Taipei Travel

TAIPEI Quarterly Issue 03 Spring 2016

Taipei’s Ever Changing Face Over hundreds of years of reclamation and development, the face of Taipei has been ever-changing. This year, during the Lunar New Year holidays, the city government efficiently dismantled the Zhongxiao Bridge access-road overpass in just a six-day period, restoring the old walled city’s 1884-built Cheng-En Gate, better known as Beimen, to its full visual glory. This project also brought the Taipei Post Office and railway museum within the panorama, creating iconic new Taipei imagery. Future work will craft an image in the style of a Taipei triumphal arch, reshaping the city skyline.

To promote the city’s hosting of Velo-city Global 2016 and the 2017 Summer Universiade, Taipei Mayor Wenje Ko set off on a grand personal quest. Dubbed the “One-Day Taipei to Kaohsiung Cycling Challenge,” he set out on bicycle from Taipei’s Guandu Temple, riding 300 kilometers in 19 hours, 52 minutes on January 9th. One month later, during the February 28th Peace Memorial Day long weekend, Ko took up a new challenge, this time cycling between two lighthouses. On the morning of February 27th, he set out from Taiwan’s northernmost Fuguijiao Lighthouse. Unfazed by the wind and rain, he arrived at Taiwan’s southernmost Eluanbi Lighthouse 28 hours later, completing 520 kilometers on bicycle. His goal was to encourage all of us to bravely follow our dreams, and to realize that we can each make the impossible possible.

Sports stimulate enthusiasm and boost morale. In this issue of TAIPEI, we present a special report on ace pitcher Wei-Yin Chen, who is playing in America’s MLB. Chen talks about his impressions of Taipei and favorite memories from his youth. We also introduce Tai Tzu-ying, currently ranked number three in the world in women’s badminton, and Huang Shih-feng, silver-medal winner in the men’s javelin throw at last year’s Summer Universiade in Guangju. Hopes are high for even more brilliant performances in Taipei’s upcoming Summer Universiade, which is certain to position Taiwan in the global spotlight. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Taipei MRT system. Each day, MRT trains shuttle to and fro across mountain-framed basin landscape, allowing riders a diversity of perspectives, both visual and emotional. For this issue we have invited well-known travel experts to introduce shooting locations from classic domestic films. Movies such as Brother Liu and Brother Wang on the Roads in Taiwan, Turn Left, Turn Right, and Forever Love were shot in Beitou, in the past called the “Hollywood of Taiwanese cinema.” The box-office smash Café.Waiting.Love was indeed shot at a café of the same name on Yishou Street. In Our Times, the outdoor rink where characters Hsu Taiyu and Truly Lin practiced roller-skating is in Muzha Park. Roam this city and you are certain to encounter many scenes that are touching and that inspire fond memories.

In addition to the advantages of convenient transportation, the capital city’s hustle and bustle, as well as its rich cultural heritage, attracts foreign budget travelers and travelers from other areas of Taiwan. In recent years, many licensed youth hostels have sprung up, giving these visitors accommodation choices that are both economical and safe. The Department of Information and Tourism under Taipei City Government advises visitors to go online to check its listings of legal facilities before booking to ensure protection of their consumer rights.

There’s nothing that whets the appetite better than touring a city’s food landscapes! In this issue is a guide to famous food sellers in Nanmen Market and around Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. Jerky, ham, and xiaolongbao are all must-try delicacies. Elsewhere, Yongkang Street’s Smoothie House offers rich and flavorful shaved-ice confections, and the quaint and quiet eatery QingTian 76 is a restful place that provides much food for thought.

The face of Taipei is a smiling one, warm and welcoming to all. This is a place of uniqueness and  unrivaled diversity. Come and linger, slowly savoring its advantages!

TAIPEI