Ni hao, Taiwan! [Part 2]

Day 2 - Taipei 101, Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall, Maokong Gondola

My second day in Taipei is a really busy one. I was so excited to finally see the world-famous Taipei 101. It has been a long time that it was on my dream-destinations list. That day I will finally have it crossed out! Yahoo!

The Taipei 101 is located in the Xinyi District. It is accessible via the Taipei City Hall MRT station (Blue Line - Nangang). I chose to walk from the exit to 101. You can also rent a bike to go around the area.

I had lunch at the Grand Market, located at the basement of 101, which is equivalent to a food court here in Pinas. I could compare it to a floor at Podium or a portion of Serendra-Fort. The whole place was so clean.

Sergeant Chicken Rice meal combo

This was was highly recommended by a friend who visited Taiwan last year. Their hainanese chicken rice is so good. My lunch only cost me NTD$150 (P220).

This is part of the Liberty Square.

My next stop is the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall which is located in the Zhongzheng District. Exit 5 of the CKS MRT Station is right beside the hall! The place was huge, enough to say that the former Chinese president is very much revered.

This is the hall that houses an enormous statue of President CKS. One of the attractions here is the hourly changing-of-the-guards ceremony.

Make sure you bring a bottle of water while touring CKS to keep you hydrated. Should you forget, there are several beverage vendos at the entrance of the square. An umbrella is also a must to protect you from the scorching heat of the sun.

My final stop is the Maokong Gondola.

This gondola mode of transportation runs between Taipei Zoo and Maokong. It has four stations: Taipei Zoo, Taipei Zoo South, Zhinan Temple and Maokong.

This marks the end of the gondola trip -- Maokong. I was surprised that in a remote area like this, people (local or tourist) come here to eat. You can find a row of restaurants and tea houses in Maokong.

As you exit the Maokong Gondola Station, these boards list all the teahouses along the road.

On my way back, I just had to take the Eyes of Maokong Gondola. This crystal cabin has a glass bottom which lets you see what's below -- not for the faint-hearted. :-)

The Maokong Gondola has been closed and reopened a few times due to safety, ventilation and environmental concerns. But all the issues have been addressed and it has been operational since April 2010.