The comprehensive Taipei MRT system and its interconnected bus network offer local travel at its most pleasant and convenient for city visitors. To make your Taipei visit even more rewarding, the city's Dept. of Information and Tourism has created the“Taipei Pass Self-Guided Tour and Preferential Coupon Pamphlet”(臺北觀光護照自由行推薦遊程暨優惠券摺頁), which you can pick up free when you purchase a Taipei Pass. The coupons will bring you great deals on things to eat, drink, do, and buy, and on the trip we set out for you below, a one-day outing with two quite distinctive sections, you can take the fullest advantage of both the pass and the coupon booklet.

Monga Nostalgia Tour

Route: Monga (Zhou's Meat Congee, Bopiliao Historic Block, Longshan Temple) →Ximending (The Red House, Shanghai Laotienlu, Fongda Coffee, Chengdu Starfruit Ice) →Qsquare→PALAIS de CHINE Hotel

If a nostalgia tour of Taipei's historical core is your goal, Monga (艋舺) is indeed your goal.“Monga”is the old Taiwanese name for the Mandarin district name Wanhua (萬華), still used by most Taiwanese speakers. Whether it's old-time architecture or beloved old-time food treats, this is a treasure vault of the pleasures that history still extant brings. History is alive and well here, running like a deep current through the local population's veins, through their old shops, through their old buildings, through their art spaces. West Taipei means old Taipei, and this is where life in this city first took place.

The Flavors of History on a Monga Ramble

Every good day should start with a good breakfast, which Zhou's Meat Congee (周記肉粥) happens to serve up with a tasty side dish of historical roots. From Exit No. 3 of MRT Longshan Temple Station, turn right and head along Guangzhou St. (廣州街) for about five minutes to Zhou's, which was opened way back in 1956. Its signature dish today is still prepared exactly as it was back then, with the savory congee coming with a light broth accompanied by side dishes of fresh, crispy pickled vegetables. You'll see many a Taipei old-timer sauntering in for their familiar and cherished old-style breakfast.

After breakfast, the time has come for a leisurely exploration of Bopiliao Historic Block (剝皮寮歷史街區), located directly across the street. Bopiliao is a rare survivor from Qing Dynasty days, with a complete street section and many well-preserved old buildings intimately linked to the everyday lives of yesteryear's commoners. There are heritage shops from the Qing Dynasty, a hostel from the Japanese colonial era (1895-1945), a public bath, and other gems from times past. A walk through the block is a walk through an urban landscape spread over 200 years; to learn more , please visit the attractive Heritage & Culture Education Center of Taipei (臺北市鄉土教育中心).

Walking back along Guangzhou St. toward the MRT station, you will come across the resplendent, venerable Longshan Temple (龍山寺), a hive of community activities and a priceless storehouse of its history. A wonderful example of intricate temple decoration artistry here is the main deity Guanyin (觀世音菩薩), a Buddhist icon known as the Goddess of Mercy. This is also home to other deities often approached for help, including Guan Gong (關公), the God of War, and Old Man Under the Moon (月下老人), the Chinese Cupid—over 100 gods in total. Take time to closely enjoy the elaborate carvings on walls and columns, at what has been the center of Monga's religious and social life for 200 years.

Old Meets New in the Streetscapes of Ximending

After taking in Longshan Temple's many pleasures, the next historic neighborhood is just one station away on the Taipei Metro. Ximending (西門町) was designed specifically as an entertainment and recreation quarter by the Japanese when they ruled Taiwan and ,as a result, is home to the complex that housed Taiwan's first modern market, which today is called The Red House (西門紅樓). There is a theatre, a tea room, restaurants, and a creative-design market—a heritage complex that has enjoyed a thoroughgoing renaissance.

Leaving The Red House, you almost immediately see the Chengdu Starfruit Ice (成都楊桃冰) outside the MRT Ximending Station's Exit No. 6. In place over 40 years and with a steady flow of loyal customers, the starfruit here is plump and flavor-packed, the juices bring you through memorable rounds of refreshing sour, savory, and sweet then back again.

