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General
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Printable Guide
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City Guide > East Asia > Taiwan > Taipei | |
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Mini Guide of Taipei City Overview It is only in the last 10 years that architecturally challenged Taipei, the boisterous business metropolis of one of the ‘tiger’ economies of Asia, has become more stylish and cosmopolitan. Taiwan’s population density is second only to Bangladesh and this city of 6 million people isn’t for the agoraphobic, or for those who like silence and greenery. But this fledgling democracy has the most open and helpful people in the region, as well as the most varied Chinese food. In Taiwan’s ‘Year of Tourism 2004’, Taipei is focused on promoting its historical and cultural treasures in a bid to attract more tourists. Boutique hotels and trendy bars have sprung up in a flurry of construction and Taipei recently unveiled a huge leisure and shopping complex housed in the ‘world’s tallest building’, Taipei 101. The government are also constructing parks and much needed infrastructure. Previously colonised by Japan, modern day Taiwan only came into existence in 1949, when 2 million nationalists fled here from the mainland, following defeat by the communists. The political issue of its relationship with China remains a sticking point in international relations. Taipei has warm weather year round, with high humidity and the occasional typhoon. Getting There By Air Chiang Kai-Shek Airport (CKS/TPE) Tel: (03) 398 3728 or 398 2194 (English speaking visitor information number) Website: www.cksairport.gov.tw Located 40km (25 miles) south of the city centre, CKS is very efficient and well served by international and regional airlines including the national carrier Eva Air (tel: (02) 25019599; website: www.evaair.com). T2 is newer, with more services: a bank, post office, medical, nursery, duty free, hotel reservations, car hire, shops, beauty salon, massage and basic restaurants. Executive lounges, limousine services, payphones, mobile-phone rentals, Internet and meeting rooms. T2 has a business centre and convention hall. Hotels will arrange airport transfers by limousine or minibus. There is no direct rail connection, but taxis or an inexpensive private airbus take passengers into the city centre in just under an hour. Getting There By Water The ports of Taichung, Hualien and Suao are only visited by cargo ships. Weekly international passenger ferries run between the Taiwanese Keelung and Kaohsiung ports and Naha, the capital of the southern Japanese-island of Okinawa. The overnight ferry, which takes from 16 to 20 hours to reach Keelung, departs from Okinawa on Thursday or Friday. Arimura Sangyo Company (tel: +81 98 860 1980 in Japan or tel: (07) 330 9811 in Kaohsiung). Star Cruises’ ‘Gemini’ also plies this route (tel: +81 3 6403 5188 in Japan, or tel: (02) 2731 0808 in Taiwan; website: www.starcruises.com.tw). There are also sea links between Kaosiung and Macau. Getting There By Road As Taiwan is an island, you can’t drive to Taipei from any other country. Two freeways run north to south. There are two major freeways into Taipei: Freeway No. 1 or the Chung-Shan freeway and Freeway No. 3 or the north-south freeway, known locally as the second freeway. Both go more or less north/south. From Freeway No. 1, take the Chung-Ching South Road and pass Chien-Kuo South Road to Chung-Hsio East Road to get into the city. From Freeway No. 3, take the Mu-Chia Road, pass Hsin-Hai Road and Fu-Hsing South Road to Chung-Hsio East Road. Taiwan has a higher car ownership per head than any country in the world, so the freeways are often congested. Getting There By Rail Electrified train services run along the west coast and diesel trains along the east coast. Services are frequent, although often slow, and less expensive than flying. The main city station is Taipei railway station (tel: (02) 2311 0121 or 2312 3256; website: www.railway.gov.tw) where services run from 0600-0000. A high speed rail link running north-south from Taipei to Kaoshiung will be completed in 2006 (website: www.thsrc.com.tw). For getting information on the local railways, call the Taiwan Railway Administrations during office hours only (tel: (02) 23 111 024, option 42 for timetable information in English). Getting Around Public Transport There are two main public transport routes around the city: metro or bus. The MRT Mass Rapid Transit System (tel: (02) 218 12345; website: www.urbanrail.net) has signs in English and is an