Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, is literally an urban jungle—ferns and huge elephant-ear plants sprout through cracks in roofs and sidewalks, with wild abandon.
Hiking trails abound on all sides of its tech hub and glittering metropolis.
Taipei is experiencing a quiet renaissance even amid regional tensions. Young artists, chefs and curators are redefining and embracing Thai identity as their only distinguished category, with a conscious search for food and design endemic to the island's history.
People on one of Taipei's streets under the shadow of the impressive Taipei 101 skyscraper. Photo EFE/EPA/RITCHIE B. TONGO
With low crime levels and well-lit shops everywhere, the city is safe to tour at any time.
A word of recommendation: take advantage of sleeping. Except for breakfast outlets and markets where locals flock on their early grocery tours, several shops and coffee shops don't open until after 11 a.m.
View of the city. Photo Shutterstock
Friday
17.00. / Where to find ancient gems
Once a hub for scrap metal parts and car repair, Chifering Street is now one of the city's most edgy shopping streets.
Maji Treats, on the fourth floor of the Eslite Spectrum building, features artisanal food products including jams, sauces, noodles and vinegars, as well as items unique to the island, such as woven baskets of ginger peel leaves.
Returning to street level, relax at the retro Coffee Dumbo, which specializes in coffee served on the spot and cinnamon buns (coffee culture is taken very seriously at Tapéi).
Finally, browse the many thrift clothing stores, such as Travis Vintage and Used Clothing, which has a rare '60s collection of Taiwanese bomber-style jackets (it usually opens on Fridays at 6pm, but the schedules may be wrong: message their Facebook page before signing up).
Ningxia Night Market, one of the night markets, is a must. Photo Shutterstock
18.30 / Tour the night market
A short, secluded walk is the noisy Ningxia Night Market, a collection of tightly placed open-air food stalls. Thanks to gentrification and noise complaints, much of the night markets are nowhere near as large as they were decades ago.
Ninxia is a distinguished exception, several of the merchants are the second-generation owners of owners and unlike most other Taiwanese night markets, which also have clothing and arcade game venues, Ningxia only makes meals, and it does it very well.
Meals at Ningxia Night Market. Photo Shutterstock
Grab a light snack, as dinner is the next activity: try a fried taro ball stuffed with sautéed duck egg yolk (30 new Taiwanese dollars, about $1) and fresh sugarcane juice (also 30 new Taiwanese dollars).
19.30 / Savor exclusive cuisine
The passage of fine Taiwanese food is shaped by classically trained chefs who embrace the subtropical abundance of the island.
One example is at Nku, a quiet, intimate restaurant with an open kitchen run by German-born Taiwanese chef Li-Han Lin, whose cooking style is influenced by his time working in Copenhagen kitchens.
The tasting menu (from 2900 new Taiwanese dollars) is really seasonal: on any given day, you may find cream of potato seasoned with a mixture of milkfish (a popular fish usually pan-fried), channeled into a thin sourdough biscuit; or a creamy risotto made with lotus seeds instead of rice.
For dessert: a guava cake ice cream accented with a lemon-flavored pepper of indigenous Taiwanese origin, called maqaw.
Saturday
9.00 / Traverse the volcanic hills
As the town is surrounded by hills, there is an abundance of hiking trails to explore on foot nearby. Plan a trip to Oixing Mountain to climb Taipei's highest peak.
Located on the northern edge of the city, in the Yangmingshan National Park, the mountain is bathed in geothermal activity and offers an easy to moderate hike.
Sulfur Valley in Yangmingshan National Park, Taiwan. Photo Shutterstock
From Jiantan Station, bus number 1717 will take you to the Xiaoyoukeng trailhead, where sulfuric vents spew constant bursts of steam.
The well-paved road is over 4 kilometers long and should take you less than two hours at a leisurely pace before you reach the peak to enjoy the views of the city below. Descend to the visitor center in Lenshuikeng to refresh your feet braving the hot spring, before hopping on the bus back to the city.
