Sights in Taipei
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National Palace Museum
The National Palace Museum is home to what could quite easily be termed the world's largest and finest collection of Chinese art; it is unfortunate that the overall interior setup of the museum does not match with the grandeur of the collection. The museum's interior is poorly lit and for the most part its grand collection is laid out with little sense of theme or design, giving the museum a stagnant feel overall. This is especially strange in light of the fact that the exhibits are rotated frequently; the vast collection (much of it liberated from mainland China during the last retreat of the KMT) is far too large to exhibit at any given time. Nonetheless, the sheer volu…
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Taipei 101
Towering above the city like the gigantic bamboo stalk it was designed to resemble, Taipei 101 is impossible to miss. At 508m, Taipei International Financial Centre 101, as it's officially named, is the world's tallest building (Dubai eat your heart out, for now at least!). In addition to holding the world record for height, Taipei 101 also holds the record for having the world's fastest elevator.
The pressure-controlled lift travels at 1010 meters per minute and takes 40 seconds to get from ground level to the 89th floor observation deck.
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Taipei Story House
the Taipei Story House was built in 1914 by an aristocratic tea trader. Its style was said to have been inspired by a building he saw while visiting the 1900 Paris Expo. Today the house is an exhibition space for Taipei nostalgia and history. Exhibits change frequently and might include goodies such as toys, matchboxes and comic books.
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Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall
Whether the imposing Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall will always be known as the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall is anybody's guess. Many and strident are the voices in the high halls of Taiwan's government calling for this 70m-tall memorial to Taiwan's one-time dictator to be renamed, and the massive statue removed.
For now, this iconic monument with its white walls and blue octagonal roof still stands as a grandiose, ostentatious and perhaps fitting memorial to the man who, in life, was known in some circles as 'General Cash-my-check'. On the ground floor you'll find a museum dedicated to Chiang's life, with an assortment of military uniforms, medals, paintings and manuscri…
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Taipei Astronomical Museum
Opened in 1997, the Taipei Astronomical Museum houses four floors of constellations, ancient astronomy, space science and technology, telescopes and observatories. Though a good place to while away an hour with the kids, what keeps this otherwise excellent museum from being a must-visit is a dearth of English content though every exhibit features English and Chinese, but most of the actual information is in the latter language only.
Plans are underway to put full bilingual information online, so theoretically non-Chinese speaking visitors could download exhibit information and study up before arriving. More English-friendly attractions (at an extra charge) are an IMAX the…
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2-28 Memorial Museum
Located inside 2-28 park, the 2-28 Memorial Museum offers an explanation of the events of 28 February 1947 massacre and of the repercussions that followed. Acknowledgment of the 2-28 incident was a pivotal part of Taiwan's transformation from dictatorship to democracy.
Though there is little in the way of English signage in the museum, a multilingual walking tour device is available. However, there are generally bilingual volunteers on hand willing to walk you through and explain the significance of various events and displays. The building itself is significant, for it was from this, the former KMT radio station that officials tried to calm the masses as panic swept the …
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Miniatures Museum of Taiwan
Bigger is better, so some say; but not at the Miniatures Museum of Taiwan where quite the opposite is true. This small, private museum is dedicated to the exhibition of the minuscule, the tiny, the 'Sweet Jesus, I can't believe someone had the patience and steadiness of hand to create something so small and intricate!' Among the most (of many) astounding articles on display is a 40-bulb chandelier no bigger than a single grain of rice. A most impressive little museum indeed.
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National Museum Of History
Just outside the Botanical Gardens, Taiwan's first National Museum Of History is still an anchor of local arts and culture housed in an elegant Japanese-era building. 'History' is actually a misnomer - Chinese art history would be more accurate, with thousands of Chinese artifacts from Tang, Shang and other dynasties. The tea room on the 3rd floor has views of the Botanical Gardens' lotus pond. A tour in English takes place each afternoon.
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Discovery Centre of Taipei
The Discovery Centre of Taipei is a good place to get your bearings on the city and its history. You can see maps and models depicting Taipei's evolution from a walled, gated city in 1882 to the bustling metropolis it is today. Discover more about its geography, topography, commerce, famous residents and natural resources. There's a free audio guide in English, and guided tours are available with advance notice.
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Longshan Temple
Religious life in Taiwan is alive and kicking seven days a week at the Longshan temple. Though not the biggest temple in the city, there is something unique and beautiful about the vibe at Longshan that keeps people coming back.
