Taipei
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As Taiwan’s capital, Taipei is a metropolis brimming with nightlife and culture. The city lies on the northern tip of the island nation and is known for its night markets, street food, and shopping. Taipei is the place to go if you’re looking for a foodie adventure on a small budget. It’s also fantastic if you want to experience a calmer side of Asia.
Travel tip #1: Taipei is a relatively safe city with low crime rates. It’s always best to be vigilant in a larger city, but rest assured that you won’t be pickpocketed or scammed in comparison to other parts of Asia.
Places of Interest
Taipei 101: This building was built to mimic a tall stalk of bamboo. Although no longer the world’s tallest building, it’s still quite a sight to behold and is difficult to miss. There are observation decks on the 88th, 89th, and 91st floors. Tickets are NT$600, which is approximately $20 USD.
Elephant Mountain: If you want to admire Taipei’s cityscape with Taipei 101 as part of the scenery (and avoid paying a hefty viewing price), hike up Elephant Mountain. Also known as Xiangshan, this low-lying mountain sits in the Xinyi District of Taipei. It is a short walk from the base of Taipei 101 and takes about 15-20 minutes to reach the top. The pathway and viewing points get relatively crowded on weekends with tourists and locals alike, but the sunset is totally worth it.
Liberty Square & Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall: In the Zhongzheng District is a large area dedicated to the former president of the Republic of China, Chiang Kai-shek. The entire complex is considered Liberty Square, but the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall is what attracts most visitors.
Yongkang Street: If you’re in Taipei and love food, you have to browse Yongkang Street’s collection of eateries. This is home to the original Din Tai Fung restaurant, now an international chain, and hosts a variety of other popular Taiwanese eats. Yongkang is easy to access by foot or train and can be leisurely explored for a couple hours at your own pace.
Dalongdong Baoan Temple: This Taiwanese folk temple is dedicated to the Taoist saint Baosheng Dadi. It incorporates Feng-Shui practices into its design and also includes ornate carvings, statues, and gold gates. It’s a beautiful temple and should definitely be visited while in Taipei.
Confucius Temple: Across from Baoan lies the Confucius Temple, which represents Chinese Confucian culture. It is modeled after the original temple in Qufu in Shandong Province in China. It’s very serene and silent, not at all tourist-y. On weekends, they hold community events on the temple grounds.
Songshan Ciyou Temple: Similar to Baoan, Songshan Ciyou is a folk temple. It is dedicated to the deity Black Faced Mazu. It is six floors high and has impressive ornate carvings throughout. The temple is illuminated at night, making it especially beautiful.
Nanmen Market: A traditional Taiwanese market that sells an assortment of fruits, breads, desserts, prepared foods, and dried meats. The first floor is where the food is while the second floor hosts clothing stores and small shops.
Raohe Night Market: Outside of the Songshan MRT station you will find Raohe Night Market. At this well-known night market, there are tons of food options lining the streets. It’s hard to decide what to eat with all of the tantalizing options in an arm’s reach, but there’s something for everyone.
Shilin Night Market: The biggest night market in Taipei, Shilin is a top destination for locals and tourists. Here you will find hundreds of street stalls and vendors selling all kinds of delicious food, cool clothes, and random trinkets. Located between two MRT stations, it’s easily accessible from all parts of the city.
Travel tip #2: Night markets are a way of life in Taiwan. You’ll see all kinds of people coming out any given night to pick-up food, hang out with friends, play games, or go shopping at these evenings meccas. Most open around 6 pm and close at about 11 pm or midnight. Raohe and Shilin are just two of many scattered throughout the city. Other popular night markets include: Ningxia (popular amongst locals), Tongua, Huaxi, and Keelung.
Food
Bubble tea: Bubble tea is a combination of chewy tapioca pearls and tea. The “bubble” part of the name comes from the tapioca pearls (also called “boba”) that sit on the bottom. A popular bubble tea chain I recommend is 50 Lan. My favorite is their black milk tea (50% sugar, less ice) with mini pearls, but their original “big” boba is equally good.
Xiao long bao: Translated as “pork soup dumplings,” xiao long bao are a classic Taiwanese dish. These delicious little pouches are usually filled with a ground pork mixture and savory broth. The dumplings are steamed to perfection, keeping the outer wrapping springy and soft while the fillings meld together. Xiao long bao are served with a side of grated ginger. You can also dip them in a mixture of soy sauce and vinegar to enhance the flavors.
Scallion pancake: Along Yongkang Street, you’ll find a corner shop called Tian Jin. The women here have been serving up traditional scallion (spring/ green onion) pancakes for years, and for good reason—they’re absolutely delicious. They’re grilled fresh and you can choose several different add-ons: egg, cheese, ham, and more. The line can get quite lengthy, so be prepared to wait along the side street.