A few minutes further along Chengdu Rd. (成都路), you arrive at Fongda Coffee (蜂大咖啡). Have a taste of the ice drip coffee here. The place where this method was first used in Taipei was 40 years ago. The many decorations in the shop are rich with the air of nostalgia and is the main reason, beyond the coffee itself, why this is such a popular meeting spot for long-time Taipei residents. A few doors further on is Shanghai Laotienlu (上海老天祿), long a famed drop-in point for folks who've come to Ximending for a day or a night of shopping and movie-watching. What brings them here is great old-time food treats such as duck wings, duck tongue, and dried beancurd, made by others but with flavors here that devotees swear are never quite equaled.

Chic Fashion around Taipei Main Station

As night falls, take the Taipei Metro to MRT Taipei Main Station. Connected to the station by underground corridor is Qsquare (京站時尚廣場), one of the new breed of giant Taipei retail spaces that has quickly emerged as one of the city's most popular consumer R&R destinations. On the B1 level is the“Q Shopping Alley”(Q小路), a space lined with shops that will remind you of Tokyo's Shinjuku district, dedicated to the young consumer with passionate need for the latest mass distribution of fashions, enabling individualized self-expression.

The upscale PALAIS de CHINE Hotel (君品酒店) is an unusual work of architecture, sharing the same building with the Taipei Bus Station (臺北轉運站), designed by acclaimed architect Ray Chen (陳瑞憲), who has also brought Taipei and Taiwan the chic, industry-defining Eslite Bookstore chain. Eastern art and Western aesthetics are combined here in an architectural beauty that features a soaring lobby, simple and elegant walls of fine wood, and everywhere the cultured feel of a palatial European chateau of noble times. The La Rotisserie (雲軒) restaurant on the 6th floor treats you to sumptuous grilled delicacies and the classics of southern France village life. Luxurious rooms and refined dining ensure a brand-new you on departure.

Happy Travels in Zhongshan and Beitou Districts

Route: Taipei Confucius Temple, Dalongdong Baoan Temple→The Grand Hotel→Chiang Kai-shek Shilin Residence→National Palace Museum→Beitou Hot Springs Museum, Plum Garden, Wenquan Rd. Special Shops→Kyoto Spring Hotel

If what you're looking for in a day-outing is time spent exploring both the wonders of Chinese culture and of Mother Nature in equal measure, time spent in the city's north is a splendid choice. The essence of traditional Chinese culture is alive and thriving at the Taipei Confucius Temple (臺北市孔廟) and Dalongdong Baoan Temple (大龍峒保安宮), among the immaculately sculpted floral landscape grounds of the Chiang Kai-shek Shilin Residence (士林官邸), in the priceless national treasures housed in the National Palace Museum (故宮博物院), and in the cultured environment of the Beitou (北投) hot-springs resort district. These places, by no coincidence, are the gems at the center of our suggested culture and history tour.

A Culture and History Pilgrimage to Dalongdong

Morning time is the right time for inspections of Confucius Temple and Baoan Temple, where the new day's light warms you and also bathes the intricate decorative work of these celebrated heritage sites in rich textures perfect for photos. Taipei Confucius Temple is one of the world's most important centers for the preservation and propagation of the Confucian culture, and is also an important repository of ancient Chinese palace-style temple architecture, harboring strong southeast China (Fujianese) elements. Until July 23, you can see performances of the ancient Ya Yue Dance (雅樂舞) as well as calligraphy-experience activities. Adjacent Baoan Temple is renowned for its grandiosity and magnificently colorful decorative details, notably its koji pottery, its lifelike ceramic sculptures and exquisite wood carvings.

Next up is The Grand Hotel (圓山大飯店), not far away and quickly reached by bus, which first opened its doors almost 60 years ago. The hotel stands overlooking the downtown area atop a mountain spur, tall and erect like a half-mountain itself, one of the city's best-known landmarks and an important element in Taiwan's modern history. Soaring 14 stories in the Chinese palace style, it is decorated with almost 200,000 deftly crafted dragon carvings—and thus for good reason given the lovely nickname“The Dragon Palace”(龍宮). It has a number of the city's premier restaurants, with Yuan Yuan (圓苑), specializing in north China snacking delicacies, perhaps best known for its red-bean cakes, which were loved in the old days by First Lady Soong Meiling. The cakes, with a soft and slippery exterior and plump red-date filling, today remain a favorite with gourmet patrons.

