Taipei city, the capital of Taiwan, is located in the northern part of the island. Even though it is not as big as other cities, the population is the highest in all of Taiwan. If I could only use one word to describe Taipei, I would say: Energetic!

Wherever you go in Taipei you can always find energetic people in this city. From morning to midnight, you can easily find interesting places to hang out with your friends. Therefore, when you visit Taipei, please be well-prepare your “physical strength” in order to endure enjoying all the attractive spots.

If you never visited Taipei before, the following 5 spots are the most popular places you should visit!

 

TOP 1: National Palace Museum (國立故宮博物院) 

The National Palace Museum is one of the largest museums in the world, with a collection of more than 69 million pieces of ancient Chinese artworks (from the Neolithic age to the late Qing Dynasty, over 8000 years). There are two kinds of exhibitions, both permanent and special exhibitions. In the permanent exhibition, the most famous and notable pieces are Jadeite cabbage, Meat-Shaped Stone and The Zong Zhou Zhong. This is a must-see attraction, especially for people who are interested in Chinese culture and history. Take a chance and visit the National Palace Museum when you visit Taipei!

Please find more info on:  http://www.npm.gov.tw/en/home.htm

 

TOP 2:  Taipei 101 (台北101) 

Taipei 101 is a skyscraper that was completed in 2004. The building is ranked officially as the world’s tallest from 2004 until the opening of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010.

Taipei 101, which includes offices, a shopping mall, restaurants, and an observatory, is a multifunction building. While visiting Taipei 101 shopping mall, you can find many luxurious brand names and even some limited edition product here. After shopping, the best place to visit is the observatory (383.4 m or 1,258 ft) where you can get a complete picture of Taipei. However, don’t go there when the weather is bad, or you may not see anything. The best time of day for visiting Taipei 101 is in the afternoon. Another good choice is to go shopping in the afternoon and then go to the observatory at night. Alternatively, you can have a romantic dinner at the Observatory restaurant after your shopping is finished. If you prefer to see the morning view of Taipei, please visit there around 10 a.m. That way it won’t be crowded and you can go shop after visiting the observatory.

Please find more info on: http://www.taipei-101.com.tw/index_en.htm

 

TOP3: Yangmingshan National Park (陽明山國家公園)

Yangmingshan National Park is located in a low elevation mountain area of Taiwan. Even though mountain elevations range from only 200–1120 meters, there are still lots of fantastic landscapes there, like ridges, valleys, lakes, waterfalls and basins. Besides, Yamgminshan National Park is the only park in Taiwan that contains volcanic activity. More importantly, Yamningshan National park is known for their hot springs!

Beautiful flowers and planets are another attractions for tourists. Start with the “Cherry Blossom Festival” (February to March), “Calla Lily festival” (From March to May) to “Japanese Silvergrass Festival” (October to November). You will be impressed by the beautiful scenery and attractive aroma while attending these festivals. Believe me, it’s really worth a visit!

Please find more info on: http://english.ymsnp.gov.tw/index.php?option=com_content&view=featured&gp=0&Itemid=104

 

Top 4: National Ching,Kai-Shek memorial hall (國立中正紀念堂) 

The National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall is a famous landmark in Taipei. The main purpose of the monument is to memorize of the former President of the Republic of China- President Chiang, Kai-shek. The monument is surrounded by a park where contains two beautiful traditional Chinese architectures- the National Theater and National Concert Hall.

The National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall is a “daily place” for residences in Taipei ( not just a tourist spot). People love to do lots of activities in the park. Therefore, when you visit there, you may find people dance, practice kung fu or sometimes may have some political rallies, social events going on there. Besides, Chiang kai-shek memorial hall is also opened for many commercial activities, exhibitions, and concerts. It is definitely a nice place to hand out with your friends.

Please find more info on: http://www.cksmh.gov.tw/eng/index.php

 

TOP 5:  Lungshan Temple (龍山寺) 

Are you interested in Chinese religions and architectures? I would say Lungshan Temple is definitely a right place to visit. Lungshan temple is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Taiwan .The temple was first built during Ching Dynasty and worshiped Guanshiyin Budda and other divine spirits. Not only contains the traditional religious culture, it also has the best traditional temple architectures of Chinese temples. Therefore, you will have more understanding about Chinese religion and architectures after visiting there. Besides, Lungshan Temple is located in the “old town” area of Taipei. So, you should spend some time to take a walk in that area after visiting Lungshab Temple. You will find another world  in old town Taipei.

Please find more info on: http://eng.taiwan.net.tw/m1.aspx?sNo=0002090&id=93

 

Here is a cool video about Taipei, take a look!