Taipei 101
台北101 / 臺北101
Record height
Tallest in the world from 2004 to 2010[I]
Preceded by	Petronas Towers
Surpassed by	Burj Khalifa
General information
Type	Mixed use: communication, conference, fitness center, library, observation, office, restaurant, retail
Location	Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan
Coordinates	25°2′1″N 121°33′54″E / 25.03361°N 121.565°E / 25.03361; 121.565Coordinates: 25°2′1″N 121°33′54″E / 25.03361°N 121.565°E / 25.03361; 121.565
Construction started	1999[1]
Completed	2004[1]
Opening	December 31, 2004
Cost	NT$ 58 billion (US$ 1.80 billion)[2]
Height
Architectural	508 m (1,666.7 ft)[1]
Roof	449.2 m (1,473.8 ft)
Top floor	438 m (1,437.0 ft)[1]
Observatory	391.8 m (1,285.4 ft)[1]
Technical details
Floor count	101 (+5 basement floors)[1]
Floor area	193,400 m2 (2,081,700 sq ft)[1]
Elevators	61 Toshiba/KONE elevators, including double-deck shuttles and 2 high speed observatory elevators)
Design and construction
Owner	Taipei Financial Center Corporation[1]
Management	Urban Retail Properties Co.
Main contractor	Samsung C&T [3]
Architect	C.Y. Lee & partners[1]
Structural engineer	Thornton Tomasetti[1]
Website
taipei-101.com.tw
References
[1][4]

Taipei 101 (Chinese: 台北101 / 臺北101), formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center, is a landmark skyscraper located in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan. The building ranked officially as the world's tallest from 2004 until the opening of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010. In July 2011, the building was awarded LEED Platinum certification, the highest award in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system and became the tallest and largest green building in the world.^[5] Taipei 101 was designed by C.Y. Lee & partners and constructed primarily by Samsung C&T and KTRT Joint Venture. The tower has served as an icon of modern Taiwan ever since its opening, and received the 2004 Emporis Skyscraper Award.^[6] Fireworks launched from Taipei 101 feature prominently in international New Year's Eve broadcasts and the structure appears frequently in travel literature and international media.

Taipei 101 comprises 101 floors above ground and 5 floors underground. The building was architecturally created as a symbol of the evolution of technology and Asian tradition (see Symbolism). Its postmodernist approach to style incorporates traditional design elements and gives them modern treatments. The tower is designed to withstand typhoons and earthquakes. A multi-level shopping mall adjoining the tower houses hundreds of fashionable stores, restaurants and clubs.

Taipei 101 is owned by the Taipei Financial Center Corporation (TFCC) and managed by the International division of Urban Retail Properties Corporation based in Chicago. The name originally planned for the building, Taipei World Financial Center, until 2003, was derived from the name of the owner. The original name in Chinese was literally, Taipei International Financial Center (Chinese: 臺北國際金融中心).

Features[link]

Height[link]

The Taipei 101 tower has 101 stories above ground and five underground. Upon its completion Taipei 101 claimed the official records for:^[4]

• Ground to highest architectural structure (spire): 508 metres (1,667 ft)^[1]. Previously held by the Petronas Towers 451.9 m (1,483 ft).
• Ground to roof: 449.2 m (1,474 ft). Formerly held by the Willis Tower 442 m (1,450 ft).
• Ground to highest occupied floor: 438 m (1,437 ft). Formerly held by the Willis Tower 412.4 m (1,353 ft).
• Fastest ascending elevator speed: designed to be 1010 meters per minute, which is 16.83 m/s (55.22 ft/s) (60.6 km/h, 37.7 mi/h).
• Largest countdown clock: Displayed on New Year's Eve.
• Tallest sundial. (See 'Symbolism' below.)

Taipei 101 is the first building in the world to break the half-kilometer mark in height.^[4] The record it claimed for greatest height from ground to pinnacle now rests with the Burj Khalifa in Dubai (UAE): 828 m (2,717 ft). Taipei 101's records for roof height and highest occupied floor briefly passed to the Shanghai World Financial Center in 2009, which in turn yielded these records as well to the Burj.

