One day in Taipei, what to do and what to see
First impressions of Taipei
These can be seen on the streets of Taipei
Taiwan is often in the news due to it being one of the world’s top geopolitical hotspots.
Now, the long-running strategic Great Game between the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of China (which is the official name of Taiwan) and the US are beyond the scope of this post and, to be honest, there is no shortage of material out there to read about the origins of the conflict, its economic and military implications (from microchips to aircraft carriers) and possible future scenarios. I leave it to you to make your own opinion on this matter!
As it happens in Seoul with its northern neighbour, when you are in Taipei, the existential dispute with mainland China is, of course, always lurking in the background.
In this particular case, my visit to Taipei coincided with a national election, an event that always brings the matter of the island’s prospective independence to the fore, with the subsequent reactions from Beijing.
Although I must admit I know next to nothing about Taiwanese politics, it was rather interesting to come across a few public meetings on the streets of Taipei.
There was also a fair amount of political propaganda all over the place and, proof of the global implications of the Taiwan-China issue, is the fact that, when I checked the press at the Starlux Airlines lounge at Taipei airport, pretty much all major international newspapers had the Taiwanese elections on their frontpages.
Politics aside, Taipei is a modern, buzzing and rather orderly and clean city.
As we shall see next, it also has a rather efficient public transportation system which lets you move around easily and not too expensively!
Navigating the Taipei Metro
The underground system in Taipei is really a thing of wonder: it is extensive, efficient, reasonably priced and full of all sort of Hello Kitty-themed motifs!
I also liked the way the information is depicted, with each station having maps that show the exact location of the platforms, corridors, exits, etc. with respect to the main landmarks and streets above ground.
It is also spotlessly clean and the platforms are delineated with specific areas to wait for the next train, so that people can queue in an orderly manner, something that they do religiously!
By the way, there is even an automated umbrella-rental service at some metro stations and convenience stores! Very convenient if a tropical storm suddenly pops over the city!
Taiwanese pop culture: Hello Kitty and more
Another amazing thing about Taiwan and, certainly, one that will catch the eye of many foreign visitors is the ubiquity of Hello Kitty and other similar cartoon-themed characters, LITERALLY EVERYWHERE.
I am not exaggeration if I say that Taiwan looks a almost like a HelloKitty-cracy. From before landing at Taipei (the airline’s videos already had them!) and at every step as you move through the airport, then the city, you come across all sort of cartoonish creatures on billboards, screens and the like.
This is, by no means, unique of Taiwan, Koreans like this style a lot too, but in Taiwan it is on a completely different level!
What to see in Taipei: Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
So, what are the top things to do and to see in Taipei if you are in town just for a couple of days?
I would say the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall comes possibly very near the top.
Chiang Kai-shek is, of course, the “founder” of modern Taiwan, or, more accurately “the Republic of China”, since, in this view, when he moved over to the island from mainland China after the Communists took control of the mainland, he was actually maintaining the pre-1949 Chinese state. This monument is, thus, devoted to preserve the memory of Chiang Kai-shek, who died in 1975.
To be honest, regardless of what your views on this conflict are, the place is really majestic, with the memorial standing at one end of a large square surrounded by perfectly manicured gardens.
There is not much to see inside the memorial itself other than a massive statue of a seated Chiang Kai-shek, but there is always a guard of honour, which gets changed regularly several times a day and the change of guard is really a sight to behold!
Getting to the top of Taipei 101
The other top thing to do in Taipei is, of course, get to the top of what was until recently the World’s tallest building, Taipei 101.
Taipei 101 is 508 meters high and has 101 above-ground floors (hence its name!).
Even if it is no longer a record holder (it was surpassed in 2010 by Dubai’s Burj Khalifa), Taipei 101 is a thing of beauty and, of course, has the best views of Taipei.
What’s more, it can be visited in the evening and after dark (perhaps even better than during the day, since you can admire the colourful lighting), so it is a great activity to close the sightseeing day.
There is an observatory at the top of Taipei 101, which you can buy tickets for.
This is a popular attraction, so expect some queues!
Taipei 101 is also on top of a massive mall at the eastern edge of downtown Taipei, at the core of one of the city’s several business districts. It is also right next to one of the stations (Taipei 101 / World Trade Center) of the red line of the metro.
In fact, Taipei 101 lies just on to of a massive mall with plenty of shops and large food court with all sorts of food styles and budget options, so it is also a good place to have lunch or dinner after your visit to the top.
The place is fitted with some really fancy infography and when you are the lift going up there is an electronic display that shows you how fast you are climbing.
The view from the top is really cool as well, since Taipei is a really big, buzzing city that glitters at night.
Recommended place to eat in Taipei
滇蜀饌
No. 9號, Taoyuan St, Zhongzheng District, Taipei
This is a really, really simple Yunnan-Sichuan food place located on a side street very close to Ximen metro station.
This is, however, that type of place where locals queue to get a spot at. And the reason for this is none other than the hot beef noodles soup you can see here depicted. Worth checking it out!
The best dessert in Taipei
This place is located in one of the most lively areas of Taipei, the Yonkang Street area in the Da’an district. It is a neighbourhood with plenty of commercial activity and pedestrianized steets.
Smoothie House
No. 15號, Yongkang St, Da’an District, Taipei
Its highlight is this massive mango shaved ice dish, which, it seems, someone from CNN has checked (I can say it wasn’t me issuing that previous recommendation, even if I am a contributor of this media outlet, and I endorse this opinion!)
What can I say? It is one of those rare cases in which the real thing is even bigger than it looks in the picture. And it is also one of the very few (if not the only) time that I have been unable to finish an ice-cream dessert because there was simply soooo much of it!
Dadaocheng Wharf Plaza & Ningxia Night Market
And we finish our tour of Taipei with a visit to the Ningxia Night Market and the adjacent Dadaocheng Wharf Plaza, which overlooks the Tamsui river.
As the name implies, the market is open in the evenings and it stretches over several streets on the westernmost part of downtown Taipei. This is an area with lots of commercial activity with plenty of shops and food stalls where it is possible to buy the most incredible types of foods, vegetables, spices and the like.
It is not, however, supercrowded, so you can walk through leisurely and there is an order to it.
Adjacent is the Dadaocheng Wharf Plaza, which is, essentially, a riverside promenade. It also has some food stalls and bars and it seems to be a popular place with the youth of Taipei. It has also some rather interesting cool paintings. Here you can also walk on some piers that protrude into the river and have a look at Sanchong, which is the district of Taipei right on the opposite bank.
Where to stay in Taipei
Taipei Roumei Boutique Hotel
No. 9, Lane 64, Section 2, Jianguo North Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei
This was quite a random find, since I booked at the very last minute and most of the international chain hotels were either fully booked or very pricey.
So, I took it because of good reviews and decent price and I think it was a good choice. Not so much because of the facilities, but because of its very central location, just meters away from one of the metro lines that take you straight to and from the airport and also within walking distance of one of the city’s downtown business districts.
This was a rather short but intense visit to Taipei and it was made possible in great part because Starlux Airlines, a young Taiwanese premium airline invited me to check out its new A321neo aircraft.
You can find here my Starlux Airlines Business Class and Economy Class reviews.
