Taipei with Daphne

MANILA, Philippines - It was the same farewell message that came with a sincere invitation visit after visit, year after year. “You must come for a couple of days on holiday to see the true Taipei. You’ve got to get out of the convention centers!”

This was our ongoing conversation with Daphne Tseng, a former colleague who is now a dear friend, back in the day when my travels were exclusively for business. “I’ve seen your attractions from a distance,” I casually replied. And that was all I knew of her beloved island, Taiwan.

But the thought of exploring the familiar and the hope of renewed experiences stayed with me – “Why not?” – until finally, I, along with my traveling companions, decided to book tickets to Taipei. I made a quick call to Daphne.

“Be warned. Here I come and I’m bringing my friends,” I announced.

Upon arrival, Daphne, together with my good pal Rene Reyes, sported the widest grin. We reviewed the itinerary, and everyone cheered with delight. So well-prepared was our host that we even had an umbrella each in case the weather turned sour. And so, our adventure began with the usual tourist spots.

Of course, there was Taipei 101, which was once the world’s tallest building and is currently the fourth. From its observatory, we saw a marvelous view of the metropolitan sprawl, all indicative of progress. On the lower floors of the skyscraper, we treated ourselves to an extensive variety of dumplings and the burst-in-your-mouth-goodness of the xiao long bao at the original Din Tai Fung restaurant.

Next was the Taipei National Palace Museum, home to over 696,000 artifacts from various dynasties. 1,700 are on display at a time, and one must not miss the Jadeite Cabbage, which has its origins from a palace within the Forbidden City in Beijing and was publicly chosen as the most important piece in the entire collection.

Famously known among foreign tourists, the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial with its imposing figure of the political leader, a realistic replica of his office a la Madame Tussaud, and the Changing of the Guards ceremony was also on our list. What caught our attention in particular was a 1955 Cadillac, one of the official state cars, which was donated by overseas Chinese in the Philippines.

Then there were the temples in abundance, which were built to appeal to the spirits for almost any need. Just some of those we visited were the Lungshan Temple, the city’s oldest, the Baoan Temple and the Confucius Temple, each ornately designed as the scent of incense permeated through the air, along with the solemnity of silent prayers and the offerings of fruits and flowers.

We ventured into the Modern Toilet Restaurant that is proud to be poo-poo and pee-pee themed, complete with a menu resembling I-don’t-even-want-to-talk-about bodily productions, porcelain thrones, bathtub tables, the commode and piping on the walls. In all its provocation of laughter, disgust, intrigue, delight or confusion, one thing is certain: it leaves an impression.

Before our one-for-the-road session back in our hotel, we went to the city’s spectrum of night markets, such as Shilin and Tung Hua, selling anything and everything. Although our group no longer shops in abandonment, as most have started giving away items to their children, relatives and friends, it was a striking escapade to take it all in on a sensory level – to see, smell, listen, taste and just simply feel and bask in the beating heart of Taipei.

However, the highlights of our vacation were short drives away from the urban epicenter.

In Yilan City, southeast of the capital, one can locate the National Center for Traditional Arts (NCTA) – a 24-hectare wonderland of cultural richness from the nation’s past.

Along its streets are brick houses with a convergence of Eastern and Western architecture, with arches, columns, facades strewn with red paper lanterns and lush gardens accented with installations. Within the buildings was a visual feast of ancient artifacts and artworks, and shops with traditional handicrafts. Restaurants abound where one can dine on hearty oriental dishes, munch on yummy crepes and slug down cool tumblers of milk tea.

Colorful parades of actors in costumes and life-size puppets draw crowds as they hail the different theatrical performances of Peking Opera through the ages.

Finally, there was the religiously maintained house of worship, the Wenchang Temple where one can seek guidance from a spectrum of gods and goddesses, or have fortunes predicted from ritualistic prayers and messages written on pieces of bamboo.

The NCTA is a microcosm captured in time, a petri dish of the diversity of Taiwanese heritage.

Of its history and relations with foreign countries, Taiwan’s most well-known monument is the Fort Sto. Domingo in Tamsui district, perched on a hill a drive northwest of Taipei. It is an immense and solid structure made of bricks that was conserved and reconstructed during its utility under the rule of various colonizers.

Established in 1628 by the Spanish, the main fort, with its thick walls ideal for defense, was built to establish the rule of Spain’s royalty over the local Chinese and aboriginal peoples of Northern Taiwan.

Retired canons are lined up like sentries outside, with sculptures strewn about the grounds. Propped on its foundations are flags – among which are Australian, Dutch, English, French, Spanish and Japanese – all from overseas powers who claimed the area for themselves in its lifetime.

Parallel to the oldest building is the British Consulate Office. The interiors are magnificently composed and displayed are Western furniture and fixtures, with relevant information on their origins.

From the ornate, pre-Raphaelite aesthetics that governed the prints on the wallpapers, to the skillfully carved wooden sillas y mesas, to embroidered peacocks on throw pillows, there was a definite sense of European sophistication through it all, made dramatic by the resplendent sunset that bathed the edifice.

Quite unforgettable were quotes from the poet and novelist William Morris, delicately applied with serif text on the walls. One line that encompasses the experience is:“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”

Closer to the city center is another brick structure, the Red Castle restaurant. At the top of 106 steps, it gives a splendid view of the city. Although we had to walk the whole way, the food was excellent and it foreshadowed our most memorable dining experience yet.

With a rather arduous but nonetheless exciting drive up a hill – more like a mountain – just a little northwest of the metro, lay the exquisite Marshal Zen Garden.

Once upon a time, a general named Marshal Zhang Xueliang kidnapped and imprisoned the renowned Chiang Kai-shek, with the imposition of certain conditions with regard to the plan of action against the Japanese during World War II. However, when Chiang was released, he in turn sentenced the general to house arrest. For many years from 1949, Zhang remained under lock and key in a handsome villa in the foothills of the Beitou area.

The property has been reincarnated into what is well loved today by residents and tourists – an exceptional resort where one is led downwards through a wooden staircase to grounds landscaped with the minimalist and subtly controlled philosophies of Zen, with flowing water, sulfur baths, hot springs, ponds, cascading shrubs, blooming flowers and romantic lamps interspersed with clusters of buildings on different levels of elevation. 

Our last dinner was spent and relished at the property’s restaurant, with its fine Oriental fusion cuisine, all served with lacquered chopsticks, artful ceramic plates, cups and saucers, and aromatic tea.

As one experiences the superb interiors and the edible fare of this pocket of paradise, one is granted a lookout on the city framed with a symphony of mist and trees. Photos by Edu Jarque