Finally, here's the last installment of our Taiwan 2016 adventure! I feel a little sad (as always) whenever I finish blogging about a trip because it feels like I'm closing a chapter in my life. Waw deep. Haha. But I also feel a little excited because I get to start again-- new pages for new adventures! Anyway, on our last day in Taipei, we visited the 8th tallest building in the world, Taipei 101. Back in 2004 up to 2009, it was classified as the world's tallest building. WOOOW. We also tried to view it from the top of a mountain. Stories and photos below...
So on our last day, we decided to check out early because we thought we could just rent out lockers in the train station and leave our bags there while touring around. It turned to be an ordeal! We literally wasted spent 2 hours walking inside Taipei Main station trying to find a vacant locker. Unlike in Japan where there was no scarcity of lockers & rental is for one whole day, in Taiwan we really had a hard time because almost all lockers were full and they charge per hour. I don't know which area inside the station we ended up in, but we decided to just stop looking and wait for people to come back. Success naman! We were able to get 2 lockers after more than 30 minutes of waiting. We waited for another 30 minutes though because they won't close and someone had to fix the locks/doors.
Towering above the city like the gigantic bamboo stalk it was designed to resemble, Taipei 101 is a landmark and supertall skyscraper in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan. The tower has served as an icon of modern Taiwan ever since its opening. The building was architecturally created as a symbol of the evolution of technology and Asian tradition. Its postmodernist approach to style incorporates traditional design elements and gives them modern treatments. A multi-level shopping mall adjoining the tower houses hundreds of stores, restaurants and clubs.
Taipei 101 comprises of 101 floors above ground, as well as 5 basement levels. It was not only the first building in the world to break the half-kilometer mark in height, but also the world's tallest building from March 2004 to 10 March 2010. As of 28 July 2011, it is still the world's largest and highest-use green building.
Tickets are priced at---- NT$600 regular, NT$450 for student with valid ID and FREE for children under 155cm. It's open everyday from 9am to 10pm.
Construction on the 101-story tower started in 1999 and finished in 2004. The tower is designed to withstand typhoons and earthquakes. Taipei 101 was designed to be flexible as well as structurally resistant, because while flexibility prevents structural damage, resistance ensures comfort for the occupants and for the protection of glass, curtain walls, and other features. Because of the height of Taipei 101, combined with the surrounding area's geology—the building is located just 660 feet away from a major fault line—Taipei 101 used high-performance steel construction and 36 columns, including eight "mega-columns" packed with 10,000 psi (69 MPa) concrete. Outrigger trusses, located at eight-floor intervals, connect the columns in the building's core to those on the exterior. These features, combined with the solidity of its foundation, made Taipei 101 one of the most stable buildings ever constructed.
The height of 101 floors commemorates the renewal of time: the new century that arrived as the tower was built (100+1) and all the new years that follow (1 January = 1-01). It symbolizes high ideals by going one better on 100, a traditional number of perfection. The number also evokes the binary numeral system used in digital technology. The main tower features a series of eight segments of eight floors each. In Chinese-speaking cultures the number eight is associated with abundance, prosperity and good fortune. (source: Wikipedia)
When we're done taking photos, we rode a cab going to Elephant Mountain where one could hike a little to be able to get a good panoramic view of the city and see Taipei 101 from afar. The cab driver can't speak english so we tried to show him some photos we googled and even the name of the mountain. I thought he got it because he kept on nodding. But after a 15-minute drive, we found ourselves alone in Tiger Mountain. Haha! It was okay though. We got lost but it was still worth it. :)
We tried searching for better spot, somewhere higher, but the road was a little scary and isolated. There were no signs too. Except for the main road and the stairs going down. We were sooo lost. Haha. But then a nice young man (gorgeous too!) approached us and offered help. Thank you, Lord! He looked foreign but it seemed like he had been staying there for quite sometime. He showed us a secluded spot where we could get a nice view. We were pestered by huge mosquitos but totally worth it!
