[Article] Taipei…first destination for 2010 Jang Keun Suk Asia Tour

2010 Jang Keun Suk Asia Tour will start on this March 7 at Taipei, Taiwan. For overseas fans who prepare to attend this event, and if this is your first trip to Taipei…let’s get to know more about Taipei

Taipei (台北; literally "Northern Taiwan") is the largest city in Taiwan and has served as the de facto capital (provisional capital) of the Republic of China (commonly known as "Taiwan") since the Chinese Civil War in 1949. It is the political, economic, and cultural center of the country.

Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Danshui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean. Another coastal city, Danshui, is about 20 km northwest at the river's mouth on the Taiwan Strait. It lies in the two relatively narrow valleys of the Keelung (基隆河) and Xindian (新店溪) Rivers, which join to form the Danshui River along the city's western border.

The city proper (Taipei City) is home to an estimated 2,619,920 people (March 2009). Taipei City, Taipei County, and Keelung City together form the Taipei metropolitan area with a population of 6,752,826 (March 2009). However, they are administered under different local government bodies. "Taipei" sometimes refers to the whole metropolitan area, while "Taipei City" refers to the city proper.

Considered to be an alpha world city, Taipei is part of a major industrial area. Railways, high speed rail, highways, airports, and bus lines connect Taipei with all parts of the island. The city is served by Songshan Airport (domestic and cross-strait flights) and Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (international and cross-strait flights).

Taipei was founded in the early 18th century and became an important center for overseas trade in the 19th century. The Japanese acquired Taiwan in 1895 after the First Sino-Japanese War and made Taipei the island's capital. The Republic of China took over the island in 1945 after Japan's defeat in World War II.

Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek declared Taipei the provisional capital of the Republic of China in December 1949 after the Kuomintang (KMT) government was defeated by the Communists who took over most of Mainland China during the Chinese Civil War.



The National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall is located in Taipei City, Taiwan, Republic of China. It is a memorial to the Republic of China 's National Father, Dr.Sun Yat-sen, and was completed on May 16, 1972. As the hall was opened in the very beginning, its main displays were revolutionary events of the national father at the end of the Qing Dynasty. Recently it became a multi-purpose social, educational and cultural center for the Taiwanese public.

The Memorial Hall was affiliated to Taipei City Government originally. In June 1986, it became part of the Ministry of Education, together with Chung-Shan Building in Yangmingshan. Its official name was changed from "the Administrative Bureau of Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall" to "the National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall".

In the early time, the Memorial Hall primarily functioned as a place to display the historical relics of Dr. Sun's life and lead in the revolution. Later, it opens to exhibitions and performances. Now, it has a world-class performance hall, and elegant exhibition center with an area of around 10,000 square feet (1,000 m2). It also has a multi-media theatre with the newest facilities, an audio-visual center, lecture halls, Chung-shan Symposium, a professional library with a collection of over three hundred thousand books, Lake Tswei exhibition and performance area, and Chung-shan park.



The Memorial Hall is committed to the promotion of Dr. Sun's philosophies - universal love, an egalitarian society, and the "goal of life to help the others" and to refresh the people's memory of Dr. Sun and pass on his beliefs. The first director Shih Chun-wen set up a solid foundation for the Memorial Hall.Succeeding directors, Frank C.C. Tong, Wang Ching-po, Kao Chung-yun and Tseng Chiang-yuan let the Memorial Hall come of age. The present director, Chang Jui-pin, has taken it into the stage of prosperity. Now, the Memorial Hall advances towards internationalization, localization, life-time education, and renovation of hardware facilities. The aim is to integrate Dr. Sun's beliefs with more attributes of contemporary Chinese culture.

More than 30 bus routes have stops at or near Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall; the Blue Line of the Taipei Metro also has a station— Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall Station at the north side of the memorial hall. Charter buses are also available during special events. There is also a parking lot at the entrance, and more parking lots can be found in the nearby Shin-Yi district.

บอกเส้นทางนิดนึงค่ะสำหรับซุนยัดเซ็น เมโมเรียล ฮอลล์ เผื่อมีแฟนๆ ชาวไทยไปร่วมงานแฟนมีตวันที่ 7 มี.ค. นี้นะคะ มีรถเมล์วิ่งผ่านเยอะเลยค่ะสำหรับซุนยัดเซ็น เมโมเรียล ฮอล์ รถไฟใต้ดินสายสีน้ำเงินก็มีสถานีที่ชื่อ “สถานีซุนยัดเซ็น เมโมเรียล ฮออล์” ด้วยเช่นกันค่ะ ซึ่งจะอยู่ทางฝั่งเหนือของฮอลล์นะคะ น่าจะเดินทางได้อย่างสะดวกและไม่มีหลงแน่นอนค่ะ (ขอแค่อย่าขึ้นรถผิดสายเป็นพอค่ะ)


Taipei 101 is a 101-floor landmark skyscraper that claimed the title of world’s tallest building when it opened in 2004. Designed by C.Y. Lee & Partners and constructed by KTRT Joint Venture, Taipei 101 recently lost the title of the tallest completed skyscraper in the world, measuring 449 m (1,470 ft) from ground to roof. (The tallest skyscraper is now the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, UAE). Built to withstand typhoon winds and earthquake tremors, the building incorporates many engineering innovations. Taipei 101 also set new records for ascending elevator speed which has also recently been surpassed by Burj Khalifa. The landmark has won numerous international awards for its innovations. A large mall is located at the base of the tower. Its indoor and outdoor observatories draw visitors from all over the world and its New Year's Eve fireworks display is a regular feature of international broadcasts.



This “Love Sign” also stands in front of the building. It’s big enough for a man who 181 cm. tall can stand inside. (Thanks for my special model, Taiwanese Idol, Wu Chun…^^)

Taipei has a humid subtropical climate. The average annual temperature is 23.6 °C (74.5 °F), with a summer average of 29.4 °C (84.9 °F) and a winter average of 11 °C (52 °F). Summers are humid and accompanied by occasional rainstorms and typhoons, while winters are short and mild. Due to Taiwan's location in the Pacific Ocean, it is affected by the Pacific typhoon season, which occurs between June and October. Normally in March, average temperature is around 18 °C. But because of global warming, I heard the weather is still so cold in Taipei. So it's a good idea to prepare thick clothes to make yourself warm.


Hope everyone will have a great time with Jang Keun Suk in Taipei.^^