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    Lonely Planet Pocket Taipei
    Lonely Planet Pocket Taipei
    Lonely Planet Pocket Taipei
    Ebook258 pages1 hour

    Lonely Planet Pocket Taipei

    By Dinah Gardner and Megan Eaves

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    About this ebook

    Lonely Planet: The world's number one travel guide publisher

    Lonely Planet's Pocket Taipei is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Get the ultimate view from Taipei 101, explore the world-class antiquities at the National Palace Museum, and admire the grandeur of Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall - all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Taipei and begin your journey now!

    Inside Lonely Planet's Pocket Taipei:

    • Colour maps and images throughout
    • Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests
    • Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots
    • Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices
    • Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sightseeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss
    • User-friendly layout with helpful icons, and organised by neighbourhood to help you pick the best spots to spend your time
    • Covers Beitou, Shilin, Zhongshan, Datong, Zhongzheng, Ximending, Shida, Maokong, and more

    The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet's Pocket Taipei is our colourful, easy to use and handy guide that literally fits in your pocket, and is packed with the best sights and experiences for a short trip or weekend away.

    About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company and the world's number one travel guidebook brand, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973. Over the past four decades, we've printed over 145 million guidebooks and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travellers. You'll also find our content online, and in mobile apps, video, 14 languages, nine international magazines, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more.

    'Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.' - New York Times

    'Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves, it's in every traveler's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.' - Fairfax Media (Australia)

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherLonely Planet
    Release dateMar 1, 2020
    ISBN9781788689656
    Lonely Planet Pocket Taipei

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      Book preview

      Lonely Planet Pocket Taipei - Dinah Gardner

      Contents

      Plan Your Trip

      Welcome to Taipei

      Top Sights

      Eating

      Drinking & Nightlife

      Shopping

      History

      For Kids

      Entertainment

      LGBT+

      Temples

      Festivals

      Four Perfect Days

      Need to Know

      Taipei Neighbourhoods

      Explore Taipei

      Zhongzheng

      Zhongshan & Datong

      Ximending & Wanhua

      Da’an

      Songshan

      Xinyi

      Shilin

      Worth a Trip

      Maokong Gondola

      Beitou Hot Springs

      Survival Guide

      Survival Guide

      Before You Go

      Arriving in Taipei

      Getting Around

      Essential Information

      Language

      Behind the Scenes

      Our Writer

      Welcome to Taipei

      Taipei is the yin and yang of cities: modern malls and trading towers stack next to smoky temples and Qing-era shophouses. From its cuisine to the courtesy of its people, the city’s beauty is born from a blend of Chinese, Japanese and Southeast Asian influences. Taipei today is a celebration of tolerance and taste. Welcome to Asia’s most progressive capital!

      Taipei

      Top Sights

      National Palace Museum

      World-famous imperial treasure house.

      MAKOTO WATANABE / GETTY IMAGES ©

      Taipei Top Sights

      Taipei 101

      Taipei’s Eiffel Tower.

      CORDESCO / SHUTTERSTOCK ©; ARCHITECT: CY LEE

      Taipei Top Sights

      Bao’an Temple

      Folk deities conjure rich dreams.

      RICHIE CHAN / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

      Taipei Top Sights

      Dihua Street

      Taipei’s most atmospheric district.

      FREDERIK MORBE / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

      Taipei Top Sights

      Huashan 1914 Creative Park

      Hip and historical converted wine factory.

      CHRIS STOWERS / CONTRIBUTOR / GETTY IMAGES ©

      Taipei Top Sights

      Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall

      Imposing square, bristling with history.

      BEIBAOKE / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

      Taipei Top Sights

      Beitou Hot Springs

      Soaks in the city.

      MIREK NOWACZYK / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

      Taipei Top Sights

      Maokong Gondola

      Sky sailing to mountain teahouses.

      CHINGYUNSONG/ SHUTTERSTOCK ©

      Taipei Top Sights

      Shilin Night Market

      Scrumptious, sizzling and squashed fun.

