Taipei City is Taiwan’s largest city and its capital. Situated towards the north of the island, its climate can be a little variable but it is still a bustling and exciting place to visit. While one could literally spend weeks exploring all its night markets, shopping centres, temples and other attractions, for those with limited time these four spots offer a nice cross section of tourist attractions.
Taipei is also well served by a public transport rail system that is cheap and efficient and will get people to within walking distance of most places within the city. Failing that, taxis are relatively cheap when compared with western prices, but taxi drivers often do not speak English so it is advisable to have a bilingual map and then point out the destination to the driver. Alternatively, for those staying in a Taipei hotel, the concierge will normally be obliging enough to tell the taxi driver the destination. Don’t forget to pick up a hotel calling card to show taxi drivers for the return journey
Longshan Temple
This is Taiwan’s most famous temple and is easily reached via its own underground station on the MRT Bannan Line. The station comes out into a small but interesting underground shopping mall that has a few souvenir shops alongside more domestic fare. The temple itself is still a place of worship as well as a tourist attraction and is known for its wood carvings and stone sculptures. Xiyuan Road runs along one side of the temple, and is a good place for temple-related shopping.
Just a short walk away is the Huaxi Street Night Market. While this comes to life mostly after 7pm, it is worth visiting its covered walkway during the day as this hosts a number of restaurants serving snake dishes that have earned it the nickname of Snake Alley. The cobra in barbecue sauce is recommended and the brave can buy a bottle of snakes’ penises.
Taipei 101
This skyscraper in the Xinyi District has its observation gallery on the 89th floor and the ticket booth is on the fifth floor. The lift between the two takes just 37 seconds, and that is fast. The 89th floor is 392m above ground and the view is amazing. From 2004 until the Durj Khalifa was opened in Dubai in 2010, it was officially the world’s tallest building. The name comes from there being 101 floors above ground.
To counter the wind, a 660 metric tonne steel pendulum hangs down the centre. This can be viewed from the souvenir shop in the visitors’ centre at the top.
Shilin Night Market
The largest of Taipei’s night markets, the Shilin is near the Jiantan station on the MRT Danshui Line. The market stalls start to come to life about 5.30pm, but leave it a couple of hours after that to have most of the shops open. A large covered food market starts the exploration of side streets and covered markets selling everything from clothes to dodgy DVDs.
Miramar Centre
A shopping centre, albeit a good one, might seem a strange choice on a list of top tourist attractions, but this centre is also the home of Taipei’s 70m tall ferris wheel, which offers splendid views across the city from the north. The ticket hall also contains one of Taiwan’s four outlets of the Le Ble D’Or microbrewery, and is one of the best bars in Taipei. The centre also has an Imax theatre with a screen measuring 28 by 21 metres.
Tourism in Taipei
After sampling the above, most people will probably have a taste for more of Taipei’s life. Walking around the shops near the main railway station can be enjoyable and there are plenty more night markets and temples to visit. The area round Taipei 101 has a lot of new shopping malls with air conditioning. A pleasant afternoon can be spent in the museums at the 2/28 Peace Park.
Steve Rogerson - Steve Rogerson is a UK-based writer specialising in television, technology, sports and beer.
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