Taipei: The World's Most Underrated City?

[homebucket]

I’ll also add that Taoyuan Intl Airport probably has the best food/dining options of any airport I’ve been to.

[destroycreate]

Taipei completely caught me off guard during a 3 day stopover on the way to Bangkok. I honestly didn't know what to expect, but it turned out to be one of the most amazing cities I've ever had the pleasure of visiting. From the moment I arrived, I was blown away by the incredible mix of tradition and modernity. The Taipei 101 skyscraper dominating the skyline was a sight to behold, but the street markets, the food (oh, the food!), and the warmth of the locals were beyond anything I could have imagined. Wandering through the historic streets of Jiufen and enjoying the serenity of Tamsui were unexpected highlights. Getting around the city was a breeze thanks to the efficient transportation system, which allowed me to stumble upon charming temples hidden amidst the urban landscape. Taipei holds a special place in my heart as one of the most impressive cities I've ever experienced...maybe b/c I didn't know what to expect.

I will agree the overall architecture of the city is pretty ugly, but everything else makes up for it. We were extremely surprised by the high level of english profeiciency and how friendly people were when they found out we were from the USA. It was refreshing not to feel hated. I've been to mainland China and this was an entirely different vibe...like China with none of the negatives.

I do agree with what someone else said though that it lacks a cosmopolitan flare that other mega Asian cities have. It feels very Taiwanese-centric than international.

I hope to explore the rest of the island one day.

[homebucket]

Originally Posted by destroycreate

I will agree the overall architecture of the city is pretty ugly, but everything else makes up for it. We were extremely surprised by the high level of english profeiciency and how friendly people were when they found out we were from the USA. It was refreshing not to feel hated. I've been to mainland China and this was an entirely different vibe...like China with none of the negatives.

This was my experience as well having been to both China and Taiwan. The people in Taiwan are more open and expressive. And I think one of the nice things about Taiwanese accented Mandarin is that it sounds more soft and cute, rather than mainland China Mandarin which is more nasally and sharp. In fact, I would encourage people to visit Taiwan over China if they're keen on traveling to that region.

Originally Posted by destroycreate

I do agree with what someone else said though that it lacks a cosmopolitan flare that other mega Asian cities have. It feels very Taiwanese-centric than international.

I would actually promote this as a positive attribute. It's more authentic in that way.

[Wigs]

Originally Posted by destroycreate

I've been to mainland China and this was an entirely different vibe...like China with none of the negatives.

The convention and visitor's bureau should use that to troll Xi and his ruling class

Taiwan: Like China with none of the negatives!

[hipster duck]

Originally Posted by homebucket

I would actually promote this as a positive attribute. It's more authentic in that way.

But how is being cosmopolitan inauthentic?

Cities that attract people from far away to settle there usually attract them on their own merits.

[Wigs]

Our very own forumer, Reecemartin aka RMTransit did a very informative video of the Taipei Metro system.
Like Tokyo it's extremely efficient and rarely experiences delays.



• Video Link

[homebucket]

Originally Posted by hipster duck

But how is being cosmopolitan inauthentic?

Cities that attract people from far away to settle there usually attract them on their own merits.

Because it's less Westernized. It's one of the key differences I noticed between Taipei and say Singapore. More of the original culture is retained. It doesn't need French influence to become better.

[JManc]

I was supposed to go to a conference at Tamkang University there. Regret not being able to go.

[hipster duck]

Originally Posted by homebucket

Because it's less Westernized. It's one of the key differences I noticed between Taipei and say Singapore. More of the original culture is retained. It doesn't need French influence to become better.

But being cosmopolitan doesn't necessarily mean becoming more Western.

Non-western people can move to another non-western culture and become part of it. The Indian diaspora is one example, as is the Chinese diaspora across SE Asia.

Being cosmopolitan also doesn't have to be about ethnicity. It can be local people taking part in a global subculture. You can see a lot of that in a place like Tokyo but not so much in Taipei.

In any case, none of these examples are inauthentic.

[homebucket]

Originally Posted by hipster duck

But being cosmopolitan doesn't necessarily mean becoming more Western.

