Taiwan 3 days (and a few) to visit the essentials of Taipei Taipei, Travel to Taiwan 5 (2)Welcome to Taipei, a fascinating city located in the north of the island of Taiwan. A city that has become an important economic and political center in just a few decades.As with any new country (even if it is controversial here), visiting its capital is an essential step. Jitima already knew it, having been there twice, but it was a total discovery for me.She was the one who suggested going there even though we only had a week to wander around somewhere. The advantages of Taiwan are that it's still quite cheap to visit and not too far from Thailand (less than 4 hours flight).We were leaving from Don Muang airport.Small clarification, in this article, I focus exclusively on Taipei itself, leaving aside New Taipei, the main municipality surrounding the capital (see my article on Tamsui). I am also not going to talk here about the Beitou district, in the north of the city, known for its hot springs, which deserved a day and therefore a dedicated article (see here).Finally, the goal here is not to provide an ultra-complete list of everything you could do in Taipei, but rather to know the essential visits to have a good overview of this Asian metropolis. Summary hide Visiting Taipei in 3 days: is it enough? Day 1: between Tradition and Modernity Day 2: art and history day Day 3: afternoons here and there Where to sleep in Taipei Getting around in Taipei Pratical information Visiting Taipei in 3 days: is it enough?In the space of three days, we were able to see a broad overview of Taipei's attractions, from historical sites to lively neighborhoods. To be more precise, we split the visits into two full days, with the rest being bits of visits done in the late afternoon depending on the time available after the scheduled visits of the day.Being used to big cities, I enjoyed exploring it. If this is a first for you (I doubt it, because this is rarely the destination you go to for the first time far from Europe), don't let yourself be intimidated. Taipei remains accessible, well organized and easy to visit, notably thanks to its excellent metro network.With this article, I hope to be able to help you avoid the organizational mistakes we made, even if these were also linked to the slightly out-of-the-way location of our first hotel (we changed in the middle of our stay).The division of visits could have been done with a little more geographical coherence (even if it wasn't a disaster either, we had prepared a minimum), and above all, taking into account the timetables, an important point.Despite a few hiccups, which resulted in a loss of already limited time, these three days still allowed us to discover the essentials of Taipei.Day 1: between Tradition and ModernityHighlights of the day:The modern district of Taipei 101The creative atmosphere of 44 South Military VillageA glimpse into the past at Dihua StreetBetween past and present in Wanhua DistrictOur first day in Taipei immersed us directly in what characterizes the city, a mixture of modernity and historical cultures and sites.The day after our arrival, we began our journey by discovering the lively district around the famous Taipei 101 TowerWe were able to admire the technical prowess of this emblematic skyscraper, one of the tallest in the world at 508 m.Taipei 101 City Hall and Tower.Then, as it was not far, we headed towards the 44 South Military Village, a former military district transformed into a dynamic cultural and artistic space. This immersion in post-war Taipei showed us a more intimate side of Taipei.Afterwards, we wanted to explore the historic shopping street of Dihua Street, sometimes considered the oldest in Taipei.This is an opportunity to see a vibrant part of the city as there are many cafes, restaurants and shops selling local specialties and souvenirs. A mix of old-fashioned charm and authenticity.Dihua Street.After this immersion in traditional Taipei, we ended the day by discovering the Wanhua Old Quarter, which combines history and urban modernity.This district is particularly known for the famous Longshan Temple, Bopiliao Historical Block, the remains of a 200-year-old housing complex, The Red House, an old brick theater, converted into a cultural center and finally the Ximending Commercial Zone, our goal that evening.Due to lack of time, we were not able to discover everything that this neighborhood had to offer by going there this time. We postponed the visit of the Bopiliao Historical Block see you later, while we had gone to see the Longshan temple the evening before (see below).So we focused on the area around the Red House and in particular the pedestrian streets of Ximending, a lively shopping district known for its many shops, street food, restaurants and bars.This first day in Taipei was a perfect mix between tradition and modernity, however, it could have been more optimized. It would have been more logical I think, to skip the Longhsan temple the day before and replace it with another visit close to our hotel or just enjoy our arrival evening in peace.And for this day, focus on a combination of the Datong (where Dihuat Street is located) and Wanhua (which includes the temple and the various points of interest already mentioned in this chapter) districts.To know the details of this day, I invite you to read my dedicated article:Taipei: Exploring Tradition and Modernity – From Taipei 101 to