Taipei
Introduction
Neon colored Chinese painting!!
Taipei has the highest population density for any city in Taiwan (3 million people in an area less than half the size of Dublin) and is the economic, cultural and governmental center.
Located in the Northern part of the Island of Taiwan (which is situated of the South East cost of Mainland China), Taipei was originally settled as a trading post (1853) and agricultural center on the flood plains between the Danshui and Keeling rivers. Taipei literally means ‘North Taiwan’.
Like all major cities Taipei has it’s range of problems; over crowding, pollution, traffic (considerably better since the development of the MRT system) and for the most part extremely poor architectural properties. Yet despite these problems Taipei can continue to surprise the visitor or resident, buried behind blocks of tile covered multi-storey buildings are hidden temples, markets, and colonial buildings waiting to be found.
One of the amazing things about Taipei is the friendliness and willingness to help of the locals. If you ever find yourself struggling to explain to a shop keeper or lost in the city, be assured that the person beside you will see your distress and come to your rescue (even if they only have tit-bits of English). English is now taught throughout the educational system, however the older generation mostly did their schooling under the Japanese system. One place where an address, business card or some level of Chinese will be required is the city cabs, without one of these on your person prior to taking a taxi ride, the result is usually an interesting story for the future!!
All costs in this section will be displayed in NT$, at time of writing the exchange rate with Euro dollar was floating around Euro 1 : NT$39-41, the exchange rate with the US dollar was floating around US$ 1 : NT$ 30-33
Cost of Living
Living in Taipei can be as expensive or inexpensive as the individual prefers. As with all major cities, to live in certain areas may take a bigger dent out of your pocket.
The cities foreign community can be loosely categorized into two classes; the expatriates and the English teachers. Both groups mingle freely however, the expatriates tend to be more concentrated around the Tien Mu (also conveniently located near the American & European schools) area of the city. Living cost in this part of the city is slightly higher than anywhere else.
Tealit.com isone of the most popular English living websites in Taiwan. Updated prices for housing in Taipei and other area’s of Taiwan can be found easily there.
- Steak Dinner – NT$ 180-up
- Chinese Lunch Box - NT$ 80-100
- Fried Rice – NT$80
- Big Mac Meal – NT$ 109
- Bar of Chocolate - NT$ 20
- Subway Sandwich – NT$ 180
- MRT Ticket – NT$20 - 40
- Taxi Ride (within the city) – NT$100
- Cup of Coffee NT$ 25 (7-11), NT$ 90 (Starbucks)
- Beer – NT$52 from 7-11, NT$160 for a draft pint, NT$100-160 for a bottle of lager in a pub or night club
- Big night out NT$ 3,000 -5,000
Shopping
Chung Hsiao E Rd., Fushing S Rd. (crossroads),
- SOGO Department Store, western brand names
Living Mall
- Western brand names
Gung Guang
- University Fashion, sports stores (good deals to be had), good food vendors
Shimen Ding
- High School Fashion, inexpensive Japanese pop fashion, good food vendors
Jason’s Food Hall
- Supermarket at bottom of 101, good western selection of foods available
Nightlife
Taipei has everything you’d expect from any major capital city however while the variety may not be what you would get in western countries, the quality is just as good.
Locals have a preference for KTV’s, while foreigners tend to enjoy the pubs, bars and nightclubs scattered around the city.
A trip to the local KTV is a must during your time here, if nothing else just to be able to say you’ve been there. Break out the microphone and sing to your hearts content in your private room. Look up the Holiday KTV or Cashbox KTV websites for more information.
The Brass Monkey - A sports bar located near the corner of Fu Xing and Nan Jing Nan Lu. This bar hosts a ladies night on Thursdays where all ladies get free cocktails all night. The beers are reasonably prices and food is good. This pub is popular with all and attracts a good crowd most nights of the week.
Carnegie’s - Part of the Carnegie’s chain started in Hong Kong, this bar has the fancy location of being on An He Lu Section 2. Wednesday is their big night midweek with ladies getting free champagne all night, while Fridays and Saturdays are also busy. What marks Carnegie’s out as a spot to remember is the ability to dance on the bar. This attracts some of the wilder locals to get up and ‘strut their stuff’. This is accompanied by inebriated expat’s shacking their pin strips and you have the typical makings of a night in Carnegie’s.
During the day the patio is opened and food is served and considering Carnegie’s night time infamy, the food is surprisingly good.
Roxy - with three locations in the Jin Shan area Roxy is one of the most widely known and most established bars/night-clubs in Taipei. With it’s Roxy 99 bar catering to students of the near by Shi Da university it is full on most weekends. The late night Vibe near Xin Yi Lu also attracts the crowds on weekends, however this is more down to it’s extremely late closing hours than the beauty of the establishment.
JB’s - If beers and a ‘local’ are more your kind of thing, drop in on JB’s. A quiet bar located within walking distance of Shi Da night market. The food here is prepared by a western chef and if you’re looking to sit and have a chat, there’s no better place.
Luxy - Located along the fashionable Jung Xiao North road, Luxy is one of Taipei’s two super clubs. With two rooms (Hip, Hop and Techno), Luxy provides more than your average nightclub. Fire shows, luxy dancers, people on stilts and even the odd superstar DJ dropping by, make this one of the best clubs in town.
Ministry of Sound - Just outside the city, in a commercial zone, this mega club was purposely built to attract the crowds. Sadly this club looks to be heading the same way as it’s English based flagship went. Location and size may have got the better of it.