We finally got our luggages and then took the Kuo Kang express bus going to Taoyuan Airport! We decided to take the bus for convenience. We got a little lost searching for it because the direction I researched online was a little outdated. The Taipei West Bus Station was being renovated pala. So the airport buses were relocated outside the exits sa side ng station where we bought our Ruifang tickets, the area na nakaka Grand Central New York feels? Refer to THIS post. :) One way ticket is NT$125. It's a 1-hour bus ride. :)
We always pass by this special pastry/bread shop on our way to Taipei Main and it always makes us hungry! Sarap ng pinapa free taste nila. My sister decided to buy for her officemates as pasalubong.
Inside Taipei Main is this Sushi shop! Only NT$10 per piece! :)
My picks!:) Loved everything!
They also have set meals
We ended up at this area!
Here are the landmarks!
Near Samsui-Xinyi Line
That's the one!
#11, you're mine! Haha. I only needed a small locker because I brought a small luggage bag.
We rented 2 more big ones for the other luggage bags. Rental is NT$20 per hour for the big one and $10 for the small one.
Success! Lunch muna dahil napagod kami! Haha.
We decided to buy from 21 Century inside Taipei City Mall foodcourt (there's an escalator going to the mall near the locker area)
Wasn't able to take a photo of our food but it was delicious and sulit! I ordered the Chicken drumstick meal for NT$155 + $25 for sweet potato. I loved it! :)
To go to Taipei 101, take the Red Line 2 (Xiangshan train) to Taipei 101 station (台北101)
It was just a 10-minute train ride
We're here! WOOOW.
Train station exit
Taipei 101 displaced the Petronas Towers as the tallest building in the world by 57.3 m (188 ft). The record it claimed for greatest height from ground to pinnacle was surpassed by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, which is 829.8 m (2,722 ft) in height. Taipei 101's records for roof height and highest occupied floor briefly passed to the Shanghai World Financial Center in 2008, which in turn yielded these records as well to the Burj.
Located inside the mall is Din Tai Fung! Don't forget to try their Xiao Long Bao:)
Ang hirap mag selfie haha
Hi bro haha
Ganyan dapat angle pag nag picture. I had to almost lie down the pavement to get good photos! Haha.
Hi cuties
Our cab driver
View from one of the platforms. Beautiful.
Mejo masukal na gubat haha
We had this place all to ourselves!
There it is!
Look!
Beautiful
we decided to go back to the city before it gets dark
It was a long way down!
Mga 20-minute walk
A road! Finally! Haha
Can you see the mountain at the back? that's where we came from!
We walked for half an hour until we reached the super main road and then hailed a cab going to the nearest train station. We took a train to Ximending for dinner and last minute shopping!
Dinner at some random noodle shop
It was good! Nico and I shared sa Beef Noodle soup while my sis and bro shared sa Laksa Soup.
Underground bazaar or tiangge connected to Taipei Main
Street artist / performer
Made it!
Sad that we're going home:(
Goodbye, Taiwan!
Waiting area
This ends my Taiwan 2016 posts! Woots! I really fell in love with Taiwan and I cannot wait to be back. I'm still dreaming about all their food! There's still a lot of places I was not able to see (like the Beitou Hot Springs, Yin Yang Sea, etc!) and things I haven't experienced, so I guess I have more reasons to come back. :) Thank you #SMARTAirBnb abd Skyroam for making my trip more memorable! :)
EXPENSES/BUDGET in NT$ or TWD (Night 1):
Sushi - 100
Locker - 50
Lunch - 190
Train ticket from Taipei Main to Taipe 101 - 25
Cab to Tiger Mountain - 120/4 - 30
Cab to Yongchun station - 60 /4 - 20
Train from Yongchun to Ximen - 25
Dinner - 70
Bus from Taipei to Taoyuan - 125
Miscellaneous (water, snacks at Family Mart etc) - 100
__________________________________________
TOTAL = NT$735 or P1,200
Link to all my travel posts:
Link to all my travel posts:
Love reading your travel Blog Pax! Specially the part at the end when you break down your travel expenses! Awesome will power to stick to budget and not go overboard! :) Looking forward to read more of your travel posts... :)
ReplyDeleteHi, will like to ask on the sushi shop name or is near which exit etc?
ReplyDelete