Taipei

Cradled in a green river basin ringed by volcanic mountains in northern Taiwan, Taipei combines effortless modern order with deep traditional warmth. Within twenty minutes on the spotless Taipei Metro, you can move from the 508-metre bamboo-tiered spire of Taipei 101 and the forested steps of Xiangshan (Elephant Mountain) to the dragon-carved stone pillars of 1738 Longshan Temple and the Qing-era dried-herb shophouses of Dihua Street.

After dark, the city's social life shifts outdoors to its world-famous night markets at Raohe Street, Ningxia and Shilin, where multi-generational family stalls turn out clay-oven pepper buns, braised beef noodle soup and delicate xiaolongbao soup dumplings. Start with what to know before you go and top experiences.

Most international flights land at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE), connected directly to Taipei Main Station in 35 minutes by the purple Taoyuan Airport MRT Express train, while regional flights from Tokyo Haneda, Seoul Gimpo and Shanghai land right inside the city at Songshan Airport (TSA). Load an EasyCard on arrival to ride the MRT, buses and YouBikes across the basin. See how to get to Taipei.

Staying near Taipei Main Station, Zhongshan or Ximending puts airport trains, high-speed rail and historic west-side sights within easy reach; leafy Da'an and Dongmen (Yongkang Street) offer Taipei's best daytime cafe and dumpling scene; and Xinyi places you beside Taipei 101 and upscale shopping malls. Compare six districts in where to stay in Taipei.

See the giant golden tuned mass damper inside Taipei 101 and climb Xiangshan for sunset, cross monumental Liberty Square to Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, inspect imperial treasures at the National Palace Museum, visit Longshan Temple, Dihua Street and Beitou's steaming Thermal Valley, and feast at Raohe and Ningxia night markets. Browse the full list in things to do in Taipei.

Taipei is a round-the-clock paradise for eaters: start with warm soy milk (doujiang) and crispy flaky flatbread (shaobing youtiao), queue for eighteen-pleat xiaolongbao and rich red-braised beef noodle soup (niuroumian), graze through night-market lanes, and finish with mango shaved ice or brown-sugar bubble milk tea. Read what to eat in Taipei.

Taiwanese temple life blends Buddhist, Taoist and folk deities under the same ornate curved roofs: at Longshan or Bao'an Temple you will see students, office workers and grandparents casting red crescent-shaped wooden divination blocks (jiaobei) and lighting incense sticks alongside neighbourhood herbal lanes and independent late-night bookshops.