Taipei Holiday
Taipei in Taiwan is no longer Asia's ugly duckling with holidays and flights to it on the increase, landmarks such as the Tapei 101 building are just the start of a dream holiday...
Traditions and culture in Taipei
Taipei has undergone a considerable transformation from the city once ravaged by the effects of martial law and has been developing rapidly ever since the late 1980s.
The streets are no longer clogged up with taxis, buses and scooters, and the roads have been cleaned up, while a light-rail network has been built and more green spaces have been popping up.
The result is that the city is continuing to grow as a holiday destination and is making a success of finding the balance between its roots as a technological centre and becoming more aesthetically pleasing.
Now anyone deciding to book flights to Taipei will find that it is noticeably versatile, with a range of cultural attractions on offer and plenty of activities and entertainment to fill the days.
Things to do in Taipei
Perhaps the most well-known feature of Taipei in recent times is the Taipei 101 building, which claimed the title of the world's tallest building at 508m when it opened in 2004.
Anyone on holiday in the city should undoubtedly check out the popular mountainous recreation area of Yangmingshan, while the nearby town of Beitou is renowned for its hot springs.
Bitan welcomes many boating and water sports enthusiasts, while relatively recent architectural additions such as the National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall are worth a visit.
Furthermore, the city is something of an artistic hub, featuring the leading National Palace Museum art gallery, the Taipei Fine Arts Museum and the National Theater and Concert Hall in Liberty Square.
Restaurants are in strong supply, shopping lovers are bound to be satisfied and there are plenty of bars for travellers who want to let their hair down - a classic holiday mix.
Weather in Taipei
The climate in Taipei is characterised by the monsoon season between April and September, while the average temperature throughout the year tends to be around 24C.
Rain is an omnipresent threat and winters are relatively short, with temperatures dropping to roughly 10C, while the summers are hot and humid as the mercury often rests in the 30s Celsius.
Destination checklist for Taipei
Taipei has a population of 2,622,933.
The city is eight hours ahead of GMT time.
The official currency is the New Taiwan dollar.
Mandarin is the official language spoken.
The city's international dialling code is +886 2.
