台北101 – Up on Taipei 101

12/04/2025 星期四，Thursday, the 33rd day of our Down Under to Eastern Delight trip

上午的天空终于露出一点蓝意，我们便决定前往台北地标，台北 101 大楼。从酒店搭地铁约三十几分钟便能抵达。台北 101大厦于2004 年完工，曾多年保持世界第一高楼。它以竹节般的造型向上层层堆叠，被视为象征坚韧与成长的设计，同时结合了东方意象与现代工程技术。站在它脚下，总有一种城市脊梁般的震撼。

The morning sky finally revealed a hint of blue, so we decided to head to one of Taipei’s landmarks, Taipei 101.

It took about thirty minutes by metro from our hotel. Completed in 2004, Taipei 101 held the title of the world’s tallest building for many years. Its bamboo-segment design stacks upward layer by layer, symbolizing resilience and growth, blending Eastern imagery with modern engineering. Standing at its base, it feels like gazing up at the backbone of the city.

进入观景台后，人潮果然不少，但电梯上升的速度快得惊人，35秒便从5层冲上89层。从 观景台俯瞰，台北在眼前展开：棋盘般的街道、远处的群山、薄薄的云雾从城市边缘滑过。天气虽不算完全晴朗，但视野依旧很开阔，整座城市尽收眼底。

The crowd for buying tickets – 600NT each ($19.00) was less than expected, and the elevator shot upward at an astonishing speed—rising from the 5th to the 89th floor in just 35 seconds. From the observatory, Taipei unfolded before us: grid-like streets, distant mountains, and a thin veil of mist gliding along the city’s edge. The weather wasn’t perfectly clear, but the view was still expansive, with the entire city spread out beneath us.

The most fascinating feature inside Taipei 101 is the massive 660-ton tuned mass damper. It was designed and installed during the tower’s construction to counteract swaying during strong winds or earthquakes, and it’s said to be the only damper system in the world that’s publicly displayed. It feels like the beating heart of Taipei 101, allowing this super-tall building to stand firm through typhoon seasons and seismic tremors.

离开台北101，我们散步到附近的国父纪念馆。纪念馆建于 1972 年，是为纪念孙中山先生而建，典雅端庄、带着传统宫殿式的气势。但现场正在维修，因此人烟稀少。宽阔的广场显得有些安静甚至落寞。

Leaving Taipei 101, we walked over to the nearby Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall. Completed in 1972, it was built to honor Dr. Sun Yat-sen, with an elegant and dignified design that carries the grandeur of a traditional palace. However, the site was under maintenance, so there were very few people around. The wide plaza felt quiet, even a little desolate.

傍晚，我们把今天的行程留给了宁夏夜市。作为台北最受欢迎的小吃夜市之一，这里从黄昏开始便烟火四起、香味四散。我们一口气尝了几个必吃的招牌，每一样都带着浓浓的台湾味。最让我惊喜的是第一次吃到的地瓜球。圆滚滚的外表咬下去竟然是空心的，外层酥脆、内里又带着弹性，甜香简单却完全停不下来。这种看起来普通但意外好吃的小吃，大概就是夜市最迷人的地方。

In the evening, we saved the rest of the day for Ningxia Night Market. As one of Taipei’s most popular food markets, it comes alive at dusk with smoke, sizzling sounds, and aromas drifting through the air (especially stinky tofu). We tried several of the must-eat classics in one go, each carrying that unmistakable Taiwanese flavor.

The biggest surprise for me was the sweet potato balls I tried for the first time. They look like simple golden spheres, but a bite reveals a hollow interior—crispy on the outside, springy within, lightly sweet and absolutely addictive. Snacks that seem ordinary yet turn out unexpectedly delicious are probably what make night markets so irresistible.

去宁夏夜市的路上，我们顺道去看了一眼 PJG 以前出差常住的晶华酒店。酒店已经布置起浓浓的圣诞氛围。- On the way to Ningxia Night Market, we stopped by the Regent Taipei, the hotel where PJG used to stay often on business trips. It was already filled with a many Christmas decorations.

卤肉饭和鸡肉饭外表朴实，看起来简单，却隐藏着浓郁的汤汁，两碗饭90台币 – The braised pork rice and chicken rice looked plain and simple on the surface, yet they hid a rich, flavorful gravy. The two bowls cost 90 NTD ($2.87).

炭烤黑胡椒香肠，一份120台币，有黑胡椒肠和糯米肠 – Charcoal-grilled black pepper sausage, 120 NTD ($3.83) for a serving, which includes both black pepper sausage and glutinous rice sausage.

地瓜球，一份50台币 – Air filled Sweet potato balls, 50 NTD ($1.60) per serving.

顿排骨汤和干面，一共150台币 – Pork rib soup and dry noodles, 150 NTD ($4.79) in total.

芋头麻薯沙冰，一份85台币，绵密冰沙入口凉甜，软糯的麻薯又Q又弹，口感很有层次，简单好吃。随后我又买了一份烧麻薯。- Taro mochi shaved ice, 85 NTD ($2.71) . The finely blended ice was cool and sweet, and the soft mochi was warm, chewy and springy, giving the whole dessert a nice layered texture—simple and delicious. After that, I bought a serving of grilled mochi as well!

带着满足的肚子和一点夜市的油烟味，我们结束了这一天的旅程。

With full stomachs and a faint hint of night-market smoke clinging to us, we wrapped up the day’s journey.

The bear was causing trouble at the Taipei 101 … 小熊在台北101又闹腾起来了…