When we were flying from Jakarta to New York with Eva Air on May 2013, we were forced to transit overnight in Taipei.  The only connecting flight to New York would be available on the next evening.  We warmly welcomed the delay, since it gave us an opportunity to visit Taipei 101, the tallest building in the world from 2004 until the completion of Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010.  Not to mention that hotel and food were provided by the airline.

The Taipei 101 tower comprises 101 floors above ground and 5 floors underground. It was not only the first building in the world to break the half-kilometer mark in height, but also formerly the world’s tallest building from March 2004 to 10 March 2010.

This building dominates the city of Taipei.  Almost from every corner of the city you can see the top of the tower

From a distance, the tower is pleasant to the eye and up close we can see the beauty of its architectural details.

Entering the building we come face to face with a five floors Taipei 101 Mall

Alfred and I had lunch at Panorama Observatory Restaurant on the 85th floor.  The food was excellent and the view was spectacular.

For a big city, Taipei is considered a quite city.  It is a friendly city for pedestrians with wide sidewalks everywhere.  we can walk leisurely or ride a rented bike that can be found easily.

After lunch we went to Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall.

These two  bronze statues below can be found in the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall courtyard