Taipei 101 displaced the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, as the tallest building in the world by 56.1 m (184 ft).^[7] It also displaced the 85-story, 347.5 m (1,140 ft) Tuntex Sky Tower in Kaohsiung as the tallest building in Taiwan and the 51-story, 244.2 m (801 ft) Shin Kong Life Tower as the tallest building in Taipei.^[8]

Various sources, including the building's owners, give the height of Taipei 101 as 508.0 m (1,667 ft), roof height and top floor height as 448.0 m (1,470 ft) and 438.0 m (1,437 ft). This lower figure is derived by measuring from the top of a 1.2 m (4 ft) platform at the base. CTBUH standards, though, include the height of the platform in calculating the overall height, as it represents part of the man-made structure and is above the level of the surrounding pavement.^[9][10]

Structural design[link]

The main tuned mass damper atop Taipei 101

Location of Taipei 101's largest tuned mass damper.

Taipei 101 is designed to withstand the typhoon winds and earthquake tremors common in its area of the Asia-Pacific. Planners aimed for a structure that could withstand gale winds of 60 m/s (197 ft/s, 216 km/h, 134 mph) and the strongest earthquakes likely to occur in a 2,500 year cycle.^[11]

Skyscrapers must be flexible in strong winds yet remain rigid enough to prevent large sideways movement (lateral drift). Flexibility prevents structural damage while resistance ensures comfort for the occupants and protection of glass, curtain walls and other features. Most designs achieve the necessary strength by enlarging critical structural elements such as bracing. The extraordinary height of Taipei 101 combined with the demands of its environment called for additional innovations. The design achieves both strength and flexibility for the tower through the use of high-performance steel construction. Thirty-six columns support Taipei 101, including eight "mega-columns" packed with 10,000 psi (69 MPa) concrete.^[12] Every eight floors, outrigger trusses connect the columns in the building's core to those on the exterior.

These features combine with the solidity of its foundation to make Taipei 101 one of the most stable buildings ever constructed. The foundation is reinforced by 380 piles driven 80 m (262 ft) into the ground, extending as far as 30 m (98 ft) into the bedrock. Each pile is 1.5 m (5 ft) in diameter and can bear a load of 1,000–1,320 tonnes (1,100–1,460 short tons).^[12] The stability of the design became evident during construction when, on March 31, 2002, a 6.8-magnitude earthquake rocked Taipei. The tremor was strong enough to topple two construction cranes from the 56th floor, then the highest. Five people died in the accident, but an inspection showed no structural damage to the building, and construction soon resumed.

Thornton-Tomasetti Engineers along with Evergreen Consulting Engineering designed a 660 tonnes (728 short tons)^[13] steel pendulum that serves as a tuned mass damper, at a cost of NT$132 million (US$4 million).^[14] Suspended from the 92nd to the 87th floor, the pendulum sways to offset movements in the building caused by strong gusts. Its sphere, the largest damper sphere in the world, consists of 41 circular steel plates, each with a height of 125 mm (4.92 in) being welded together to form a 5.5 m (18 ft) diameter sphere.^[15] Another two tuned mass dampers, each weighing 6 tonnes (7 short tons),^[14] sit at the tip of the spire. These prevent damage to the structure due to strong wind loads.

Structural facade[link]

Taipei 101's characteristic blue-green glass curtain walls are double paned and glazed, offer heat and UV protection sufficient to block external heat by 50 percent, and can sustain impacts of 7 tonnes (8 short tons).^[11] The facade system of glass and aluminum panels installed into an inclined moment-resisting lattices contributes to overall lateral rigidity by tying back to the mega-columns with one-story high trusses and at every eighth floor. This facade system is therefore able to withstand up to 95mm of seismic lateral displacements without damage.^[16]

The original corners of the façade was tested at RWDI in Guelph, Ontario, Canada and revealed an alarming vortex that formed during a 3s 105 mph wind at a height of 10 meters (a 100-year-storm) simulation. This was equivalent to the lateral tower sway rate causing large crosswind oscillations. A double champfered step design was found to dramatically reduce this crosswind oscillation resulting in Taipei 101’s unique “double stairstep” corner façade. Architect C.Y. Lee also used extensive façade elements to represent the symbolic identity he pursued. These façade elements included the green tinted glass for the indigenous slender bamboo look, eight upper outwards inclined tiers of pagoda each with eight floors, A Ruyi and a money box symbol between the two façade sections among others.^[17]

Taipei 101's own roof and façade recycled water system meets 20–30 percent of the building's water needs. These features culminated in Taipei 101 obtaining the honour of "the world's tallest green building" by LEED standards in July 2011.^[18]

Symbolism[link]

Shadow of Taipei 101 tower in the late afternoon. The adjoining park (circular feature, bottom) acts as the face of a sundial.

