Taipei City (Taiwan): a description of the city, history and interesting facts

The tropical island of Taiwan with a high standard of living has always attracted thousands of tourists who dream of exoticism. Unique sights, untouched nature, modern buildings - all this makes the paradise attractive in the eyes of travelers. Interestingly, a few decades ago it was considered a real backwater, until in 1949 the Chinese elite escaped from the communists, turning the island into a prosperous trading center of Asia, whose independence China does not recognize.

Taipei (Taiwan): City Description

The history of the metropolis began from the XVIII century, when people from the Chinese province of Fujian settled in the territory. Disparate settlements in a hundred years have turned into a single administrative center. After 67 years ago the government of the Republic of China settled on the island, its economy began to develop actively due to foreign investment. In the dynamic Taipei, a lot of industrial enterprises were located, and nowadays the original pearl of Taiwan is recognized as the main center for the production of electronic equipment and high technologies.

In the city, which is the capital of the island, and to be quite accurate, the capital of the Republic of China (not to be confused with China), are the main banking and commercial establishments.

Features of the metropolis

Modern Taipei (Taiwan), where life rages even at night, can not be called a popular place among tourists, although recently interest in the young megalopolis is beginning to increase. The densely populated capital surprises with an unusual combination of Orthodox churches and Taoist temples, and the cathedral mosque is recognized as the main attraction of the city, in which various cultures and traditions are intermixed.

The residents are hospitable and friendly to all foreigners. Fifty years the settlement was occupied by Japan, but no one feels any dislike towards this country.

The city of Taipei (Taiwan), the description of which is presented in the article, is famous for its colorful musical performances and festivals.

National cuisine and tea ceremony

Speaking about the peculiarities of the city, it is impossible not to mention the national cuisine, which absorbed both Chinese and Japanese recipes. Tourists who visited Taipei (Taiwan) admit that they saw a real gastronomic variety with a lot of unusual dishes. The main products are rice, fish, oysters, vegetables, sweet potato, noodles.

Recently, dishes are gaining popularity, which use tea and flowers, which is very surprising for Europeans. For example, in restaurants you can taste deliciously tasty shrimps served with olive flowers, herbal soups or an unusual rose petals salad. But tea - this is what begins the meal and it ends. Produced for export products began to be sold domestically about 35 years ago, and at the same time the first specialized institutions that promoted the culture of drinking tea were opened.

Now the city of Taipei (Taiwan) is famous for the fact that in local shops you can buy incredible varieties of drink, recognized as the visiting card of the island. In the mountain areas, the most flavored oolong is grown, which can not be cheap. Tourists are warned about the possibility of counterfeit tea, so if the drink is sold at a low price, it means that you are trying to slip a counterfeit from Vietnam.

The main skyscraper Taipei 101

A lively metropolis, in which there are practically no high-rise buildings, is proud of the main skyscraper that attracts the attention of all tourists. The giant structure was built in an active seismic zone, and all characteristics of the terrain were taken into account when designing the facility. The opening of the skyscraper, inside which is a multi-ton ball, which does not let the structure fall under strong winds, took place on New Year's Eve 12 years ago.

On the upper floors of tourists speed up elevators, and from there the guests admire the wonderful spectacle of the night city, lit by colorful lights. In a 101-storey skyscraper 509 meters high, there are shopping centers, offices, luxury restaurants, entertainment clubs, in short, everything that is famous for Taipei - the capital. Taiwan, whose sights are truly unique, did not skimp on building a skyscraper that became an exact copy of the Tower of Babel and a symbol of the city.

Kayshi Memorial

The inhabitants of the megalopolis are incredibly reverent towards the founder of the Republic of China - the political figure Chan Kaiši. To commemorate the memory of the Generalissimo, a memorial was built with a huge area of 250 thousand square kilometers. Taiwan, always trying to outstrip China in its achievements, was guided by the Beijing Temple of Heaven.

The looming memorial, created from white marble and shimmering in the sun of blue shingles, looks solemn and elegant. Near the established monument of bronze to the great military leader every four hours a guard is replaced, and a crowd of foreign guests with a sinking heart watches the sharp movements of soldiers with detached persons. There is also a curious exposition devoted to the life of Kaisha.

Funicular

For those who are ready to tickle their nerves, and wants to explore the city's surroundings, a funicular was opened in the Maokong area. No one will not be indifferent to the cable car with a length of four kilometers and transparent cabins through which the capital of Taiwan, which lives in rapid tempo, can be clearly seen. Taipei, seen from a bird's-eye view, bewitches with its bright and unusual beauty, and the trip by cable car is memorized for a long time.

Interesting Facts

• In a dynamically developing city, there are night markets that are very popular. The most famous of them is the Shilin tourist resort, where you can buy not only clothes, but also various delicacies, the flavors of which are floating in the air. Here, newcomers and noisy companies of local youth are wandering around.
• Taipei (Taiwan) is called a city of mopeds, and they allocate a special zone for them, where pedestrians are closed.
• A well-developed metro system puts the deadlock for the first time in the metropolis. Trains running around the city are not only underground, but also on street overpasses.
• The local population adores cute pandas and tries to reach the hearts of other people, bringing the idea that these animals need to be guarded. In the center of Taipei there are paper sculptures of charming animals, and there are as many images as there are in the wild nature - 1600.
• Megapolis is adored by all the shopaholics of the world. Here at every corner there are boutiques with expensive and democratic brands, and many mods fly here only for shopping.
• Since ancient times, Taipei (Taiwan) is famous for its local ceramics - an important heritage of Chinese culture, so no tourist leaves without crafts talented artists who create real works of art.

Mysterious island, wrapped in legends, has already grown fond of many foreigners. According to researchers, in 2016 an exotic corner will take more than 10 million tourists from around the globe. Well, to start your journey is recommended from a colorful capital, capable of striking contrasts and a special atmosphere.