XimendingDay 2: art and history dayHighlights of the day:Creativity at Huashan 1914 Creative ParkSnack break with a touch of Japan at Rongjin Gorgeous TimeThe iconic Chiang Kai-shek Memorial HallRelaxing time at Daan Forest ParkWe started this day with a request from Jitima, the Visit Huashan Creative Park. My wife having trained as a graphic designer, her interest in art in general is obviously marked.And Huashan proves to be a good representative of the creative spirit reigning in the city, so a visit appreciated by the person concerned. We will leave with some souvenirs from elsewhere.We spent a good hour in this former alcohol production factory, which has become a park dedicated to art in various forms (exhibitions, crafts, cinema) before heading towards the memorial.But before visiting one of Taipei's iconic sites, I wanted to stop by the area of the former Taipei Prison, newly transformed and renovated to become Rongjin Gorgeous Time.Preserving part of the old dormitories built under Japanese rule, Rongjin Gorgeous Time is a beautifully designed complex of buildings that feature Japanese architecture. and home to various restaurants, cafes and shops to stroll in the shade of the century-old trees that have been preserved.From there we could reach our next stop on foot, the imposing Chiang Kai-shek memorial, dedicated to the strongman of Taiwan, opponent of Mao Zedong's communism.Although he had an iron fist in his time on the island, his legacy would pave the way for a liberal democracy that governs the wondrous island. In addition to a large monument housing a statue of Taiwan's first president, the site includes a park with ponds.As there was still time left, to end this 2nd day in Taipei, I suggested going to take a look in one of the most important parks in the city, the Daan Forest Park (also more soberly called Daan Park). The opportunity to see some greenery and its inhabitants relaxing, in a pleasant and well-appointed setting.At the entrance to the park when exiting the metro.Same as the day before, I wrote a dedicated article detailing the visits of this 2nd:Taipei: Art and History Day – From Huashan Creative Park to Chiang Kai-shek Memorial HallDay 3: afternoons here and thereAs mentioned at the beginning, this is not a full day with the list of subsequent visits carried out one after the other.These are visits that we made mainly at the end of the day, after those that were planned as a priority, sometimes outside Taipei.Longshan TempleOpening hours : from 6:00 a.m. to 21:30 p.m., every day.Free admissionAccess via the Blue Line (Bannan Line) subway at the “Longhsan Temple” stopAlso spelled Lungshan (especially for English speakers), this iconic temple in Taipei is the very first visit we made upon our arrival in the capital.Located in the heart of Taipei's oldest district (Wanhua), this temple was built in 1738 by Chinese migrants from Fujian province. The temple is dedicated to Guanyin, goddess of mercy, also known as the bodhisattva of compassion (bodhisattva being the term for a Buddha before attaining enlightenment).It suffered a lot of damage over the centuries and the last major reconstruction took place between 1919 and 1924. Today, it is mainly a Buddhist temple, although it also contains statues linked to Taoism.It is also considered the most important Taiwanese temple. It is therefore a must-see in Taipei and a visit already made by Jitima, who insisted on taking me there on our first day in Taiwan.By the time we got from the airport to our hotel, a little out of the way on Rahoe Street, we arrived at the temple quite late around 18pm, the advantage being that it closes late.The three rooms of the Longshan Temple were mainly visited at night. The first room serves as an entrance and prayer room. The main room, in the middle of the courtyard, houses the statue of Guanyin while the one at the back is mainly dedicated to three divinities.First of all, on the left we can see a statue of Wenchang, God of literature, then in the center, sits a statue of Mazu, Goddess of maritime voyages, finally the part on the right is dedicated to Guan Yu, God of war.If there weren't many people at this late hour, it's also because the rain invited itself into the game. Difficult to appreciate the moment when it's raining, you might say? Well, surprisingly no, because I find that with the evening lights, and this fine rain, it gave a special atmosphere.Even if it is not exceptional from an architectural point of view (this is not my first Chinese sanctuary of course…), it is a site that exudes something, and without seeming to, we hung around there for a good hour, the time to appreciate the tranquility of the place, to linger on each corner while taking photos.In addition, during this allotted time we spent at least 20 minutes choosing souvenirs in the shop located near the entrance, which shows that having free entry is still profitable because we didn't leave without spending a few pennies.Bopiliao Historical BlockOpening hours : from 9:00 a.m. to 18:00 p.m. for the interior, the exterior part remains accessible until 21:00 p.m. / Access is closed on MondaysFree admissionOfficial site : https://www.bopiliao.taipei/EN/After having missed it during our visit to the Longshan temple, it was only on the last day of our stay in Taiwan that we finally had a slot to visit this area.Unfortunately, it was already late afternoon when we got there, so we had to