efficient way to get around the city; it is also cheap and uncrowded. Its six lines cover major areas and trains run every 4 to 7 minutes between 0600 and 2400. Taipei has an astounding number of buses on the streets. City bus services are frequent, reliable and comfortable. Public buses are run by the Taiwan Bus Company (tel: (02) 3765 1284 or 0800 088 626; website: www.airbus.com.tw), the largest private bus company is Tonglien Bus Company (tel: 0800 241 560; website: www.ubus.com.tw). Bus services operate on a code numbering system. Avoid travelling by bus during rush hours: 0730-0930 and 1700-1900. Taxis Taxis are cheap and plentiful; they are also the most convenient way to get around. They operate on a meter and can be hailed on the street, picked up outside hotels, or a dispatch taxi may be called via an English-speaking radio calling system from almost any destination. A tip isn’t required, but writing destination addresses in Chinese is essential. To order a taxi, call the toll free taxi hotline (tel: 0800 055850, press 2 for English) or Dial a Taxi Taipei (tel: (02) 301 4567 or 746 9988) or Taiwan Taxi (tel: (02) 2192 6688; website: www.taiwantaxi.com.tw). Car Hire Hiring a car and driver is preferable to driving yourself. Taipei’s street numbering system is very confusing and traffic is congested. It’s only worth hiring a car to drive out of Taipei, although traffic congestion means that it takes a long time to get out, which is why most people prefer to fly. Internal flights are cheap and convenient and the domestic terminal is situated at Sungshan, in the heart of the city. An International Driving Licence is required to hire a car, which needs to be taken, along with passport and a passport-sized photograph, to the nearest Vehicle Registration Department to apply for a ‘Driver’s Licence Visa’. All vehicles need Compulsory Automobile Liability Insurance. Drink driving attracts heavy penalties. Driving is on the left, and speed limits range from 50kph (31mph) to 80-110kph (50-68mph) on freeways. Major providers at the airport and in the city include Asia Rent-A-Car Service (tel: (02) 2500 6633; website: www.asiarent.com.tw), Central Auto Service (tel: (02) 2828 0033; website: www.rentalcar.com.tw), Easy Rent (tel: (03) 3983636; website: www.easyrent.com.tw), and VIP Car Rental Co (tel: (02) 2713 1111; website: www.vipcar.com.tw). Business Business Etiquette Office hours in Taipei are Mon-Fri 0900-1700 and Sat 0900-1200. Taiwan is traditionally Chinese whilst at the same time, westernised. A strong Japanese influence is evident. Taiwan is a functional society, used to dealing with Westerners. A lightweight suit is suitable business wear, shaking hands the usual form of greeting and business cards printed in both Chinese and English should be given and received with two hands. When addressing people, the family or surname comes first. The bureaucracy has improved and the business culture is about being open and accessible. People are lively, friendly and very relaxed, although punctuality is important and appointments need to be made in advance. Taiwanese are fast-paced, hard working and highly educated. However, even if business is being conducted in English, a translator may be necessary. As in all Asian countries, face is important. Flexibility, imagination and going with the flow are the key to success. Sightseeing Sightseeing Overview Chinese culture is very much alive and celebrated beneath the modern veneer of this vibrant city. Treasure is held in Taipei’s National Palace Museum, which contains the world’s largest collection of Chinese artefacts. The city’s most celebrated monument is the museum dedicated to the former Chinese president, the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall which is the coolest place to be when the humidity gets too much. Lungshan Temple, south west of the city centre, is the place to be in the early evening. Next door, to complete the picture of Taiwan’s Chinese style, you can gawp at jars of pickled snakes and demonstrations with live pythons at the Huahsi Night Market, known locally as Snake Alley. For the Taiwanese, hell is being hungry and Taipei is a gourmet's paradise, boasting cuisine from every region of China. When the eating is done, there’s karaoke, live music, dancing and festivals throughout the year. Tourist Information Taipei Tourism Bureau Tel: (02) 2349 1635. Website: www.taiwan.net.tw Key Attractions National Palace Museum The National Palace Museum is considered one of the three top museums in the world and is home to over 650,000 priceless Chinese artefacts - the world’s largest collection. 