Taipei 101 participates in the symbolism of a world center where earth and sky meet and the four compass directions join.^{[citation needed]}

The height of 101 floors commemorates the renewal of time: the new century that arrived as the tower was built (100+1) and all the new years that follow (January 1 = 1-01). It symbolizes high ideals by going one better on 100, a traditional number of perfection. The number also evokes the binary numeral system used in digital technology.^[12]

The main tower features a series of eight segments of eight floors each. In Chinese-speaking cultures the number eight is associated with abundance, prosperity and good fortune. In cultures that observe a seven-day week the number eight symbolizes a renewal of time (7+1). In cultures where seven is the lucky number, 8 represents 1 better than 'lucky seven'. In digital technology the number eight is associated with the byte, being 8 bits. A bit is the basic (minimal) unit of information.

The repeated segments simultaneously recall the rhythms of an Asian pagoda (a tower linking earth and sky, also evoked in the Petronas Towers), a stalk of bamboo (an icon of learning and growth), and a stack of ancient Chinese ingots or money boxes (a symbol of abundance). The four discs mounted on each face of the building where the pedestal meets the tower represent coins. The emblem placed over entrances shows three gold coins of ancient design with central holes shaped to imply the Arabic numerals 1-0-1.^[12]

Ruyi figure over a Taipei 101 entrance

Curled ruyi figures appear throughout the structure as a design motif. The ruyi is an ancient symbol associated with heavenly clouds. It connotes healing, protection and fulfillment. It appears in celebrations of the attainment of new career heights.^[19] Each ruyi ornament on the exterior of the Taipei 101 tower stands at least 8 m (26 ft) tall. The sweeping curved roof of the adjoining mall culminates in a colossal ruyi that shades pedestrians. Though the shape of each ruyi at Taipei 101 is traditional, its metallic interpretation is plainly modern.

At night the bright yellow gleam from its pinnacle casts Taipei 101 in the role of a candle or torch upholding the ideals of liberty and welcome. From 6:00 to 10:00 each evening^[20] the tower's lights display one of seven colours in the spectrum. The colours coincide with the days of the week:

The cycle through the spectrum connects the tower with the rich symbolism of rainbows as bridges linking earth to sky and earth's peoples to one another.

Millennium Park adjoins Taipei 101 on the east and connects the landmark further with the symbolism of time. The design of the circular park allows it to double as the face of a sundial. The tower itself casts the shadow to indicate afternoon hours for the building's occupants. The park's design is echoed in a clock that stands at its entrance. The clock runs on energy drawn from the building's wind shear.

Feng shui fountain outside Taipei 101

Taipei 101, like many of its neighbours, shows the influence of feng shui philosophy. An example appears in the form of a large granite fountain at the intersection of Songlian Road and Xinyi Road near the tower's east entrance.^[21] A ball at the fountain's top spins toward the tower. As a work of public art, the fountain offers a contrast to the tower in texture even as its design echoes the tower's rhythms. Yet the fountain also serves a practical function in feng shui philosophy. A T intersection near the entrance of a building represents a potential drain of positive energy, or ch'i, from a structure and its occupants. Flowing water placed at such spots remedy the situation by generating a positive inward flow of ch'i. The fountain applies a traditional solution to a traditional challenge yet its design remains modern.

Taipei 101 merges ancient motifs and ideas with modern techniques and materials. As a landmark it renews the symbolism of all tall towers as cosmic centers. Its interplaying symbols speak of optimism, abundance, and the ever-renewing cycles of time.

Interior[link]

Taipei 101 Mall

Taipei 101 is the first record-setting skyscraper to be constructed in the 21st century. Appropriately it exhibits a number of technologically advanced features as it provides a center for business and recreation.

The original 2004 fiber-optic and satellite Internet connections permitted transfer speeds up to a gigabyte per second.