The temple dates back to 1738. As the story goes, a passer-by left an amulet of the Guanyin (goddess of mercy) hanging on a tree on the site of the present temple, and the amulet shone so brightly, even after dark, that all who passed by knew the site was blessed. Nearly three centuries later, the spot still exudes a certain warmth. The stones that line the courtyard of the temple were originally ballast on the ships that ferried immigrants from …
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Lin Family Mansion & Garden
The house was built in 1853 but opened to the public only in 2001. It's a prime example of a Qing-period mansion, with receiving halls, library and performance stages. There are eye-popping uses of gold leaf on the doors and gates among other decorations of auspicious imagery. From the Grain Viewing Pavilion family members were able to look out over the farmers at work. It is said that the residential buildings are all tongue-and-groove construction, meaning that no nails were used. Plus it's all set amid ponds and gardens you might swear you've seen in paintings.
Driving through this busy section of town, it may be difficult to believe that this was once all farmland. Ye…
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2-28 Peace Park
At first glance the lovely 2-28 Peace Park doesn't seem more significant than any of the other dozen or so parks in Taipei. There's a band performance stage, some lovely shrines and pavilions, paths and playgrounds. But there is a certain air of solemnity to this place, for it is dedicated to the memory of a massacre that began on 28 February, 1947 (hence the 2-28), an event which heralded the start of Taiwan's martial-law era.
In the centre of the park stands the memorial itself, a steepled sculpture surrounded by three enormous cubes turned on their corners. The memorial is surrounded by a moat that is crossed by a bridge. In the early mornings, the park is a good place…
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Core Pacific City
Some people call it Core Pacific City. We like to think of it as The Great Golf Ball of Taipei. Designed by Jon Jerde, the Pablo Picasso of the architecture world, Core Pacific City is quite probably the weirdest shopping mall in Asia. An inspired (by MC Escher or perhaps LSD) building to say the least, from the outside CPC looks like a gigantic golf ball being embraced by a stone sarcophagus.
Though you can get in through the basement, for maximum weirdness take the escalator from the street into the main lobby. Just keep reminding yourself that you are going shopping and not being taken via conveyor belt deep into the heart of an alien hive. Do not panic, the colour lig…
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Zhishan Cultural & Ecological Garden
Just south of Tianmu's Yangming hospital and a few blocks east of the Zhishan MRT sits one of our favourite parks, a jungle-filled mountain just north of the Shuangxi river (also a lovely park in its own right). It's filled with gardens and shrines and the top of the mountain has a temple dedicated to a much revered Sage and General called Chen Yuan Kwang who lived 1500 years ago.
Though the temple itself is lovely enough, more interesting still are the statues surrounding it - carved stone representations of characters well known to anyone familiar with the Chinese classic Romance of the Three Kingdoms. And what really makes the climb worth it is the view, a sweeping pan…
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Dihua Market
The several blocks that make up the Dihua market are Taipei's best-preserved examples of historic architecture. Building styles range from Fujianese to Baroque to modernist. The area is sometimes called 'Grocery Street', and for most of the year it's thought of as a good place for buying traditional Chinese medicines and herbs, bolts of cloth and sundries.
If you're lucky enough to be in Taipei for the weeks leading up to the Lunar New Year celebrations, Dihua market's true colours shine, as the area is considered Taipei's best for traditional New Year foods, party supplies and gifts of all kinds. During these weeks, a festive spirit of bonhomie descends on the market, ma…
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Lin Antai Old Homestead
This is Taipei's oldest residential building. The southern Fujian style 30-room house was built during the years 1783-87, near what is now Dunhua S Rd. It was gradually expanded as this wealthy merchant family grew. The home reached its present size in 1823.
However, the city also expanded and in the 1970s this historic home was slated to be destroyed as the road was being widened. Thankfully, public outcry saved it; the building was painstakingly dismantled and, in 1983, rebuilt on this field across from Xinsheng Park. Today the house is notable for its central courtyard, swallowtail roof and period furniture. We're not sure the Lin family would have wanted their house i…
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Tien-Ho Temple
More proof that good things come in small packages, the Tien-Ho Temple seems, from the outside, but a narrow (though exceptionally ornate) storefront in the busy Ximending district. But walk through the narrow gate and you'll find one of Central Taipei's most beautiful Buddhist temples, complete with statues of Matsu, ancient Chinese generals, a bell tower and a small dragon-shaped pond filled with huge carp.
