Fun things to do in Taipei

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Although Karaoke was invented in Japan, it becomes a very popular leisure activity in Taiwan. I seldom go to KTV but for the moment V-Mix is my favorite, Its decoration is of luxury style with crystal lamps everywhere but the price is reasonable. In addition, the dishes offered there are delicate and everyone is given bonus of NTD 120 for food consumption. There are Japanese, English and Chinese songs, so definitely you will find out the songs that you want to sing.

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The Lin Antai Old Homestead is a nice quiet location in the heart of Taipei. Not as impressive as I expected, but a nice break from the rush of traffic and people. It is a comfortable walk from much of Taipei. The only drawback are the airplanes on final approach to the Taipei regional airport (not the CKS International Airport!) flying directly overhead. It is the oldest building in downtown Taipei.

Construction of the original home took place from 1783 to 1785, while many of the smaller side buildings were built in the 1820s. When the city was growing rapidly in the late 1970s, major road construction threatened to destroy this site. The buildings were carefully disassembled and stored until rebuilt at the current location in 1985.

Tamkang High School has a mix of Chinese and western architecture throughtout its campus. Founded by a Canadian missionary over a hundred years ago. The landmark building is the octangonal pagoda.

There are detailed info and photos about the history of the school and the founder inside the School History Building.

Must first sign in with the gatehouse before touring the campus.

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This exposition runs from the end of the year through April. It's an indoor/outdoor expo that shows different, and not so different varieties of plants: flowers, fruit, vegetables, succulents, herbs, means of production for livestock, green living, horticulture at it's finest, etc.

There are outdoor pavilions representing different countries and their native plants. There are entertainment halls with live performances, a food court, a playground for kids and an entire cultural "village" dedicated to the art of paper making, Chinese culture and other art.

Plan to spend the entire day here. Bring an umbrella!

The cost is around $10USD and that is for general admission. The "anytime" pass is more expensive, but you can return any day that the expo is still in service.

A modern metropolis set in the north of the island nation of Taiwan, Taipei serves as the nation’s major center for politics, commerce, mass media, education, and pop culture. Since the 1970s, the city’s eastern area has emerged as a bustling center of finance and commerce, and now features skyscrapers, wide boulevards and the Taipei World Trade Center. While the city embraces modernity, cultural traditions and arts continue to thrive and color daily life in Taipei, where concerts, festivals and other events are celebrated in full splendor throughout the year.

This is a highly recommended tea shop for those would like to buy local tea. They have a lots of variety of tea. You can sit down, take your time testing the tea and biscuits. Very friendly staffs and the price is reasonable as well.
Some of the staffs speak English as well.

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Tan Shui is a city located to the north of Taipei. The city is at the mouth of a big river, the Tan Shui River.
The riverbank is a nice spot to enjoy the beautiful sunset. (It was cloudy on the day I visited there, so I couldn't enjoy it.)
Along the riverbank and along the main street Zhong Zheng Lu, there are a lot of stalls. The streets are more lively at night with many people enjoying taking a walk, shopping and eating.
Hong Mao Cheng (Red Hair Castle) used to be a fortress built by Spanish people in 1629. It stands on a hill, so you can command a fine view of the river. It's about 15 minutes' walk from the MRT station.
Yu Wan Tang is very delicious. It is fish dumplings in hot soup. There is a famous restaurant that serves really good Yu Wan Tang. Ke Kou Yu Wan is on the main street.

There are a few hot spring locations in Taipei; we went to the one at XinBeiTou. From the MRT station, it's about a 10 minute walk up the slope towards the hot springs area. We went to the public hot spring, which had 4 hot pools of varying degrees and 2 cold pools. The entrance fee was a mere 40NT. There were also shower cubicles for one to rinse off (or even take a proper shower!) after soaking in the hot springs. The smell of sulphur wasn't overpowering, and it was, on the whole, a great experience. In the afternoon, the compound was filled mainly with elderly people having a nice chat with the friends. The crowd was gradually replaced by a younger bunch in the evening. Love this place!