The Grand Hotel, Taipei Taiwan

Since we were in the Zhongshan district, we took a short Uber ride to the nearby luxurious Grand Hotel. Another iconic Taipei City landmark that was established in 1952,  the 14 storey building has 487 classic rooms. Nicely nestled on a hill, surrounded by mountains and adjacent to the Keelung river, its architecture is reminiscent of a magnificent Imperial Chinese palace with its golden roof and signature red colums. 

We relaxed with a late afternoon snack at the coffee shop in the lobby. Aside from the airport shuttle bus service, The Grand Hotel also offers a free shuttle bus service to and from the Yuanshan MRT station, just a short 5 to 10 minutes ride so it is pretty accessible through public transport.

National Revolutionary Martyrs' Shrine, Taipei Taiwan

After Taipei 101, we rushed to the MRT station because we wanted to reach the Martyrs' Shrine before it closed at 5:00 P.M. From the Jiantan MRT station, we took a taxi because the memorial is a bit inaccessible. It was built in 1969 to honor the more than 300,000 soldiers and war heroes who fought against the rise of Communism in mainland China as well as the War of Resistance against Japan. 

Located in the Zhongshan district, this important landmark is surrounded by lush mountains, the main attraction is the changing of the guards held every hour. 

Opening hours: 9:00 A.M - 5 P.M.  Entrance is FREE.

We were there in July, it was really hot with the sun blazing!

I actually have a video of the last changing of the guards at 
5 P.M. but for some unknown reason, it won't load in this post.

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.