Taipei, the rising star of Asian tourism, blends glitz of modernity with wealth of history

Every city has that one landmark that takes over its reputation in the world, putting it on the global tourism map, but at the same time overshadowing everything else it has to offer. Therefore, before setting foot in the capital of Taiwan, our imagination was full only of the promised dazzling city views from the top of Taipei 101. However, what we also got from the capital of Taiwan was a fast-track introduction to thousands of years of Chinese history and a glimpse into the power play of its more recent decades.

It was the very impressive High-Speed Rail (HSR) of Taiwan that transported us from the elegant Taichung city to the capital Taipei in a matter of 70 minutes. Upon arrival in Taipei, we discovered that while it was not as perfectly aesthetic as Taichung, it had fun and character in spades.

To begin with, there was Santa Claus everywhere — and this was festive fervour with a shot of humour, as Father Christmas was not just standing still with his jolly beard but actively climbing walls around the city.

What’s more, the city was practically bursting with Christmas trees and Christmas scenes, including a full-fledged mini-village festooned with “Merry Christmas” set up inside Taipei 101. Stunningly slender Chinese girls posed with Instagram-friendly reindeer and Santa’s elves, surrounded by designer storefronts dripping with luxury.

Christmas, in particular, showcases the American tilt in Taiwan that many older Chinese observe with a degree of discomfort. But the island nation, which constantly feels the gravitational tug of Mainland China, is open and welcoming to all cultures and lifestyles.

Anytime anyone needs a reminder of what it means to be Chinese and what this vast and ancient culture has contributed to human civilisation, they only need to spend a few hours at the National Palace Museum in Taipei. With 700,000 exhibits, this museum is one of the largest in the world, up there with the British Museum in London; the Louvre in Paris; and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

The secrets of the famed Chinese art of ceramic painting were revealed by our museum guide, who also pointed out a particular 8th century guardian figure from the Tang dynasty named ‘Lokapala’, a Sanskrit word that indicated cross-cultural mingling via the Silk Road.

Unpeeling more layers of Chinese history — this time, of Taiwanese history — required a morning visit to the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, a monument to honour the former leader of undivided China who took refuge in Taiwan following the civil war of 1949 with Mao Zedong.

The Change of Guard ceremony at the memorial hall’s courtyard was the highlight of the morning; the extreme co-ordination and precision of the soldiers’ movements breathtaking, to say the least.

Inside, a majestic bronze statue of a smiling Chiang Kai-Shek lorded over the visitors, while galleries displayed photographs from his political and military career; his armoured vehicles; and even his completely preserved office. General Chiang Kai-Shek died in 1975, still dreaming of the reunification of China. Modern Taiwan is set on charting its own course in the world, retaining its independent identity.