Taipei: Big City on a Small Island

China is a HUGE country. And just off the shore of China is the small country of Taiwan. There has long been trouble between these two countries. China wants to swallow up Taiwan. Taiwan wants its independence. And on the northern tip of the Island of Taiwan is the BIG city of Taipei.

The translation for Taipei means North of Taiwan. It is officially known as Taipei City. It is estimated that over two million people live in Taipei. This forms the center of an area called The Taipei – Keelung Metropolitan area.

Taipei is the political, economic, educational and cultural center of Taiwan. And one of the major hubs of the Chinese speaking world. Yes, they speak Chinese there. It is also part of a high tech industrial area like much of China.

Here you will find railways, high speed trains, highways, airports, and bus lines just like in any other modern municipal areas in the world. There is world class architectural and cultural landmarks found in Taipei too. Including Taipei 101 a tall sky scrapper, Chiang Kai-Skek Memorial Hall, and the National Peace Museum. There are markets that stay open all night dispensing food all over the city. There are internationally known hot springs here that draw tourists and locals alike.

The weather here is unique. There is a monsoon season, influenced by the humid subtropical climate. Summers are hot and last a long time and are very humid. Beware of the heavy rainstorms and typhoons that are common in this area. Winters are generally short, mostly warm and usually very foggy. This is due to the northeasterly winds coming from the Siberian Peninsula. Day time temperatures can peak at 26 deg Celsius during a warm winter day. While it can dip down below this on winter days. In the winter it is not unusual for the temp to dip below 3 or 5 deg Celsius.

Tourism is a major part of the economy of Taipei. In 2013 over 6 million overseas visitors came to Taipei, making it the 15^th most visited city in the world. The tourists Skekadd 10 billion dollars to the local economy.

Some of the treasures in this city are the National Chiang Kai- Memorial Hall which is a famous landmark and tourist attraction that was built to honor the memory of Gen Chaing Kai-Shek, former president of the Republic of China. This building is on the east end of the Memorial Hall Square, home of the National Concert Hall and National Theater.

Also nearby is the National Taiwan Museum and the 228 Peace Memorial Park. The museum is Taiwan’s oldest museum.

There is the National Palace Museum, an art gallery and a museum built to house ancient Chinese Artifacts. The Taipei Fine Arts Museum was built in 1983 as the first museum in Taiwan dedicated to modern art.

One of the most noteworthy buildings in Taipei is Taipei 101. A 101 floor skyscraper that has claimed the title of world’s tallest building when it opened in 2004. It held that title for six years before a building in Dubai beat it.