For more information on the clubs, pubs and events going on in Taipei look up:
http://www.urbanpeople.net
www.taipeinightlife.com
Dining Out
Dining out can be a real pleasure in Taipei. The traditional way to greet somebody in Taiwanese culture is to ask them ‘Ni Chr Bao Le Ma?’ Or “have you eaten?’. Restaurants and food stalls are everywhere, and open 24-hours a day. The selection is an almost endless array of cuisines from mainland China, including dishes from Hunan, Guangdong, Yunnan, Shanghai, Beijing, and Sichuan, not to mention, Italian, French, Mongolian, Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese, German, Thai, Greek and. the list goes on.
One of the most interesting places in Taiwan to eat is the local night market. As the name suggests it’s a market that open from 7 pm to late. Food stalls are crammed into unbelievably tight spaces here, all selling snacks and full meals from the side of pushcarts.
Some of the more famous night markets are:
Shi Lin
Shi Da
Tunghua
Jaoho St
If western food is your thing, try the basement floors of any of the big department stores. There’s usually a food court that covers all tastes.
Tourism
Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall
Chiang Kai Shek was the first president of Taiwan. The park and monument were both built to show the people of Taiwan’s affection for their first president. Today it stands near the presidential palace on one of the largest open spaces in the city. The impressive white building with blue roof is popular with both tourist and locals. Beneath the statue to the man himself on the top floor, you can find details on CKS’s life. Back up on the top floor try and catch the changing of the guards, which is performed on the hour.
CKS is a good spot for a photo opportunities, the national concert hall and national theatre are both located on grounds of the park, both just as impressive as CKS’s main building.
The surrounding gardens also act as a peaceful retreat from the hectic life of the city. It’s very normal to come across people playing chess, practicing Tai Chi, ballroom dance and other martial arts in the mornings and evenings around the walled park.
Sun Yet Sen Memorial Hall
Sun Yet Sen was the founding father of China, he lead and won an nationwide rebellion over the Qing dynasty in 1911. After the historic victory Dr. Sun stepped aside and allowed another (Yuan Shi Kai) to try and rule the mainland. A lot of Taiwanese people therefore closely associate with SYS and a memorial park and building can be found in the eastern part of the city dedicated to him. Much that has been said about CKS’s park can also be said about the SYS’s. If planning to live in Taipei, having an open area like either of these spaces near your apartment would be a nice amenity to have close at hand.
The Martyrs’ Shine
Located in the Northern part of Taipei, between the American club and the Taiwan Navy HQ, you’ll find a shrine to all the soldiers who fell while serving to protect the ROC. It’s a very peaceful place, with an impressive temple located at the base of the Taipei hills. The quietness is ritually broken on the hour when busloads of tourists arrive for the change of the guard. The guards quick hands while they juggle their rifles are an impressive site to see, yet these day camera’s are the only weapons to be fired.
The National Palace Museum
The world’s largest collection of Chinese artifacts can be found here. Over the many dynasties that ruled China, a large treasure of goods was collected. These treasures were kept in the Forbidden City in Beijing. After the fall of the KMT in China, everything was packed up and shipped with the then government to Taiwan, where it now can be viewed in the National Palace Museum.
Only a small proportion of the collection is put on view at any one time, the rest is stored in underground vaults in the mountain side the Palace is built next to.
The Museum is a must see at some stage during your stay in Taipei, if for nothing more than to be able to say you did it.
Longshan Temple
In 1985, the Taiwanese government listed Longshan Temple as a national historical site. The Longshan Temple was finished in 1738 during the Ching dynasty. The Temple was built with three different halls. Currently, 24 different gods live in Longshan Temple to guard the nation. To serve the visitors better, apart from the old temple, new additions include the library, exhibition room, gardens and lighting system. Social service is available at the Longshan Temple; there are various programs to help the public because it receives a lot of donations each year.
Yangmingshan National Park
Yangmingshan National Park, founded in 1962, is a popular place all year. There is flower season in the spring, hiking season in the summer, maple season in the fall and hot spring season in the winter. On casual days, people will come for the sunset and night view. Yanmingshan has an extraordinary volcanic landscape. In total about two million people visit Yangmingshan each year.
Peitou Hot Spring Museum
Taipei, No. 2, Zhong Shan North Road, Peitou District
Hell Valley
The Peitou District has many hot springs and is most famous for its Hell Valley and sulfur sent. Natural hot springs pop up all around the town and to enjoy the pleasures of a hot spring bath enquire in one of the many restaurants or hotel offering the service. Prices range from NT$50 to NT$150 per person. Special deals can be had if food is also bought at the same location, so ask around.
Mao Kon Tea Houses
Tea is the most popular drink in Taiwan, and Mao Kon is a great place for tea and relaxation. It is not far from the city, only about 30 minutes to an hour by bus from Taipei Railroad Station. It’s a favored place for students, friends and families to go and hang out. Some of the Tea Houses also offer impressive views over the city and are open late into the night.
Transportation
The public transportation in Taipei is very good. The bus system will transport you around the city at a cost of only NT$15 -30 per trip. Not only are they extremely cheap they are also clean and very frequent.
If catching the bus is not your thing, Taipei also has an ever expanding Metropolitan Rapid Transit (MRT) system. The system already covers the majority of the city and even some of the suburbs. The trains are spotlessly clean (no eating or drinking or chewing gum allowed) and run every 10-15 min (depending on the time of day).
Taxi’s are also a good way to navigate the city, however as stated before, a written address, name card or some level of Chinese is preferable prior to taking this journey.
Lastly but not to be forgotten, is the beloved scooter. Story has it that there are 45 million scooters in Taiwan (population only 30 million). Everybody drives these candy-colored death traps. The roads and pavements are full of them. Riding these lunatic machines is good fun however, pay heed to your fellow drivers, it’s not uncommon to see white sheets being pulled over other ‘moped’ drivers at the scene of a crash (nothing more breakable than you on the road).
A tank of petrol will cost NT$ 100. Information on the cost of a second hand scooter can be found at:
www.tealit.com