Gorgeous photography and waffle-free text, written by city

insiders rather than bearded backpackers. - The Independent

Sophisticated but simple. - The New York Times
Packed with insider knowledge and eye-catching photography.
- The Guardian

The new-look The Rough Guide to Taipei - now in full colour

throughout - is the ultimate travel guide to one of Asias most
exciting, yet often overlooked, destinations.
Taiwanese culture preserves the best of ancient traditions,
while embracing the newest in high-tech modernity, and
nowhere is this better exemplified than in the countrys
dynamic capital, Taipei. Whether you want to admire Taipei
101s architecture, discover precious Chinese artefacts at the
National Palace Museum or indulge in feast of street food at
Shilin Nightmarket, Rough Guide to Taipei will ensure that you
have the quintessential Taipei experience. Features by local
writers delve into topics including the arts scene, Taipei residents
love of sports and shopping, and traditional remedies, while
evocative accounts of the citys districts bring Taipei to life, from
Ximendings youth culture and Datongs Chinese heritage to the
easts skyscrapers juxtaposed with hillside tea plantations. Fullcolour photography and maps help you navigate with ease and
our detailed Travel Tips give you all the practical information you
need to plan your trip. Discover this fascinating city with Rough
Guide to Taipei.

Roughguides.com

14.99

Rough Guides

Taipei, Taiwan

How To Use

This Guide

Rough Guides are designed to

be good to read and easy to
use. The book is divided into
four sections. The tabs at the
bottom of the guide show which
section you are on.

Taipei literally means North

of Taiwan. Its official name is
Taipei City and is the capital city
of Taiwan.

Situated at the northern tip of

Taiwan, the city is located on an
Exploring Taipei is designed
ancient lakebed surrounded by
to give you a feel for Taipei,
the two valleys of the Keelung
suggesting where to go and
and Xindian rivers, which join to
what not to miss, and includes form the Tamsui River along the
information on accommodation, citys western border.
food and drink, getting around
and getting help in emergencies. The city is home to an
estimated population of 2.6
Taipei Districts covers the
million, and the whole Taipei
Taipei region in depth, giving
Keelung metropolitan area
comprehensive information of
has a total population of 7
all of the attractions in each
million, making it the 40th
area of the city.
most-populous urban area in
the world. The name Taipei
Contexts fills you in on
can refer either to the whole
history, art, music and culture. metropolitan area or the city
Information on Taipeis many
proper.
festivals and national parks.
Taipei is the political, economic,
Language gives you enough
educational, and cultural center
Chinese to get by and an
of Taiwan, and one of the major
extensive menu reader.
hubs of the Chinese-speaking
world.

Rough Guides

Contents
How To Use This Guide
Exploring Taipei
History & Facts.........................................6
Essential things not to miss...................10
Getting around.......................................14
Accomodation.......................................20
Food & Drink...........................................26
Health....................................................32
Festivals ................................................36
Shopping..............................................42
Sports & Outdoor activities...................50
Travel essentials....................................56

Taipei Districts
Wanhua.................................................60
Datong...................................................72
Zhongzheng...........................................84
Zhongshan.............................................94
Daan....................................................106
Xinyi.....................................................112
Songshan.............................................126
Shilin...................................................138

Contexts

History.................................................144
Culture & Etiquette..............................150
Music...................................................156
Books...................................................162
Film.....................................................166

Language

Phrases................................................172
Menu Reader........................................180

Taipei, Taiwan

Rough Guides

Taipei, Taiwan

Essential Things

Not To Miss
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Taipei
101

Shrimp
Fishing

Shopping
Malls

Night
Markets

Themed
Restaurants

Rough Guides

Taipei, Taiwan

The Best Places

To Eat

Its not a Taipei foodie guide without

a mention of beef noodle soup,
practically the national dish.

Taipei is the worlds greatest

showcases for Chinese cuisine.
Be adventurous; many places
have English menus or at least
photographs of food, and where
one dish is the main feature,
pointing will usually suffice.
In addition to a vast array of
restaurants, the citys teahouses
(chgun) are atmospheric
places to eat light meals and sip
Chinese-style tea. For a cheaper,
more local experience try Taipeis
vibrant night markets (ysh),
which offer a bewildering range
of dishes and excellent value for
money.
Another budget favourite is the
Taiwan Buffets (z zh cn), which
youll see in every neighbourhood
these canteen-style places
allow you to pile up as much food
on your tray as you like, with each
dish incurring a small charge (its
rarely more than NT$120 for a
huge plateful). In the summer
make for a shaved ice stall (bo
bng or more commonly tsua
bing in Taiwanese) the sweet,
tasty toppings make sumptuous
desserts. If its too hot, almost
every department store has an
air-conditioned food court in the
basement, with the biggest under
Taipei 101.