The double-deck elevators built by the Japanese Toshiba Elevator and Building Systems Corporation (TELC) set a new record in 2004 with top ascending speeds of 16.83 m (55.22 ft) per second (60.6 km/h, 37.7 mi/h). This speed is 34.7 percent faster than the previous record holders of the Yokohama Landmark Tower elevator, Yokohama, Japan, which reaches speeds of 12.5 m (41 ft) per second (45.0 km/h, 28.0 mi/h). Taipei 101's elevators sweep visitors from the fifth floor to the 89th-floor observatory in only 37 seconds.^[22] Each elevator features an aerodynamic body, full pressurization, state-of-the art emergency braking systems, and the world's first triple-stage anti-overshooting system. The cost for each elevator is NT$80 million (US$2.4 million).^{[23][24][25][26]}

A 660-metric-ton (728 short ton) tuned mass damper stabilizes the tower against movements caused by high winds. The damper can reduce up to 40% of the tower's movements (see "Construction").

The observatories are located in the 91st and 89th floors. (See "Observatories" below.)

Two restaurants have opened on the 85th floor: Diamond Tony's, which offers European-style seafood and steak, and Shin Yeh 101 (欣葉), which offers Taiwanese-style cuisine. Occupying all of the 86th floor is Taiwanese restaurant Ding Xian 101.^[27]

The multi-story retail mall adjoining the tower is home to hundreds of fashionable stores, restaurants, clubs and other attractions. The mall's interior is modern in design even as it makes use of traditional elements. The curled ruyi symbol is a recurring motif inside the mall. Many features of the interior also observe feng shui traditions.

Observatories[link]

Taipei 101 features an Indoor Observatory (89th floor) and an Outdoor Observatory (91st floor).^[28] Both offer 360-degree views and attract visitors from around the world.

The Indoor Observatory stands 383.4 m (1,258 ft) above ground, offering a comfortable environment, large windows with UV protection, recorded voice tours in eight languages, and informative displays and special exhibits. Here one may view the skyscraper's main damper, which is the world's largest and heaviest visible damper, and buy food, drinks and gift items.

Two more flights of stairs take visitors up to the Outdoor Observatory. The Outdoor Observatory, at 391.8 m (1,285 ft)^[1] above ground, is the second-highest observation deck ever provided in a skyscraper and the highest such platform in Taiwan.

The Indoor Observatory is open twelve hours a day (10:00 am–10:00 pm) throughout the week as well as on special occasions; the Outdoor Observatory is open during the same hours as weather permits. Tickets may be purchased on site in the shopping mall (5th floor) or in advance through the Observatory's web site.^[29] Tickets cost NT$400 (US$13) and allow access to the 88th through 91st floors via high-speed elevator.^[30]

Art[link]

Art work outside the mall at night

Many works of art appear in and around Taipei 101. These include:^[12]

• Rebecca Horn (Germany). Dialogue between Yin and Yang. 2002. Steel, iron.
• Robert Indiana (USA). Love and 1-0. 2002. Aluminum.
• Ariel Moscovici (France). Between Earth and Sky. 2002. Rose de la claret granite.
• Chung Pu (Taiwan). Global Circle. 2002. Black granite, white marble.
• Jill Watson (Britain). City Composition. 2002. Bronze.

The Indoor Observatory hosts a regular series of exhibitions. The artists represented have included Wu Ching (gold sculpture), Ping-huang Chang (traditional painting) and Po-lin Chi (aerial photography).^[31]

Tenants[link]

A number of enterprises maintain offices in Taipei 101. A few that have been featured in public announcements^[31] include these:

