TAIPEI ZOO➔MAOKONG &MAOKONG GONDOLA➔ TAIPAI 101➔FOUR FOUR SOUTH VILLAGE➔CHIANG KAI SHEK MEMORIAL HALL

Jul 13

5 min read

Taipei Zoo.

The Taipei Zoo—often called the Muzha Zoo—is located in the Wenshan District, right near National Chengchi University. It opened its doors back on October 31, 1986. The whole place stretches across 165 hectares, and the cool part is how the layout blends perfectly with the natural landscape to protect the environment and wildlife.

There’s a ton to see here! The exhibition zones include the Formosan Animal Area, Children's Zoo, Tropical Rainforest, African Animal Area, Desert Animals, Australian Animals, and Temperate Zone Animals. Plus, they have a Bird World, Insectarium, Penguin House, Koala House, Amphibian and Reptile House, Giant Panda House, Pangolin House, and an Education Center. It’s a great chance to get up close and personal with rare animals you wouldn’t normally see in daily life. On top of that, the detailed info guides help you really understand how these animals live and what their habits are, making it awesome for education, conservation, and just plain fun.

Besides looking at the animals, you can also hang out in the picnic areas, check out the wildlife observation zones, or blow off some steam at the youth physical training ground. So, while you're visiting the animals, you can also enjoy a nice hike and take in the beautiful scenery. It’s truly a multi-functional, living museum that showcases biodiversity, serves as a hub for wildlife conservation, and is hands-down the perfect spot for a fun and educational day out!

Maokong&Maokong Gondola

Maokong is a historic tea-growing area tucked away in Taipei’s Wenshan District, famous for its Tieguanyin (Iron Goddess) oolong tea. It’s the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of the city, offering lush green tea plantations and tons of relaxing hiking trails. On weekends or evenings, people love to head up there to chill at traditional teahouses, grab some tea-infused dishes, and take in the amazing views of Taipei 101 and the city lights. It’s an awesome spot for a half-day or full-day trip!

· Tea Tasting & Food Culture: The area is packed with all kinds of cool teahouses. Besides experiencing traditional tea brewing, you can also try some unique dishes made with local Tieguanyin or Pouchong tea—like tea-infused fried rice or even tea-flavored ice cream.

The most popular way to get there is by taking the Maokong Gondola, which was actually Taipei’s very first cable car system. The route is about 4 kilometers long and connects the Taipei Zoo straight to the tea fields at the top of the mountain. The ride takes around 20 to 30 minutes each way, and as you cruise higher, you get a stunning, bird's-eye view of the entire Taipei Basin and the majestic Zhinan Temple below.

TAIPAI 101.

Located right in the heart of Taipei’s most prime district, TAIPEI 101 is the biggest construction project Taiwan’s architecture industry has ever seen. The project was planned by a team of local and international experts, brought together by the Taipei Financial Center Corporation (a joint venture of 14 Taiwanese companies). Designed by world-renowned architect C.Y. Lee, the building breaks away from traditional monolith designs. Instead, it uses the lucky number "eight" (which sounds like "wealth" in Chinese) as its core design unit. Every eight floors form one structural segment, stacking on top of each other to create the whole building. This gives the exterior a rhythmic, elegant look, creating a whole new style for global skyscrapers.

TAIPEI 101’s multi-segmented look relies on a high-tech "Mega Structure" to ensure top-notch safety against winds and earthquakes. Because every eight floors form an independent structural block, it naturally breaks up the strong downdrafts that high-rises usually cause, keeping things safe and comfortable for pedestrians below with the help of green landscaped buffer zones. The building's shape looks just like a flexible yet sturdy stalk of bamboo growing higher and higher, symbolizing continuous growth in traditional architecture. The walls slant inward at a 7-degree angle, stepping upward layer by layer. Plus, the building uses highly transparent, energy-saving eco-glass that blocks out heat without causing annoying light reflections, letting visitors look out at the sky and city from Taiwan’s tallest viewpoint. Between the high-tech materials and creative lighting, the tower has a clear, see-through visual effect that blends beautifully with nature and the city skyline.

Up on the 89th-floor observatory (382 meters above the ground), you don't just get an incredible 360-degree panoramic view. The deck is also packed with awesome features, like high-powered binoculars, souvenir photo services, a drinks bar, multimedia audio guides in 11 languages, gift shops, and even the world's highest mailbox! On top of that, you can get an up-close look at the massive 660-metric-ton wind damper—one of the very few in the world that is completely open to the public.

Four-Four South Village

Four-Four South Village (Sisi Namcun) was built during the Chinese Civil War and holds the title of Taipei’s very first military dependents' village. It got its name simply because it sits right south of the old 44th Arsenal. Inside the village, you'll spot an old military bunker—the designers kept it on purpose, and even though it doesn't serve a military purpose anymore, it stands as a living piece of the village's history. Today, the area is packed with exhibition halls and old houses that still look just like they did back then, but with a cool twist: plenty of creative, artsy cultural vibes and fun shops to check out.

The Xinyi Assembly Hall itself is made up of four symmetrical buildings from the original village, keeping that unique, old-school architectural style alive. It's surrounded by the Military Dependents' Village Cultural Park, Jingxin Park, a wide pedestrian plaza, and Xinyi Elementary School. With so much open public space, it’s the perfect place for locals, Taipei residents, or even tourists staying in nearby hotels to escape the city hustle and enjoy a relaxing stroll.

Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall.

The Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall was built to honor the first president of the Republic of China, who passed away in 1975. The very next year, the government broke ground on the project. It was designed by Yang Cho-cheng, the same architect behind the famous Grand Hotel.

The site used to be the Army Headquarters, which was the biggest military base in downtown Taipei back then. Word has it that the gold brought over from mainland China was actually stored right here. The building's blue and white color scheme represents the main colors of the national flag, and the ceiling inside features the 12-ray sun from the national emblem. The bronze statue inside faces west, looking toward both the Presidential Office Building and mainland China, which holds a lot of symbolic meaning. As Taiwan transitioned into a democracy and people became more open-minded, the plaza in front of the memorial hall naturally turned into a major gathering spot for democratic movements.