Top Things to Do in the Taipei | Must-See Attractions & Experiences

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Places To Visit In Taipei

Chaing Kai-shek Memorial Hall

A national monument erected in the memory of Chiang Kai-shek, the first president of the People's Republic of China which was founded in 1949. It is one of Taiwan's most popular landmarks. The memorial was proposed after the revolutionary and inspirational leader's death in 1975. Since then, it has become the site of many events and the starting point of many movements, not to mention one of the country's greatest tourist attractions. The complex also has the National Concert Hall and the National Theatre, on either side in front of the Memorial Hall. The main building, that is the hall, is on the east end. An interesting fact about the memorial hall is that it has a combination of 89 stairs, signifying the age of Chiang Kai-shek when he died. There are 3 gates into the complex, one each in the north (Gate of Great Loyalty), south (Great gate of Piety) and the west (Gate of Great Centrality and Perfect Uprightness). The entire complex is beautified with gardens and ponds, greatly enhancing the aesthetics. Read More

Dadaocheng Wharf used to be Taipei's prime trade location and today has been converted into a beautiful park along the Tamsui river. What once was bustling due to it's role in the city's trade, is still bustling today because it's one of the city's best attractions, for locals and tourists alike. You can take a stroll along this picturesque park, absorbing the natural and fresh atmosphere, or take a ride down it's bicycle paths. Take a ferry ride along the Blue Highway of Tamsui River, truly getting the best views of the landscape around it. You can also enjoy the sculptures of the ships that are erected here and also entertaining performances by street artists. The Dadaocheng Wharf makes for a truly fun day in the outdoors, be it picnics, romantic walks, or simple gazing the landscape. Read More

One of the oldest temples in Taiwan, in the district of Wahua. The temple area is also very popular due to it's markets. The Longshan Temple was built by the first Chinese settles in 1738. In it's long history, it has been destroyed or damaged many times, being renovated by the locals each time due to it's significance. It is a popular place of worship and welcomes Buddhism and many traditional religions as well. It is also symbolic of classic Taiwanese architecture. The Wahua district, surrounding the temple also has some of the oldest and most bustling market streets, such as the Guangzhou and the Huaxi Night Markets, with a wide variety of shops and vendors and also many small eateries. Read More

National History Museum, Taipei

The museum was built back in 1955 and houses some important collections of Taiwanese history. The National History Museum was the first museum that was established when the Republic of China moved to Taiwan. The building was constructed in the Chinese palatial style and has been continuously renovated over the years to keep up with international standards, since it is the location of many international exhibitions throughout the year. The museum's collection includes various styles of pottery, many cultural relics recovered from China and other countries and statues. These collections date from as far back as 10,000 BCE, to the modern era, making it a truly educational experience. Read More

Historic museum with an enormous collection of Chinese artefacts and artworks from more than 10,000 years ago. The National Palace Museum's collection is huge. It has over 7,00,000 pieces of ancient Chinese artefacts and artworks. These artefacts were actually located initially in the Palace Museum in Beijing, were shifted to Shanghai and Nanjing during the Sino-Japanese wars and then finally the decision was made to send the most important collections to Taiwan, where they sit today. The museum was formally opened in 1965, displaying these collections. The collection is huge, and the artefacts from the Forbidden City aside, the museum has received donations and has made purchases of it's own. The museum contains antique collections, which include extremely important and rare items in bronze, ceramic, jade and various other materials. The collection of artworks is huge as well, covering more than a thousand years of Chinese paintings and also almost 2000 years of calligraphy. The size of the collection means that at a given time, only 1% of the collection is on display and the rest is stored in secure vaults. Read More

The oldest museum in Taiwan, showcasing the natural and humanitarian history of the country. The National Taiwan Museum was established in 1908, with barely 10,000 artefacts in it's collection. The building itself is quite imposing, with towering columns and a Grecian faade. Another fascinating architectural feature are the stained glass skylights on the roof, making beautiful patterns on the ground when sunlight passes through them. The museum's collections provide an insight to the natural history and the development of various fields in Taiwan. They contain exhibits of many plant and animal specimens indigenous to the country, along with several cultural artefacts. The collections are divided into 5 departments, namely Zoology, Botany, anthropology, earth sciences and education. Read More

Shilin district's night market is the most popular and the largest night market in Taipei. The Shilin Night Market is a buzzing and crowded night market in the Shilin district. It has a wide array of stores, shops, small vendors and more than 500 food stalls. It is divided into two sections, with the Old Shilin Building housing the food court and a majority of the food stalls. The streets around the building are where you can find all sorts of places. Souvenir shops, jewellery shops, clothing stores and so many little shops covering so many different interests. The market starts at around 4:00 PM and goes on well into the night, till around 1:00 AM to 2:00 AM. Read More

This memorial hall was dedicated to the 'Father of the Republic of China', Dr. Sun Yat-sen. It hosts a number of events and serves as an important landmark. The Sun yat-sen Memorial Hall was opened in 1972, on his 100th birthday, to celebrate the achievements and philosophies of the man commonly referred to as the 'Father of the Republic of China'. Upon entering, you will come across a huge statue of Sun Yet-san, which has a ceremonial change of guards every hour. The building is not just a simple memorial hall, it serves many purposes and has many sections dedicated to them, such as the exhibition centre, a performance hall, a multimedia theatre, an audio visual centre, a lecture hall and also a massive library. The building actually hosts several important art and culture events throughout the year, such as the Golden Bell Awards and the Golden Horse Awards. There is an art gallery as well on the 2nd floor of the building, displaying works of many Taiwanese and foreign artists. The parks around the main building are frequented by locals looking for an outdoor break during the weekends. Read More

Taipei 101 is a symbolic piece of architecture. It was the tallest building in the world when it was opened back in 2004 and is a major attraction in the city today. The building, at a staggering height of 509 metres, today is the world's 8th tallest structure. It was a symbol of the rapid rise of South Asia in 2004 and remains the largest and the tallest 'green building' in the world. The name comes from the fact that it has a 101 floors. The skyscraper becomes a breathtaking sight on New Year's Eve, with spectacular fireworks shows right off the top of it. The building is a major attraction mainly because of it's observation deck and shopping mall. The indoor observation deck lies at a height of 383 metres and the outdoor observation, a few floors above it, at a height of almost 392 metres, making it the highest such platform in Taiwan. The shopping mall in the first few floors of the building has loads of up-market brands and other supermarkets. Not just that, the building also displays many pieces of art throughout, from paintings to exhibits. The indoor observatory actually hosts quite a few exhibitions and also has a small cafe area and gift shop. Read More

The Taipei Zoo has exhibits on animal and bird species all over the world and is the largest zoo in all of Asia. The zoo was opened way back in 1914. It's exhibits include animals from Asia, Australia, Africa and many other zones from all over the globe. The most popular exhibition, however, are the pandas Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan, which were received as a gift from Beijing. Pandas are a highly endangered species, endemic to the Asia Pacific region and for that reason very few zoos actually have panda exhibits. There is also a children's zoo, which have docile and usually domesticated animals such as water buffaloes, pigs, ducks, rabbits, llamas among many others. Other dedicated exhibits are of the Asian and African rainforest areas, desert animals, insects, amphibians and reptiles, birds, and even penguins. Read More