Why Go?For a 300-year-old city, Taipei is having a very late coming-of-age party. But then again, this unhurried but vibrant capi-tal has taken a while to become comfortable in its own skin. With Chinese, Japanese and Western influences in its food, culture, folk arts and architecture, Taipei has finally decided that it’s a mix, and all the better for it.

As with the multifarious street food, the traveller is ad-vised to go for the xiao chi (little snacks) in everything. Day trips are particularly delicious, and a quick MRT ride takes you to tea fields, hot springs, river parks, and colonial towns backed by a mountainous national park. Within Taipei don’t miss the Minnan-style temples beautified with unique decorative arts, the heritage lanes turned gourmet cafe and boutique centres, the buzzing neon neighbourhoods or the nightlife scene, growing in reputation yearly.

Taipei%02 / pop 2.6 million

When to Go

Jan & Feb The weeks before and after the Lunar New Year are a great time to visit.

Jun–Sep Fresh, luscious tropical fruits are readily available.

Oct–Dec The hot summer is gone but the winter chill yet to begin: the perfect time to explore Taipei.

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Best Places to Eat¨¨ Yongkang Beef noodles

(p90)

¨¨ ningxia night market (p91)

¨¨ Addiction Aquatic Development (p95)

¨¨ Drunken monkey (p89)

¨¨ Shenkeng old Street (p87)

Best Small Sights¨¨ miniatures museum of

Taiwan (p73)

¨¨ Treasure Hill (p65)

¨¨ land Bank Exhibition Hall (p59)

¨¨ national museum of History (p64)

¨¨ Formosa Vintage Cafe (p63)

Tamsui (Danshui) . . .106Beitou . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111Yangmingshan National Park . . . . . . 114Guandu . . . . . . . . . . . . 117Taipei Zoo . . . . . . . . . . 117Maokong . . . . . . . . . . 117Bitan . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120

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1 see an art legacy spanning millennia at the National Palace Museum (p69).

2 Be charmed by the historic district of Tamsui (p106).

3 Explore the spiritual and artistic legacy of temples such as Bao’an (p65).

4 Cycle urban riding lanes and riverside paths (p76).

5 shop, snack and people-watch in Ximending (p60).

6 Hike and hot spring in Yangmingshan National Park (p114).

7 sip gourmet coffee along historic Dihua Street (p67).

8 Feast at night markets such as Ningxia Night Market (p91), currently Taipei’s best.

9 Touch the sky from the top of Asia’s tallest building, Taipei 101 (p75).

Taipei Highlights