• ABN AMRO Bank, 1/F
• Anthony's Group Holding Company Ltd, 37/F
• Bayer Taiwan, 53/F – 54/F
• The Boston Consulting Group, 61/F
• Cosmos Bank, 5th Floor
• DBS Bank Ltd, 28/F, Unit B
• Emirates Advocates Taiwan (Emirates Trade Commission), 37/F
• The Executive Centre, 37/F
• Fulland Securities Consultant Company Ltd (a Hantec Group subsidiary), 24/F
• GoldBank of Taiwan
• Google Taiwan, 73/F
• HVB Bank
• ING Antai
• ING SITE (affiliate of Internationale Nederlanden Groep N.V., or ING), 30/F
• ING SCE (affiliate of Internationale Nederlanden Groep N.V., or ING)
• Jones Lang LaSalle, 20/F
• KPMG, 68/F
• L'Oréal Taiwan, 22/F - 23/F ^[32]
• McKinsey & Company Taiwan, 47/F
• BNP PARIBAS Securities Taiwan Company Ltd, 71/F - 72/F
• Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP, 37/F
• PeopleSearch Taiwan, 24/F, Unit F
• People's King Taiwan Taipei 101
• SABIC Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, 52/F, Unit E
• Bel Air Motors Ltd, 39/F
• Beldare Motors Ltd, 39/F
• Liberty Motors Ltd, 39/F
• Swire Group Taiwan, 39/F
• China Steel Corporation, 28/F, Unit A
• Taikoo Commercial Vehicles Ltd, 39/F
• Taikoo Motorcycle Ltd, 39/F
• Starbucks Coffee, 1/F
• BBVA Group, 46/F, Unit A
• Taiwan Ratings Corporation, 49/F
• Talent2 Zapper, 75/F, Room B
• Perkins Coie, 45/F, Suite F
• Taiwan Stock Exchange Corporation (TSEC)
• Winterthur Life Taiwan, 51/F

Restaurants in the tower include Ding Xian 101, Diamond Tony's and Shin Yeh 101 (欣葉).^[27] Hundreds of international dining establishments and retail outlets also operate in the adjoining mall.

History[link]

Construction[link]

Taipei 101's Millennium Park (seen from the Indoor Observatory, noon)

Taipei 101 near the end of construction during 2003, showing the concrete tower at the top still incomplete. The height of the building was still 449 meters by the time.

Planning for Taipei 101 began in 1997 during Chen Shui-bian's term as Taipei mayor. Talks between merchants and city government officials initially centered on a proposal for a 66-story tower to serve as an anchor for new development in Taipei's 101 business district. Planners were considering taking the new structure to a more ambitious height only after an expat suggested it, along with many of the other features used in the design of the building. It wasn't until the summer of 2001 that the city granted a license for the construction of a 101-story tower on the site. In the meantime, construction proceeded and the first tower column was erected in the summer of 2000.

A major earthquake took place in Taiwan during March 31, 2002 destroying a construction crane at the roof top, which was at floor number 47. The crane fell down onto the Sinyi Road beneath the tower, crushing several vehicles and causing five deaths – two crane operators and three workers who were not properly harnessed. However, an inspection showed no structural damage to the building, and construction work was able to restart within a week.

Taipei 101's roof was completed three years later on July 1, 2003. Ma Ying-jeou, in his first term as Taipei mayor, fastened a golden bolt to signify the achievement.

The formal opening of the tower took place on New Year's Eve 2004. President Chen Shui-bian, Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou and Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng cut the ribbon. Open-air concerts featured a number of popular performers, including singers A-Mei and Sun Yan Zi. Visitors rode the elevators to the Observatory for the first time. A few hours later the first fireworks show at Taipei 101 heralded the arrival of a new year.^{[citation needed]}

Chronology[link]

Important dates in the planning and construction of Taipei 101 include the following:^[12]

Events[link]

Taipei 101 is the site of innumerable special events. Art exhibits, as noted above, regularly take place in the Observatory. A few noteworthy dates since the tower's opening include these.

• December 25, 2004 – French rock and urban climber Alain Robert makes an authorized climb to the top of the pinnacle in four hours.^[33]
• February 28, 2005 – Former President of the United States Bill Clinton visits and signs copies of his autobiography.^[31]
• April 19, 2005 – Tower displays the formula E=mc² in lights to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the publication of Einstein's theory of relativity. The display, the largest of 65,000 such displays in 47 countries, is part of the international celebration Physics Enlightens the World.^[31]
• November 20, 2005 – First annual Taipei 101 Run Up features a race up the 2,046 steps from floors 1 to 91. Proceeds benefit Taiwan's Olympic teams. Men's race is won by Paul Crake of Australia (10 minutes, 29 seconds) and women's race by Andrea Mayr of Austria (12 minutes, 38 seconds).^[31]
• October 20, 2006 – Tower displays a pink ribbon in lights to promote breast cancer awareness. The ten-day campaign is sponsored by Taipei 101's ownership and Estée Lauder.^[31]
• December 12, 2007 – Austrian base jumper Felix Baumgartner survives an unauthorized parachute jump from Taipei 101's 91st floor.^[34]
• June 15, 2008 – Taipei 101 Run Up features 2,500 participants. Men's race is won by Thomas Dold of Germany (10 minutes, 53 seconds); 2007 champion Marco De Gasperi of Italy finishes second and Chen Fu-tsai of Taiwan finishes third. Women's race is won by Lee Hsiao-yu of Taiwan (14 minutes, 53 seconds).^[35][36]