      KEREN SU / GETTY IMAGES ©

      Eating

      The Taiwanese love to eat out so much that apartments often come without a kitchen. You’ve got local food at all budget levels from night-market sizzles to fine dining that requires reservations weeks ahead. There are all the Chinese cuisines, fantastic Southeast Asian restaurants, and some of the best Japanese food outside of Tokyo.

      FISHWORK / GETTY IMAGES ©

      Night Markets

      One Taiwan experience you can’t miss out on is eating at a night market. It’s a national past-time.

      Popular snacks include braised goodies, from tofu (豆腐; dòufu) to coagulated duck’s blood (鴨血; yā xuè) and pig’s intestines (大腸; dà cháng); fried taro balls (炸芋丸; zhá yùwán); deep-fried chicken cutlets (雞排; jī pái), some bigger than your face; savoury rice pudding (粿; guǒ); and sesame oil chicken (麻油雞; má yóu jī), a warming soup infused with aromatic sesame oil, with chicken pieces or pork offal.

      Probably the most recognisable Taiwanese street snack is stinky fermented tofu (臭豆腐; chòu dòufu). This deep-fried dish is something of an acquired taste, like certain European cheeses. That said, many eaters find the smell stronger than the taste.

      Vegan Taipei

      There’s been a huge explosion in vegetarian and vegan restaurants, on top of the long-standing vegetarian buffets which you can find everywhere. Marvellously they encompass all kinds of cuisines from burgers to Burmese. There are also some exquisite vegan dessert places and nut-milk bars.

      To find vegan options in Taipei, check out HappyCow (www.happycow.net/asia/taiwan/taipei) listings or It’s a Vegan Affair (www.facebook.com/groups/veganaffair), which produces an annual map of vegan restaurants in the capital.

      BUGKING88 / GETTY IMAGES ©

      Best Taiwanese

      Yongkang Beef Noodles Going strong since 1963.

      Din Tai Fung Michelin-starred Taiwanese dumplings.

      Zilin Steamed Dumpling House Baskets of inexpensive pillows of mouth-watering meat or cabbage and vermicelli.

      Best Japanese

      NOMURA Japanese chef; intimate space.

      Addiction Aquatic Development Part fish market, part sashimi heaven.

      Shirakawago Handsome sashimi chefs prepare delectable sashimi in a local market.

      Best for Vegetarians

      He Shun Xiang Tangy, creamy, spicy Burmese food without a single animal product.

      MiaCucina Western vegetarian dishes; almost heavenly.

      Vege Creek Select your own ingredients for a yummy vegan noodle soup.

      Best Desserts

      Snow King A 1950s ice-cream parlour with a kaleidoscope of flavours.

      Shuanglian Sweet Rice Ball Dainty bowls of sweet-bean soup and shaved ice.

      Ice Monster Shaved mango ice, Taiwan’s most delicious dessert.

      Soypresso Velvety twirls of soft soy vegan ice cream.

      Time for Dinner

      The Taiwanese tend to eat an early dinner, around 6pm or 7pm (unless they are visiting a night market). Many restaurants will be winding down by 9pm.

      Drinking & Nightlife

      Two distinctly Taiwanese drinking experiences are tea (grown in the Central Mountains) and coffee, with Taipei possibly having the most coffee shops per capita in the world. Taipei is crazy for craft beer, with some excellent local breweries and swanky cocktail joints that compete for creativity.

      LEREN LU / GETTY IMAGES ©

      All the Tea…

      While most people head to Maokong when they want to enjoy brewing and imbibing, there are a few excellent places within the city as well, many set in beautifully restored Japanese-era residences. If bubble tea (boba cha) is your cuppa, good news: you’ll find endless roadside stands and stalls throughout the city selling it hot or cold with ice. CoCo, Comebuy (our favourite) and 50 Lan are three of the most popular chains; you’ll see them everywhere.

      Local Coffee Chains

      Passable fresh-brewed coffee is available at any convenience store for NT$40 to NT$60. Some of the best, and ridiculously cheap for the quality, coffee comes from chains such as cama café, which roast on the premises and cater to takeaway. To save the environment, bring your own flask or ask for a mug and drink it on the premises.

