexology.

Jolin added that the streets are clean and many stalls put up English cards to help foreign tourists.

The night market closes at about 2am on weekends.

LATE NIGHT

But if you're still bursting with energy after that, Jolin will take you to the 24-hour Eslite Bookstore on Dunhua South Road - a popular haunt for the night owls.

This is Taiwan's answer to Borders, and its flagship store in the Xinyi district is hailed as the largest in Asia.

'Many tourists like to browse books after midnight,' observed Jolin.

'Besides books and magazines, Eslite also has sofas and a cafe for you to take a break when feeling tired.'

That brings you to the end of your day with Jolin.

So how do you think she fares as a tourism ambassador?

Although criticised initially for her lack of knowledge when she was appointed in July last year, she seems to have improved tremendously and is now able to wax lyrical about her hometown.

But she does not consider herself a tourist attraction.

'I'm still searching for more fun places to go to in Taiwan,' she said. 'I'd encourage all of you to visit Taiwan.'