In Taipei, the food is excellent, the people are friendly, the shopping is paradise and there are some scenic sights no traveller should miss.
Taipei offers some of the finest Chinese cuisine in the world. There are good restaurants with reasonable prices and finding a good mean is not difficult. For gourmet lovers, every major hotel boats excellent Chinese restaurants. For budget travellers, there are numerous fast-food outlets, countless snack centres (generally in the basements of department stores) and a variety of light meals available at night markets.
In Taipei you can buy almost anything you can think of, from designer names to antique curios, up-to-date electronics, original jewellery, hand-painted scrolls, fragrant tea, and quality children’s toys. Department stores, boutiques, and small stores all offer quality at reasonable prices. Night markets are fun to shop in and accept cash only. Vendors rarely speak English, but shoppers can bargain. Taipei's notable shopping districts offer a good selection of shops where visitors can get good buys. Places worth considering visiting are; Chungshan North Road, Dinghao Market (Clothing, Jewellery, Footwear, Souvenirs) Chinese Handicraft Mart and Holiday Jade and Flower Markets (Curios, Trinkets, Handicraft). The Holiday Jade Market is open Saturday afternoons and Sundays. Kuanghua Market (Computers and Parts, CDs, Curios), Shihlin Night Market (Clothing, Foot-ware, Souvenirs, Local Snacks), just to name a few.
Taipei has many interesting sights such as monuments, buildings, places of worship, to parks, gardens, wildlife reserves and hot springs. Places of interests include; Botanical Gardens, Chang Foundation, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Chingtiangong Village, Yangmingshan National Park, Confucius Temple, Hwa Yi Chuen Hot Spring, Jao Ho Street Night Market, etc.
The vast majority of people in Taiwan are ethnic Chinese. Generally, the Taiwanese people are fun loving and hospitable.
