Visiting Taipei? Three Stops to Make to Learn About Taiwan—And It Is Not Just for History Buffs
Top 3 Places in Taipei That You Shouldn’t Miss
Most visits to Taiwan begin in Taipei. It is a friendly city that is easy to travel in, has delicious food everywhere, and lots of unmissable attractions.
If you are up for learning more about Taiwan’s history, this list is for you.
For the second time this year, still upon the invitation of Clark International Airport (CRK), I visited Taiwan.
Clark International Airport
CRK offers one of the most convenient ways to visit Taiwan. It provides daily flights to Taiwan and easy connectivity. For Metro Manila guests like me, point-to-point buses are available from Trinoma Mall in Quezon City and Ninoy Aquino International Airport from Genesis Transport. Travel time is approximately two hours.
Vibrant Ximending
From check-in to boarding, everything was a breeze. Add to that, we were granted access to the Plaza Premium Lounge. We were blown away by Taiwan even before we reached our destination. Starlux Airline had premium amenities, a wide variety of in-flight entertainment, and delicious meals. All this for a competitive price with a budget airline’s fares.
We were in Taiwan for 3 days and 3 nights and spent one day getting to know Taiwan through some of Taipei’s most popular attractions. Our itinerary was curated by our friends from Dar Chiu Travel Service.
Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall
Taiwan, like many other countries, has an unfortunate past. Its complicated history is commemorated through two important structures, one of which is the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall.
Changing of the guards at Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall
Many come to witness the Changing of the Guard, which takes place every hour.
Changing of the guards at National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine
The Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall is a monument erected in honor of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek, the former president of the Republic of China. Even though it is a memorial to a former military leader, it is actually one of Taiwan’s most visited destinations.
Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall
This hall lies in the center of Taipei’s Liberty Square, where the National Concert Hall and the National Theatre are also located. The square itself serves as an important place for public gatherings.
Construction of the hall began in 1976, a year after Chiang Kai-Shek passed away. It is made of a white-marble memorial hall topped with a blue-tiled roof. Two sets of staircases with 89 steps representing his age at the time of his death lead to the main hall, where a large statue of Chiang Kai-shek is located, and the guard mounting ceremonies take place.
On its first floor are exhibits telling Chiang Kai-Shek’s family life. They display his uniforms, medals, and even some of his cars.
National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine
The National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine is another site filled to the brim with stories.
Built in 1969 on verdant slopes and overseeing the Keelung River with design inspirations from Beijing’s Forbidden City, this shrine is an homage to martyrs’ brave spirits.
National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine in Taipei
The Martyr Complex covers an area of some 52,000 square meters. The building includes the gateway, wing rooms, bell tower, drum tower, shrine portal, civilian-martyrs shrine, military martyr shrine, and sanctuary.
National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine – Taipei
The structure houses the spirit tablets of about 390,000 persons killed during the wars against the Japanese Imperial Army and the Communist People’s Liberation Army.
The shrine also honors civilians, like a teacher who died trying to save children in the 1992 Taoyuan County tour bus fire, police officers and firefighters who died in the line of duty, healthcare workers on duty during the Hoping Hospital lockdown resulting from the 2003 SARS outbreak, and a postman who died delivering mail in the aftermath of Typhoon Nora.
Anyone who sacrifices their life for the victory of the Republic of China during the war, for fulfilling their duty during the war, or for certain specific hazardous missions and earns the President’s commendation qualifies for being respected as a martyr.
The hourly Changing of the Guard also happens here.
National Palace Museum
Taipei’s National Palace Museum presents an extraordinary collection of treasures that have miraculously escaped destruction. Many of these were moved from the Palace Museum in the Forbidden City in China and five other institutions throughout China during the Republic of China’s retreat.
National Palace Museum in Taipei
It counts nearly 700,000 pieces of Chinese artifacts and artworks, probably the world’s largest collection of ancient Chinese artifacts.
Half a day is not enough to view the entire collection. The building was modeled after a Chinese imperial palace.
National Palace Museum enamel vases — Taipei
The museum’s collection encompasses items spanning 8,000 years of Chinese culture, from the Neolithic Age to the modern period. It displays calligraphy, paintings, books, documents, jades, and porcelains.
