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National Concert Hall Taipei |
In Taiwan, Immigration is quick and easy, and after that headed to the tourist office at the airport. to get bus info to my hotel and get a map of the mass rapid transit (MRT), there is also an ATM next to the Tourist office.
Hotel: Stayed a mile from Taipei 101, close to lot of tourist attractions, MRT train station and Night Markets. There is also an Airport Shuttle that has a stop nearby.
Tip: Public transportation is very good in Taipei, I bought a 24 hour MRT pass, good on all subway trains.
Weather: November is hot and you'll need an AC at night, clear days and no rain.
Things to Do in Taipei Taiwan:
Taipei 101 Observatory
If you staying downtown or visiting, you cannot miss Taipei 101, there is also a subway stop for Taipei 101. The entrance to the the tower is through the mall.
Go there early to avoid long lines, the cost is about 15 US$ for the observation deck, has great views of Taipei. There is a large indoor and a small outdoor observation.
The ticket to the 101 is only good for 1 visit, wanted to go to the Observatory at night for some photography, was told a new ticket would be needed.
Above 2 pictures are Guinness World Record breaking high speed elevator info and the Super Big Wind Damper that keeps the building stable during high winds and earthquakes. Below a evening photo of Taipei 101
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
Visited the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial twice, once during the day and once during the night for some night photography
Take the Metro from Taipei 101 to Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station, once outside the station you'll see the Memorial Hall, wear some good walking shoes and give yourself a good hour to see the whole place.
There is Memorial hall on the upper floor and shops on the lower floor, there was an art exhibition there when I visited
Night Markets
Night Markets are basically Street Markets with mostly food vendors, there also other vendors selling clothes, books, toys ect. There are several Night Markets through out Taipei, they can be busy and its an experience in itself, while in Taipei its a must see, and try the foods.
While in Taipei, one can get by with English, at the night market I bought fruit from a vendor who didn't speak any English, still managed to buy some delicious Fruits.
Longshan Temple
The temple itself is not very big, the architecture is very impressive. Lots of locals come there to pray. There is also a night market nearby.

For some great food Visit Din Tai Fung
Located in the Taipei 101, you'll have to go to the mall towards the MRT and you'll see it outside the food court. Amazing Dumplings. During the day with lots of tourists, it was busy, I went there during the evening and it was no so full, maybe cause it was a Monday Night.
The dumplings are amazing
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Do you know if they still hold that Guiness Record? I wonder if it was not taken over by the Burj Khalifa elevator ;)
ReplyDeleteI visited Burj khalifa a year or so before Taipei 101, there was no signs at Burj about Guinness World Record breaking high speed elevator.
DeleteTaipei sounds like a wonderful and really beautiful place. My list of place to visit keeps growing bigger. I think l would enjoy the observation deck and food a lot :-)
ReplyDeleteThose markets look amazing! I've never been to a night market (there aren't such things in Europe). What was your favorite food in Taipei?
ReplyDeleteBeing a vegetarian, my favorite food was a delicious fruit salad
DeleteThanks for sharing these valuable tips. Love the night market scene and would love to explore them myself. :)
ReplyDeleteTaiwan looks like it is full of history and culture. Great post.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed Taipei, such a great city!
ReplyDeleteTaipei is a great city. My next door neighbor is from Taiwan. Such nice people, in my opinion. I have had the pleasure of enjoying authentic food from Taipei courtesy of our neighbor. Hopefully 1 day I will visit Taipei. Until then I will enjoy reading this post.
ReplyDeleteIt is my home country! Did you enjoy it? What food did you try at the night market?
ReplyDeleteI loved it, at the night Market I had a delicious fruit salad
DeleteSearched for Din Tai Fung after you talked about their yummy dumplings and found out they have been open since 1958 and many, many people say their food is excellent! I didn't know about them until you've mentioned them and I can't wait to visit their California location in a few weeks, when I'm in the area! I can taste the dumplings now...
ReplyDeleteWhat else would you recommend from there? I know you don’t eat meat but I've read that rice cakes with chicken and pork chop fried rice is a must try. I also wonder if the food is actually better in Taipei 101 or if it's all the same everywhere in the world?
The pork chop fried rice is to die for! You MUST try it and I think you’ll adore it! Whenever I am close to a Din Tai Fung place, I always get this along with something I haven’t yet tried from their menu. Trying to test out all of their food which will take a while, haha.
Delete@Arvin, that Super Big Wind Damper sounds like something really special. I can't even imagine what it would take to keep such a building stable during an earthquake.
Longshan looks quite impressive, beautiful architecture and very well taken care of from what I could tell. I haven't (yet) visited it but saw a few videos of it. Clearly something I want to visit myself.
Great post, Arvin!
I recommend you try their Sichuan spicy Wonton in chili oil - one of my faves from them. As to your second question, if the food is better in Taipei than someplace else, I would say yes, it’s better in Taipei. But, that doesn’t mean it’s not good in other locations, not at all. You should find great food in their California location.
DeleteThanks for the replies! I appreciate it!
Delete@Georgia, will definitely try it! And yes, I think I would also like to test out a lot of their food. Their menu looks insanely good!
@Alexander, that Sichuan spicy wonton in chili oil looks so yummy! Thanks for recommending it! I will try it for sure.
@Arvin, are you planning on visiting Taipei again? What else would you like to visit while there?
Yes, in a years time
DeleteDid you also get a chance to visit the Taipei Confucius Temple? You didn't talk about it so maybe you didn't. You should add it to your list for next time when you're in Taipei; it's well worth it.
ReplyDelete