      Another massively successful chain is Louisa, which was one of the first to start selling flat whites. The one in Da’an Forest Park, attached to the MRT station, has a lovely garden cafe.

      Whisky

      Taiwan is the proud creator of a world-class whisky. Kavalan Distillery in Yilan in northeast Taiwan produces a smooth, tropical-fruity whisky that has bagged over 200 international awards since its launch in 2008 and is now available in 60 countries. You can find it in most bars in Taipei and it also has its own high-street stores.

      CHARLESIMAGE / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

      Best Coffee Shops

      Cafe Libero Seductive evening atmosphere.

      Fong Da Coffee Classic brews from the 1950s.

      Kafka by the Sea Taipei’s coolest cafe.

      wooo Coffee and beer in an old-world apothecary.

      Best Teahouses

      Wistaria Tea House You’ll be blown away by the beautiful interior of this old Japanese wooden house.

      Buddha Tea House Twilight-lit cave, run by a garrulous artist.

      Eighty-Eightea Enjoy a pot in the restored house of a Japanese priest.

      Best for Craft Beer

      Driftwood Eighteen delicious brews on tap.

      Zhang Men Fine local brewery with outdoor rooftop patio.

      Funky Fresh Bar Crafty cubby hole in Shilin Night Market.

      Another Brick A place with proper pint glasses for its IPAs.

      Best Venues with a View

      FRANK You could reach out and touch Taipei 101 from the rooftop lounge.

      Fujin Tree 353 Taipei’s Parisian-style cafe, with tables along the street.

      Le Promenoir Coffee City views framed by wooden shutters on the 4th floor of Zhongshan Hall.

      Pier 5 Fun gaggle of outdoor bars next to the river.

      Best Cocktail Bars

      Indulge Experimental Bistro Award-winning cocktail emporium.

      Red House Bar Street Friendly, gay strip with the best ginger mojitos in town.

      Shopping

      With its endless markets, back-alley emporiums and glittering shopping malls, Taipei offers the complete gamut of shopping experiences. There’s a rich tradition of wood, ceramic, metal and glass production, and young designers are now pushing the envelope with everything from clothing to furniture.

      54613 / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

      Souvenirs

      Taiwan gets creative when it comes to souvenirs; many tourist sites sell curious gifts such as cloth bags and tea bags with cartoon depictions of Chinese politicians, for example. Handicrafts are inspired by traditional Chinese arts and indigenous patterns. Good gift ideas are packaged organic teas, ceramic decorative tiles and the iconic pineapple cake (pictured).

      Taxes & Refunds

      Prices in Taiwan include a 5% value-added tax (VAT). Foreigners can claim back VAT paid on any items totalling NT$2000 or more and bought from a Tax Refund Shopping (TRS) store on the same day. To claim your refund apply at the Tax Refund Service Counter (www.taxrefund.net.tw) at the airport.

      Bargain Buys

      Bargaining is uncommon except in street markets, and even then discounts of just 10% are possible. If you buy in bulk, discounts are often given without asking.

      Goods on sale are usually marked with a sign that includes a number under 10 and the character 折 (zhé), which means percentage discount. The lower the number the bigger the price cut, so 8折 means 20% off.

      CHARLESIMAGE / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

      Best for Gifts

      National Cultural and Creative Gift Centre Government-sponsored shopping emporium selling good-quality, reasonably priced gifts.

      National Palace Museum Shop Tell them it’s the real thing!

      Sunmerry Cheerful and well-priced boxes of sweet pineapple cakes.

      Wolf Tea Chic gift tins of locally grown tea; try before you buy.

      VVG Thinking Quirky and vintage gift idea.

      Best Markets & Malls

      Yongle Market A forest of fabrics, plus tailors with their sewing machines ready to do your bidding.

      Guanghua Digital Plaza Taipei’s electronics market extraordinaire.

      Breeze Nanshan The city’s newest mall offers the essential

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