Non-western people can move to another non-western culture and become part of it. The Indian diaspora is one example, as is the Chinese diaspora across SE Asia.

Being cosmopolitan also doesn't have to be about ethnicity. It can be local people taking part in a global subculture. You can see a lot of that in a place like Tokyo but not so much in Taipei.

In any case, none of these examples are inauthentic.

We'll just have to agree to disagree.

[Nouvellecosse]

Yeah cosmopolitan isn't necessarily any more or less "authentic" than any other characteristic. People and places change, evolve, and influence one another over time and it's been that way since time immemorial. There's nothing inherently inauthentic about that. People often misuse the concept of authenticity to refer to a snapshot in time to basically say that, "this particular moment represents the truest form or essence of the thing and any change is dilution or corruption of that essence". In reality, no one moment is any more valid or representative than another. There'd be a stronger argument if people or places were forced to change against their will, but most change happens partly or fully because people want the benefits that change brings. And these are very genuine and authentic desires.

[homebucket]

Originally Posted by Nouvellecosse

Yeah cosmopolitan isn't necessarily any more or less "authentic" than any other characteristic. People and places change, evolve, and influence one another over time and it's been that way since time immemorial. There's nothing inherently inauthentic about that. People often misuse the concept of authenticity to refer to a snapshot in time to basically say that, "this particular moment represents the truest form or essence of the thing and any change is dilution or corruption of that essence". In reality, no one moment is any more valid or representative than another. There'd be a stronger argument if people or places were forced to change against their will, but most change happens partly or fully because people want the benefits that change brings. And these are very genuine and authentic desires.

Except this is exactly what happened throughout nearly all of Southeast Asia.

[giallo]

Taiwan very much has its own unique culture. It's a mixture of Chinese, Hakka, Aboriginal and Japanese. It's almost nothing like Mainland Chinese when you start to peel back the layers. After spending almost 20 years in East Asia, I really started to understand how unique Taiwan and its culture is. It's nothing like other Chinese heavy cultures (Mainland, HK, Singapore) around the eastern continent. It's definitely got its own flavour.

As far as Taipei not being cosmopolitan or "worldly", I mean, I guess I can see that. It's not a massive country, and doesn't deal in financial services like HK or Singapore. It's a regional economy that is heavily involved in microchips and processors. Taiwan has always been really bad at marketing itself as a tourist destination, so that doesn't help its international pull.

I will say that many of those foreigners that do end up in Taipei, stay. That goes for Taiwan as well. I have many 'lifer' friends there that are never going to leave.

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by homebucket

Except this is exactly what happened throughout nearly all of Southeast Asia.

Well, even long before its colonization by and subsequent independence from the west, Southeast Asia has long been a cultural crossroads. Historically and even today, it's been influenced by Indic, Arab and Hakka/Sinitic cultures, all before colonization from the west. In that sense, it has long been cosmopolitan---a crossroads of trade and a collision of cultures and empires, including piracy.

[Quixote]

Originally Posted by giallo

Taiwan very much has its own unique culture. It's a mixture of Chinese, Hakka, Aboriginal and Japanese. It's almost nothing like Mainland Chinese when you start to peel back the layers. After spending almost 20 years in East Asia, I really started to understand how unique Taiwan and its culture is. It's nothing like other Chinese heavy cultures (Mainland, HK, Singapore) around the eastern continent. It's definitely got its own flavour.

As far as Taipei not being cosmopolitan or "worldly", I mean, I guess I can see that. It's not a massive country, and doesn't deal in financial services like HK or Singapore. It's a regional economy that is heavily involved in microchips and processors. Taiwan has always been really bad at marketing itself as a tourist destination, so that doesn't help its international pull.

I will say that many of those foreigners that do end up in Taipei, stay. That goes for Taiwan as well. I have many 'lifer' friends there that are never going to leave.

Taiwan definitely has its own culture, and many Taiwanese don't consider themselves "Chinese." Ethnically however, it is overwhelmingly Han Chinese (specifically Hoklo) with very little admixture with the aboriginal population, unlike much of Austronesian Southeast Asia.

