Taiwan 2011 - Taipei 101

Taipei 101 is one of the tallest buildings in the world. Standing at about 101 storeys tall above ground and 5 storeys underground, it was designed to withstand strong typhoon winds and earthquakes. Taipei 101 is also home to many luxury brands such as Prada, Fendi, Dior and Tiffany&Co. So eager to see things from a higher perspective, I decided to visit Taipei 101 on a cloudy and rainy day. Which also happened to be Halloween. =p


How to get there: 
Take the MRT to Taipei City Hall Station. There is a waiting area outside the station for a free shuttle bus that will take you to Taipei 101. Silly old me didn't know about the shuttle bus and ended up walking there instead. Almost lost my way but luckily Taipei was tall enough to serve as a beacon of "correct direction". It wasn't very far but you really don't want to be walking in all the drizzle. =x

Saw this on the halfway point to Taipei 101. Decided
to give myself a well-deserved break from all the walking

What better break than to enjoy some chilli fries and soda?
Oh, in case you are wondering about the straw...it's a
Halloween themed straw that groans as you sip the drink
through it. Kewl stuff!

Taipei 101 looming in the distance against
gloomy skies

FINALLY! It does look rather impressive from
down here, doesn't it?

To get to the observatory, you have to enter the shopping mall and take the elevator to the 5th floor where there will be a ticket counter. If you had applied for a Youth Travel Card, then you can enjoy a discount on the ticket price. =D

With a Youth Travel Card, you need only pay 350NT.

The elevator to the 88th level is also on the same level but you'll need to join the queue first. The line was rather long that day so it took some waiting before it was finally my turn to enter the elevator. As you join the queue, you will be given the chance to pose against a Taipei 101 background and get your photo taken. If you want that photo for a souvenir, you can pay for it on the 88th floor.

Since it was a rainy day, I was told that we wouldn't be allowed onto the outdoor observatory on the 91 floor. Oh well, just my luck then. When it was my turn, I entered an elevator that dimmed its lights as we raced through the building to our destination. My ears started popping from the sudden height increase but nevertheless, our lovely elevator lady still managed to introduce the building in a flawless flow of English, Mandarin and Japanese even before we reached our floor! Like woah. I'm impressed.

I love the elevator ladies in Taiwan. Always so elegant and precise.

The indoor observatory!

We reached the indoor observatory on the 88th floor in about 5 or 6 seconds flat and the doors open to reveal the crowded indoor observatory. Without wasting a single minute, I made for the nearest window and gingerly looked down.

The buildings look like Lego pieces from this height. 

Silent Hill? =x

As can be expected, I couldn't see much into the distance. Thanks to the foggy weather, all I could see were buildings at close range. I can only imagine what it must be like on a clear sunny day. The scenery must be spectacular. Sigh. Well, since I couldn't see much of the surroundings around us, I decided to explore the indoor observatory to see if there was anything interesting and found a smoking cow. =x

The weather was kinda cold but this cow was still
smoking!

Decided to try out the One for One free beer float but changed
one of them to an orange float, in case the beer doesn't taste
nice! This voucher was given when I bought my ticket earlier.
In case you want to know: the beer float tasted weird. =x

Moo I have a seat? =3

Pardon the slanted picture of a digital display
showcasing the Taipei 101 from top to bottom

An interactive map that shows Taipei on a clear day and where
you can expect to find certain spots! These are found at all sides
of the observatory.

The Mass Damper mama that keeps the building stable

Mass Damper Babies...you can purchase souvenirs of these
little Mass Dampers at their souvenir shop

After exiting the observatory, we were treated to an exhibition
red coral sculptures. This, I believe is the Buddha of fertility. You
know, the Buddha who always has lots of kids clinging onto him.

I decided to leave the observatory after a while since it was clear that I wouldn't be able to see much from the building anyway. After exiting the place however, I came to an exhibition of red coral sculptures of  good luck symbols like dragons and Buddhas. Do you know that red corals is actually a precious material used in ancient history as a symbol of status? Apparently Chinese emperors wear bead necklaces that are made from the very same material! Gee...I never knew that. I always thought they were some kind of dyed pearls. =x

Dragon...looks pretty life-life, huh?

After the red coral exhibition, it was red coral buying time! There were salesgirls waiting to serve you should you wish you purchase a red coral jewellery back home for your wife or a cuff link for your boss even as Teresa Teng (the very famous Taiwanese songbird) filled the air with her silky chords. I don't see a lot of people stopping to buy the items though. =/

Maybe because red coral doesn't exactly look very trendy. It's the sort of jewellery that only high society people will wear to black-tie events, and even then, only truly elegant wives of the affluent can fit them. One tourist tried to insinuate that the red coral items were not worth the hefty prices but one of the salesgirls promptly shot him down with a well-placed jibe. LOL.

Nevertheless, on to the elevator! No thanks to the crowd, I end up queueing for the one elevator that will bring us back to the 5th level. Once again, I was treated to an amazing display by the elevator lady as she concluded the visit with English, Mandarin and Japanese as the lift dipped. It was quite a nice touch to have someone press the button for you. =D

After the trip to the top of the world, now it's time to drop back
into the lap of luxury!

All in all, this visit to Taipei 101 was quite interesting. I wouldn't exactly describe it as a must-see thing to do for your itinerary. But if you have a thing for far off places, then do visit it by all means. Just be sure to choose a nice clear day to visit it though or you'll end up disappointed like moi. Then again, if you have the taste for the luxurious, this place is a good spot to shop. =)

If you want to go back to Taipei City Hall MRT Station, simply take the free shuttle bus back. Which is what I smartly did after asking the security guard if there was an easier way to take! LOL. He must have been amused with my lack of shuttle bus knowledge. =x