Taiwan - Taipei 2024 Part 2

31 March - 04 April 2024

Third visit to Taipei
Following a train journey from Hualien we were back in Taipei for our third and final stay.
Upon leaving Hualien, we didn’t know how lucky we were. If our itinerary had brought us to the area a few days later, this text would be very different. More explanation is provided later.
The weather forecast had threatened thunderstorms so we were lucky to stay dry during our walk to the apartment. For our last stay our accommodation was in the Datong district, a bit closer to the centre than before. Any exploration of the area was put on hold as more thunderstorms rolled across the city. It did brighten up in the early evening, allowing us to get out to see the Ningxia Night Market, which was just around the corner. The market was alive with activity. People queuing to buy all sorts of food, some off which we didn’t even recognise. Most took their food away to eat but a few were dining at pop-up restaurants. What was going on interested us more than feeling the need to purchase something.

Night Market near where we stayed

Night Market queue for burst and crispy squid. The queue is really long

The crispy squid stall that has huge queue, must do something different that the other one selling it as no queue there

The much sought after crispy squid

Squid parts before it burst and become crispy

We arrived just before the rain

For our first full day we never expected to spend its interiority wandering around one road, but that is what we did. The historic Dihua Street is totally absorbing, so many shops selling so many different things. Herb shops, fruit shops, tea shops, mushroom shops, shops selling fish and animal parts, the list is endless. That’s not to mention the side streets were you can find handcrafted products. Look around you and you see architecture dating back to the 1920’s and before. A total contrast to the modern building that surround the area.

Dihua Street

Dihua Street walkway, a must visit tourist place in Taipei

what you can see in Dihua street

Mushrooms shop, looks like expensive food

Our lunch stop on Dihua Street

More varied products on sale, not sure what they are but it is food!

Architecture in Dihua Street, some buildings are over 100 years old

Some street art

Another speciality shop in Dihua Street, bit disturbing

Dihua Street

Dihua street shop

Street Art

Out of character for us, we did some shopping. This shopping was a pleasure and not the burden we usual associate with it. None more so than our visit to a Tea Shop in Minsheng W Road, its Chinese name translates to “Hop Kee Tea Shop” and business card suggests a name of “Ho-Chi”. We wanted to buy a tea set to properly appreciate the tea we had purchased in Taiwan. This turned out to be just the place. The girls were super helpful and explained everything we needed to know to make a very special purchase. We even had a tea ceremony and tasting thrown into the experience. What a lovely way to spend an hour.

Tea Shop

Selection of tea pots in the tea shop. Small tea pots, big prices

Selection of Taiwanese tea

Although briefer, there were other memorable shopping experiences during the day. The purchase of a handcrafted bracelet from a street trader, who made it to measure. From a small shop selling unique designed items, inspired by the environment of Taipei. Where we bought some place mats and a purse.

In addition to the shopping, people watching had its own enjoyment. Shop owners displaying their goods, shoppers deciding what to buy and people using the street to get from A to B. It was even a location for wedding photography.

More traditional dress persons

Girls in traditional dress

Is it a wedding proposal or a theatre scene? We were outside the theatre

We had been waiting for good weather to visit Taiwans tallest building, Taipei 101, and the next day was such a day. A clear blue sky and humid heat greeted us as we left the a/c of the apartment. Fortunately it was only a short walk to the Metro and the comfort of air-conditioning again. This efficient and affordable mode of transport whisked us off to the 101 stop where we emerged right in front of the aforementioned building. As modern buildings go this one is very attractive.

Modern Taipei

Taipei 101, its called 101 because of the number of the floors (101)

Inside the complex the first five floors are given over to high end department stores and a food hall. We were only interested in the view from the top so immediately bought our tickets and made or way to the elevator. It took us all of 37 seconds to get from the 5th to the 89th floor, in what was the worlds fastest elevator (only surpassed in 2016). From there the views over Taipei and beyond were amazing.

Taipei from 101

Areal view of Taipei

Aerial of Tiapei

At 508m-tall, Taipei 101 was the worlds tallest building until 2009. At that point Dubai’s Burj Khalifa took that record at 828m. Unlike the Burj Khalifa, you can go right to the top of Taipei 101 (the 101st floor). We decided not to pay the extra and were content to be restricted to floors 88, 89 & 91. The 89th floor provided a comfortable, air conditioned and indoor viewing platform. Also providing various props for these wishing to get the best selfie. Floor 91 allowed us to go outside and walk around half the building circumference. High safety rails prevented anyone falling over the edge and a security guard ensured every one behaved. Although it was only us out there during our visit. Floor 88 housed a massive damper, used to stabilise the building during earthquakes!

Selfie on floor 89 of Taipei 101

More selfies

The Taipei 101 damper, very important for earthquakes

It was around mid-day by the time we had finished at the 101 and our thoughts turned to lunch. Back on the Metro to Taipei’s Main Station, lunch in their top floor food hall, then back to the apartment to get out of the heat. The shade temperature was now in the mid-30’s.
We left it to after dark before going out again, now slightly cooler. A 20 minute walk got us to the Tamsui River and the Riverside Park. Walkers and cyclists were going up and down along the shoreline. Multiple outdoor karaokes offered the chance to sing to passers by. A group dance secession was in full swing in a small plaza under some trees and mobile bars offered refreshments of all kinds.