13.30 / Enjoy fried rice
At a restaurant that stands out in the Xinyi district—Taipei's affluent financial district—a touch of luxury really helps. Sinchas Rice Shoppe is a master at that; He took a humble plate of fried rice and showered it with luxuries.
On the menu, for example: a pink rice mixed with red mullet roe and bathed with a somewhat rare escalope (NT $520). There is, in turn, a buttery rib steak, cut and fanned on a humble plate of fried egg rice (NT $1200).
The art-deco-inspired interior of the restaurant, with earth-toned drumsticks and velvet teal cushions, invite you to linger, as does its fantastic drinking program (try Scotch whisky with papaya, cinnamon, lime and soy milk).
15.00 / Relax in the calm style of tea
Taiwan grew commercially and produces tea since the nineteenth century. Recently, a new wave of teahouses has emerged, where single-origin strand teas are handed out in the "gongfu style", referring to the traditional style of brewing beer in teas with small brewing vessels and small teacups.
Specializing in Taiwanese oolongs (a semi-oxidation tea), Hermit's Hut is a meditative experience and one of the most accessible places to participate in this elegant tea ceremony.
Each tea here is meticulously labeled with its tone notes (buttery, fruity, orchid, milky). It comes with detailed instructions – in Chinese or English – on how to achieve the perfect brew, and with a teapot or craft cup (depending on the tea you have chosen), hot water, a timer and cups served.
The team is on reach to guide newbies through every step. Prices for teas range from NT$450 to NT$850.
16.00 / Immerse yourself in indie films
Right next door is Songshan Cultural and Creative Park, an old tobacco factory that was converted into an exhibition and retail space adjoining a spacious courtyard, offering a serene space in the city where quiet pedestrian areas are difficult to traverse.
Songshan Cultural and Creative Park, Taipei. Photo Shutterstock
Inside the old factory there are very nice souvenir shops selling postcards and typical Taiwanese hats. At the same time there is an emerging exhibition of local design, fashion and typography.
Within the cultural park is Eslite Art House, a cinema with a rotating list of old and new films (NT$310) some of which are subtitled in English and Chinese. While the contemporary indie film scene is no longer as strong as it was in the 80s, you may get lucky and find yourself with dormant success.
19.00 / Enjoy vegan fried foods
To decompress after work, several people go to hot, noisy, and accessible restaurants that offer only dinner, such as large, burning woks, and fry typically greasy foods. Here, cold beer is served in the small glasses.
For a particular and special experience, try Chao, a vegan rejection place. There they serve a version of sweet and sour fish with multicolored peppers (NT $290) and sliced pork dipped in garlic sauce (NT $330) - but instead of the current fish and pork, the protein is made with soy or mushroom products.
Thanks to its strong Buddhist and Taoist influences, Taiwan has a broad and prosperous vegetarian landscape and meat alternatives are a staple. In Chao, it's not uncommon to see tables of nuns dining alongside a large group of businessmen venting over a round of cold beers.
21.00 / Look for creative cocktails
Taiwan's cocktail culture dates back to the 50s, where a series of Western-style bars were erected near ship ports to serve American sailors and sailors visiting the island to supply stops during the Vietnam and Korean wars.
Much has changed since then, and today the best cocktail bars are, unlike those, concentrated in Taipei's financial district. These bars embrace the flavors of the local floral and fruity abundance, including rosella, guava, and white ginger lilac, which infuses syrups and liqueurs.
For a neat lounge experience, try Bridge Bar (cocktails from NT$380), a cocktail lounge hidden behind a steel door in a sandwich shop.
For something a little more novel, consider Placebo, whose décor is reminiscent of an old Chinese medicine shop and where drinks (around NT$400) can be served in antique-looking teapots.
Both bars encourage you to go beyond the menu; Feel free to ask for the flavor profile (sour, sweet, herbaceous, spicy) or a peculiar ingredient (basil, sesame oil, chili) and let the bartender surprise you.
Sunday
10.00 / Savor the seafood soup
While the modern Taiwanese breakfast is synonymous with rolled egg pancakes and sesame flatbreads, seafood soup is the most traditional thing to start the day.
