Taipei, Taiwan

Taipei is the provisional capital of the Republic of China, otherwise known as Taiwan. It is located in the northern part of the island in a basin between the Yangming Mountains and the Central Mountains.

Taipei is the centre of Taiwan's commerce, government and culture. It is a very busy and expensive city, packed with people, cars and covered in Smog. However there are some great sights and excellent food. Taipei offers a mix of the modern and traditional with temples dating back to dynastic times and sky scrapers and neon lit streets of a more modern era.

Taipei has dozens of world-class restaurants where you can sample the best regional Chinese cuisine; and there are plenty of night markets serving up scrumptious evening snacks in a exciting and fun environment.

Just a few minutes from the heart of the city you can soak away the cares of the world in mineral-rich hot springs nestled in the lush mountain foothills ringing the TaipeiBasin. And throughout the city there are plenty of trails, parks and other oases of tranquility to lift and invigorate your spirits.

Things to see and do

* Taipei 101 building
* Sun Yat-sen Memorial
* Chiang Kai-shek Memorial
* Longshan Temple
* National Palace Museum

Cruise Season – Jan - Dec
Currency – New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)
Language – Mandarin
Land Area – 270 km²
Population – 2,000,000
Electricity – plug with two parallel flat pins Japanese-style
Time – GMT plus eight hours
International Country Telephone Code – + 886

Port Location - The Port of Taipei (which used to be known as Danshuei Harbor) is located at the mouth of the Danshuei River at the northern tip of Taiwan, 34 nautical miles west of Keelung Harbor, 87 nautical miles north of Taichung Harbor, and 134 nautical miles from Fuzhou Harbor in mainland China.

Transport Links - Taipei's international airport is the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport located 30 km’s from the city and is well-served by international flights. All Asian countries have flights to Taipei, with many inter-continental flights touching down in the capital as well. All trains to/from other cities on the island arrive and depart from Taipei Railway Station on Zhongxiao West Road. Private and government intercity buses arrive and depart from the Taipei Bus Terminal.
Taipei City has a very clean, efficient and safe Mass Rapid Transit system and bus service.