Wall art on the river side

Dance class on a plaza in the river park

River and reflection

Karaoke night on the river side park

Street type arcade, very popular in every city we visited

So much going on all around us you don’t know where to look next. This city is even more alive at night than during the day. On the way back to the apartment we called in on our local night market again. Even more busy and longer queues than a couple of nights before.

Night Market second visit

Night market food stall, anybody for a bamboo stick?

More night market food

Very popular dessert but we don't know why

Although we were awake soon after 07:00, there was no need to move as we only had one activity planned for the day. However, even if we didn’t have a need to move the earth had other ideas. Around 08:00 the whole building started to shake violently, we hung on to each other and hoped for the best. We immediately recognised the shaking as an earthquake, having encountered them before. But this was the most violent and long lasting we had ever witnessed. We debated whether we should leave building but decided it was safe to stay.
After shocks then continued for the next 2-3 hours gradually getting less severe.
Most modern buildings in Taiwan are designed to withstand an average earthquake, and ours fortunately did a good job. No damage at all could be detected.
News channels around the world were soon reporting on the Taiwan earthquake. The epicentre was a few kilometres of the east coast and close to the town of Hualien, where we had been a few days earlier. At a magnitude of 7.4 it was a powerful one. A building in Hualien partially collapsed, killing one person. There were landslides in the Taroko National Park, were we had been a few days earlier, also killing several people. Part of the main east coast highway, which we had driven a few days earlier, slide into the sea. And Tsunami warnings had been issued for the coasts of Japan and the Philippines.
We later discovered that the earthquake magnitude was between 5.0 and 6.0 in the area of Taipei where were staying. Pretty scary, but we survived it unharmed. Which may not have been the case if it had happened a few days earlier (see below for further details).

Landslide in progress due to earthquake (courtesy of Taipei Times)

Enter the building where our apartment was, and there is the sign to an underground defence shelter, we didn't need to use it

With everything quietened down, at least in Taipei, we ventured out to visit the Museum of Contemporary Art. Another very hot day, so we searched out shade as we walked. This also allowed us to discover more interesting things about this amazing city. This time we found ourselves in a road that specialised in hardware shops. We had seen something similar in Vietnam many years ago. But these shops were smarter, more organised and specialising in certain products. So not to directly compete with their neighbour.

Each shop has its own special products on sale, guess which one

Hardware shop

The exhibits in the Museum of Contemporary Art were weird to say the least. But they kept us entertained for about 2 hours. Entrance to the museum was free todays, in case evacuation was required due to further earthquakes or after shocks. A pleasant lunch in the museum cafe, then it was back to the apartment to collect our luggage.

One of the room in the Museum of contemporary art

The museum of Contemporary Art

Mid-afternoon we transferred to our airport hotel. Our flight back to the UK was early the next morning so it made sense to be close by. We had the option to use the quick and efficient Metro or the slower but more convenient taxi. Earlier that day the Metro had been disrupted by the earthquake and was still being closely monitored due to the aftershocks. So taxi it was.
Pre dinner cocktails followed by a very nice meal in the hotel restaurant completed our day. An early morning wake up call and a shuttle bus to the airport terminal then completed our stay in Taiwan.
During the planning for this trip we had the usual excitement about visiting a new country and exploring all it had to offer. However, our stay has far exceeded our expectations, we have been blown away by Taiwan. The people, the culture and the environment have all been incredible.
With limited time left to explore this planet we have a short list of countries we would very much like to re-visit, Taiwan has now been added to that list.

Personal Observations & Interesting Facts

Taiwan Earthquake 3rd April 2024
The April 2024 Taiwan earthquake was the most powerful since 1999. Its epicentre was a few kilometres out at sea off the east coast town of Hualien. Worldwide monitoring equipment provided slightly different reading of its magnitude but census was it registered approximately 7.4. Therefore in the powerful category.
Although felt throughout the island the town and district of Hualien was affected the most due to it proximity to the epicentre. The magnitude was still greater than 6.0 in Hualien and neighbouring districts, and more than 5.0 around the capital Taipei to the north. In the west and south of the island the magnitude was less but still felt.
Structural damage to buildings in Hualien and landslides in the neighbouring Taroko National Park, claimed 17 lives and injured more than 1145 people. At the time of writing, 14 April, the 405 people who were still trapped, mostly in tunnels, have been rescued and there remains 2 people still missing.
Reports and pictures from the Taipei Times are very familiar to us as we spent a week in the area. Only leaving for Taipei 3 days before the earthquake. We consider ourselves very lucky, people have died and been injured on the trails we walked and roads we drove.
Taiwan is used to earthquakes, but one of this magnitude really stretches the well organised rescue and medical facilities they have available. The government are constantly looking at ways to safeguard lives during such events and building design guidelines are already in place to mitigate against earthquakes. However, following this latest event immediate reviews are being undertaken to identify some older buildings that need improvement.

Leaning house of Hualien after the Earthquake

Landslide caused by the Earthquake blocking the road that we had travelled down a few days previously (courtesy of Taipei Times)

Rock fall after the earthquake in the Taroko NP (courtesy of Taipei Times)