SEE TAIPEI: TAIPEI 101 Observatory

I bent my head back to get a view of TAIPEI 101, and I was surprised to find myself thinking that the 509-meter giant didn’t look that impressive to the 160-centimeter me. It’s Guinness-World-Record-breaking elevator didn’t do anything for it either. Sure, it zoomed us past 88 floors in just a little over 30 seconds, but it was an anticlimactic way to make me feel that I’m going up the tallest building in Taiwan.

 
But then the elevator doors opened and I stepped into the 89th floor, a glass indoor observatory offering a 360° view of Taipei City. What with empty space beyond the glass panels, thousands of tall buildings almost invisible in the darkness, and millions of lights twinkling under my feet, it was as if we traded places with the stars.

But the soft carpet beneath my feet, the flashes of cameras, and the continuous drone on the P.A. kind of killed the magic for me. So I decided to go a little higher.

The outdoor observatory on the 91st floor is much smaller than the indoor observatory and it doesn’t have glass panels to provide insulation. Instead, the wind whips against your hair and whistles a strong tune as if it was trying to call a storm. I felt exposed and really lucky for getting a view of Taipei without obstruction and at 390 meters above ground.

After I shouted at the top of my lungs (in my head), I went to the 88th floor to see the “Super Big Wind Damper”. It’s the world’s largest (5.5 meters in diameter) and heaviest (660 metric tons) damper, and it also keeps TAIPEI 101 secure and safe. However, it was quite difficult for me to appreciate a gigantic metal ball surrounded by mascots that reminded me of the Power Rangers.

The next day when I gave TAIPEI 101 a once-over, I decided that the ground level was probably not the best place to appreciate it. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough time to go to a place where I could observe it from afar. But I’m saving that for next time because if there’s one thing I’ve learned from it’s observatories, it’s that Taipei has a lot of lights and two days is not quite enough to see all its stars.

 
TAIPEI 101 SOUVENIR SHOP
The souvenir shop on the 89th floor lets you send a postcard from there and has a lot of Taipei 101 goods. But if you’re looking for food to bring back with you, I recommend buying from the first floor as you’ll have more choices there.

OPENING
9:00 – 22:00 (last entry at 21:15)
“The 91F is only open to public visits on certain days. Please refer to public notices on site for information.”

TICKETS
Adult – 500 NTD
Group – 450 NTD
Concession – 450 NTD
Fast Pass – 1000 NTD
Free admission for children under the height of 115 cm. Children must be accompanied by 1 adult.

ACCESS TO TAIPEI 101 VIA MRT:
Take the metro to Taipei 101/World trade Center Station, Bannan Line 5 (Blue Line).
Take Exit 4 and keep going left until you get to the entrance of the building.

SEE TAIPEI: Xing Tian Temple (Hsing Tian Temple)

Xing Tian Temple didn’t have the smell of incense that I like, but I didn’t mind at all because even though it failed in that test it totally won me over with its architecture and the spirituality it evoked within me.

According to a leaflet, Xing Tian Temple or En Chu Kong Temple is “visited by tens of thousands of believers every day.” Tens of thousands every day might sound like an exaggeration but believe it – I was there on a Friday morning and there were people on the courtyard, along the hallways, in the inner rooms, and even at the narrow walkway behind the temple. I completely felt like an intruder.

Still, it was really inspiring to be surrounded by people who exuded sincerity as they bent down to touch their forehead to the ground and whispered their prayers. I was so inspired that I felt like I had to pray too so I found myself a corner and said my prayers there. When I opened my eyes, Lo and Behold! I was standing under a crossbeam with beautiful decorative features in red, yellow, and blue. It was time to be distracted with architecture.

Unlike the rectangular Lungshan Temple, Xing Tian is a square-ish temple with two halls (the Front and the Main) connected by a hallway on both sides. I think Xing Tian Temple has more architectural elements and is the prettier one of the two (or maybe it was just the nice, sunny weather that day), but I still couldn’t take pictures.

Most of the people who visit the temple worship in the courtyard where they do kowtows and say their prayers while facing the Front Hall (for the Lord of Heaven) or the Main Hall (for the Five Saviors). Also on the day I visited, there was a sermon so some seats were taken out to the courtyard (facing one of the two hallways) for those who came to listen. The other hallway, where no one was actually facing, was busy with temple disciples walking around to assist those who needed them.

This meant that every time I tried to take out my phone, I felt like a hundred eyes were on me – not the best way to feel less intrusive. Still, I was lucky to have seen what I saw and to have felt what I felt, which I guess is all that really matters when inside a temple.

