The Hindu Business Line : Made-in-Taiwan thrills

As tourist destinations go, Taipei, which has been rated a Gamma World City, isn't exactly jostling for space on every travel buff's itinerary. But the rewards of making it to this far-eastern destination are many, and the prospect of picking up a host of quality electronic goodies — from pen-drives to LCD televisions sets — at half the going rate back home, is only one of the several delights of wandering through its streets.

In the city itself, there is little architectural evidence to suggest that you are in the capital city of the Republic of China, better known to most as Taiwan. Skyscrapers and modern high-rises line the eight-lane streets of downtown Taipei, and the Chinese influence is restricted to the odd building. The scooter — not the motorcycle — is the popular mode of transport; a loophole in the law that lets the scooter off the hook whenever it is involved in a mishap with another vehicle has further contributed to its swelling numbers.

The global flavour of the city though, turns out to be a trifle deceptive. The official language is Mandarin, all the signs are incomprehensible and very few of the locals can speak even rudimentary English. Pantomiming, then, emerges the principal mode of communication. Allow me to emphasise, though, that the high-on-gesticulation communication efforts don't really hurt where it matters: in the business of shopping. Every shop-owner comprehends the `how much?' gesture, and thrusts a calculator with the relevant figure under your nose. You can bargain a bit, and type in your offer, and the palaver can continue until a mutually agreeable price is arrived at. Makes for an experience that is both engaging and entertaining.

If Taipei by day is a bustling business centre, by night it is transformed into a glittering paradise. The only other place that I can recall that had so much razzle-dazzle and so many twinkling lights is Las Vegas. And no better place to soak in the neon-lit razzmatazz than the 89th floor of Taipei 101, the reigning holder of the `World's Tallest Building' title.

Currently the only building in the world to break the half-kilometre mark in height, it has, as the name suggests, 101 floors above the ground and five floors underground. At 509 meters tall, it has eight segments that are covered with green-tinted glass panels decorated with traditional Chinese `Ru-Yi' symbols.

When you are referring to an architectural masterpiece that is described as `one of the most technologically advanced skyscraper constructed to date', some superlatives are to be expected. For one, it houses the world's two fastest double-decker elevators which can move at a top speed of 63 km/hour and reach the 89th floor, where the main observatory lies, in under 39 seconds.

The building also has the world's largest tuned mass wind damper that weighs 660 tonnes and is suspended from the 92nd floor to the 87th floor. It is held in place by 16 industrial strength steel ropes and stabilises the tower against earthquakes, typhoons, and strong winds. The damper can reduce up to 40 per cent of the tower's movements.

Engineering marvels apart, the tower has a shopping mall and restaurants on the first five floors. At the enclosed observatory on the 89th floor, visitors must pay 350 New Taiwanese Dollar to enter, and are handed an audio device that provides a commentary on the views from the various stations. Those more adventurous can shell out another 100 bucks to visit the open viewing deck on the 91st floor. But the wind speed at that elevation is something to take serious note of.

Taipei's `night markets' are another of its attractions. The suggestive name notwithstanding, the place is pretty innocuous, mainly offering shopping and local cuisine. I picked up a multi-coloured ceramic dragon for 400 bucks; you can shop for lingerie, shoes and the like, though I found little else that was appealing. As for the local food, be warned that it is far from the Chinese grub back home, and you would need a strong stomach to take in the smells and sights alone. Experimenting with it — glazed ducks heads looked to be the most popular — is strictly for the truly adventurous.

Given Taiwan's reputation as a manufacturing centre par excellence for electronic goods, no trip can be complete without a visit to the electronic market. There are amazing bargains in laptops, LCD monitors, television sets, play stations, cameras and much more. That alone can make your trip a productive venture. The rest is a bonus.