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City of Azaleas

Taipei architecture

Taipei 101, which held the title of the world's tallest building from 2004 to 2010, is designed to resemble a bamboo stalk and features a massive 660-tonne steel pendulum inside to dampen earthquake vibrations. The city's night markets — particularly Shilin and Raohe — are legendary among food travelers, offering hundreds of street foods in a single venue. Taiwan's bubble tea (boba milk tea) was invented in Taichung in the 1980s and became a global phenomenon largely exported from Taipei's café culture.

  • 5Landmarks
  • 0Oldest · Xiangshan (Taipei)
  • 508 mTallest · Taipei 101
  • 6Architects

Before you go

  • Fly intoTaiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE)

    Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, located southwest of the city, is consistently ranked among Asia's best airports for service and efficiency. It serves as a major transit hub between Northeast and Southeast Asia, and its Terminal 2 shopping and dining complex is a destination in itself. An airport MRT line, opened in 2017, provides a direct 35-minute connection to Taipei Main Station.

  • CurrencyNew Taiwan Dollar (NT$)
  • LanguageMandarin Chinese

    Mandarin Chinese is Taiwan's official language, though the local accent and vocabulary differ slightly from mainland Chinese. Taiwanese Hokkien (Taigi) is widely spoken, especially among older residents, and you will hear it in markets and traditional neighborhoods. Japanese words absorbed during the 50-year colonial period are still part of everyday speech. English is commonly spoken in Taipei's tech and business communities.

  • Getting aroundMRT & YouBike

    Taipei's MRT is consistently ranked among the world's cleanest, most punctual, and most affordable metro systems. Its EasyCard contactless payment covers the MRT, city buses, YouBike rental stations, and even many convenience stores. The YouBike public bicycle system has thousands of docking stations throughout the city and is extremely popular for short trips. Eating and drinking on the MRT is strictly prohibited — a rule enforced with remarkable compliance.

5 landmarks in Taipei

  1. Taipei 101
    Photo: Sinsyuan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Taipei 101

    No. 7, Section 5, Xinyi Rd, Xinyi District, Taipei 110, Taiwan

    The iconic 508-metre skyscraper that served as the world's tallest building from 2004 to 2010, designed to resemble a bamboo stalk with a 660-tonne pendulum inside to dampen earthquakes.

    Built
    2004
    Architect
    C.Y. Lee & Partners
    Style
    Postmodern / Chinese pagoda inspired
    Height
    508 m (1,667 ft)
    Stories
    101
    Today
    Office / observation deck / shopping
  2. National Palace Museum
    Photo: Peellden, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    National Palace Museum

    221 Section 2, Zhi Shan Rd, Shilin District, Taipei 111, Taiwan

    One of the world's greatest repositories of Chinese art and artifacts, housing nearly 700,000 objects spanning 8,000 years of Chinese history.

    Built
    1965
    Architect
    Wang Da-hong
    Style
    Traditional Chinese palace
    Height
    25 m (82 ft)
    Stories
    4
    Today
    Museum (active)
  3. Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
    Photo: AngMoKio, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall

    No. 21, Zhongshan S Rd, Zhongzheng District, Taipei 100, Taiwan

    A landmark memorial hall dedicated to the former President of the Republic of China, featuring the Changing of the Guard ceremony every hour.

    Built
    1980
    Architect
    Yang Cho-cheng
    Style
    Traditional Chinese
    Height
    70 m (230 ft)
    Stories
    5
    Today
    Memorial / museum
  4. Longshan Temple, Taipei
    Photo: This Photo was taken by Supanut Arunoprayote. Feel free to use any of my images, but please mention me as the author and, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Longshan Temple, Taipei

    211 Guangzhou St, Wanhua District, Taipei 108, Taiwan

    Taipei's oldest temple, founded in 1738, combining Buddhist, Taoist, and folk religion traditions and surviving two WWII bombings through what devotees call a miracle.

    Built
    1738
    Architect
    Wang Yi-shun
    Style
    Traditional Taiwanese Baroque
    Height
    16 m (52 ft)
    Stories
    2
    Today
    Temple (active)
  5. Xiangshan (Taipei)
    Photo: Lord Koxinga, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Xiangshan (Taipei)

    Xiangshan, Xinyi District, Taipei 110, Taiwan

    Elephant Mountain, a rocky peak on the edge of the city offering the most iconic views of Taipei 101 and the Taipei basin, reached via 1,500 stone steps.

    Built
    0
    Architect
    N/A (natural landmark)
    Style
    Natural
    Stories
    1
    Today
    Hiking trail / viewpoint

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