City with an uncertain status and interesting history Taipei definitely deserves a visit . Chinese communists consider it the main city of Taiwan as a province of the PRC, and independent Taiwanese Republicans - its own capital . Regardless of whose side it is, Taipei is able to hit any tourist . This city is rapidly growing and developing, the residents are filling it so tightly that there is nowhere to fall an apple (and there are still tourists), students come here from all over the island, and above it the sky pierces the huge skyscraper Taipei 101 . Taipei is the embodiment of the Taiwanese economic miracle, city of industry and economy and if not yet a city of the future, it is very close to that . To believe this, it's enough to drive on the Taipei metro (it's hard to believe that it was opened only in 1996 g .) or look into the quarter of Simendin .

A bit of history

The Chinese began to settle in North Taiwan at the site of the present Taipei in the beginning 18th century, and by the end of the 19th century the city became the main Chinese enclave on the island . Last but not least - thanks to the port of Tamsui, where the tea was taken . The northern part of the island formed autonomy in 1875 ., and in 1886 . Taipei became the capital of the Chinese province of Taiwan . After 1895 . Taipei became a colonial Japanese administrative center, but in 1945 ., when Japan lost in World War II, the city was subordinate to the Kuomintang . In 1949 . Chiang Kai-shek announced Taipei as its temporary capital, and after that the city began to grow rapidly and grow . K our time it became one of the most densely populated cities in the world, and the population here continues to grow steadily .

How to get there

Most of the international flights of Taiwan are accepted by Taoyuan Airport in the same city. In the very center of Taipei is Songshan airport, where planes from Taiwan, Tokyo Haneda Airport, Seoul Gimpo airport and about 15 cities of China arrive.

Entertainment, excursions and attractions of Taipei

Unfortunately from During the reign of the imperial Qing dynasty in Taipei, there are few: it is only the northern city gate. True, there are still eastern and southern ones, which also stand still, but their appearance changed very much during the Kuomintang. Those who come here must understand that they are not going to look at the ancient, but in a modern, rapidly growing city.

The first city landmark is of course the Taipei 101 skyscraper with the corresponding number of floors . Its height with a small spire exceeds half a kilometer . Today this skyscraper, built in 2003 ., the sixth in height in the world (however, this picture is constantly changing, and in China the skyscraper is already almost ready, which will push "Taipei 101" even further) . The building retains and the absolute record for high-speed lifts: climb to the top " Taipei 101 "can be at a speed of 60 km / h . Thus, the cost The escort to the observation platform on the 89th floor will take about 40 seconds .

On the first floors of the skyscraper there are shopping centers, the upper part of the building is given for offices . Given that "Taipei 101" is located in an earthquake-prone area, when it was being built, elements were added to it to give it unimaginable strength: what is the cost of a 660-ton ball pendulum suspended in the upper part of the skyscraper at an altitude of the 80th floor . Taking into account other precautionary measures "Taipei 101" called one of the most enduring structures of man for the whole world history . And its color is also interesting: because of special glasses protecting those who are inside, from the sun, the skyscraper looks blue-green .

The second main attraction of Taipei can be called the memorial of Chiang Kai-shek, the former president, built in the traditional style with a triangular roof of a pagoda type. He stands on Liberty Square, surrounded by a theater and a concert hall. In the perspective of the square, the Presidential Palace can be seen.

The Museum of the Imperial Palace is sometimes also sometimes called the Museum of Guugun (but this is how the museum in Beijing is used) . This huge museum - the seventh most visited in the world . It was opened in 1925 .in Beijing, but after the civil war most of the collection was forwarded to Taiwan . Here is an outstanding collection of historical and cultural artifacts illustrating the whole inexpressibly long history of China since the sixth millennium BC . e . The museum funds number almost 700 thousand . exhibits, the oldest of which date back to the Neolithic, and the newest - the period of the overthrow of the last imperial dynasty of China, Qing . Here you can see amazing paintings, calligraphy, jade figurines, a thin whale aiisk porcelain, bronze statuettes, as well as old documents and books, wardrobe items and jewelry .

Another interesting museum of Taipei is an art museum. This is a fairly new museum, which emphasizes the architectural appearance of the building it occupies. The collection mainly collected works of local artists of the period after the Second World War. In Taipei, there is the Museum of Contemporary Art: it opened in the old government building in 2001.

In the northern part of the city near the Yanshan Mountain is the famous Taipei Zoo, founded in 1914. It is the oldest and largest zoo on the island. For visitors, 90 hectares of its territory are open, but in reality the zoo is almost twice as large. It is divided into several zones: the wildlife of Taiwan, South Asia, the desert, Africa, Australia, birds, insects, penguins and pandas. Among the curious beasts that can be seen here are koalas, emus, Himalayan bears, pangolins. Every year more than four million people visit the zoo.

In order to soak up the atmosphere of Taipei, one must go to Simendin. This pedestrian quarter (the first on the island) is located in the Wanhua area. Simendin is not only the most fashionable, youthful, commercial and entertainment place in the city, but also the center of Japanese culture in Taipei: even its name came from the Japanese word "seymon-cho" (that is, "the block at the western gate"). This is the best place in the city to break your head by choosing a cafe, restaurant or souvenir for your home.

The temples of the city deserve attention. One of the oldest is the Longshan Temple, built in the first half of the 18th century. Also famous Baosan, erected in the early 19th century, and the nearby Confucian temple of the second half of the 19th century, whose architecture copies the Confucius Temple to Qufu.