Travel Entry - 36 Hours in Taipei (Taiwan)

Have you ever watched "The Layover?" The TV show in which Anthony Bourdain spends 24-48 hours exploring a city before traveling to another. If so, you'll understand the title of this blog post. Kaz and I took on Anthony's role this past weekend...though we weren't quite as...rude! We've been wanting to explore outside of Japan a bit - but it's difficult because Kaz has limited time off work. So, we sat down and started planning some possible weekend/long-weekend trips. Taipei was first on our list...South Korea is next...and then China.  

Here's a bit of history about Taiwan...summed up as simply as possible. I found the history a bit challenging to follow; however, essential to understanding why Taiwan is the way it is! Geography-wise...Taiwan is an island off the coast of China and is officially known as the Republic of China (ROC). Not to be mistaken with mainland China, which is officially known as the People's Republic of China (PRC). Taiwan is currently considered a state...and not its own country. Taiwan was considered part of China until 1895 when it was ceded to Japan. However, in 1945, after WWII, China regained control of Taiwan. China placed Taiwan temporarily under control of Chiang Kai-Sheck (his name will come up later) and the Nationalist party. Then, when the Communists took control of mainland China, the Nationalists fled to Taiwan and the "temporary" control became permanent.  

Currently,  China regards Taiwan as a "rebel" nation and the two are at war. Taiwan is fighting to remain independent and China is fighting to reunite Taiwan with mainland China. Interestingly, China insists that nations cannot have official relations with both China and Taiwan...therefore, Taiwan has formal diplomatic ties with very few countries...and unofficial ties with many! 

Taipei is the biggest city in Taiwan and is actually considered the "unofficial" capital city - since the actual capital - Nanjing - is in mainland China. A typhoon had passed through Taiwan just days before we arrived - so we lucked out with lots of sun, heat (temps in the low 90s), and low humidity. The weather was definitely a welcomed break from the seemingly constant rain of Japan. 

Before I tell you about our adventures, here are a few of my observations about Taipei...

SCOOTERS!

1. Scooters are to Taipei what bikes are to Japan (and cars are to the US). There were scooters everywhere - and you really had to be aware of your surroundings because they commonly rode right onto the sidewalk.

2. Traffic does not yield to pedestrians...pedestrians yield to traffic - even at crosswalks. It only took one near miss for us to figure this one out! 

3. There is a lot more English than in Japan (especially when it comes to signs and menus)...however, you can get by quite far by speaking Japanese. Since Japanese tourists are some of the most popular visitors to Taipei...more people there seem to know more Japanese than English. Kaz and I found that people would first speak Chinese to him...and when he would respond in English...they would often change to Japanese. For me...they attempted English and it usually worked...unless it was a cab ride...then we all relied on GoogleMaps! :) And, in addition to the Japanese language - there are many Japanese restaurants and stores in Taipei too!  

4. If you've been to Hong Kong and Singapore...Taipei seems a bit like a cross between those two places. I can't really think of a good US city to compare it too...I need to travel more in the US! 

Since we arrived in Taipei around 1am (with every other visitor...I've never seen an airport SO busy at this time of the morning) and spent a bit of time getting a cab (after a failed ATM attempt and the need to use "card not cash"), our Saturday morning began with coffee! Of course! :)

Cube Latte at Fika Fika

We enjoyed a cube latte and a Western breakfast at Fika Fika Cafe. I had read that Taipei's coffee scene has been developing quite a bit recently...so I made a list of the recommended places. We hit two in our visit...not bad! 

After Fika Fika, we visited Lungshan Temple of Manka. The two main religions of Taiwan are Buddhism and Taoism...and it was really neat to see a place in which both of these religions existed together. I loved all the bright colors and intricate designs...very different from Japanese temples, which tend to be wooden with very neutral and muted colors. We were lucky enough to be able to watch a prayer service of some kind...and to witness tons of people making their own prayers and offerings.

Offerings...

From there, we headed to Liberty Square (also known as Freedom Square). Liberty Square is a large square with a massive building on each side. There is the Freedom Square Memorial Arch, Chiang Kai-shek (the person credited for essentially "founding Taiwan") Memorial Hall, the National Concert Hall, and the National Theater.  This area reminded me a bit of Washington DC...and being able to walk from monument to monument. Except...the buildings seemed so much larger! And did not have the same type of architecture, obviously! 

The Damper

Taipei 101

After a morning of temples and monuments, we were ready for lunch. So we headed to Taipei 101. Taipei 101 is currently the 5th tallest building in the world - and from the top - provides amazing 360-degree views of Taipei and the surrounding mountains. Taipei 101 also has a really neat wind damper in the middle of it. The damper moves back and forth during earthquakes, typhoons, and other storms to reduce the amplitude of mechanical vibration and prevent discomfort and/or damage. In 2015, the damper actually moved a full meter from center during a storm! 

Making the dumplings

Gotta have a mascot! 

On the first floor Taipei 101, is the famous restaurant Din Tai Fung, which is known for its xiao long bao (soup dumplings). We are lucky to have some of these restaurants in Nagoya - but when in Taipei, one must eat soup dumplings (oh, and drink bubble tea). 

With full bellies, we made our way to a really neat little area called the Songshan Culture and Creative Park in the Xinyi district. This area houses former tobacco factory warehouses, which have been turned into exhibition spaces and shops for local artists and designers. We were able to peruse tons of galleries and shops, which was tons of fun! It looked as though there were also several events taking place...featuring different types of art. We didn't end up checking any of those out, however, because there was an entry fee and the events looked to winding down for the evening. 

After our super-packed day, it was time to relax - Taiwan-style...which meant massages! Taiwan is known for their massages - specifically their foot massages - and there are shops everywhere. Some of which don't look as though you would want to visit them. Luckily, we had a Japanese travel book - with some highly recommended spots. So, we checked one out - and were not disappointed. We both enjoyed a 15-minute head and neck massage followed by a 45-minute foot/reflexology massage for less than $35 each!  This is a MUST DO for anyone visiting Taipei! 

The last stop on our list for the day was the Shinlin Night Market. Picture a narrow street lined with random shops - now add thousands of people and tons of little carts selling random food. Overwhelming in every way! We soaked in the experience, sampled a yummy beef bun, drank some bubble tea...and then made our way home before I became any more overwhelmed! I have to say that I am getting more used to big crowds since moving to Japan...but these market-type things are still a bit too much for me!

These are 6,000 years old! 

The next morning, we got to the National Palace Museum just as it opened so that we could beat the crowds as much as possible. The National Palace Museum houses one of the largest collections of Chinese artifacts in the world. Chiang Kai-shek is credited for sending as many of these artifacts to Taiwan as he could - so that they could be preserved (and not destroyed by the Communists). I think the most fascinating thing about some of the pieces in the museum was not their beauty, but their age. We actually saw some artifacts that were more than 6,000 years old. It's hard to even fathom that idea!


After the museum, we filled our bellies with some more coffee and a yummy brunch at Gabee. Gabee is the Taiwanese word for coffee and had a really hip and modern vibe! They even had coffee mugs from coffee shops all around the world. Then on to the airport it was for our flight back to Japan (we may or may not have squeezed in another quick massage on our way).

I would definitely say that Taipei is a doable "layover" or weekend trip...especially if you focus on city-only activities. I am hoping that at some point, we will be able to return to Taiwan to enjoy more nature-type activities in some of the less populated areas. 

Sunny Moments: A break from the Japanese rain; yummy dumplings; bubble tea; relaxing massages; and, getting to experience a new place and culture!

Cloudy Moments: Expired ATM cards; close encounters with scooters; and, overcrowded markets.