Taipei Facts
- Overview
- Attractions
- Events
- Facts
- Kids
Population: 2.63 million
Time
Zone: GMT + 8
Telephone:
Country Code: +886; Area Code: 2
Language: Mandarin Chinese is the official language in Taiwan, though
other dialects are also spoken. Many people can speak some English, but most
taxi drivers do not speak English.
Average
Temperatures:
|
Month |
High |
Low |
|
January |
66F |
54F |
|
February |
65F |
53F |
|
March |
70F |
57F |
|
April |
77F |
63F |
|
May |
83F |
69F |
|
June |
89F |
73F |
|
July |
92F |
76F |
|
August |
91F |
75F |
|
September |
88F |
73F |
|
October |
81F |
67F |
|
November |
75F |
62F |
|
December |
69F |
57F |
When to
Visit: Taipei
experiences the tropical monsoon climate of the southern Chinese mainland.
More rain falls from May-September than at other times of the year. From
July-September typhoons are experienced over the South China Sea. The summer
heat is accompanied by high humidity. Winter and Spring are usually very
pleasant. Sunshine averages 6 hours per day in winter, and of course longer in
summer.
Holidays:
Founding
Day Jan. 1-3
Chinese
New Year* (date varies) Late January/early Feb.
Youth Day
March 29
Tomb
Sweeping Day April 5
Dragon
Boat Festival* June 13
Mid-Autumn
Festival* Sept. 20
Teachers'
Day Sept. 28
National
Day Oct. 10
Taiwan
Retrocession Day Oct. 25
Chiang
Kai-shek's Birthday Oct. 31
Sun
Yat-sen's Birthday Nov. 12
Constitution Day Dec. 25
* Date
varies based on Chinese lunar calendar
Currency: Taiwan
dollar (yuan).
Business Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00AM-5:00PM; Saturday: 9:00AM – Noon
Post
Office: Ai I Road
Shopping Specialties:
jewelry, carved stones, electronics.
Electricity: 220
volts AC, 50Hz; two-pin plugs are standard
Internet: At the
end of 2005, half of Taipei had access to Wi-Fly, the city's public wireless
Internet service; coverage is expected to be 90 percent by the end of 2006. Wi-Fly
costs 100 Taiwan dollars a day. Zaka cafe, 37 Lane 177, Dunhua South Road,
Section 1, (886-2) 2773-7009 will supply you with both internet café and
coffee.
Getting
There:
By Air
Planes
arrive and depart from Chiang Kai-shek International Airport just outside
Taipei.
Taipei's International Airport is well-served by international
flights. All Asian countries have flights to Taipei, with many inter-continental
flights available as well. It is customary for international airlines to
reconfigure their names in Taipei to avoid offending the Chinese. British
Airways becomes British Asia Airways, etc.
By
Cruise Ship:
Large
cruise ships dock at the Port of Keelung in northern Taiwan, on the east China
Sea. This is about 40 minutes from Taipei.
Getting
Around: The Taipei Metro covers virtually the whole city and runs
from 6 a.m. to midnight. Fares depend on how far you're going, and an all-day
pass is a bargain.
By Taxi
Taxis are
plentiful and fairly cheap.
By Bus
and Train: Taipei
has an extensive city and regional bus service, and four major bus terminals.
There is excellent service to other parts of Taiwan. The bus and train networks
are both extensive. With frequent departures and arrivals and on-time service.