For the most part, Taiwan is seen as an offshoot of Chinese culture. That in conjunction with the close proximity to Hong Kong and Shanghai, the absence of electronic/tech/automotive companies with household-name recognition as well as a major skyline, relegates it to Osaka-like status.

Most people probably think that Taiwan is just another island off the mainland that China wants to annex. Imagine if mainland Japan and Okinawa were faced with a similar situation. That's how I think most view Taiwan. In other words, they have absolutely no idea that it's a developed, prosperous country of 24 million that produces over 90% of the world's most advanced semiconductor microchips. Or that it's an amazing place in its own right.

[Quixote]

Visually, Taipei has elements of Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seoul, and Singapore, but on the whole, its urban vernacular is pretty unique and should be discernible for those who geek out on urbanism. For my money, it clearly has the best "fine-grained" urban form. It's like Paris meets Lower East Side meets South Philly.

[lio45]

Originally Posted by Wigs

The convention and visitor's bureau should use that to troll Xi and his ruling class

Taiwan: Like China with none of the negatives!

Exactly. I wouldn’t want to set foot in Red China but I’d love to find the time to go visit the Republic of China in the area they control (that island). (Similarly, I’m not going to North Korea but would gladly visit “Korea”.)

East Asian (major cities’) tour: China-Korea-Japan i.e. Taipei-Seoul-Tokyo

[Fabricio JF]

I'm thinking about putting Taipei ahead of Seoul, because of details but not sure yet. I like skyscrapers, Seoul has Lotte World Tower and Taipei has T 101, both open to visitors so they can have incredible views of these two great cities.

I've tried Taiwanese food and it's delicious for my palate, very much based on raw pasta, a wide variety of fillings and dipping in some sauces. It's light and I notice that it's not very spicy, which for me who has GERD problems is another plus. I certainly drink that wonderful beverage made with papaya and milk that I have here too, but I have my own recipe.

I don't know Korean food as well as I know Japanese and Taiwanese food, but I imagine it's a little more different than what I'm used to seeing. There's a lot of seafood, which I like, but I heard from some people that it would be more exotic and more seasoned. Seoul, however, would have the advantage of offering much wider gastronomic options than the country's traditional dishes. Yes, I would have the courage to try the famous 산낙지

Regarding entertainment: Seoul has a great appeal for those who like night entertainment, bars and even the already decadent clubs. K-pop plays a part in this, but Seoul's youth itself seems to call for this type of Vegas or Macau style sensory experience, listening to a lot of music, drinking something and having fun with a friend or friends.

Already in Taipei I see openness, a welcoming soul and a lot of possibilities for cultural enrichment, exchange of learning between people and the concrete possibility of making true friends, because at this point I don't see that little bit more coldness like in other EA destinations, although behavior depends much more on each person's personality.

[Nouvellecosse]

Originally Posted by homebucket

Except this is exactly what happened throughout nearly all of Southeast Asia.

The vast majority of the changes we're talking about and certainly any differences between Taiwan and the mainland were well after that. Stuff like the Opium wars were way back in the 1800s well before Taiwan and the mainland had their split. Taiwan had plenty of European influence both before and after that. If anything, it's Taiwan that's been more accessible to western interests and influence post revolution since its government is more aligned with the capitalist west. But of course, post-revolution mainland wanted to "modernize" so global influence didn't need to be externally imposed.

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by Quixote

Taiwan definitely has its own culture, and many Taiwanese don't consider themselves "Chinese." Ethnically however, it is overwhelmingly Han Chinese (specifically Hoklo) with very little admixture with the aboriginal population, unlike much of Austronesian Southeast Asia.

It's interesting to me that Sun Yat-sen, the "father of modern China," was actually Hakka, or Hakka/Cantonese, yet he promoted Mandarin as the national language. And are some of the people who are called "Han," really Han? Or is/was that something promoted by the government as a form of nationalism?

I've been trying to convince my friend from Taiwan to do her DNA ancestry but she's convinced she's 100% "Chinese." I'm thinking she might have other different kinds of Chinese ethnicites in her DNA, and possibly even aboriginal Taiwanese.