Top 10 things you have to do when in Taipei
December 11, 2005 | 12:00am
1. Get a foot massage. Thou shall not miss a foot massage while in Taiwan! Nothing beats a foot massage, other than having a masseuse for each foot massaging your feet at the same time. Of course, a Taiwanese foot massage is so good that it can make you literally howl with pain the good kind of pain, of course. They deliberately hit pressure points on the foot to heal a part somewhere in the body. Im no reflexology expert, but I felt great afterwards.
2. Go to the night markets. If you dont get to visit at least one night market, you wont experience Taipei at all. Tonghua Night Market has handbags, mens and womens clothing and casual accessories. Head for its center of action Linjiang St. And, as in all markets, make sure you make tawad!
3. Try the street food. Oh, its so good I still crave that sausage that reminded me of the chori-burger in Boracay, but was still different, and the chocolate bread in different shapes you really cant find them anywhere else.
4. Go to the "eat streets." Blocks upon city blocks of restaurants housing the finest Taiwanese cooking. Cooks fleeing mainland China 55 years ago have brought with them their rich cooking traditions so Taiwan has a great one of the best outside of Beijing and Shanghai diversity of Chinese cooking. Dont hesitate to ask around where its good to eat. Try eating machang its like sticky rice with chicken and pork adobo-style wrapped in banana leaves in Yongkang St., the grand-daddy of all the eat streets, with dozens of choices, all spread out over several blocks.
5. Dont miss Snake Alley. Its Taipeis most famous night market. The name comes from the old days when prostitution was still legal, but now its an arcade of brightly-lit cheerful storefronts of clothes, toys, souvenirs and sweets. There are lots of restaurants (Tainan Tan-tsu-mien is considered to be the best). As for the snakes (paging Kim Atienza! Youll love this place!), skilled snake handlers in storefronts show off their skills with a cobra, playing with it like a slinky! Sometimes, the snake gets chopped up to be served in soup or stir-fried veggies, and the blood is mixed with a liquor for a drink that is the traditional Taiwanese equivalent of Viagra. But dont worry, you wont be served snake unless you visit a restaurant specializing in it. I only went there for the sake of adventure. Im not really into snakes
6. National Palace Museum. This is home to the worlds finest collection of Chinese art. Mainland Chinese leaders have always accused Taiwan of stealing their collection and have demanded that they return it. Its a long story, but in short, the collection is still there, and everyone must see it when in Taipei.
7. Go to the other museums. Before, people only went to the National Museum of History. My advice is, yes, go see it, but keep on going for the other ones. There are lots, believe me.
8. Go to Longshang Temple. If you only have time for one religious site, this should be it. At 6 to 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., crowds of worshippers gather here and chant. Its very hypnotic.
9. Go to the worlds tallest building of the moment: the Taipei International Financial Center 101. In 2009, New Yorks Freedom Tower will overtake it, so go to the very top and check out the ritzy shopping and dining along the way, and youll get to say youve been to the tallest building in the world at least for the next four years.
10. Have your picture taken on the steps of the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall. Nothing says youve been to Taipei more than a picture on the 89 steps of this massive tribute to Taiwans one-time dictator. The Memorial Hall opened in 1980, five years after Chiangs death.
2. Go to the night markets. If you dont get to visit at least one night market, you wont experience Taipei at all. Tonghua Night Market has handbags, mens and womens clothing and casual accessories. Head for its center of action Linjiang St. And, as in all markets, make sure you make tawad!
3. Try the street food. Oh, its so good I still crave that sausage that reminded me of the chori-burger in Boracay, but was still different, and the chocolate bread in different shapes you really cant find them anywhere else.
4. Go to the "eat streets." Blocks upon city blocks of restaurants housing the finest Taiwanese cooking. Cooks fleeing mainland China 55 years ago have brought with them their rich cooking traditions so Taiwan has a great one of the best outside of Beijing and Shanghai diversity of Chinese cooking. Dont hesitate to ask around where its good to eat. Try eating machang its like sticky rice with chicken and pork adobo-style wrapped in banana leaves in Yongkang St., the grand-daddy of all the eat streets, with dozens of choices, all spread out over several blocks.
5. Dont miss Snake Alley. Its Taipeis most famous night market. The name comes from the old days when prostitution was still legal, but now its an arcade of brightly-lit cheerful storefronts of clothes, toys, souvenirs and sweets. There are lots of restaurants (Tainan Tan-tsu-mien is considered to be the best). As for the snakes (paging Kim Atienza! Youll love this place!), skilled snake handlers in storefronts show off their skills with a cobra, playing with it like a slinky! Sometimes, the snake gets chopped up to be served in soup or stir-fried veggies, and the blood is mixed with a liquor for a drink that is the traditional Taiwanese equivalent of Viagra. But dont worry, you wont be served snake unless you visit a restaurant specializing in it. I only went there for the sake of adventure. Im not really into snakes
6. National Palace Museum. This is home to the worlds finest collection of Chinese art. Mainland Chinese leaders have always accused Taiwan of stealing their collection and have demanded that they return it. Its a long story, but in short, the collection is still there, and everyone must see it when in Taipei.
7. Go to the other museums. Before, people only went to the National Museum of History. My advice is, yes, go see it, but keep on going for the other ones. There are lots, believe me.
8. Go to Longshang Temple. If you only have time for one religious site, this should be it. At 6 to 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., crowds of worshippers gather here and chant. Its very hypnotic.
9. Go to the worlds tallest building of the moment: the Taipei International Financial Center 101. In 2009, New Yorks Freedom Tower will overtake it, so go to the very top and check out the ritzy shopping and dining along the way, and youll get to say youve been to the tallest building in the world at least for the next four years.
10. Have your picture taken on the steps of the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall. Nothing says youve been to Taipei more than a picture on the 89 steps of this massive tribute to Taiwans one-time dictator. The Memorial Hall opened in 1980, five years after Chiangs death.
BrandSpace Articles
<
>