Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
serves as a cultural centre with regular exhibitions and performances. There's a large,
though sparsely informative, museum on the life of SYS, the founder of modern China.
Though designed in a similar palace style as the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, this
hall (finished earlier in 1972) is largely considered a decent piece of architecture, blend-
ing modernity with tradition without a fetish for 'classical' decorative features.
Activities
Cycling
Taipei is almost certainly the best major metropolis for cycling in Asia. In recent years
the sport has transformed from a fringe activity to a genuine craze that affects all income
and age levels.
The most popular biking venues are the
riverside lanes
, which are exclusive to walk-
ers and cyclists, and form a linked network hundreds of kilometres long. Lanes run
through landscapes parks or along wild sections of the river, and offer scenic landscapes
as varied as volcanic peaks, mangrove swamps and grassy soccer fields. Among the best
sections are between Guandu and Tamsui; Wanhua to Xindian (on either side); the San-
chong loop; and the round-Taipei path, which takes about five hours and includes a sec-
tion through the massive Liuzhangli Cemetery.
Sunny summer weekend afternoons can see the paths become very congested, but
weekdays, and especially winter weekdays, they are wonderfully open. The paths are lit
at night and it's common to see groups out past midnight (a perfectly safe thing to do in
this city).
There are 10
rental stations
within Taipei and another seven in New Taipei City, in-
cluding at Gongguan, Bali, Guandu, Datong, Bitan, Tamsui and Taipei Zoo. Pick up a
map of routes and stations at any visitor centre. Rates are NT$250 to NT$350 per day, or
NT$25 to NT$60 per hour (depending on the quality of bike). It's another NT$80 to drop
the bike off at another station. Some people are also starting to use the shared bicycle
program Youbike (
Click here
)
.
4045;
http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/giant-nanjing
; 278 Nanjing E Rd, Sec 3; 3-day rental NT$1200;
11am-10pm Fri-Wed; Nanjing E Rd)
.
Being surrounded by mountains, Taipei also has some good spots for
mountain bik-
Sec 5; noon-9pm Mon-Sat; Gongguan)
rents good-quality bikes for NT$1000 per day,
and organises free weekend rides.