InLao-A-Abei in Dadaocheng, bite-sized pieces of squid are coated with a fish paste and then poached; then dropped into a salty broth with thin rice noodles (NT$90). Attach extras like smoked pig's ears and boiled seasonal vegetables.
Historic buildings on Dihua Street, the largest and oldest old street in Taipei. Photo Shutterstock
After breakfast, explore the neighborhood, which was a significant port in the nineteenth century and a spacious center to see textiles, dry goods and tea.
Dihua Street – the oldest street in Taipei – has vendors in Baroque-style buildings (a style popular during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan) selling everything mentioned above.
Lin Feng Yi, open since 1906, sells rattan fabric and baskets. For something more modern, InBloom Together makes dazzling patterned fabrics with motifs inspired by Taiwanese nature, architecture and food.
Xia Hai City God Temple, Taipei. Photo Shutterstock
Noon / Pray to the God of Love
The island's ornate temples (fusing traditions of Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism) are home to a mix of eclectic folk deities, each with a unique history and function.
The Xia Hai City God Temple has a remarkable high density of gods in one building, managing to combine more than 600 statues of deities in just 150 square meters. One in particular is located outside, the God of Love – in the form of a 43-centimetre-tall statue – who is known for his matching skills.
More than 600 statues of gods in the Xia Hai City God Temple. Photo Shutterstock
It's not uncommon to see crowds of young people or too many worried parents lighting up incense (you can buy some for NT$50) in a plea for true and lasting love. There are multilingual volunteers who can guide visitors around the temple in exchange for a small donation.
13.00 / Watch with artistic lenses
Tucked away and inside a 1937 embellished building with a curved Japanese roof style, the National Center of Photography and Images is a quaint, free museum that manages to put it all together in a small space (it takes only an hour to walk through).
The exhibits are updated every three months and often showcase the work of local photographers who are particularly adept at showing the mundane of the everyday.
Photo series include family portraits posing with antique water pumps, elaborate depictions of city temples, and never-before-seen black-and-white photographs of couples from the time when Taiwan was a Japanese colony, there's a gift shop and an adorable café on the first floor.
Key stops
- Chifeng Street is a trendy shopping street lined with vintage clothing shops and adorable coffee shops.
- Dadaocheng is Taipei's old quarter and a picturesque place to buy textiles, dry goods and bamboo handicrafts.
- Yangmingshan National Park is a grassy mountain range, home to warm, wild springs and volcanic peaks.
Where to eat
- Nku is a restaurant that serves a good dinner with locally sourced cuisine and a Scandinavian instinct.
- Sinchao Rice Shoppe offers an indulgent version of fried rice in an Art Deco-inspired space.
- Hermit's Hut is a peaceful haven where novices can handle the art of meditating and tea preparation and taste Taiwanese oolong teas.
- Chao serves vegan fries that pair well with the taste of cold beer.
- Fridge Bar is a low-key bar behind a sandwich shop where bartenders skillfully create drinks infused by local fruits and flowers.
- Lao-A-Bel is famous for its variety of traditional seafood soups.
Where to stay
- Villa 32, on the outskirts, is a luxurious resort with therapeutic geothermal baths and lush vegetation. It is a 30-minute drive from the city center. Five suites have hot spring showers. Double rooms start at about NT$19,400 or $633.
- Kimpton Da'an is a stylish and centrally located boutique hotel on a residential street next to the metro station. It has one of the best western breakfast options in the city and is close to most attractions. Double rooms start around NT$8500.
- For something a little more quirky, Originn Space in Dadaocheng is a small inn in a century-old baroque-style mansion with vintage furniture. There are only four rooms starting at NT$1440.
- Star Hostel Taipei Main Station is a central and comfortable hostel that accommodates both families and solo travelers. There is a full and well equipped kitchen and a good living room space. Shared rooms start at NT$680 per person and private rooms start at NT$2150.
Clarissa Wei / The New York Times
Translation Patricia Sar
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