221 Chih-shan Road, Section 2, Wai-shuang-hsi Tel: (02) 2881 2021. Website: www.npm.gov.tw Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall is an imposing tomb and shrine to Taipei’s most famous leader which also houses Taipei’s main venues for the performing arts, the National Theatre and National Opera House in its large grounds. 21, Zhongshan S. Road Tel: (02) 2343 1100. Website: www.cksmh.gov.tw Taipei 101 The tallest tower in the world, Taipei 101 offers 101 floors of entertainment and consumption - the Taiwanese idea of heaven. Everything is here - bars and restaurants, a health club, cinema and designer boutiques. While you’re there, take the fastest lift in the world up to The Observatory for the ultimate city view. 45 ShihFu Road, Hsin Yi District Tel: (02) 8181 7777. Website: www.tfc101.com.tw Lungshan Temple This, by contrast, is the cities most atmospheric Taoist temple, curling with dragons, wafting with incense and burning paper ‘ghost money’. 211 Guangzhou Street Tel: (02) 2302 5162. Night markets As shopping and eating are the top entertainments in Taiwan, a good place to experience these are at the many night markets dotted throughout the city, many open until midnight. ShihLin night market (Wenlin Road, Datung Road and Pingan Road, ShihLin District) is the largest and favourite, while Huashi Street Night Market (Snake Alley, between Siyuan Road and Huanhe South Road) a few paces from Lungshan Temple, is the most famed. It sells everything from snake soup to painted umbrellas to a shoulder massage. Further Distractions The Wisteria Tea House Visit an authentic Chinese tea house. The Wisteria Tea House, where Ang Lee shot Eat, Drink, Man, Woman is Taipei’s most historic - with wisteria in its garden. No 1, Lane 16, Sinsheng South Road, Section 3 Tel: (02) 2363 7375. Landis Pause Resort Taiwan has the second highest number of hot springs outside Japan. Bathe in sulphurous ones in the forested mountains at the Landis Pause Resort. At Wulai, visitors can also experience aboriginal traditional dancing and cuisine, and cherry blossoms in Spring. 61 Yanti Road, Wulai, Taipei County 233 Tel: (02) 2661 8000. Website: www.pauselandis.com.tw Tours of the City The most comprehensive range of coach tours including day and night tours of Taipei and day tours to scenic spots north, south, east and west is offered by the tourist board’s Taiwan Tour Bus (tel: 0800 011765 (24 hours); website: http://taiwantourbus.justaiwan.com/english) in association with major tour companies in Taipei. Golden Foundation Tours (tel: (02) 2773 3266; website: www.gftours.com.tw) is the largest tour company in Taipei, offering the widest range of coach tours. Tailor-made walking tours around night markets and so on are on request. The Taiwan Tourist Board (website: www.taiwan.net.tw) suggests independent round island rail tours and self-drive itineraries as well as offers new Blue Highway tours travelling along the Keelung and Danshui rivers, which accommodate bicycles to use the new cycle paths. Excursions The spectacular marble canyon of Taroko Gorge (tel: (03) 862 1100; website: www.taroko.gov.tw) in one of Taiwan’s six National Parks is the most popular day excursion. It includes a walk through tunnels and across a rope bridge below towering cliffs and visits to Taiwan’s most picturesque temple. Sun Moon Lake is best as an overnight as waking up to the mist over the lake at the only boutique hotel outside of Taipei, The Lalu (tel: (049) 285 6888; website: www.thelalu.com.tw), is part of the experience. Temples and scenic walks dot the shore and a rowboat takes you to tiny Lalu Island. Both tours are offered by The Golden Foundation (tel: (02) 2773 3266; website: www.gftours.com.tw). Sport Shopping Taipei’s main shopping districts are Simending, Jhongsiao and Sinyi. Theme streets such as the jade markets and computer lane found at Guanghua Commercial Plaza make shopping for one item convenient. Living Mall, 138, BaDe Road, Section 4, is known as the largest shopping mall in Asia (and the Living Hell by locals as its easy to get lost), but the newest and largest shopping and leisure extravaganza is in Taipei 101 Mall, 45, ShihFu Road. Here international designers from Armani to Louis Vuitton rub shoulders with local internationally known designers such as fashion designer Shiatzy Chen and New Works glass designers, both of whom have larger stores elsewhere in the city. A well managed mall for designer labels, good restaurants and a cinema is Breeze Center, 39, FuSing South Road, Section 1. Dihua Street, the oldest and largest trading area, is the best day market for atmosphere, although