The Typical Tourist Places in Taipei

Our entire week in Taiwan was overcast and gloomy and this day was no different.  We headed towards the City Hall/Sun Yat Sen/ Taipei 101 area.  The 3 MRT stations make up a triangle encompassing several tourist attractions. 

Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall
Our first stop was the National Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall (國立國父紀念館).  As its name suggests, the memorial hall was constructed to display details associated with the “national father” of Taiwan. The building is an example of traditional Chinese architecture and was finally completed in 1972, after 8 years.

There weren’t as many people around the exterior of the building as I had expected, but vendors were still busy selling everything from toys to food.  We didn’t spend any time inside the hall.

Address: 110, Taiwan, Taipei City, Xinyi District, Section 4, Ren’ai Rd, 505
Phone: +886 2 2758 8008
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 9:00am – 6:00pm
Getting There: Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall MRT Station Exit 4 (3 minute walk)

Taipei 101
From the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall, it is a short 10-15 minute walk to Taipei 101.  However, we kept getting distracted as there was so much to see on the way.  We were there on Christmas Day and the streets were filled with people.  This was the complete opposite from the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall.  We visited the Starbucks across from Taipei 101 and there were so many people that they were telling us it was going to be a minimal 30 minute wait to receive our drinks!  It didn’t matter anyways, as there was so much going on around us that we were happy to kill the time by walking around and taking it all in. 

It was only 5:30pm but the sun was already setting.  Check out this picture of an eerie Christmas tree.

By the time we purchased tickets, lined up and reached the top of Taipei 101, the sky was completely dark and we were able to enjoy the beautiful night views of Taipei. 

After spending an hour or so at the top, we were ready to leave but it took us almost another hour before we reached the ground floor.  It turns out that there are only 2 elevators and we ended up waiting in line for over 30 minutes before we could head back down.  I’m not sure if it was normally that busy, or whether it was because we were there on Christmas Day, but people were definitely not happy that they had to wait so long in line just to leave.

Once we were back on the ground floor, we saw more Christmas trees.  I counted at least 6 Christmas trees in the area.  It was a very different kind of Christmas day, but nonetheless, still very enjoyable!

Address: No.7, Sec. 5, Xinyi Rd., Xinyi District
Opening Hours: Daily 9:00am – 10:00pm (ticket sales end at 9:15pm), but times may vary for statutory holidays
Getting There: Taipei 101 MRT Station, Exit 4

Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall  
The next day, we headed to the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall (中正紀念堂).  I have to admit that when I think about the “Father of Taiwan” this gentleman comes to mind more so than Sun Yat Sen. Chiang was the President of Taiwan and a very influential figure in the early days after the KMT government moved to Taiwan. 

The words on the gate identify the area as being “Freedom square” or “Liberty square” (自由廣場).  We were fortunate enough to witness one of the guard’s ceremonies during our visit to Freedom square. 

The grounds are also home to the National Theater and Concert Hall (國立中正文化中心).

Address: 100 Zhongshan South Road
Phone: +886 2 2343 1100
Opening Hours: 9:00am – 6:00pm
Getting There: CKS Memorial Hall MRT Station

National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine
We arrived at the Martyrs’ Shrine (國民革命忠烈祠)  just in time to see the changing of the guards ceremony.  There was a long choreographed routine before each of them took to their stations. 

After walking around the Shrine for a bit, this overwhelming feeling of nostalgia started to set in.  I realized that I had been here before as a young child.  Seeing the soldiers standing guard against the arches reminded me of some childhood pictures I have of my first trip to Taiwan.

The Martyrs’ Shrine was constructed in 1969 and uses the same architectural style as one of the buildings within Beijing’s Forbidden City.  The shrine is beautiful and peaceful and acts as the home to many tablet stones of people killed during the many wars of Taiwan’s history.  Exploring the grounds won’t really take too long as there isn’t too much to see, but if you have an hour or so that you’d like to spend soaking up some history, this is a good place to spend it.

Address: No.139 Bei’an Road, Taipei 111, Taiwan
Phone: +886 2 2885 4162
Opening Hours: 9:00am – 5:00pm
Getting There: From Yuanshan MRT Station, take one of the following buses – No. 208 / 247 / 267 / 287