We had a 15 hour flight layover in Taipei, Taiwan so we explored a bit of the city.  Our impressions were that Taipei is very orderly and safety conscious.  We saw large streets with designated lanes for scooters, motorbikes, and motorcycles.  Drivers of any type of vehicle obey traffic regulations and lights. Graffiti, litter, and debris on streets and sidewalks were no where to be found. At metro stations, lines were painted on train platforms to indicate where to line up to board the next train.  Glass walls separated the platforms from the trains so no one could fall onto the tracks. Lights flashed at the glass platform boarding gates to indicate a train’s arrival.  Signs were posted by escalators at metro stations and office buildings encouraging users to hold the handrails and advising that an attendant should assist the elderly and pregnant women.  Just outside metro stations bicycle and motorbike riders parked in designated areas in orderly fashion. Quite a few Taiwanese wore face masks, whether they were on a motorbike or a pedestrian, probably to prevent illness (maybe avian flu) or respiratory distress from air pollution.

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Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall at Democracy Square – Our first stop on the city metro was the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall which stands at the east end of the large park. The blue octagonal-shaped roof symbolizes the number eight, traditionally associated in Asia with abundance and good fortune. Each set of white stairs includes 89 steps to represent the former Chinese president’s age at the time of his death. The architecture was created by Yang Cho-cheng who won the memorial design competition. Building began in 1976 and was completed in 1980.  Fortunately the ceremonial changing of the guards in the memorial hall occurred during our visit. We also photographed three other large, beautiful structures at Democracy Square: the National Theater on the north side, the National Concert Hall on the south side, and the Gate of Great Centrality and Perfect Uprightness to the west.  The public plaza’s 240,000 square meters of beautifully tiled areas and very well-manicured gardens are a common place for public gatherings.

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Taipei 101 – Next we set off on the metro for Taiwan’s most famous skyscraper. Formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center, Taipei 101 was the tallest building in the world for six years until a taller skyscraper was built in Dubai in 2010. The 101 story Taiwanese tower, which took five years to build, is designed to withstand earthquakes and typhoons. Fortunately we did not discover that from firsthand experience! Before arriving in Taiwan we discovered from our internet research that the cost to ride the high-speed elevator (5th floor to 89th floor in 37 seconds) plus visit the observation deck on the 89th floor was a bit high and that the view from the Starbucks on the 35th floor was almost as good. So, even though it was a somewhat cloudy day, we went in the building looking forward to drinking tall mochas while looking out the windows at the city. Our first hiccup was figuring out which elevator to use since not all elevators go to all floors in order to restrict public access. Then we learned that in order to purchase a drink at the 35th floor Starbucks visitors have to make a reservation one day in advance. Apparently our internet research was not as thorough as it should have been. The lobby receptionist said we were welcome to visit the Starbucks on the first floor. We left the building without refreshment and a bit disappointed.  Next time . . .

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Longshan Temple – Our third tourist stop was a colorful temple built in 1738. The most well-known temple in Taiwan, Longshan is used by Buddhists, Taoists, and worshippers of deities such as Mazu. The temple has been destroyed either in full or in part by numerous earthquakes and fires plus bombings during World War II. And Taipei residents have consistently rebuilt and renovated it. During our visit quite a few worshippers burnt incense, gave offerings of food and flowers, and said prayers aloud.

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National Revolutionary Martyr’s Shrine – We took a long walk around a hill to reach this shrine dedicated to the war dead of the Republic of China. Even though the memorial is situated in Taiwan, most of the deceased soldiers were born on mainland China. Each year the Chinese president and heads of the five branches of government visit the shrine to pay their respects by bowing and offering incense. Before we headed back to the metro station, we were fortunate enough to see the pageantry of the guard changing ceremony here as well. 

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