The original temple was built during the mid-Qing period and demolished during the last years of Japanese rule to make way for a roadway. The current temple was built in 1948 and holds several ancient statues brought over from mainland China hundred of years ago.
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Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall
Occupying an entire city block, the Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall serves as a cultural centre (concerts, performances and special events), a large public park and a museum of the life of the man considered the founder of modern China.
A huge statue of Dr Sun sits in a cavernous lobby facing the park to the south. It's guarded by two implacable sentries - you can watch the changing of the guards, an intricate choreography involving much spinning of bayoneted rifles and precision stepping. This happens twice a day. Morning visitors practising taichi on the grounds provide another kind of choreography. You'll also find the excellent Discovery Centre of Taipei on the grounds.
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Ximending
Like Tokyo's Ginza, Ximending is the ultraconsumerist heart of Taipei's mainstream youth culture. This eight-branched intersection dates from the Japanese era and is now chock-full of shops selling fashion, fast food, sneakers, sunglasses, scarves, Sanrio, Sony and spaghetti. If it's young and trendy, it's here.
The pedestrian streets northwest of the main intersection (between Chengdu Rd and Wuchang St) is more or less the epicentre, but for the full Ximending experience you'll really want to explore the smaller alleys. It's here you'll find the edgier side of Taiwan's youth culture, the places they hang and the stores in which they work and shop.
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CKS Shilin Residence Park
Once upon a time this multifaceted botanical garden, the CKS Shilin Residence Park was part of the sprawling estate of Generalissimo and Mrs Chiang Kai-shek. They ruled the gardens with an iron hand, overseeing the pruning, weeding and other daily gardening tasks from their palatial home overlooking the estates, all the while dreaming of their inevitable triumphant retaking of mainland China.
When the Generalissimo died, Madame Chiang (who never much cared for Taiwan), wasted no time in moving her official residence to America. For decades the estate and the surrounding gardens were closed to the public.
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Botanical Gardens
A beautiful oasis in Taipei's funky west side, the Botanical Gardens has greenhouses featuring a vast variety of lush plants, literature- and Chinese-zodiac-themed gardens and a marvellous lotus pond.
Taipei's Botanical Gardens is also considered one of the best places in the world to see the rare Malaysian Night Heron, making the park a major stop on foreign birding tours. That such a rare bird can be seen so close to, let alone inside, a major urban centre is quite amazing, or so our twitcher friends tell us. The Botanical Gardens is where you'll find the National Museum of History.
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Ciyou Temple
Right across from Songshan railway station, the Ciyou Temple is dedicated to the goddess Matsu and is one of the oldest in the city. But Ciyou temple has another thing going for it besides age; noise. Specifically, on the day of Matsu's birthday, when the temple is said to hold the loudest, most colourful birthday celebrations in Taiwan, resplendent with gongs, music and firecrackers.
If you see us at Ciyou temple during the festival, don't bother yelling. We might see you at Ciyou, but we won't be able to hear you or anything else for the rest of the day, for that matter.
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National Taiwan Science Education Centre
If this place doesn't bring out the kid in you, than there's no kid in you to be brought out. The National Taiwan Science Education Centre is one of the coolest children's museums we've yet to find in Asia. Interactive exhibits cover the gamut of scientific knowledge, from anatomy (a walk-through digestive tract!) to zoology (a cat-head-shaped helmet that gives the wearer feline hearing powers).
Though NTSEC is not fully bilingual, museum staff have gone to great length to include enough English content to make all sections of the museum accessible to non-Chinese speakers.
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Taipei Children's Art Museum
The highly interactive children's Taipei Children's Art Museum features artwork by children and regular programmes to encourage children to participate in the creation of art. Dedicated to the nurturing of children's hearts and minds through art, the museum offers an excellent counterpoint to the rote 'learning through repetition and imitation' educational methods prevalent in Taiwan.
Though generally frequented by teachers with school groups, activities and guided tours for travellers with children can be arranged by calling in advance.
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National Revolutionary Martyrs' Shrine
Against a backdrop of mountains across the Keelung River from the city centre, the monumental National Revolutionary Martyrs' Shrine enshrines the dead of the wars fought on behalf of the ROC. The complex covers around 5000 sq metres and the main sanctuary was modelled after the Taiho Palace in Beijing. Plaques, paintings and friezes in the arcade surrounding the main sanctuary describe the details of various 20th-century rebellions and battles.
A bell tower and drum tower are used during memorial ceremonies.
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