TAIPEI
With brightly lit convenience stores on nearly every block and a prompt , reliable public transportation system , Taipei is an incredible place to slowly meander around on foot . Visitors can go hiking in a tropical jungle , soak in hot springs and explore a night market , all in one day .
Most people arrive into Taipei via Taoyuan International Airport , which is linked to the city center with both a regular train and high-speed rail . But grabbing a taxi is just as easy and affordable . Once inside the city , there are plenty of neighborhoods to get lost in . Xinyi District is the city ’ s glitzy financial district , with plenty of sleek bars and shopping streets . Da ’ an has the highest population density , teeming with quaint coffee shops and decadent brunch options . Dadaocheng is the oldest neighborhood in town , complete with a textile market and century-old tea shops .
While Taiwan may come off as a very homogeneous place — 95 % of the population is ethnically Chinese — it ’ s actually quite diverse , influenced by the island ’ s rich history and all the different waves of migration . Some streets are lined with faux baroque architecture dating back to the Japanese colonial era . There are Hokkienstyle temples that have been around for hundreds of years nestled right next to bustling markets that have been slinging out comforting late-night bites for decades . There are also subtle nods to the country ’ s Austronesian first peoples . For one , the main road in front of the Presidential Office Building is named Ketagalan , after the Indigenous tribe that inhabited the area around Taipei before Chinese immigration .
Even though the pace of life in Taipei is slower than most of the world ’ s major metropolitan hubs , it ’ s a city with more than its fair share of diversions .
Clockwise from above : Dadaocheng Cisheng Temple ; a skywalk with the city of Taipei in the background ; Japanesestyle lantern at Raohe Night Market ; Taiwanesestyle beef noodle soup
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