Things to do in Taipei

Museums

The National Palace Museum houses over 60,000 artefacts, a fraction of which are displayed at any one time, from bronzes, jade jewellery, and ancient pottery to Ming vases and calligraphy. You could spend days among the finest collection of Chinese art in the world and still only scratch the surface. Give it a try though and immerse yourself in it.

Temples

What you definitely should do in Taipei, is visit one of the many traditional temples. The oldest, and according to many, the most beautiful temple is the Longshan Temple which was built in 1738. The temple is situated in the center of the city and is close to the Guangzhou Street Night Market.

Another temple is the Baoan Temple, where the god of medicine, Baosheng Dadi, is honored. Besides ceremonial activities, lectures, discussions, exhibitions and cultural performances are held in or around the temple.

Markets

As mentioned before one should visit Guangzhou Street Night Market. This market is what some consider to be one of Taipei's most 'local' markets. Guangzhou Street is full of food and local games that make for an interesting night out.

For a more ‘historical’ market, Raohe is known to be Taipei’s oldest night market. It’s stores go on for a little more than half a kilometer and mainly has food. In the center of this street market there is a seating area where many eat or converse. This market might not be the biggest market but it is definitely worth a visit.

National Park

If you ever tire of the city, you can lose yourself in Yangmingshan National Park with its hot springs, bamboo forests, marvellous mountains, and countless trekking opportunities. Watch out for swarming Chestnut Tiger butterflies in June and make sure you wear bright clothes if you want them to land on you.

Other Tourist Attractions:

• Shin Kong Life Tower
• National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
• Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall
• National Palace Museum
• Taipei Zoo etc.