Eternal Spring Shrine

A 508-metre tower built to resist typhoons and earthquakes, with an observatory and a visible tuned mass damper near the top.

The world's largest collection of Chinese imperial art, moved from Beijing in 1949, rotated through galleries of bronzes, jade and painting.

A short, steep stepped trail on the city's eastern edge giving the standard skyline view across to Taipei 101.

Taipei's largest night market, with an underground food court and street stalls selling pepper buns, oyster omelettes and fried chicken.

Taroko is a marble canyon on Taiwan's east coast, where the Liwu river has cut vertical walls and the road runs through tunnels cut into them. Trails such as Shakadang and the Swallow Grotto follow the water at gorge level. Earthquakes and typhoons close sections regularly, so current trail status matters more here than anywhere else in Taiwan.

A flat riverside path cut into the marble wall above clear blue water, the gentlest way into the gorge.