Pearl of Taiwan

Modern and traditional， pas- sionate and conservative– it seems contradictions peacefully coexist in Taipei， the largest city in Taiwan.

Located in northern Taiwan， Taipei is the most popular tourist destination on the island. The Taipei metropolitan area， comprised of Taipei City proper and its satellite suburbs， is the most populated metropolitan area in Taiwan. For those traveling to Taiwan on a tight schedule， Taipei is definitely the place to target.

Along with natural scenic spots such as Yangming Mountain and Beitou District which is known for hot springs， Taipei boasts abundant historical and cultural at- tractions， including National Palace Museum and Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall.

The National Palace Museum in Taiwan houses a high-quality 600，000-piece collection in 14 categories such as calligra- phy， painting， bronze ware， jade ware， and pottery. The museum is on par with other top international museums and should be given a full day to visit. As its name suggests， Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall was erected to commemorate the father of the Chinese democratic revolution.

Taipei features a rich night life. Taipei nights are starkly different from the city in daytime. Night markets attract streams of visitors with commodities and authentic local food. The most notable in Taipei is Shilin Night Market， the largest in the city. Known for various delicacies， Shilin has been a must-visit for visitors from around the world. Of course， Taipei’s night life is also closely related to 24-hour clubs， restaurants， and cinemas. And for those who love reading， they have another option： 24-hour bookstores.

With a strong cultural atmosphere， Taipei hosts plentiful folk activities and ceremonies to mark various important traditional Chinese festivals， such as Spring Festival， Lantern Festival， and Dragon Boat Festival. Every year， a series of activities related to Taiwan’s indigenous culture are also launched.

Taipei’s average annual temperature is moderate， around 22 degrees Celsius， with average lows still above 12 degrees Celsius， comfortable for tourists. However， since Taipei’s summer is humid and hot and winter rainy and damp， the best season to visit the city is spring and autumn， especially October and November. In October and November， the temperature usually hovers between 22 and 24 degrees Celsius alongside pleasant weather.