A Taipei Reinvention

Almost a decade ago, Taipei was a largely closeted city with little influence from the Western World. Today, a new cosmopolitan Taipei has emerged with boutique hotels, espresso bars, night clubs and trendy shopping districts.

Keeping up with fellow trend-setting Asian capitals Hong-Kong and Singapore, the vibrant atmosphere of constant change is continually transforming the capital of Taiwan. With almost a quarter of the Taipei electorate under the age of 30, a new generation is now emerging with the mentality of both playing hard and working hard.

While this new generation may live by a renewed philosophy, embracing a culture of Western entertainment and recreation, Taipei still remains a quintessentially Asian city. Just like Beijing and Shanghai, Chinese Mandarin is spoken, with pockets of English speakers showing up in the cities’ bars and clubs. The more traditional Taiwanese cultural institutions are still popular amongst the locals and foreign visitors alike, with night markets found throughout the city, their vendors hawking such favorites as oyster noodles and stinky tofu, a fermented bean curd.

Traditional cultural treasures like the serene Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Park and the National Palace Museum, north of the city, are some of the must-see landmarks, showcasing the history and heritage of Taiwan. But it’s not only the more traditional landmarks drawing people to Taipei – an emerging culture catering to young people has recently emerged and the city is now becoming a cool place to visit, especially for shopping.

About 2.5 million of Taiwan's 22 million residents live in Taipei. Its main axis is Civil Boulevard, which runs east-west and acts as a central artery to the city's major malls and shopping centers. From more progressive shopping centers on the western side of the Boulevard like Idée and Mitsukoshi to such megamalls as the Breeze Center and the Core Pacific on the eastern side, department stores are thriving as a result of a younger, more self-conscious generation of consumers.

One of the largest symbols of shopping and consumption in Taipei is the Core Pacific Center. Opened in 2001, it is a 12-story sphere, with a building fitted around it. Designed by the Los Angeles-based Jon Jerde, who also designed the Bellagio in Las Vegas, it is home to brands like Hugo Boss, the Mira department store and, on the top floor, a nightclub called Plush.

As a response to the recent wave of large-scale shopping malls, the city has sprouted its first district primarily catering to 20-somethings. Nestled in a series of side streets and alleyways between Civil Boulevard to the north, Renai Road to the south and Dunhua South Road and Guangfu South Road to the west and east, this district has developed in the last few years. It is still a mostly residential neighborhood, but businesses have sprung up on the ground floors of apartment buildings and other structures that were not typically used as shops.

Walking around, visitors will come across Omni, a furniture store that carries a stock of midcentury and contemporary furniture by Verner Panton and Eero Saarinen. Billed as an "antique" store, it has an expansive glass facade that showcases its stock of modern and vintage chairs, T-shirts and travel accessories. Owned by the pop singer Jay Chou, Omni has become a popular tourist attraction for visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of the singer.

As one of the pillars of the new Taiwan, shopping is only matched in popularity with dining. Places that surround the main shopping district include the China Bar, Tea and DJ Restaurant, 1F, No. 24 Lane 205, Chung-siao East Road, Section 4, (886-2) 2772-7622, which serves an array of Chinese and other Asian food and where dishes like pork ribs and chicken curry are not out of the ordinary. The interior of China Bar resembles a store that exclusively sells used 1960’s furniture, but the most notable feature is the large prints of Kama Sutra pages wallpapered to the bathroom walls. Dinner for two, about $25 (prices at 33 Taiwan dollars to the U.S. dollar).

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