A Week in Taiwan - Day 4
On Thursday we ventured into the heart of Taipei to visit some of Wenjings Artwork on display and to take a ride to Taipei 101
- Currently the worlds largest tower (from ground to roof and from ground to its highest occupied area). The view was impressive, but much the same as looking down from large towers in every capital city in the world. Interestingly though the building is cleverly designed to be earthquake proof as Taipei itself lies on a fault line. Knowing this I’m astounded that so many major cities are located similarly. Auckland, New Zealand is (I think) resting on two fault lines and Tokyo on 9I think) three - Bill Bryson dubs Tokyo as: ‘The City waiting to die’.
I read more recently that Taipei 101 may actually be responsible for the conduction of the earthquakes themselves. The building itself boasts the world’s fastest elevator, shooting vertically at about 60 km p/h. Built in 2003 and opened less than 12 months ago the interior is extremely modern, comprising of shops, offices, cafes and - what looks like an entertainment platform too.
Sue explained to us that gardening is a very popular pastime in Taipei. In Thailand getting ones hands dirty is not a sign of affluence whereas here, hosting herb and vegetable gardens seems extravagantly popular. From the viewing areas we could see partitioned allotments all over the city of varying natural colors. Sue took great delight yesterday in showing me how a security guard at a local car park has allocated himself enough area within it to grow herbs. As commercial as Taipei looks, the citizens have done a great job providing clean streets, ample parklands and greenery and an efficient and large metro system. I can see why Sue is so happy to be living there.
