Taip ei , Taiwa n
Slicing up through the swirling mist, the
luminous tower of the Taipei 101 Financial Centre
is the first sight that greets visitors to Taipei. Its
tiers are modelled on a bamboo cane – a fitting
homage to a city that’s a manic fusion of old
and new, where the parks are filled with the
elderly practising tai chi and students dancing
to Mandopop. There are wasp-yellow taxis
whizzing past Taoist temples and city lights are
punctuated by columns of steam rising from
street food stalls. Filled with cartoonish kawaii
and anime stores, it also guards a wealth of
Chinese artefacts. This is the mesmerising
glory of Taipei.
Grand Traditions
Taiwan lacks one dominant religion. Instead,
Confucian values provide a moral backdrop to
the rites of Taoism and Buddhism, while a single
temple can honour deities from multiple faiths.
Taipei is crammed with holy sites, but Bao’an
may be its most spectacular. Built in 1760, this
folk temple gleams with fresh paint due to a
2002 UNESCO award-winning renovation. The
shrine of real-life medical doctor Baosheng Dadi
is flanked by stone dragon columns, while the
winged roofs yield more intricately carved details
with each look. The best time to visit is near
sunset, when the paper lanterns glow and the
air is laced with incense pressed between the
palms of devotees, who bow to the idols before
leaving through the customary left door.
Taiwan owes its diversity to its colonial history,
which saw periods of rule by the Netherlands,
Japan, and – more recently – China. In 1949, at
the close of the Chinese Civil War, defeated ruler
Chiang Kai-shek fled to Taipei with a wealth of
national treasures. These relics are now housed
in the National Palace Museum, a collection of
over 600,000 artefacts encompassing ceramics,
calligraphy and art. Rotating painting exhibitions
honour the great Chinese masters, and there is
a comprehensive display of jade carvings. Selfie
stick-waving tour groups crowd in during the
day, so try to catch the quieter late openings on
Friday and Saturday evenings.
After his death in 1975, the enormous Chiang
Kai-shek Memorial Square was built, comprising
the Memorial Hall, National Concert Hall and
National Theatre. All three are constructed in an
audacious Chinese neo-classical style, with tiered
roofs and fluted tiles. The dazzling white walls
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