Taipei
National Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall
The National Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall is one of Taipei's most famous monuments. The hall was opened in 1980 in memory of the former leader of the People's Republic of China, Chiang Kai-Shek, who ruled in mainland China from 1928 to 1949, then in Taiwan until his death in 1975. The complex is awesomely beautiful and expansive. The memorial hall is in the middle of the complex and holds a large statue of Chiang, where you can see the changing of the guard ceremony at the top of each hour. The basement of the memorial hall houses exhibits on the history of the hall and a rotating art exhibition. When we went, the art displayed was painted sculptures of fish and sea creatures. We strolled around the parks surrounding the hall, where people were quietly playing flute and saxophone, adding to the peaceful ambiance. There are large, ornate gates at the edge of the complex opening out to the street, back into the real world.
Hangzhou Xiao Long Bao
Right next to the National Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall is Hangzhou Xiao Long Bao, a Michelin Bib Gourmand xiaolongbao restaurant. We ordered the xiaolongbao, shrimp dumplings, and potstickers. Soup-filled and savory, the xiaolong bao were one of the best dishes we had on this trip.
228 Peace Memorial Park
On the way to our AirBnb, we passed through 228 Peace Memorial Park, a park full of art dedicated to the victims of the February 28 massacre in 1947, when the government of China killed thousands of Taiwanese citizens, marking the beginning of the White Terror. The park was created in 1900, but was rededicated as 228 Peace Memorial Park in 1998. It was very pretty, full of art and different types of greenery.
Dadaocheng Circle Air Defense Cistern
A lot of Taipei's historical monuments are unassuming - barely labeled and located on the street between modern buildings. That is the case with the Circle Air Defense Cistern in Dadaocheng, the neighborhood in which we were staying. The cistern was used to hold water during WWII, but was later covered by a night market. It was forgotten until the night market closed and excavation began for a building complex. Once it was re-discovered, it was left as a memorial.
Ningxia Night Market
Taiwan is known for its night markets. We went to three while we were there:
one in Taoyuan (during a layover between the US and Osaka) and two in Taipei. We most thoroughly explored the
Ningxia
night market in Taipei. One end of the market had all sorts of food that I had never seen before. We
had bubble tea, hollow sweet potato balls, mountain pig sausage, half a lobster with roe (for only NT$300 ≈
$10 USD), and a peanut butter toffee ice cream burrito. We skipped the famous frog egg drink, learning only
later that it's really just a sugary tapioca milk drink. We also skipped the taro balls, which had an
enormous line. The other end of the market had claw games and other small games that you might see at a state
fair in the US.
The market in Taoyuan was similar to the Ningxia market, but smaller. We only got one dish there, some sort of
dumpling soup. The other market we went to in Taipei - Ximending -
was very different. It didn't have stalls serving food, but instead had permanent storefronts open late, and
some street performers scattered around. Regardless of the type, Taiwanese night markets are quite the experience.
Sihai Soy Milk
One Taiwanese breakfast spot that was highly recommended on TripAdvisor was Sihai Soy Milk, famous for it's "salty soy milk". This sounds awful, but was pretty tasty - it was basically unsugared churros in warm soy milk. Don't go out of your way for it, but if you're passing by, you should try it. We also got a bao that was good, and hung out with the restaurant kitty.
North Gate
The North Gate was another monument that we were surprised to run into. It's at the end of a completely modern street next to high rises. The North Gate is one of the five gates that made up the Walls of Taipei. The walls themselves and West Gate were destroyed in 1895, leaving only the four remaining gates. Three of the four were rebuilt in a different style in 1945, so the North Gate is the only original still standing. A highway surrounding the North Gate was demolished in 2016, allowing the monument to be more easily viewed.