So far, we have introduced you very specific spots of Taipei, like museums, restaurants, particular people, shops and … so on …. so on. However we haven’t shown you the most important thing …. The Taipei City itself; The cradle which hosts all these wonderful people and places.
So, the purpose of this post is to take you with us to our strolls around the town and show you the urban aspect of this amazing and diverse city of the far East. Are you ready to walk?
↑ These places in the photos above are the East Gate Town (東門町 Tung Mêng Ting), which used to be the residential area of civil servants located in the south of Taipei, and the West Gate Town (西門町 Hsi Mêng Ting); the place is located in the west of Taipei and it gathers mostly youths and fashion trends.
As you can see, Taipei has nothing to envy from a western city. You can find anything you want at any time of the day. Of course, the mentality and the aesthetics is quite different from the western standards, as it fuses the Chinese, Japanese, and Western styles. However, as soon as you get used to it, you realize that this is exactly what makes Taipei so attractive.
↑ Here you can see a part of the Inner City (left and top right); as well as parts of the southern Taipei (rest of two pic).
Walking down the streets of the city made us realize that we never felt insecure. In most western cities, riding the subway or walking in crowded places is not very safe because you may get pick-pocketed or molested. However, this is not the case with Taipei. Even when we were walking alone during the night, we never faced any incident. Well, we can’t tell whether we were lucky or ignorant, but certainly Taipei felt like a very safe city for tourists and locals.
↑ In the photos above (in the top 3) you can see the Ta-An Forest park, which is located in the south of Taipei. Some describe it as the “Central Park of Taipei” because its name stands for what it is: a forest. It even has a small lake. (we will come back with an independent post about it.) The bottom photo shows the Nan Hai Academy, a very typical Chinese building.
Despite the fact that Taipei is a huge city, it’s remarkable that you can go from the one part of the city to another really easy. Coming from a country quite unorganized, we were astounded by the easy access to any means of transportation; be it subway, bus or train. Indeed, the transportation network is extremely well organized and friendly to the tourists. (OK, apart from the fact we personally can’t read Chinese. 😛 ) So, even without a local guide, it actually needs effort for someone to get lost. Plus, Taiwanese people are very polite and they will assist you in case of emergency. By the way, riding a taxi in Taipei is outrageously …. cheap! So in case of need don’t hesitate to call a cab.
As we’ve mentioned before, Taipei is surrounded by nature. You may start walking and you’ll find yourself close to the nature within a small amount of time. Nature and civilization coexist in this city harmonically. This place in the photos above is close to Treasure Hill in the south of Taipei.
We hope you’ve enjoyed the tour around the city. Of course, there are so many other parts of the town to see, but our purpose here is to give you a taste and tempt you to come and see by yourself. Exploring Taipei is a life time experience. So, how about you book your tickets … ?
Formosa, Let's Party!!! 