Mango: Taiwan’s tropical climate is perfect for growing sweet, juicy fruit. Mango is a favorite amongst many locals, and the fruit is used in other treats, like snow ice and pies. They’re also enjoyed when simply sliced up. Fruit shops are the best place to purchase them.
Fried chicken: If you’ve seen fried chicken as big as your head, it’s probably from a night market in Taiwan. The chicken is thin and coated in a flavorful batter, which is then deep-fried and seasoned to your liking. If you’re not too keen on Asian street food, this is a good choice—everyone loves fried chicken!
Sugarcane juice: Don’t let the lime green color fool you—this stuff is fantastic. Stalks of sugarcane are pressed to create this sweet juice. While sugarcane juice sounds like it would be overly sweet, it really isn’t and compliments salty and savory night market food quite well.
Barbecue mushrooms: At the night markets, vendors grill giant oyster mushrooms over coals and lightly dress them with a sweet brown sauce. The mushrooms are then cut into small, bite-sized pieces, topped with the seasoning flavor of your choice, and garnished with cilantro, scallions, and spicy peppers. This is a great vegetarian-friendly street food dish.
Fried dough: Cheap eats are always nice to find. Although oily, fried dough is the perfect fluffy treat to offset heavier foods found at the night market. Many stands sell one piece for NT$15 (about $0.50 USD).
Pineapple pies/tarts: Sunmerry Bakery is your typical Taiwanese Bakery that makes tasty tiny pies, which are the perfect souvenirs so family and friends can taste a piece of Taiwan. Similar to Chinese pineapple tarts, these flakey pies are stuffed with pureed, sweetened pineapple. Sunmerry makes additional flavors, which you can sample in their shops. 25 pieces sell for around NT$300, or about $10 USD.
Travel tip #3: Mango snow ice is one of the more popular Taiwanese desserts. It helps beat the heat and humidity, and is very tasty. Although I did not have the opportunity to sample some when in Taiwan (it’s best for groups of people due to the serving size), it is definitely something to eat while there. Smoothie House and Ice Monster are two well-known shops that specialize in mango snow ice.
Transportation & Accommodation
Taipei is fairly easy to navigate and offers plenty of public transportation options. If you land at the Taoyuan Airport, you will need to get into the city center by either bus or train. The bus runs all hours of the day, every day of the week and is NT$140 per person. It will take you to Taipei Main Station and you can access the train lines from there or take a cab if it’s too late to catch the train. Alternatively, the MRT also runs in and out of the airport, but is a little bit more expensive than the bus.
The MRT system (trains) can get you throughout Taipei quickly and with ease. Stops and signs are clearly labeled in Taiwanese and English. The average price to take the MRT is about NT$30, or about $1 USD. Individual tickets that come in the form of a plastic coin can be purchased from the machines outside the gates. Additionally, buses can be taken throughout the city. Sometimes a bus is more direct than the train, but stops can be a bit more confusing if you don’t know the city too well. If you’re staying in Taipei for an extended amount of time, a reloadable tap card for the MRT and bus system can be purchased to make using the public transportation even easier.
Accommodation in Taipei is very affordable. From hotels to hostels, there are many to choose from across the city, but it would be best to stay in one close to a major train station. I stayed at Miniinn right outside of Taipei Main Station for about NT$500 per night (~$15 USD). The hostel was amazing, with incredibly clean and spacious rooms, a wonderful common area, and an excellent security systems in place. They offer free-of-charge rentable towels, as well as slippers/ sandals to use during your stay. Breakfast is available every morning, which includes eggs, meat, fresh salad, and an assortment of fruit. My favorite part of breakfast was the endless amount of self-serve hot milk tea. I loved how there was cold water, tea, and coffee available throughout the day in the common area, too. Another perk about Miniinn was their willingness to keep my belongings at the front desk until my flight later that night even though I had already checked-out. Book here for great service, a central location, and a quality night’s sleep while in Taipei.
Travel tip #4: Some of the major sightseeing destinations in Taipei are in walking distance of one another. Rather than paying for the train or bus, you can go by foot to your destination. If visiting Taipei during the summer, be sure to carry a collapsible umbrella to shield you from the sun or from the rain, as not all sidewalks are covered by building overhangs.
Climate
Taipei’s climate is subtropical, which means it does not have four distinct seasons but rather slightly cooler periods with different amounts of rainfall throughout the year. June through September tend to be hot and humid with occasional thunderstorms during the day and typhoons typically occur during these months. October and November are the best months to visit with ideal temperatures and little rain. Although the springtime has comparable temperatures to Fall, the amount of precipitation can vary year to year. December through February are the coolest months, yet still not unbearably cold compared to other places.