rush through the visit. Built during the Qing Dynasty, this district was a bit like the gateway to old Taipei, then known as Monga or Monka.Red brick predominates, although the site shows a collection of influences through the ages, the latest being the mark left under the Japanese period, including the trapezoidal square that can be seen at the eastern entrance to Bopiliao.From what we could see, we entered a building with a sort of rather simplistic museum on the history of the district as a whole (the Wanhua district) but also, more surprisingly, another small museum or exhibition dedicated to... Covid 19. The area apparently having been used as a place to test the population.It's very photogenic, but despite the intensive renovation, carried out since 2009, this historic district seems to struggle to attract visitors. There are relatively few shops and restaurants to date, and even though we arrived at closing time, few buildings seemed open and really used.So, we didn't stay more than 15 minutes in this block but as it's not far from the temple, it's a visit that can be done on the way.Guangzhou and Huaxi Street Night MarketBoth located less than 200 m from the Longshan temple, we immediately got lost in the alleys of the night markets of Guangzhou and Huaxi.These are two parallel arteries, the first Huaxi, being a covered alley, with a door at the entrance indicating it. We can read there " Taipei Huaxi St Tourist Night Market"The latter is in fact aimed more at foreigners or, failing that, tourists in general because there are many clothing and souvenir shops, a few restaurants and quite a few beauty and massage salons.Le Guangzhou market is more street food oriented, with the usual stands offering a bit of everything. A particularity being that we could see there a kind of arcade room seeming from another time and mainly frequented by people of a certain age rather than young people!Raohe Street Night MarketSince our stay fell on a local long weekend, hotels on the first few days of our stay were significantly more expensive. As a result, we couldn't find a rate that fit our budget if we stayed closer to the center.To overcome this problem, we looked on AirBnb to see what was available, and we came across an establishment (a disguised hotel, see the information on our accommodation below) which was located on Raohe Street, in the northeast of the city.This is how we discovered the Raohe Night Market As soon as we arrived, the time to settle into our room to go out again for our visit of the day (the Longshan temple if you followed the order), the stalls were being set up.So we naturally went there on the way back to our hotel after visiting the temple on the day of our arrival.As I was a little hungry, I couldn't resist trying a local kebab (admittedly it's not very Taiwanese...) while Jitima tested another stand the next day, which made tofu soups.Among other attractions in this area, there is a Buddhist and Taoist temple right at the entrance to the market street, Songshan Ciyou Temple.Songshan Ciyou Temple.At the back of the market you have a promenade along the Keelung River as well as a pedestrian bridge with a large arch to cross it, called Rainbow bridge (rainbow bridge).It is noticeable that the city must have suffered significant flooding in the past, since the street bordering the river is bordered by a protective wall.Lin An Tai Historical House and MuseumOpening hours : from 9:00 a.m. to 17:00 p.m. (18:00 p.m. in July-August) / Access is closed on Mondays and public holidays.Free admissionAccess : via the Red Line Metro, Yuanshan StationOfficial site : https://english.linantai.taipei/This is a traditional house, built by the Lin family, who migrated from Fujian province in the late 18th century.Although there was only one main building at the beginning, others were added a few decades later, at the beginning of the 19th century. When it was built, it was located along the current Dunhua South Avenue (east of Daan Park), and its orientation followed the principle of Feng Shui.By 1978, the house was in a state of abandonment. The inhabitants feared its destruction while a project to expand the avenue was to be carried out, and despite its antiquity (one of the oldest in Taipei), while the house was refused its status as a historical site.However, after petitions from many scholars and experts, Taipei City eventually moved the building, which was rebuilt in its current location, just a stone's throw from the Keelung River.The site was opened to the public as a museum in May 2000, and its garden was expanded in 2010. The complex follows the typical southern Fujian architectural style, with the main part centered around a central courtyard.Arriving in the courtyard, we first went to the part on the right, where there is a pond, crossed by a small red brick bridge, and bordered by several pavilions with terraces.The place is very photogenic and I would have stayed longer, but, pressed by the closing time approaching soon, we continued to explore the main part of the house.Around the main courtyard, there is a maze of corridors and other small interior courtyards, an old kitchen, a small sanctuary and various rooms mixing wood and brick in their design.Time passes too quickly and we can already hear the announcement inviting people to head towards the exit. In front of the house, we see a basin that served as a supply of drinking water, as well as to