Taipei 101: A Crash Course On The Taiwanese Capital

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One of the downsides of having a full-time job is that you have to give up your flexibility as far as schedule is concerned. The past three months have been an exercise of ingenuity in scheduling, especially considering my unorthodox working time (night shift, from 8p.m. to 5a.m.). As a result, I’m only left with weekends for trips out of town.

One of the trips I can squeeze in is a trip to Taipei for two days with a couple of my cousins. The flight and hotel were booked last year through a promo so there’s no backing out now. Besides, the trip itself fits right in with my schedule, so no worries. And it has been a month since I left Manila and it has been driving me crazy to the point that I’ve been exploring the world through Google Maps. Heh.

The two-day period means I won’t get beyond scratching the surface of Taiwan’s capital. But it’s enough to get to know the city a little more, which has been on the upswing the past few years with a flourishing art scene and a culinary renaissance. Visiting Taipei is finding a lively mix of the old and new Asia. Dig a bit deeper and you’ll get to know the people – calm, nice and polite even in the crowded train stations at rush hours – and it’s them who give the city its unmistakable drive.

We start with Taipei’s top attraction, the National Palace Museum in Shilin at the northern part of the city. Cited as one of the must-visit museums in the world, it houses the national treasures and artifacts of China which originally belonged to the imperial dynasties. During the Chinese Civil War in 1945 to 1949, the national treasures were placed in crates and moved around mainland China to avoid the advances of communist forces and eventually ended up in Taipei when the Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomingtang) lost control of the entire mainland.

We spend the whole afternoon walking around the streets of Taipei before moving on to the mother of all Taiwan night markets. The Shilin Night Market is the country’s largest and probably the most famous, housing countless stores and stalls in a number of avenues, alleyways, streets and buildings. On a chilly Saturday night, the site is teeming with activity. While our main destination is a stall selling large fried chicken, there is ample reason to spend a couple more hours. It's not just the food, but the chance to see the Taiwanese let their hair down, have fun, and get down to it.

The next day we head to Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, one of Taipei's most famous landmarks. The structure was built in honor of the man who ruled the Republic of China from 1928 until 1975, which makes him one of the longest-serving statesmen in the world. Yet as with any popular figure, Chiang is not without controversy. Mainland Chinese somewhat view him as an enemy since he led a losing battle against the communists during the early years of the Cold War. The Taiwanese, on the other hand, are ambivalent regarding their admiration since the authoritarian Chiang gave the highest ranks and positions in the government, as well as in the military, to those mainland party cadres who had followed him to Taiwan after his defeat, virtually excluding the local Taiwanese population from any participation in political affairs. Moreover, Chiang's paranoia over a supposed plan to overthrow him led to a state of martial law that only ended in 1987, when his son Chiang Ching-kuo succeeded him.

Nevertheless, the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall was the stage of one of the most important events in recent history. In March 1990, students gathered in the square in front of the Memorial Hall to demand democratic reforms. The protests happened only a few months after those in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, by which the students in Taipei were inspired. But in Taipei there was no suppression of the movement. Then President of the Republic of China Lee Teng-hui instead seized the opportunity to win over the hardliner within the Guomindang and continued the process of democratization. In memory of the pro-democracy movement in 2007 the square has been renamed Liberty Square (formerly Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Square).

In the afternoon we do the “obligatory” climb to Taipei 101’s observation deck, where the cityscape of Taipei comes in full view. The building itself was the tallest in the world before the title was taken away by a certain building in Dubai, and now Taipei 101 has been relegated to fifth tallest (though it's still the world's tallest "green" building). For the average traveler, there’s not much to do inside the building other than gawk at luxury items at the mall, which occupies the first five floors, or eat at the food court in the basement.

As the evening deepens, we stroll down the Ximending in the Old District. It’s been called the Shibuya of Taiwan, which is somewhat expected, considering the Taiwanese affinity with Japanese pop culture. Bright neon lights belie the cultural significance of the area, which used to be an important site during the Sino-Japanese War of 1894. Nonetheless, Ximending is more popular now for its rows of shops and food stalls, where the young and hip of Taipei flock.

I dodge into an alley, following the scent of a noodle shop. Korean pop star Psy’s “Gangnam Style” blares from the square a couple of meters away. The cold evening air carries the thumping music into the pedestrian walkways, and the night gets more and more alive.

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Photos

Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall
One of Taipei's most popular landmarks, the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall was built in honor of the former political and military leader.

Taipei 101
The world's tallest building from 2004 to 2010 symbolizes Taipei's transformation into a modern city.

National Palace Museum
Taiwan's oldest museum is also one of the best museums in the world, according to various resources, citing its vast collection of ancient Chinese artifacts.

Shilin Night Market
Taipei's largest and most famous night market contains dozens and dozens of food stalls, as well as stores selling other items.

Ximending
The shopping area of Ximending draws the young and hip crowd especially on weekend nights.

Comments

[Sabretoothed chickens tour]

Dreaming of visiting Taiwan
Hi. Loved this post. We planned to get to Taiwan last year but it didn't happen. Still high on my list so will have to make it happen. So did you end up doing the 100 Waterfalls in Lao?

[JayExiomo]

You should. Taiwan is really an accessible place to visit. Hmm. I planned on going to Laos this October but I will have to cancel it because of some things beyond my control.