Travel to Taipei, Taiwan begins at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, TPE, locate around 25 miles west of Taipei city center. It was open for commercial operations in 1979 and has become a significant regional passenger hub and gateway for destinations in Asia, especially through its flag carriers of EVA Air and China Airlines. Formerly known as Chiang Kai-shek International Airport, it was renamed in 2006 and now handles around 42 million passengers as the world’s 10th busiest airport.
The airport offers an array of shopping and even a cultural arts museum. Those with an ache or two can get a massage at the airport by a blind masseuse, a master of the practice that feels and smooths the problem areas without need of communication. For those who have extra time during a layover, say, seven to 24 hours, try a half-day tour.
Travel into Taipei is a breeze from the airport though a new high-speed rail system opened in 2017. The highly efficient transportation network offers both Express and Commuter trains at stations set up in Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, which arrive with speedy regularity every 7.5 minutes. Passengers pay a maximum fare of $5 for a ride that takes approx. 35 minutes to reach Taipei Main Station. The trains run from 6.05 am to 11:35 pm daily. Trains cabins feature free phone charging pockets and free Wi-Fi on board. For those who prefer to take a taxi, the drive will take around 50 minutes and cost $30-$40. It’s advise to have a copy of the hotel’s name and address written in Chinese, as most drivers will not speak English.
Travel to Taipei: Top Things to Do
National Palace Museum: Travel to Taipei
Travel to Taipei will well reward with a visit to the National Palace Museum. This museum in Taipei is one of the pre-eminent museums of art and antiquities in Asia and is most celebrate for its collection of jade carvings, realistic depictions of everyday items and scenes from poems painstakingly carved during the Qing Dynasty. Other carvings of from bamboo, wood, ivory, rhinoceros horn, and even fruit pits are on display, a fabulous line-up of miniatures that defy the eyes ability to perceive them. The Carve Olive-stone Boat is a tiny boat carve from an olive stone that needs to be view through a magnifying glass. The museum has some 700,000 items in its collection, most save and smuggle over in rough travel passages from Mainland China in the earlier years of the 20thcentury through Gen. Chiang Kai-Shek’s armies.
Taipei 101: Travel to Taipei
Travelers to Taipei should not miss the towering pagoda temple in the center of Taipei. The Taipei 101 is a legendary landmark in Xinyi District of Taipei and officially held the title of the world’s tallest building, at 101 stories, from 2004 to 2010, when it was surpasses by Dubai’s Burj Khalifa. The 1,671-foot structure currently holds the record as the world’s tallest LEED-certify or green building. It’s superfast elevator whisks passengers from the 5th to the 89th floor at a speed of 37.7 mph for a 37-second ride. The base of the office building is a high-end shopping mall and observation areas and decks await at the top for the elevator ride that costs around $20.
Dilhua Street
This is a fun and ambient street that is more in the fashion of a 19th century bazaar. The street, also known as Centre Street, dates back to Formosa Island days of the 1850s. The street became known for Chinese medicinal herbs, fabrics, incense materials, post office services and Taiwanese tea. As oldest street in Taipei and with many areas that reach back to the time when the island was under Dutch rule (1624–1661), its architecture has been under strict protection by the city. It’s a thriving place, full of atmosphere and curious findings.
Bao-an Temple
The Bao-an Temple, built in 1825 of the wood and stone materials, took a full quarter-century to complete and had to be built by artisans brought over from mainland China. It’s dedicate to the Taoist saint Baosheng Dadi and follows strict Feng-Shui practices in observance of Confucian principles. The stone carvings, stone lions, dragon columns, stone bamboo windows, and wood, stone, and clay carvings are preserve and stunning to observe, especially during Baosheng Cultural Festival held on the 14th day of the 3rd moon (usually in April), when participants march in a parade and practice a fire-walking ritual to appease local gods.
Longshan Temple: Travel to Taipei
This temple in the central Wanhua District of Taipei is perhaps the most well-known and famous of the city’s Buddhist temples. It was built in 1738 by settlers from Fuxian as a gathering place for Chinese settlers and has suffered through disasters and wars in the intervening years. A pair of bronze dragon poles in the front hall, four pairs of dragon poles in the middle hall plus stone and wood sculptures wood sculptures make this temple worth the visit. Light some incense, say a prayer and then have your fortune read by one of the many practitioners sitting on the margins with tables and tools. (Note: bring a local translator to the session). Located one block to the east of the temple is the historic Bopiliao, a colorful traditional walking street with Qing Dynasty architecture and a museum.
Confucius Temple
The construction of this temple in the 1920s is in the style of Minnan, which shows significant historical events in the form of art on the walls. It is model after the original Confucius Temple in Qufu, China, where the philosopher was born and live with his family in what is now Shandong Province. The building is appropriately austere, although it is adorn with southern Fujian-style ceramic applique.
Travel to Taipei: Tips
EasyCard
Similar to the Octopus Card in Hong Kong, the Taipei Easycard allows passengers to ride the Taipei MRT and other transport systems with the easy touch of the card. They can purchase at 7-11 and other convenience stores for a few dollars, issued with no balance. All credit can later refund at MRT stations.
Taiwanese Taipei
While residents of Taiwan may be culturally Chinese, they refer to themselves as Taiwanese, not Chinese and prefer to be considered Taiwanese by foreigners and visitors.
Metro Etiquettes
Metro takers are polite and line up to take their turn to move through the entrances, take the elevators and enter the trains. Not doing so would consider rude. Also, do not eat or drink in the metro as this practice is not accept and you will fine. Finally, respect the darker color seats as they are reserve for the older people, pregnant women, and the infirm.
Taiwanese Food
Food is an artform in Taiwan and dishes are given poetic names and come in the form of elaborate sculptures. The Chinese culinary influence is mostly Fujian, but Japanese and local tribal influence plays a part as well. Seafood plays as a prominent main ingredient as do the subtropical bounties of papayas, starfruit, melons, and citrus, spice by soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, ferment black beans, pickle radish, pickle mustard greens, peanuts, chili peppers, cilantro and basil.
Din Tai Fung: Travel to Taipei
Eat at the original Din Tai Fung, a worthy outlet for all that makes Taiwanese cooking famous. Top dishes: Green Chilis Stuffed with Marinated Minced Meat; Steamed Chicken Soup; Stir-Fried Dou Miao with Shrimps; Steamed Angled Gourd & Shrimp Dumplings. Expect long lines at the main, original location on Xinyi Road. There are several sister restaurants around the city, including Taipei 101.
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