Taipei 101, Taiwan

Taipei 101 Observatory
Admisison ticket: 600 (NT$)  for adults.
Opening hours: 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Last admission is 08:15 PM

You must select a date and timeslot at the ticket booth and arrive within 30 minutes of that time. If you arrive outside these times, you can change your slot at the ticket counter.

We used our 3 days Taipei FunPASS so entrance to the Observatory was "free". We simply scanned our pass at the ticket booth to visit Taiwan's most iconic landmark. Taipei 101 was the world's tallest building from 2004 to 2010. Its design resembles a stylized number 8 which is considered lucky in the Chinese culture.

A shopping mall of mostly luxurious brands and retailers occupies the first 5 floors of Taipei 101. At the basement of the mall is a large dining area/food court with several restaurants and food stands, more specifically a branch of Taiwan's Din Tai Fung restaurant. The elevators leading to the observation deck (89th floor) are located on the 4th floor. The elevator ride takes only 37 seconds but you don't really feel any dizziness nor do your ears pop from the pressure of the altitude.

At the 88th floor is a technological innovation known as tuned mass damper. This suspended 'giant ball' protects the skyscraper during earthquakes and strong typhoons. It acts as a pendulum that counteracts swaying motions. 

The Observatory at the 89th floor provides 360-degree views of Taipei and its surroundings. The indoor viewing deck has a gift shop and many photo booths for those "instagrammable" pictures.

Few people are aware of the outdoor viewing area (91st floor) but sister dearest has been to Taipei 101 before so she knew that it is accessible by stairs from the 89th floor. You go out under the scorching sun, the winds blowing your hair all over your face but the view is stunning nonetheless. There are sturdy grills and railings so it is quite safe.

National Palace Museum, Taipei (part 2)

National Palace Museum

Tuesdays to Sundays

9:00 AM - 5:00PM

Admission Fee: 350.00 NT$

This sprawling museum with numerous exhibit halls houses one of the world's largest permanent collection of Chinese art works and artifacts. These priceless trove of paintings, calligraphy works, jade carvings, porcelain wares,  weaponry among others date all the way back to the Song, Ming and Qing dynasties. 

Majority of these treasures were moved from Beijing's Forbidden City during the start of the Chinese Revolution and the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931 into safe houses in Southern China.

Due to the continuous conflict between the Nationalist and the Communist ideologists, the most valuable pieces of the collection were moved to Taiwan in 1949. The current National Palace Museum in Taipei was opened in 1965.

National Palace Museum, Taipei (part 1)

On our second day in Taipei, we had lunch at the Din Tai Fung branch in Sogo department store which was a couple of MRT stops away from our hotel. Then we headed to the Shilin MRT Station, from there we took a public bus to get to The National Palace Museum.

National Palace Museum
Tuesdays to Sundays
9:00 AM - 5:00PM
Admission Fee: 350.00 NT$

the meat shaped stone was crafted from jasper and has
distinct layered patters which resemble a braised pork belly

Chinatown Museum, Manila (part 2)

Chinatown Museum
4th floor Imperial Wing Lucky Chinatown mall
Reina Regente Street, Binondo Manila.
Tuesdays - Saturdays 10AM - 6PM
Entrance fee is 150 pesos.    

Binondo got its name from the word "Binundok" because of its low hills. It started as a Dominican parish where several Chinese immigrants settled and offered their skills and wares. Hence, the nickname "Chinatown" which to this day and age remains a pivotal commercial hub.

The Katipunan was founded at the corner of Elcano and 
Azcarraga streets in 1892

Jose Ignacio Paua was the only pure Chinese to serve in the
Philippine revolution and Philippine-American war.

 

Ramon Ongpin, the owner of El 82, a hardware and arts supplies shop was 
also one of the financiers and suppliers of the 1896 Philippine revolution.

EL 82 got its name from the year it was established in 1882
and "82" was also the store's phone number

Alcaiceria translates to "Silk Market" a unique octagonal structure.
On the ground floor are shops selling textiles, jars and wares. The
upper floors were the housing quarters of transient Chinese merchants.

Tranvia was a streetcar transport from Manila to Malabon.
It was initially horse-drawn then eventually turned into electric powered streetcars.

The Binondo, Santa Cruz, Escolta area holds a special spot in my heart. My late parents would always regale us with stories about how beautiful these places were in the 1950 - 1960s era. The tree lined, well paved streets of Manila with the tranvia as one of the main means of transportation is well etched in my mind through the vivid description of Dad who grew up in Manila. 

Sad to say, those parts of Manila and Manila in general is very different, nowadays. It is very crowded, chaotic bustling with various vehicles from the traditional jeepneys, kuligligs, pedicabs, tricycles, to e-trikes. All of them jostling for position on the narrow, traffic laden and trash filled streets of Manila. There are peddlers on side walks and on pavements, pedestrians forced to walk on the streets where you can get sideswiped by tricycles or worse by snatchers. It is really unfortunate, talaga.

Thankfully, there are still museums which preserve artifacts and old photographs of our glorious past.