Taipei and the North

The Maokong Gondola (Chinese: 貓空纜車; pinyin: Māokōng Lǎnchē) is the first gondola lift transportation system in Taipei. Opened on 4 July 2007, the Maokong Gondola operates between Taipei Zoo and Maokong. The line has four stations:Taipei Zoo (動物園站), outside the Taipei Zoo; Taipei Zoo South (動物園內站), inside the Taipei Zoo, Zhinan Temple (指南宮站); Maokong (Sanxuan Temple) (貓空站). 

Ticket price per person is TWD 350

The history of the Taipei Zoo can be traced back over 90 years. In 1914, when Taiwan was still under Japanese sovereignty, a Japanese man whose last name was Oe established a private zoological garden in Yuan-shan in the northern suburbs of Taipei City. With the increase of social awareness concerning natural conservation and environmental education, the Taipei Zoo, well-equipped with expertise regarding animal care and the knowledge of natural history, has committed itself to serving as a leader in environmental education and wildlife conservation. The Zoo’s combined area is 165 hectares, with 90 hectares being open to the public. The facilities comprise exhibition buildings (the Education Center, the Penguin House, the Koala House, the Amphibian and Reptile House and the Insectarium), as well as exhibition areas (the Formosan Animal Area, the Children's Zoo, the Asian Tropical Rainforest Animal Area, the Desert Animal Area, the Australian Animal Area, the African Animal Area, Bird World and the Temperate Zone Animal Area). There is also an outdoor nature observation area, a wetland park, and a special exhibit house.

Ticket price per person is TWD 150

Taipei 101 is impossible to miss with its 508mt held the title of the world's tallest green building until 2011. Observation decks are on the 88th and 89th floors, with an outdoor deck on the 91st floor opened on some occasions, weather permitting. Don't miss the massive gold-colored iron wind damper that keeps the tower stable through typhoons and earthquakes. 

Taipei 101 tower; enjoy the stunning sightseeing of the capital from the second tallest tower in the world. You will reach the top floor with the fastest elevator in the world. The lifts take just 40 seconds from ground level to the 89th floor, situated at 382 mt and have atmospheric pressure regulatory systems to avoid discomfort (ears 'popping') for the occupants.

Taipei 101 is designed to withstand the typhoon winds and earthquake tremors that are common in the area east of Taiwan also thanks to its giant mass dumper. Essentially acting as a giant pendulum, the enormous steel sphere moves slightly back and forth to counter any motion of the building itself. It is an engineering marvel meant to limit the vibrations of the 1,667-foot tall building.

Observatory ticket price per person TWD 700

Founded in 1738 during the Qing Dynasty has been rebuilt multiple times after being destroyed by earthquakes, typhoons and even bombing in the last days of WWI when the temple was badly damaged by American bombers during the Raid on Taipei after an accusation the Japanese were hiding arms inside.

Interesting fact is tha the temple has been rebuilt by the local community. Residents rebuilt after each earthquake, flood and fire without much help from government agencies or wealthy benefactors. 

It’s a temple for more than one religion, worshiping Guanshiyin Buddha and more than other 100 divine spirits. The most important ones are: Matsu, goddess of the sea, Wenchang Dijun, the god of literature, red-faced Guan Gong, the god of war and patron of police and gangsters, and the Old Man Under the Moon, known as the Matchmaker or the Chinese cupid.
Longshan Temple is considered not only a temple, a sightseeing attraction, Single locals will come to pray to the deity in the hopes that their true love will marry them and stay with them forever. 
There are traditional streets/shops, antique shops, Buddhists article shops and Chinese medicine shops surrounding the temple
The best times to visit Longshan are around 6am, 8am and 5pm, when crowds of worshippers gather and engage in hypnotic chanting.

While there is no dress code at Longshan Temple, please remember to have a presentable appearance.

There is no entrance fee to visit the temple, but donations are well accepted.

Travel Back in time ! The buildings here date all the way back to the Qing Dynasty and represent a part of Taipei that has not been touched by the city’s rapid development, making it a significant link to Taiwan’s cultural past! 

during the late Qing Dynasty period (late 1800s), Bopiliao was one of the busiest and most prosperous commercial areas in Taipei, home to various merchants and was one of the major areas for the coal trade. It was one of the busiest and wealthiest areas in Taipei, until Japanese rule in the early 20th century displaced the street with newer roads. 

The architecture of the area encompasses many different styles as Taiwan was passed from one colonial power to another.  

Today, it serves not only as a preserved attraction popular among tourists but also a site that reminds and educates the locals of their traditional culture and history. 
 

During the Japanese era, the Red House came to symbolize the bustling commercialism of the Ximending District. 
Post-WWII it was an opera house, a performance theatre, a movie theatre and finally a multifunctional cultural center, with regular live performances and exhibitions. 
The newly furnished first floor contains a shopping ground, creative arts showroom and a Paper Windmill Cafe. On the 2nd floor, an entire room had been developed into an assembly hall with mobile chairs and tables. The red interior has a spacious capacity that can house up to 200 people. 
All the area is full of bars, restaurants and it is also the city's gay bar district.
 

The Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall and the area surrounding it is one of the most prominent landmarks in Taiwan and is also one of the most popular destinations for tourists visiting Taipei with thousands of people showing up each day.
The Memorial Park covers an area of over 240,000 square meters and during the Japanese Colonial era was a military base.

The expansive park consists of three large buildings: the Memorial Hall (中正紀念堂), The National Theatre (國家戲劇院), the National Concert Hall (國家音樂廳) and the beautiful gardens behind the Memorial hall.

The Memorial Hall is probably the main reason people visit the area and express the 'spirit of Chinese culture". It was constructed using Taiwanese marble, the roof is blue representing the color of Chiang Kai Shek party and has a octagon shape because the number eight is associated with abundance and good fortune.

The most imposing and impressive structures on Liberty Square are that of the National Theatre (國家戲劇院) and National Concert Hall (國家音樂廳). The two buildings play host to major performances all year long and are considered the best artistic venues in the country.

Behind the Memorial Hall there are beautiful gardens home of squirrels, birds, fish, turtles and cranes. Watch the guard changing ceremony at 11AM, visit the museum and the garden. Guard changing ceremony duration: approximately 20 minutes.
 

Bao-An Temple (保安宮) goes back to 1742 and it is one of the busiest and most beautiful folk-religion temples in Taiwan. The temple is extremely ornate and is a national treasure to the people of Taiwan. It has also being recognized by the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. Bao-An Temple is dedicated to a Taoist folk religion deity known as the Bao-Sheng Emperor. The temple also houses a drum tower.

If you are a fan of traditional art, Bao-An temple really is an excellently preserved museum to showcase the rich cultural history of Taiwan.

The National Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall was built in 1972 as a tribute to the founder of the Republic of China. The hall contains displays of Sun's accomplishments from the revolution during and after the fall of the Qing Dynasty and today is a meeting ground for various social, educational, and cultural activities.

Although the hall's main purpose was intended to display historical relics of Sun's life and the Xinhai Revolution, it later was opened to performances and exhibitions.