Taipei Guide
Taipei is the capital of Taiwan. The city is located in the northern part of the island of Taiwan, which is located in Southeast Asia. Taipei is located on the Tamsui River. Over 2.6 million people live in the city itself. If we add the associated metropolitan areas of Keelung and New Taipei, there are almost 7 million inhabitants.
Accommodation in Taipei
In Taipei, we offer more than 600 accommodation options, from cheap hostels to luxury hotels. If you are heading to Taipei for the first time, we recommend booking accommodation near the station (Taipei Main Station MRT). It is both easy to get to from the airport and has good transport connections throughout the city. In this part of the city, we can recommend these hotels: Caesar Park or Cosmos Hotel. We can recommend these hotels in the center: Finders Hotel-Fu Qian, Chaiin Hotel - Dongmen or Morwing Hotel - Culture Vogue.
History of Taipei
Taipei is a relatively young city. It was founded only at the beginning of the 18th century, and it began to develop as a modern city after 1885, when I became the capital of the Chinese province of Taiwan. Ten years later, Taipei became part of Japan for 50 years. During the Japanese occupation, the city continued to develop. Also at this time, many interesting buildings were built, such as the Presidential Palace or the International Taiwan University. After Japan's defeat in the Pacific War, Taipei came under Chinese rule again. Due to the turn of the Chinese civil war, refugees from the mainland began to move into the city. Subsequently, in 1949, after losing the civil war with the communists, the remaining warriors of Čankajšek's army also found refuge here. Taipei again became the capital of independent Taiwan in 1967. In 2004, the city boasted the tallest building in the world with a height of 505 meters. This building was named after the number of floors built 101 (One Hundred and One). Although 3 other buildings surpass Taipei's tall building today, it can boast of only one first. It was the first building to reach a height of over half a kilometer.
Transportation to Taipei
Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport is located about 30 km from the city. You can get to the city center by buses of various companies, which offer this service in the range of 120-150 Taiwan dollars. You can use the metro or buses for transportation in the city. For a better overview of tourists, the metro stations are marked and bus directions are also in English.
Weather in Taipei
The climate in Taipei is subtropical with characteristic hot and humid weather. The best time to visit is autumn, when there is the least rainfall and it is not so hot. From February to April, there are humid days with a minimum number of sunny days. Taipei is affected by typhoons, with the highest risk in August and September.
Sights and attractions in Taipei
After the already mentioned high-rise building Taipei 101, the most visited tourist attraction and also the symbol of the whole city is the magnificent monument to General Chiang Kai-shek. The National Concert Hall and Theater are right next to it. If you are interested in antiques, you should not miss the collection of Chinese historical artifacts in the Palace Museum. The oldest Buddhist temple Lungsham from 1738 can be found in the oldest district of Wanhua. Like most Asian cities, Taipei is a shopping paradise. You will find the most shopping houses in the central district of Xinyi. The Shilin night market is also sought after. If you have time left after sightseeing, go to some of the hot springs around Taipei in Wulal, Beitou or Yangmingshan National Park.
Sports in Taipei
Due to the long-term influence of the Japanese and Americans, the most popular sport in Taipei is basketball. The city already hosted the World Championship in recent years (2001 and 2007). Another interesting fact is that in Taipei you will find the only football stadium in all of Taiwan.