Taipei, Taiwan - fast forward

  Taipei, Taiwan
Monday, January 21, 2008

Located in the Northern half of Taiwan, Taipei is the largest city and has been the capital since 1894. There's a lot of pride here so the city is clean, the landscaping beautiful and the downtown buildings modern.

Taipei has been at the center of rapid economic development and holds one of the world's largest foreign exchange reserves.

Taipei 101 building

The Taipei 101 opened in 2004 and will be the tallest building in the world until the Burg Dubai opens. The base of the 101 sports a high-end designer shopping mall and an incredible food court where most restaurants display life-like reproductions of the dishes offered for sale. These displays have become an art in themselves.

Taipei's Metro Rapid Transit System (MRT) stops at most areas of interest and is easily accessible. There are well-marked signs in English throughout the stations. They have above and below ground lines. The above ground lines are particularly good, and cheap, for sightseeing. An automated system tells you each station's name when approached. The city has the highest wireless penetration in the world, with the Internet being accessible through a city wide Wi-Fi network

My brother, Jeff, has lived here for several decades. With my four visits to his home in 22 years, I've witnessed the slow spread of English and the Western culture here. Young adults enthusiastically speak to you in English but cab drivers can be iffy so your destination had best be written down in Chinese. There is a greater selection of western groceries and restaurant chains such as 7-11, Starbucks, TGI Fridays, and McDonald's are thriving.

Jeff lives in central Taipei and the convenience of eating lies just outside his doorsteps. The back streets are known as alleyways and most have one or two tiny cafes offering their delicious specialties. English menus are sparse in these places so look for an English speaking patron or waiter. The bakeries are a most stop as they sell fresh baked bread items in the mornings and at 4pm and these delicious items are showcased in their store windows.

Memorial Hall

Memorial Hall

The Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall was a monument erected in 1987 in memory of the former president. The blue and white structure, the colors of the Taiwanese flag, has 89 steps, one for each year he lived. Mementos from his life are displayed on the ground floor.

Memorial Hall

The monument is surrounded by a park and a large square incorporating the National Concert Hall and National Theater. In 2007, this was the center of controversy when the central government renamed it the National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall. The solemn main hall with his large statue has been transformed into a room of propaganda and the changing of the guard is gone.

Miramar Ferris Wheel

Miramar

At Neihu's Miramar Shopping Complex, a novelty draw is the world's second biggest Ferris wheel located on the rooftop.

For a small fee, this 20-minute ride provides panoramic views of Taipei and the surrounding mountains. The attraction opened in 2005 and can hold 288 passengers, six people for each of its 48 cars.

The National Palace Museum is famous for housing one of the world's largest collections of artifacts from ancient China, specifically artifacts from the Forbidden City. Some 200,000 priceless objects were spirited away on boats and brought to Taiwan in 1949. The temporary storage of these items lasted 32 years as no plans were made to establish a museum in Taiwan. After mainland China's Cultural Revolution of the 60s, most of the artifacts left behind in China were destroyed. In 1965, a temporary museum was created in Taipei and, after extensive renovations, a state-of-the-art museum was reopened in 2006. The addition of English signs and visual animations has made this museum extremely visitor friendly. The Museum is ranked among the top three or four museums of the world including the Louver and British Museum.

dried squid

The Chinese New Year is approaching which means the DiHua Jie market is open!

This narrow street welcomes thousands of shoppers in the weeks leading up to New Year. Large quantities of traditional holiday foods are offered for sale with the help of megaphones - booth after booth after booth of megaphones!

Lyn and Lauren

beans

They delight in yelling out English phrases when they see us - 'Hey! American!!! I guess our blond hair is a giveaway!

steamed buns

woked chicken

dried squid

mackeral

shark's fin

squid on a stick

The Chin-shui Tsu Shih Temple is located nearby and I encourage you to visit. This is a beautiful Taoist Temple built in 1769 and my favorite temple with its' tranquil gardens, walkways and soothing music. Best time to visit is during the evening hours.

Snake Alley

The Wanhua night market area includes Huahsi Street, the famed Snake Alley. Decades ago, this was a site for the senses as the main draw was watching the men drink a concoction of snake venom, blood and rice wine.

Several stands would showcase the snakes complete with hanging hooks should a purchase of this drink take place.

soup vendor

When animal rights activists moved in, the area was cleaned up. Snake Alley was roofed in, lights installed, a paved walkway added, and snake vendors removed. Unfortunately, the main draw for tourists were the snakes.

Today the snakes can again be purchased but only for the sake of food consumption. No photos are allowed and specific dining areas are provided.

Lauren and Janae

Jeff and Lyn

The Taipei Flower Market is a color feast for the eyes and a rewarding stop. Orchids are a major export and orchid vendors occupy a large section. Lyn purchased three large bunches of flowers for just $10.

Yehliu

Yehliu

Yehliu Geopark is located in a fishing village on the north coast of Taiwan. The area's sandstone coastline is a major draw with its' large curious shapes that are continually being carved out by the sea.

mushroom shapes

Yehliu

Visitors can wander about the watery rock ledges and peer around gigantic mushroom shapes. Wooden walkways have been added and bright orange lines warn tourists to stay clear of the churning sea that is vicariously close.

This is my fourth visit and the site still intrigues and astonishes me. Twenty years ago, there were several formations called 'Queen's Heads' but on this visit, all but one have toppled over because of erosion. In time, more will be created by nature.

Yehliu

Yehliu

queen's head

On our return drive to Taipei, we make a detour to Keelung, the second largest port in Taiwan. Tourists and locals flock to Jhongjheng Park, where food and amusement-park activities line the walkway along the river. A landmark of Jhongjheng Park is a statue of the Goddess of Mercy. This is the biggest Goddess statue in Southeast Asia. The park provides three levels for tourists to explore. The first level has an historic canon fort. The second level has a Buddhist library, Chung Lieh Temple and Chu Pu Tan Temple. And the third level has the Kuan Hai Pavilion.

From Lauren: Taipei was an interesting ending to the whole vacation because it was the opposite of Vietnam, and especially Cambodia! It reminded me more of an Asian New York City, and Aunt Lyn laughed because she said that Taipei is literally called, "Little New York." Surprisingly though, the strangest variety of food we encountered on the whole trip was in Taipei! It was probably the only place where I shyed away from trying certain things. But ya know what? Squid on a stick just isn't for me :)