Taipei Travel

Taipei For Young People With spring's arrival, floral blooms are now busily repainting the landscape of this youthful city. One Taipei community with an unquenchable thirst for novelty is our young Gen Z population, and in this issue, you'll meet them in our Cover Story section. International zoomers, use this as your primer for playing the city. Non-Zoomers, you'll soon be learning that the things they're getting up to will be mighty fun for you too, and a great way to get to know Taipei. Topics crucial to the Taipei Z-world covered in our main feature include stan culture, merch shopping, dance challenges, photo booths, café hopping, and "Grandmacore" crafts. In a second feature article, you'll go deep into the Ximending neighborhood, Taipei's "youth subculture playground," checking out the capsule toys, manga stores, photo-worthy spots, and other irresistible attractions. For a change of pace, spend some time in the natural world in a quartet of files. In our third feature file, the theme is "city runs," rolling out the city's premier jogging routes, well-maintained riverside pathways providing scenic vistas. Other items on your upcoming Taipei experience menu: the East District's posh shopping and entertainment, and the mountain-backdrop Tianmu Community's unique old-new mix of cultural hotspots, in two A Day in Taipei tours. In our Out in Nature duo, ply the hilly Neihu District's "sweetest trails" to discover the pristine environment along the Dagou Stream, the panoramic downtown views from the Dragon Boat Rock, and strawberry picking farms in the Baishihu area. Then, learn about butterflies you can spot in Neihu's Jiannan Butterfly Garden, namely the blue tiger, Indian fritillary, and paper kite. Also, learn about beginner-friendly flower art workshops in DIY Fun; and – for your tummy – picnic food shopping and leading Muslim restaurants in two Fine Food reports. Finally, in Where to…, we shine a light on another side of Taipei's "nightlife" – the best spots to spot fireflies. Yes, this big city has them aplenty! May your time with us this spring bring you the most fragrant and aromatic memories. Enjoy!

Historic Taipei The Taipei of winter is a city cozy with warmth and good cheer! We've got a Christmas stocking-full of experiences, both entertaining and educational, this issue. Let's unwrap the articles we've gift-wrapped specially for you... We present a trio of cover stories, with the rich heritage side of Taipei as the focus. First, you'll travel through the city's commercial and political past, with visits to prominent works of architecture and infrastructure, related to railways, water infrastructure, and postal services, spanning the Qing era, Japanese era, and post-war period. Next up, explore two of the island's unique retired military dependents' villages transformed with new missions as living heritage sites. Finally, we offer up a report with practical pointers on where to find trained guide services for day-tour walkabouts in our history-richest neighborhoods. In our regular A Day in Taipei department, we take you on a guided wander through Taipei's oldest community, Wanhua, taking in a "heritage sugar refinery, nature park, iconic night market, great eats," and then explore the Shilin-Yuanshan area, visiting a former Chiang Kai-shek residence and surrounding expansive gardens, a "forest ark," a well-known night market and pub/bar area. Our two Out in Nature files introduce you to the historic Zhinan Temple Trail in the hilly Maokong tea-plantation area and to the lizards of "untamed Taipei" – and where to find them. You'll then switch from feasting for the eyes to feasting for the tummy in three articles, with a session at a local studio in DIY Fun using Traditional Chinese Medicine ingredients to craft your own health-enhancing herbal cola, trying out traditional food delicacies at four popular family-run century-old eateries in one Fine Food writing, and in another savoring appetizing intros to seven new Taipei recipients of Michelin stars. And to wrap everything up tight with a nice bow, Christmas is the timely subject in this edition's Where to… – where you'll find the city's best spots for a Christmas festive vibe. The cool air is filled with warm holiday spirit throughout the Taipei winter season, and the city's schedule is stuffed with large-scale festive activities. We're tickled and honored that you've chosen to spend your time with us – enjoy!