Rough Guides

Taipei, Taiwan

1914

Huashan 1914

Creative Park
In 1997 members of the Golden
Bough Theatre made a startling
discovery. There, deep in the
heart of Taipei and cordoned
off from all visitors, stood an
abandoned factory. The group
described the factory as a city
within a city, a place where
nature was left to age with
concrete for nearly a decade
and they were intrigued.

Unfortunately it also caught

the attention of local law
enforcement and the group
was promptly cited for
trespassing. This minor act of
excessive enthusiasm however,
was just the beginning.

Local artists became drawn

to the open spaces, high
ceilings and abundant natural
light. Soon art and literary
While the young thespians did giants from across Taipei
not know it at the time, they
began using the factory as an
had stumbled upon one of the inspirational work space, giving
oldest and most well preserved performances and leaving
structures in Taiwan. Built in
their distinctive mark on the
1914, the factory was among
structures themselves.
Taiwans largest wine producers
throughout the 1920s. It
Word about this unique
had however, long since been
environment spread further
abandoned.
and in 1999 the Association of
Culture Environment Reform
The brazen group restored
Taiwan, a non profit NGO, was
a small section of the factory
established to oversee the
and began staging plays in
restoration of the factory
the abandoned halls. Their
into a full fledged arts center.
experimental performances,
The factory was renamed the
and intriguing choice of venue, Huashan Creative Park and,
quickly caught the attention of in 2005, the rebuilding of the
the local community.
Creative Park officially began.
Huashan Creative Park is a
fascinating cultural precinct with
plenty to interest everyone.

Rough Guides

Taipei, Taiwan

Shilin

Night Market
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vel idus.
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endios excerferiti bla con re
necestium autat pro.
doloria doluptate omnisto et
reperatia quas.

Shilin Night Market is often

considered to be the largest and most
famous night market in the city.

Rough Guides

The Culture of

Taipei City
Mainstream Taiwanese culture is a
curious combination of traditional
Chinese practices, modern
commercialism and technological
ingenuity, capped off with a palpable
Japanese flavour left over from decades
of colonial rule. Those expecting
stereotypical Chinese experiences
akin to what can be had in mainland
China or even Hong Kong are likely to be
surprised and enchanted by the striking
behavioural differences between the
Taiwanese and their fellow Chinese
neighbours.
For starters, Taiwanese people are
unquestionably some of the friendliest
in Asia, if not the entire world, and most
foreign visitors are impressed by the
often staggering level of hospitality from
the moment they arrive.
If youre invited to someones home,
its a good idea to bring a gift, usually
something simple such as flowers, a
tin of biscuits or cookies, or a box of
chocolates. Before entering someones
home, always remember first to remove
your shoes, even if your host initially
says its not necessary.

Taipei, Taiwan

Rough Guides

Taipei, Taiwan

Useful Phrases

Language
The Official Language of Taiwan is
the same as mainland China, Chinese
Mandarin, commonly referred to as
guoyu (National language).
Although there are some differences
in the word use, pronunciation and
slang, Chinese spoken on the mainland
is indistinguishable from that used in
Taiwan. The major difference comes with
written Chinese: Taiwan, (like Hong Kong)
uses traditional characters while China
follows the simplified system.
The main distinguishing characteristic of
Chinese languages is that they are tonal:
each word must be pronounced not only
with the right sound, but also the right
tone. Mandarin has four tones, and in
order to be understood its vital to get
these as accurate as possible. Pinyin is a
way of writing Chinese using the Roman
alphabet. It is the best way to learn the
correct tones, represented by accents
above each syllable.
Taiwanese dont use the Pinyin system
in schools like mainland China, They
use a system called bopomofo to teach
children pronunciation.

English
Hello
Thank you
Youre welcome
Sorry
No problem
Goodbye
I
You
We
They
I want
I dont want
Have
Have not
Mr
Mrs
Miss
I dont speak Chinese
Can you speak English?
Please speak slowly
I understand
I dont understand
What does this mean?
How much is it?
How are you?
Whats your name?
My Name is...
Good morning
Good afternoon
Good evening/night
Wheres the toilet?

Trad. Chinese
/

/
/

/
/
?
?
?
?

(/)?

Pinyin
Hello/Nn ho
Xi xi
B kq
Du b q
Mi wn t
Zi jin
W
N
W men
T men
W yo/W xing yo
W b yo/W b xing yo
Yu
Mi yu
Xin shng
N sh
Xio ji
W b hu shu zhng wn
N hu shu yng wn ma?
Qng shu mn y din
W dng/W mngbi
W b dng/W b mng bi
Zh sh shn me y si
Zh ge du sho qin?
N ho ma?
N jio shn me mng z?
W de mng z sh
Zo n
W n
Wnn
(X shu jin/C su) zi n l?