Taipei City Government

“A good year starts in the spring, a good day starts in the morning.” This old aphorism is the inspiration for this issue’s “Good Morning, Taipei” theme. This issue includes articles describing the beauties of the dawn hours, introducing the early morning exercise routines of Taipei residents, and taking you into traditional morning markets by diving into the world of the Taipei folk you’ll be meeting during the stay.
In our Taipei Metamorphosis section we introduce the new changes of the city. It includes the most recent winners of the Taipei Urban Landscape Awards, the Black Forest secret garden in Zhuzihu up on Yangmingshan, the renovated Nanmon-cho 323 in Taipei Botanical Garden, and the whimsical Moon Bus large-scale installation art in Xinyi District. These novel attractions fill the exploration of the city with endless pleasant discoveries. With the newly opened Taipei Metro Songshan Line and Fun Travel in Taipei App, traveling in Taipei is now more convenient than ever.
This issue is released just before the Chinese New Year. In our In-Depth City Culture Explorations section we present the traditional folk art of lion dancing, and the craftsmanship involved in painting the lion’s head. In our Exploring Taipei Tastes & Gifts section we answer the common questions of what to eat and what gifts to buy for Chinese New Year. In the section, it introduces restaurants serving classic military dependents’ village dishes and provides suggestions on nifty New Year-themed gifts for family and friends. For readers interested in learning all about where Taipei folk go about buying all their traditional New Year necessities, spend time in our Taipei Slow Living section. You can take a day-tour near the Taipei Main Station Rear Area where you can load up on all sorts of new gadgets and curios. In light of the upcoming 2015 Taipei International Book Exhibition, we bring you through the doors of many special independent bookstores scattered around the city where book-loving travelers immerse themselves in Taipei’s book-reading culture.
What changes can we see in the city in addition to being selected as the 2016 World Design Capital? Visit our Taipei Designing section, where we’ll tell you how transformer boxes, walls, and bridge piers are being used as street-art canvases. In What’s New in Taipei Arts section, we introduce the Taipei Arts Awards, Taipei in Films exhibition, Angling for Years of Plenty: A Special Exhibition of Paintings with Fish at the National Palace Museum, and other activities that shine a spotlight on this city’s imagination and aesthetic allure.
A friendly “Good morning” conveys Taipei residents’ friendliness. “Congratulations, get rich!” conveys their New Year warmth and joyous spirit. Enjoy Taipei’s vitality and festive flavor this January and February!