 
ACCESS TO XING TIAN TEMPLE VIA MRT:
Take the metro to Xingtian Temple Station, Zhonghe-Xinlu Line 4 (Yellow Line).
Take Exit 3 and keep going left (about 10-15 minutes depending on your walking speed) until you see Xingtian Temple across the street.

SEE TAIPEI: Lungshan Temple

It was midday and downcast when I first visited Lungshan Temple and I was surprised to find it crowded and very different from temples in Japan. While the immaculately clean temples in Kyoto usually feel empty, Lungshan Temple put me right in the middle of clasped hands, bowed heads, and hundreds of burning incense sticks.

When you find yourself in the middle of sincerity, it’s easy to forget you’ve also come to appreciate architecture. Fortunately, I was able to see the physical beauty of the temple without bothering the people who actually had the right to be there.

Lungshan Temple has three halls. The first hall is used as a place of worship. Here you’ll see stone carvings of dark green granites from China and black local andesites. The main hall houses Guan-Yin, the main god of the temple. It is for having survived the bombing of Lungshan Temple in 1945. There are more deities in the rear hall. The left part of the hall is for gods of literature, the middle part is for Mazu, the goddess of marine voyage, and the right part for Guan-Yu, the god of war.

I wanted to capture the beauty of Lungshan Temple in pictures. But being in the middle of earnest worshipers made it feel wrong. After all, I know I’m going to be surprised or maybe even upset if someone suddenly came in during Sunday mass and took pictures like it wasn’t anyone’s business.

 
DIVINATION BLOCKS
In the fore hall I observed people throwing a pair of moon-shaped stones up to the air and observing what they looked like when they fell to the ground. Although I had an idea what the stones were for, I didn’t know what it really meant so I didn’t try. Fortunately, I found a leaflet that explained what I needed to know. Unfortunately, I only read the leaflet the night before I left Taiwan.

If you want to try your hand at it, here’s the how-to from the leaflet:
1. Put your hands together with the blocks between your palms.
2. State personal details (name, date of birth, address) and the matter on which you are seeking guidance. Your statement should be well ordered, with the main points clearly expressed. Only ask one question at a time, and ask in a way that can be answered with “yes” or “no”.
3. Raise your hand, wait for a few moments, then throw the blocks gently upward and let them land on the ground. There are three possible results:

 
ACCESS TO LUNGSHAN TEMPLE VIA MRT:
Take the metro to Lungshan Temple Station, Bannan Line 5 (Blue Line).
Take Exit 1 and go left until you see Lungshan Temple across the street.

SEE TAIPEI: Bopiliao Historic Block

I was on a sidewalk with people that crowded delis, sold unidentified things in plastic bags, or slept on cardboard boxes, and across the street was a picturesque, uncrowded pavement lit by the afternoon sun. The red bricks screamed HISTORIC and TOURISM but I couldn’t believe it because, from where I was standing, it looked like something from a parallel universe.

If you find yourself in the same place, then you’ve found Bopiliao Historic Block or Bopiliao Old Street.

According to a leaflet I got from the area, “Bopiliao has become very popular since the main scene of the movie Monga was shot here”. Although this may have been true in 2010, it didn’t seem that way to me when I got there. Considering its proximity to Lungshan Temple, I was surprised that I saw only 12 other people (yes, I counted). It was so empty that I remember how many people I saw and, luckily for me, I could take as many pictures as I wanted.

The old brick buildings with red, wooden doors might not be as well known as other tourist attractions, but Bopiliao was one of the pretty sights I’ve seen in Taipei and it was a complete contrast from everything beyond the block. Although there wasn’t anything to do except take pictures, I felt a sense of wonder as I stood between structures that date back to the Japanese colonial period.

 

If you’re interested in knowing more about the history of the area (Bangka), go out through the north end of the block and you’ll find the Heritage and Culture Education Center of Taipei.

 

It’s as empty as Bopiliao Old Street but there is more to see and learn here. You get information about the history of the district (especially if you can read Mandarin) and see a lot of relics and a replication of a classroom from the past.

 
ACCESS TO BOPILIAO OLD STREET VIA MRT:
Take the metro to Lungshan Temple Station, Bannan Line 5 (Blue Line).
Take Exit 1 and go left until you see Lungshan Temple across the street.
Go across, then north.

HERITAGE AND CULTURE EDUCATION CENTER
Time: Tuesday-Sunday, 9:00-17:00
Admission: Free