Taipei

Taipei is the capital of Taiwan, situated in a mountain basin along the Danshui River. Surrounding volcanic hills and river channels mark the natural perimeter of the lowland basin. The city name translates from Chinese characters to mean northern Taiwan.

Asus manufactures personal computers, motherboards, and computer monitors under its international hardware brand at its Beitou campus. Compal Electronics builds smart devices and portable notebook computers for multinational technology brands. Tatung Company produces electric rice cookers and heavy power transformers for industrial clients.

Ketagalan indigenous groups inhabited the river basin before immigrants from Fujian province cleared agricultural land during the early 18th century. River trade flourished around the riverside wharves of Bangka, shipping camphor and tea down the Danshui River to ocean junks. Liu Mingchuan, the first Qing governor of the island, established the settlement as the provincial capital of Taiwan in 1887, completing stone defensive walls with five gate towers. Japan governed the island from the 1890s, dismantling the stone ramparts to lay out broad boulevards and administrative halls. The government of the Republic of China relocated its central administration to the city in 1949, prompting decades of rapid urban growth.

Taiwanese beef noodle soup braises tender beef shank in a dark broth flavored with star anise, Sichuan pepper, and preserved mustard greens. Taipei 101 rises 508 m (1,667 ft) above the Xinyi district with an exterior modeled after a segmented bamboo stalk. The National Palace Museum preserves centuries of imperial jade carvings and historical calligraphy scrolls evacuated from mainland China. Mengjia Longshan Temple showcases traditional southern Chinese wood carvings and swallowtail roofs dating from the 18th century. Shilin Night Market attracts nighttime diners with street vendors serving stinky tofu and oyster omelets under brightly lit canopies.