Taipei 101

My last tourist destination in Taipei was a visit Taipei 101 which was near the hostel I was staying at. Taipei 101 is situated in the heart of the Hsinyi entertainment district of downtown Taipei and is a landmark comprised of shopping, food, and entertainment venues. Officially known as the Taipei International Financial Center, this 101-floor (plus 5 underground floors), 1,666-feet high skyscraper is the second tallest skyscraper in the world. The building ranked officially as the worlds tallest from 2004 until the opening of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010. The tower is rich in symbolism; it was designed to resemble bamboo rising from the earth, a plant recognized in Asian cultures for its fast growth and flexibility, both of which are ideal characteristics for a financial building. The building is also divided into eight distinct sections, with eight being a number associated with prosperity in Chinese culture. Taipei 101 boasts the world's second fastest elevators, which will zip visitors up to the 89th floor observation deck in a mere 37 seconds. You can also go up to the outdoor observatory on the 91st floor by taking the stairs from the 89th floor. Also on the 91st floor is a room that shows a film about its construction and the prior year’s New Year fireworks display. Fireworks launched from Taipei 101 features prominently in international New Year's Eve broadcasts – and they are stunning. You can also go to the middle of the building and see the world's largest spherical tuned mass damper (one of three) that keeps the building steady. The passive wind damper weighs 660 tons. The tower is designed to withstand typhoons and earthquakes and the structure can withstand gale winds of 60 meters per second. Admission was 400 TWD ($13). Admission included a pre-recorded multimedia guide explaining the building and the views of the city.

Though I was glad I visited Taipei 101 to say I've been there, I felt it was overrated. Much of this has to do with the pollution and cloud cover – it is simply hard to see the faraway hills, neighborhoods, buildings, etc. Also, only a quarter of the outdoor observatory was open due to the high winds. And I had to wait in line for about 20 minutes just to buy my ticket and another 45 minutes waiting for my turn to go up the elevator. Had to wait another 20 minutes to descend at the end.

The three pics below were actually taken the day before. Can you see the 'tree' on the building?

The pic below was an early morning shot.

The pics below are of the damper.

The next pics were obviously taken from the outdoor observatory. You can notice the difficulty in seeing the distance.

The next pic was taken from the indoor observatory but taking pics through glass is difficult.

 

And that was it for Taipei. The next morning I would take an 8am high-speed train (1490 TWD - $50) to the southern city of Kaohsiung – an hour and a half journey. But until then, I would go out for a night on the town one last time. But the capital city of Taipei was great – hopefully evidenced by all the previous posts and would recommend the city to anyone.

Also to M & D, I don't know if you remember us skyping each other when I was in Taipei but the pic below is from the bar where I called you. As you can see, you could watch the Super Bowl here if you wished.