Jan. 4th, 2025
We started the day by using the metro system in Taipei to travel to Taipei 101 and district 44. One thing I noticed about the trains themselves is how tidy they were.
At Taipei 101 we learned about the architectural design choices that make up the building, including why there are both 8 sections and 8 floors in each section because the Chinese work for 8 sounds similar to “wealth.” Additionally, this building was the tallest in the world until the Burj Khalifa was constructed. Ultimately, I found the thought that was put into the construction of this building to be particularly interesting. Each aspect of the design symbolized something, which was not something I expected.
After this we used the metro to travel to the Chiang Kai-Shek memorial hall. Here, we watched the changing of the guards and learned about the influence of Chinese design on the architecture of the hall and the surrounding buildings. The larger-than-life size of the structure itself as well as the statue of the former president himself represents the importance this figure holds in this history of the country.
Then, we walked to the Presidential building. Here we learned about the transition of Taiwan from a single party authoritarian regime to a democracy as well as the history of colonial influence on the structure of the building itself. The influence colonial power in the aesthetics of Taipei have, by this point in the day, become increasingly obvious. The mixed of European, Japanese, and Chinese influence can be found in every corner of the city, which physically represents the changes that Taiwan has undergone over the last few centuries.
We next travelled to Chiang Kai-Shek’s Shiloh Residence at which there were many floral gardens. These gardens exist because of Japan because, while occupying the island, had gardens at this same location.
To wrap up the day, we went to the Shilin Night Market. Here, we experienced new foods and explored a part of the city life of Taipei. Something that stands out regarding Taipei is how many motorcycles there are in the city. These vehicles occupy much of the road traffic. Relatedly, another thing that stood out was the large amount of time allotted for pedestrians to cross the road compared to what I am familiar with in the US.