Chinese Handicraft Mart, 1, Syujhou Road (website: www.handicraft.org.tw) is a one stop shop for inexpensive traditional items. Pinn (in the Asia World Department Store, 50 ZhongSiao West Road, Section 1), a Chinese answer to the Conran store, sells tasteful teapots and lanterns etc. Most shops are open from 1000 to 2200, seven days a week. Culture The National Theatre and National Opera House (tel: (02) 2343 1100; website: www.ntch.edu.tw) in the grounds of the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall (whose wide open plaza is often used for large scale shows and folk performances) is the most important venue for the performing arts. 800 performances annually feature both local and international performers in programmes including dance, theatre, Chinese and Western operas, dramas, and ballets, as well as vocal and instrumental concerts. The Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan (tel: (02) 2712 2102; website: www.cloudgate.org.tw) world-famous Chinese contemporary dance company performs here. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, 505 Jen-ai Road, Section 4 (tel: (02) 2758 8008; website: www.yatsen.gov.tw) is the largest indoor auditorium in Taiwan and is used for large scale dance and musical productions. Shih-Ming Hall houses Taipei Eye (tel: (02) 2568 2677; website: www.taipeieye.com), Taipei’s main theatre and dance troupe, known internationally. Taiwan traditional theatre school have weekly performances: Hua-Shan Music Hall (tel: (02) 2351 6003) is newest on the music scene and has a different kind of local talent every night from classical to pop. Warner Village Cinema Multiplex, Shin Yi District, is also a great area for eating, drinking and shopping. Spot, Taipei Film House (tel: (02) 2778 2991; website: www.spot.org.tw) shows art house movies. Get information on cultural events at www.taiwanfun.com Nightlife The best nightlife is found in Anho Rd in East Taipei (most recently developed commercial district) and the older Shi Men Ding or West Side. Restaurants tend to open early, from 1800 until 2130, but with no licensing limits many bars are open until 0200-0400, and some all night. Shao yen or snack bars in night life areas are popular on the way home. Anho is scattered with bars and restaurants, including the Champagne Bar, 169, AnHer Road, Section 2, a lounge bar with sofas for a wealthy clientele, American-style Carnegies, 100, AnHo Rd, Section 2, with good rock music popular with expats and dancing on the bar at midnight! Across on Tun Hwa Road, Section 3 is Apartment which, modelled after a house, is private and discreet. Shi Men Ding has an olde worlde atmosphere with lots of tiny little bars and atmospheric tea and coffee houses in its narrow alleys and traditional night markets. As far as clubs go, the latest place for the in crowd is MINT, B1, Taipei 101, 45 ShihFu Road, Hsin Yi District, in an open courtyard with an illuminated dance floor. Plush, Top floor, The Living Mall, Core Pacific City, 138, BaDe Road, Section 4, features International visiting DJs. Then, there is the Ministry of Sound, 310, LenQun 3rd Road. Live music can be found in bars – good jazz can be found in Blue Note, 4F, 171, Roosevelt Road, Section 3, and Brown Sugar, 101, SongRen Road, but the most reliable music venue is in an old beer factory, Hua-Shan Music Hall, 2F, 1, BaDe Road, Section 1, featuring from classic to pop. City Statistics Location: At the top of the island of Taiwan, 100 miles off the south-eastern coast of China. Country dialling code: + 886. Time zone: GMT + 8. Electricity: 110 volts, 60 Hz; two-pin flat plugs. Average January temp: 16°C (60°F). Average July temp: 29°C (84°F). Annual rainfall: 2,934 mm (116 inches). Special Events The Lantern Festival, Feb, in front of the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, welcomes the zodiac animal of the Chinese New Year The Taipei Traditional Art Festival (TTAF) each spring runs for three months with performances of song, instrument, dance, and opera The Taipei Chinese Food Festival, June, at the World Trade Centre The Dragon Boat Festival, June, re-enacts the tragic story of poet Chu Yuan, along the Keelung River The Ghost Festival, end July – end August, is a month-long carnival in temples and on the streets in honour of the ancestors Double 10th National Day, Oct 10th, celebrates the founding of the ROC, with pomp and ceremony on the President Office’s forecourt Golden Horse Film Festival, Nov-Dec, held at Spot, Taipei Film House Cost of Living 10 Taiwan New Dollars (TWD 10) = £0.17; US$0.30; C$0.35; A$0.40; ¬0.25 Currency conversion rates as of October 2005 |