A Walk in the Park and a Treasure Vault Tour

After your hotel visit, hop on an MRT train for a quick ride to MRT Shilin Station. From there, enjoy the short walk to the Chiang Kai-shek Shilin Residence. The expansive grounds here are carefully sculpted in Chinese style, with such touches as small arch bridges, gurgling waters, unusually sculpted rocks, and breezy pavilions. These are embellished with large flower gardens in Western style, with all sorts of pretty varieties on proud display. There is a small hill amidst all this that is capped with a comfortable pavilion that gives you fine views all the way to the Danshui River and Shezi Island (社子島), and you can also visit the main building of the residence for a look back into history and into the lives of Generalissimo Chiang and Madame Soong.

Zhongshan N. Rd. (中山北路) runs along one side of the residence's grounds; here you can catch a bus and head northwards directly to Beitou, or take a bus on a little diversion to the east and to the National Palace Museum, home to the world's greatest collection of art treasures and historical relics. The museum experience, and the memories you'll have stored for safekeeping forever after will be priceless. These memories come in physical form as well, in the large and attractive souvenir store, where clever merchandise is designed in the shape of the museum's greatest and most beloved works.

It's "Beitou Ho!" for Hot-Springs, Hot-Springs Cuisine, Fine Architecture

To get to the old hill-embraced section of Beitou, teeming with hot-springs resorts and exuding a strong community feel, either take a bus to Beitou Park (北投公園) or ride the metro to the MRT Xinbeitou Station. In the park beside Zhongshan Rd. (中山路), which is just a minute or two from the station on foot, is the picturesque Beitou Hot Springs Museum (北投溫泉博物館). This was originally a public bathhouse, built during the Japanese period, featuring a pronounced wood theme. The facility is today a national heritage site, with displays explaining the historical development of the Beitou hot-springs culture.

Adjacent is the Japanese-style Plum Garden (梅庭) villa built of wood, a city heritage site and once the summer residence of former Control Yuan president and renowned calligraphy master Yu Youren (于右任). In the courtyard is a pretty fountain and pool, with the grounds clothed in thick foliage and, most notably, age-old trees of great character. Inside are vivid samples of famously bold and vigorous calligraphic art, in the cursive style.

Next, walk uphill along the park's other side, along Wenquan Rd. (溫泉路), passing many small shops on the right each showing off its own rich and interesting style, and you'll come to the Kyoto Spring Hotel (京都溫泉行館). On the left, there is a hot-spring resort with a heavy air of Japanese nostalgia and a history of 30 years. There's no better place to end this day's excursion, surrounded by tranquility and embraced by the soothing mineral waters and fond memories already taking shape.

Taipei Pass

The Taipei Pass is a transportation pass specially created by the city govt. to make the travelers' visits even easier and more convenient—especially valuable for the budget-conscious backpacker.

Sales Locations: Available at all MRT stations.

Validity Periods: one day (NT$180), two days (NT$310), three days (NT$440), five days (NT$700); there is also a one-day Maokong Gondola pass available (NT$250), allowing all regular usage plus unlimited usage of the gondola.

Usage: During the specified validity period, brings unlimited use of the Taipei MRT system and of the public bus system in Taipei City and New Taipei City.

Preferential Coupons:

Purchase of your one day Taipei Pass brings you the gift of a GO Taipei preferential coupon pamphlet (limited quantity) with recommended tour itineraries and deals on dining, shopping, accommodations, travel, etc., for 32 businesses. If you purchase a 2 days (or above) pass, there will be a coupon pamphlet with 100 businesses. The preferential offers are valid until Dec. 31, 2011, so get out there and start saving!

Inquiries: Dial Taipei Citizen Hotline, 1999 (if outside Taipei City, dial (02-2720-8889), ext. 3370