Essential Taipei

Tour Creator

Erin is an American freelance journalist based in Taipei where she writes about news, politics and culture for foreign media. She previously reported on Southeast Asia and Hong Kong, where…Read More Bio »

Taipei

GPS-directed

Remote Tour Included

2.5km

2+hrs

Our tour will take you past some of the Taipei’s most iconic landmarks in its historic downtown. We’ll learn about several distinct periods in Taiwan’s history that are still influential today, including its aboriginal settlers, Japanese colonial rule, marshal law era and Taiwan’s democratic transition.

Avoid the Crowds

Allows you to explore without having to be shoulder-to-shoulder in a large tour group

Created by an exceptional journalist

Written by a Taipei-based journalist with a Master’s in Journalism

GPS Directions

Easy-to-follow GPS directions to get you from one point to the next on your tour

Highlights include:

Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, the East Gate and Chengzhong Market

Remote Tour Included

As with all our tours, a remote tour is included that can be enjoyed from home

Itinerary

Essential Taipei

  1. Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall - One of Taipei’s most iconic buildings. Here, we’ll learn about modern Taiwan’s most influential but controversial leader, Chiang Kai-shek, and the rise and fall of his one-party government.
  2. National Concert Hall & Theatre - The twin-hearts of Taiwan’s performing arts world have staged productions from traditional folk opera to modern dance and also welcomed some of the world’s leading artists.
  3. Liberty Square Arch - The entrance to Chiang Kai-shek’s memorial and its surrounding plaza hosted some of the most important political gatherings in Taiwan’s modern history, leading to its name change in 2007.
  4. East Gate - From the 1980s travel back in time one hundred years to Taipei’s East Gate, a replica of the city’s walls during its last years as an imperial Chinese city.
  5. View of the Presidential Office Building - The headquarters of Japan’s colonial government was heavily bombed during World War II before it was restored by Taiwan’s KMT-led government. The building faces Ketagalan Boulevard, named for the original inhabitants of the Taipei metro area.
  6. 228 Memorial Park - This Japanese-era park dating back to 1900 played a key role in Taiwan’s “228 Incident” on February 28, 1947 and half a century later was renamed as a memorial to its victims.
  7. National Taiwan Museum - This is the oldest museum in Taiwan and was first built during the colonial era. One of its first exhibit concerned Japan’s occupation of the island as part of the 1935 Taiwan Exhibition.
  8. Mingxing Russian Café - This cafe was reportedly the first Western-style bakery in Taiwan, was established by emigres who fled to Shanghai for Taiwan in 1949.
  9. Chengzhong Market - The unassuming Chengzhong Market provides a glimpse into Taiwan’s market culture, which is still a facet of daily life even in its major cities. They’re great places to find traditional foods like beef noodle soup.

Check out a free sample of this tour!

Share this tour

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest

Get the tour in our app today!