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If you have time to do only one memorable thing in Taipei, I suggest you visit the National Palace Museum. And spend as much time there as you can.
However if you have only an hour or so to spare, head for the third floor. There are four exhibits there you must not miss.
The first is this sphere carved from an ivory task. What’s so special about it? Well, not only are the carvings on it very intricate but it actually hides 17 other concentric spheres inside it. Like the ship in a bottle, but more complicated and mysterious.
Then there are the museum’s two most prized possessions – a jade cabbage and a rock carving resembling pork meat. Both are about food. That is so Chinese, right?
Both carvings look so real. It seems the basic look was there in their natural form and the artists were creative enough to make the final products come alive.
The fourth treasure is a small boat carved from a nut. Small like 4cm long but you will be amazed at the intricate work and the artist’s dedication to details. And if that is not enough, there are 300 Chinese characters written at the bottom of the boat.
So how do they do it? These artists must have great eyesight, and very, very steady hands. Some say they can only be the work of demons as they are beyond human ability. I disagree. I think they are the work of superhumans.
I made sure I had lots of time for this visit as there are lots to see. Definitely more than the 2 hours I had during my first visit nearly 20 years ago.
It seems the exhibits on display are only a tiny fraction of the art treasures which Chiang Kai-shek’s people managed to cart away while being pursued by the Red Army. That itself is a feat.
On hindsight, it is a good thing the treasures were taken out of China. I can’t imagine how many of these priceless works of art would survive the madness of the Red Guards and the Cultural Revolution.
I wanted to get the most out of this visit, so I rented an audio guide. There was also a special exhibition on Emperor Qianlong from the Qing Dynasty one of China’s most respected and enlightened rulers. An unexpected bonus.
I enjoyed myself thoroughly as I went from exhibit to exhibit and floor by floor.
I was mesmerised during my first visit. And this second experience left me speechless and breathless as well.
Getting to this museum was easy enough. They have a very efficient public transport here in Taipei. Just like Hong Kong but so much cheaper.
The journey from my hotel to the museum cost me TWD40 (about RM4). It is good thing that my hotel is just next to the MRT station. I had to take the MRT to Shilin which is 6 stops away and the fare is only TWD25 (about RM2.50). From there, I had to board a bus which cost me RM15.
Shilin is also where the night market is. Or rather one of the six or seven night markets in Taipei. It is the biggest and very popular with the tourists.
In many ways, it is like the Ladies Market in Hong Kong. It is spread over a wide area. The shops and stalls are located on many roads. Eventually all roads lead to a building which looks like it may be a former wet market.
A unique feature of the night market here is the presence of game stalls like those found in amusement parks. I am used to seeing pinball machines and stalls where you have to shoot balloons with rifles or pistols but I was pleasantly surprised to see something very Chinese -- mahjong games.
Food is big here, from the big restaurants to their hawker stalls. And you must try them all even though some of them may look strange to you.
I came across a stall selling pig’s blood cake. To my surprise, I enjoyed it. I would have loved it more if I didn’t know it was pig’s blood.
But Taiwan is gadget country and there is no place I rather be. You name it, they have it. Just like Hong Kong. Only cheaper.
However, there is something which I think even the shops in Hong Kong can’t do. And that is change the battery in your iPhone. Unlike Android phones where the battery can be removed, you can’t do that for an iPhone.
I am having problems with my iPhone battery lately, so I stopped by at a phone accessory shop to ask whether it can be replaced. “Sure,” said the owner. “It will only take 15 minutes.”
Guess how much it cost? TWD800 or just RM80.
Everything is possible here. And cheaper, too.