Short cultural visits in Taipei

My favourite four half-day trips from Tianmu

 1. Beitou Library

eco-friendly wooden library, a beautiful building in a scenic part of town. 

 

How to get there. Take the MRT on the red line in the direction of Tamsui and change at Beitou, one stop from the destination XinBeitou ("new Beitou"). As you exit the MRT, the library is about 200 metres straight ahead of you, enclosed by Beitou park. 

 

 

 

 

Ksitigarbha, guardian of children and of deceased children

 

 

Combine the visit with a gentle stroll up the hill toward Puji Temple (pic), the Japanese Buddhist temple. A few eateries help while away a very pleasant time. 

 

There is a famous Beitou hot spring, open to the public (mixed gender, wear swimming costumes); however it is often unpleasantly crowded, you would do better elsewhere, such as Emperor Spa Xingyi Road.

 

 

 

 

2. National Concert Hall, National Theatre, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Liberty Square. 

Stunning architecture, jaw-dropping scale. The Concert Hall ground floor contains a branch of the good restaurant chain Chunshuitang, plus at the opposite end is a decent small coffee shop, next to the box office. (This cafe is better than the one inside the nearby National Theatre). You can easily buy tickets to a concert, show, ballet etc at the box offices. Culture vultures might like to know that there is a very good specialist arts library underneath the National Theatre, enter via the underground car park; you need to register at the entrance to the library in order to access their collection. Highly recommended, a cultural haven.

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Culture University ("Wen-hua")

 

 

 

 

Great views of Tianmu from Lane 219 Section 7 Zhongshan N Rd

Traveling up the mountain from Tianmu is a steep and scenic adventure, with some really great views and fresh air. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By the time you reach Wenhua University, (also close to TES senior school) it feels noticeably cooler / colder at this altitude. Close by the uni are several eateries, in what was formerly US services accommodation. For quiche and lemon meringue pie I recommend Yannick, No. 481號, Lane 4, Zhangchun St, Shilin District, Taipei City, 111

Yannick has very good lemon meringue pie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

inside Yannick

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tianmu Historic Trail is a very pleasant hiking trail joining this upper mountain area to Tianmu (the very top of Zhonghsan North Road section 7). Allow an hour for a leisurely downhill stroll. Take water with you.

Tianmu Trail marker at the top of the trek

 

 

 

You may meet some monkeys on the hike: the general advice is to ignore them, not to stare them in the face, and definitely not let them see your food or drink.

 

 

 

 

 

 4. Taipei Confucius Temple 臺北孔子廟

Since Confucianism as a belief system / way of thinking is so deeply embedded in Taiwan, it is well worth a visit here to get to understand things better. Inspiring museum- style displays, some interactive and child friendly, with unusually good english translations. A cinema shows educational movies. For information about ceremonies etc, click here

No. 275, Dalong St, Datong District, Taipei City, 103