put out fires.Before leaving the site completely, I wanted to go to the kind of pile of fake rocks located in the left corner of the garden. The latter is laid out with a kind of path leading to a viewpoint over the garden and the house.Where to sleep in TaipeiWhen we were looking at hotels to make our choice, we realized at the time that it was very expensive to stay in Taipei. But when we tested other dates close by to compare, we realized that it was specific to the first days of our stay.And looking online, we quickly understood why: it was during the Qingming festival (Ancestor Worship), which involves a public holiday and therefore a long, busy weekend.It was this event that made us choose two places to stay in Taipei. By looking on Airbnb, we were able to find cheaper accommodations further away from the center.So we decided to do the first part in this "disguised" AirBnb, because although it is sold as an entire apartment, it is nothing more than a set of rooms in a private corridor, in fact an extension, managed by a hotel whose name I did not note, located one floor higher along Rahoe Street.On the plus side, the reasonable rate we got (€65 per night for this holiday period), the Rahoe night market at the foot of the building, and the proximity of a metro line. The room was ok, but on the downside, besides its distance from the center, it was not easy at first to find your way around to access it with the codes and no windows.Here's the link if you're interested: Room in Rahoe StreetFor the end of the stay, we wanted to come back closer to the center, the rates on these dates becoming affordable again, so we swapped our AirBnb for a hotel, close to the train line leading to the airport. I'll give you the details and information below.YI SU HotelNote: 7,9 / 10Budget: from 60€After our first nights in our pseudo AirBnb, we changed location for the end of our stay, the rates were more reasonable and we were closer especially to Taipei Station, convenient for leaving quite easily for the airport.The rooms are quite small but that's just what you need. It's properly insulated despite a room overlooking a major thoroughfare, it didn't bother me too much. No breakfast or other amenities, it's still basic, but for this price and this more central location, it's very correct. Learn more and book Yi Su HotelGetting around in TaipeiDuring our stay in Taipei we mainly used the subway, just like in Seoul, the network is well developed and remains the best option, both practical and easy to use.It's clean, fairly well signposted, its only fault being that some stations (notably the Main Station, therefore the main one) are very spread out, requiring a fairly long walk to reach the connection (knowing that there are sometimes real underground shopping malls along the way).Taipei also has its own all-purpose rechargeable card, EasyCard. It costs 100 TWD and will often be loaded with a default credit of 400 TWD (making the total cost 500 TWD when first used).You can find them at major stations, including the airport, as well as convenience stores (like 7-11) and also on Klook. EasyCard on Klook.com To give you an idea of the network, here is a map of the Taipei metro:Taipei Metro Map.To reach the city center from the airport, there is a special train line, the Taoyuan Airport MRTThe latter allows you to reach Taipei Main Station in just over 30 minutes, for a fare of 160 TWD (around €5).On the train from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to Taipei Main Station.Useful apps and sites:Travel Taipei : a site bringing together means of transport in and around Taipei, it is in English but includes useful links for example to book your train tickets online.eBus : the site listing the routes (and real-time positions) of the city's bus lines. Unfortunately, the English version does not seem to be operational at the time of writing this article, but using Google Translate it can be useful.Taipei YouBike : also written U-Bike, it is the site of the public bicycle rental service.Taxis driving in Taipei.For taxis: Our experience was limited but not very good… We wanted to go one evening to a specific restaurant, which has several branches in the city.Despite having indicated a precise location, the latter began to make a detour to end up going to another branch, considerably lengthening the journey time, in addition to taking us further away from our hotel... (and to finish the anecdote, the queue was too long so we were there for nothing...)Normally, taxi fares are 70 TWD (2,2€) for the pick-up and then 25 TWD (0,80€) per kilometer.For the bus : we will only take it once, we are never fans of buses because generally, it is not always easy to find your way around the routes of the lines and there is a longer wait than with the metro. The advantage is that you can use the EasyCard, and the prices are clearly affordableWe will only test the bus once.Pratical informationPurchasing a SIM card: you will find counters offering local SIM cards just BEFORE you go through immigration. You will have packages for one week for 450 TWD (12€) if you are happy with 4G and 800 TWD (20€) for 5G. Did you like the article? Vote on the article Note globale 5 / 5. Number of votes: 2 No votes yet. Be the first to rate this article! Did you like the article? Follow me on social media Culture and traditions Essentials to visit Urban exploration Markets and shopping 0 0 Roman 28/05/2024
