Retreat in Taipei

Just came back from Taipei on Monday and by the time i reached home, it was almost midnite. As expected, i was really tired and 'stone' when i went to work the next day. So naturally, it was an unproductive day @ work.

My cousin just went to Taipei recently and told me about her trip. Thus, i didn't go with very high expectations. It was alright and it turned out to be a mix of hong kong (which has alot of billboards in chinese words) and perhaps Thailand. In terms of pricing, it's similar to Singapore too. I love the food there but the only complain is that the weather is hot. Abt 35 degrees. Had to carry an umbrella around.

We took Jetstar (budget carrier) to Taipei and guess what, most of us were surprised that our boarding pass turned out to be just like a receipt. People like me was quite amused by it. OK! We're travelling onboard a budget carrier and thus, everything is budget ... down to boarding pass.



Met Ginny's husband who's on duty at the airport.



Strange as it may be, the flight seems to be rather long although it's just 4.5hrs flight. Most of us were feeling quite uncomfortable & lethargic because of the little leg-room which we had. The space was much smaller. Most of us were complaining and thus, it must be tough for Nic & Jeff who is tall and has long legs. There's no inflight entertainment or food served, thus we had to entertain ourselves with DIY massage.





By the time we reached Taipei, it was around dinner time. We quickly checked into the hotel and head straight for a sumptious Japanese buffet dinner.









After dinner, we took a stroll back to the hotel and most of us were excited when we saw our fav Korean actor's billboard advertisement. Hmm ... soo cool. I guess there will be more if we were in Korea.





We had a half-day tour the next day. After breakfast, i went to check out Taipei 101 which is just opposite our hotel.

Taipei 101
You can find most international brands here and I would say that the tenant mix is similar to Paragon. You can find luxury brands like LV, Nine West, Polo Ralph Lauren, Mango and even Jason’s supermarket here.

Taipei 101 is one of the most memorable landmark in Taiwan and is the world’s tallest building (1,671ft – height structure), surpassing the height of the Petronas Twin Towers in KL. The 89th floor holds an indoor observation area, and an outdoor observation deck is located on the 91st floor.

The elevators are the fastest in the world, rising at 1008 meters per minute (60.48 km/hour) and descending at 610 m/min (36.6 km/hour). The top speeds are 34 percent faster than the previous world's fastest elevators in Yokohama Landmark Tower.

Didn't go up to the observatory deck @ Taipei 101. Two of my colleagues did. This is the view from the deck.







Before the tour started, tour-guide brought us to eat taiwanese food which i personally think it was nothing to shout about.





Our tour starts and the first stop is:

Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall
The National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall is a memorial for the late President Chiang Kai-shek. It shares the grounds of the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Park with the National Concert Hall and National Theater and is one of the city’s defining landmarks.

The main building is white with four sides. Its roof, rising 70 meters above the ground, is octagonal with blue glazed glass tiles. The blue and white colors of the building and the red color of the flowerbeds provide the symbolism found in the flag of the Republic of China.
Two sets of white stairs, with a total of 89 steps representing Chiang's age of death. The ground-level of the memorial has a library and museum that displays photos and mementos of Chiang Kai-shek's life.













Next Stop: National Palace Museum
The Museum was first established in 1925 at Beijing and finally relocated at Taipei, Taiwan after WWII. The Museum is now one of the most important museums as well as research institutions through out the world, and it is also a "must-see" for foreign visitors.

Third Stop: Martyr’s Shrine
The Martyrs Shrine is dedicated to the people who sacrificed their lives fighting for the Republic of China. The 330,000 men who sacrificed their lives to the revolution before the establishment of the Republic of China & who fell during the Sino-Japanese war & the Chinese Civil war are worshipped here. Plates of these brave & loyal martyrs have been inserted into the four walls of the main building in testimony of their heroic deeds.

The shrine is guarded by 4 military officers, 2 at the front gate and 2 at the main shrine inside. They are trained to stand like expressionless statues & remain unmoved. The ceremony for changing of guards take place every few hours, beginning at 9am and the last at 4.40pm.











Thereafter, we headed to: Shilin Night Market
the largest and most well-known night market in Taiwan. The night market has two distinct sections: a section for mostly food vendors and small eateries; and the surrounding businesses and shops selling other nonfood items.

Famous Food @ Shilin
- fried chicken
- oyster omelet
- stinky tofu
- small bun wrapped in large bun
- bbq sotong









We wanted to make sure that we covered as many places as possible, after going back to the hotel to put our stuff, we were out again in just half-an-hour. This time, checked out the 24-hour bookstore called Eslite @ DunHua South Road. We checked out their cafe before the books. It was a little disappointing for me because me because 90% of the books are all in Chinese and it’s much smaller than Borders and Kinnokuniya at home. So my verdict: Borders & Kinnokuniya is definedly better.



Sunday was our FREE day. My cousin Lynn told me that i had to visit Danshui, which is a smaller city to the north of Taipei. Danshui was the center of shipping and commerce in northern Taiwan in the 19th century. The city is still popular with visitors from Taipei and boasts many historical atttractions, and is a popular location for viewing the sunset.



It is located near the outlet of the Danshui River into the Taiwan Strait. The area was first settled by non-aboriginies by the Spanish in 1629 as the town and mission of Santo Domingo. The Spanish were expelled by the Dutch in 1641 who renamed it Fort Provintia, forming what is known today as Hongmao Castle. Following the departure of the Dutch in 1661, Danshui continued to grow, becoming the largest port in Taiwan by the 19th century. By the 20th century, accumulation of silt in the river forced most port operations to move further north to Keelung. Due to its close proximity to Taipei City, Danshui has become a favorite destination for city dwellers to take a stroll and enjoy a coffee along the riverside.

Danshui MRT Station







Thereafter, it was shopping time @ Wufenpu, a fashion wholesale place which has lots of shops(a place where Lynn recommended too). Only managed to cover 2 rows. At that time, really wish that my shopping kaki,Fish was here with me. U'll love the place. There's just so many things to check it out.

Call us shophaholics or what. We missed lunch and went to shop at Ximending, Taipei's answer to Tokyo’s Shibuya area or the equivalent of Bugis in Singapore. It’s the place for young people and a great place to go for clothes or movies.





Had an early MaLa HuoGuo (Mala Steamboat) at one of the famous resturant there.





After that, Ginny, Mag & May plus me went Karaoke @ Cashbox. Wow … we were deeply impressed with the KTV in Taipei. The lobby was just like a hotel with chandlers. We first went to the one at Ximending to check it out and later went to the branch opposite SOGO @ Dunhua South Road (recommended by Isabel from Taiwan Visitors Association). Can u believe it .. it was plasma TV (BenQ) and we even had our own private toilet.

KTVs in Singapore still has a long way to go.





On the last day, Grand Hyatt Taipei hosted us lunch. While most complained that they ain't hungry they still had a feast. We checked out the presidential suite thereafter. Didn't take any pictures although this is the room which Nicholas Cage and his young korean wife stayed when they were in Taipei.This is the view from the suite.





Basically, it was quite a pleasant trip.