| | Overview (Source: Frommers) |
Taiwan's capital city is also the country's commerce center. It's a big, bustling ultra-modern metropolis with a lively nightlife scene and fine cultural attractions. It's one of the world's most wired cities, where Wi-Fi (wireless Internet) access reaches up to 90 percent of its public spaces. It's also one of the world's greenest cities, with steep forest preserves lying inside the city limits. Taipei is located close to the island's north coast, with two rivers running through it and surrounded by mountains. Its nearly 3 million inhabitants are squeezed into what is essentially a basin, and the city has had to contend with traffic issues, air pollution, and other ramifications of a congested urban setting. Taipei may be the country's 21st-century business heart, but it's also a place where traditional outdoor markets thrive, particularly the popular night markets -- street festivals with food stands, flea-market finds, and carnival-like attractions -- and colorful weekend markets selling goods like jade and flowers. Just outside Taipei is the National Palace Museum, the world's premier collection of Asian antiquities and once the private imperial collection, housed in Beijing's Forbidden City for 500 years. Back to Top Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details d
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| History (Source: WCities) | Top | Evidence of human life on Taiwan dates back five to ten thousand years ago. Not much is known about the origins of Taiwan's earliest inhabitants except that their language bears more similarity to Indonesian than any Chinese dialect. The island enjoyed relative anonymity until 1206 when Genghis Khan named Taiwan a protectorate of the newly established Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368). Taiwan remained a quiet backwater until the 17th century when it became caught up in Chinese and colonial politics. The first recognition of Taiwan appeared in a diary entry from a Portuguese ship passing off the coast in 1517. Moved by the beauty of the island, the writer named it "Ilha Formosa" (or beautiful island) which is still used today. In 1624, a Dutch contingent landed in southern Taiwan in an effort to bolster their presence in Asia and began the first colonial occupation of the island by building a fort at the site of modern day Tainan . At that time, only the early inhabitants and a small number of Chinese fishermen from the nearby province of Fujian occupied the island. Two years later, the Spanish (also known as the red beards) followed, challenging the Dutch presence by claiming Dan Shui in northern Taiwan in 1626 and constructing Fort San Domingo . The Dutch, however, managed to evict the Spanish colonialists in 1641. The Dutch reign was not destined to last, and in 1661, Koxinga (Cheng Cheng-kung) came upon the scene. Koxinga was the son of a powerful merchant in s
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| How To Get There (Source: WCities) | Top | Getting There: By Air: The Taipei Song Shan Airport ( + 886 2 8770 3460/ http://www.tsa.gov.tw/0069/index_e/index_e.shtm ) offers service to destinations around the globe. Taiwan's main airport, the Chiang Kai-Shek International Airport ( http://www1.cksairport.gov.tw/english ) is located approximately 40km from downtown Taipei. These airports house the following airlines: Air Macau ( http://www.airmacau.com.mo/index.htm ) Air Canada ( http://www.aircanada.com ) Cathay Pacific Airways ( http://www.cathay-usa.com ) China Airlines ( http://www.china-airlines.com/en/index.htm ) Continental Airlines ( http://www.continental.com ) Japan Asia Airways ( http://www.jal.co.jp/en ) Mandarin Airlines ( http://www.mandarin-airlines.com ) Northwestern Airlines ( http://www.nwa.com/tw/tc/home.shtml ) Thai Airways ( http://www.thaiair.com ) Tranasia Airways ( http://www.tna.com.tw/index.asp ) UNI Air ( http://www.uniair.com.tw/index.asp ) Qantas Airways ( http://www.qantas.com.au ) There are a number of services that provide transportation from Taipei Song Shan Airport and Chiang Kai-Shek International Airport to destinations in and around Taipei. Taxis are located outside the arrivals terminal of each airport. When taking a taxi, it is advisable to have your destination written in Chinese, as services in English are limited. From Chiang Kai-Shek International Airport bus companies offering service to Taipei include Taiwan Bus
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| What To Do (Source: WCities) | Top | Though Taipei often strikes the first time visitor as a city lacking things to do, this couldn't be further from the truth. If it is temples and Chinese history that gets you going, or just window shopping, without a doubt Taipei is a fascinating city and has plenty to offer everyone. Night Markets and Temples If temples are your interest, Taipei has an abundant selection and variety of temples. There are several temples to be seen all over the city, but one of the more notable and frequently visited is the Lungshan Temple , located on the western edge of the city. With its ornate features and bright colors, Lungshan Temple, dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy , truly stands out and is invariably busy with both tourists and local worshipers. Other interesting temples worth a visit are the relatively quiet and sedate Confucius Temple and the Taoist Xing Tian Gong . Just a few minutes walk away from Lungshan Temple is Snake Alley . Although now it caters to tourists mostly, there are still some fascinating things to see. Such as the well-trained snake handlers cajoling and handling the snakes. The ultimate purpose of the snake handling is to extract a snake's blood and bile (caution- it's not for the squeamish); if you're brave enough, you can drink the end result. Supposedly, it's good for virility, which might explain the bus loads of elderly tourists who eagerly hand over their money for a glass of the prized snake juice and alcohol mixture.
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