New Year's Eve fireworks displays[link]

2008 New Year fireworks at Taipei 101

For the first three years (2004–2006), the annual fireworks show at Taipei 101 was preceded by the sequential display of numerals in lights on each section to count down the last eight seconds to midnight. Since 2007 the building has been completely darkened, then fireworks begin to launch sequentially from the lower to upper sections.

• 2003–2004: Building still under construction. Spinning lights on the Outdoor Observatory (floor 91) provided a display of sound and lights, but no fireworks were launched.
• 2004–2005: Grand opening of Taipei 101 celebrated with the first fireworks display. The show lasted 35 seconds. Rockets were launched from section balconies. Festivities included all-day performances by popular entertainers and ceremonial visits by national dignitaries.
• 2005–2006: Show extended to 128 seconds. Sony sponsored the show, which concluded with a display of the brand name in lights.
• 2006–2007: Show extended to 188 seconds; 9,000 rockets were launched. This was Sony's last time sponsoring the event because the Burj Dubai overtook 101's height.
• 2007–2008: Show same length but featuring 12,000 rockets. Civic and private sponsors ended the show with a display, in lights, of a heart over the word 'Taiwan.'
• 2008–2009: A conspicuously more modest show than those which preceded it. The theme was "Love Taiwan With Your Heart In 2009". The show ended with the four sides of the building displaying lights in four colours (red, blue, green and yellow) to represent happiness, vision, sustainability and passion.
• 2009–2010: The display regained some of the dazzle of 2005–2008 shows but remained more brief in duration. The theme was "Taiwan Up."
• 2010–2011: Show extended to 288 seconds, and designed by Cai Guo-Qiang, the artist also responsible for Beijing Olympics and World Expo Shanghai's fireworks. The theme was "100 ROC" (100th anniversary of the Republic of China) which extended on the "Love Taiwan" theme. The display on the building was accompanied by fireworks going off the buildings in the financial district. One concept was for fireworks to spiral up and down the building as a dragon, but technical difficulties caused some disappointment with what was anticipated. It also took 30 seconds for the host to realize the fireworks were over.
• 2011-2012: The show was shortened to 202 seconds and was considered to be more conservative than that of the previous year, but featuring the largest number of rockets launched to date, totalling at 30,000. The theme coincided with the 101st anniversary of the ROC.

Developments[link]

The Taipei Financial Center Corporation (TFCC) announced plans on 2009 November 2 to make Taipei 101 "the world's tallest green building" by summer of 2011 as measured by LEED standards. The structure is already designed to be energy-efficient, with double-pane windows blocking external heat by 50% and recycled water meeting 20–30% of the building's needs. (LEED) certification would entail inspections and upgrades in wiring, water and lighting equipment at a cost of NT$60 million (US$1.8 million). Estimates show the savings resulting from the modifications would pay for the cost of making them within three years.^[18] The company applied for a platinum-degree certification with LEED in early 2011.^[37] On July 28, 2011, Taipei 101 received LEED Platinum Certification under "Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance".^[38] Although the project cost NT$60 million (US$2.08 million), it is expected to save US$1.2 million in energy costs each year.^[38] In 2012, the shopping center at the base is expected to be remodeled.^[39]

Gallery[link]

See also[link]

This article contains Chinese text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Chinese characters.

Taiwan portal

• List of buildings taller than 400 metres
• List of buildings with 100 floors or more
• List of tallest buildings and structures in the world
• List of tallest freestanding structures in the world

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Taipei 101

• Taipei 101 Official Website
• Taipei 101 Official Website – Observatory
• Taipei 101 Official Website – Mall
• Taipei 101 on CTBUH Skyscraper Center
• YouTube – Taipei 101 New Year Fireworks 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
• National Geographic Channel – Richard Hammond examines Taipei 101
• Taipei 101 at Structurae
• Consulting services by RWDI (wind engineering and emergency ventilation) and Motioneering (tuned mass damper)
• Megastructure Supports Taipei’s 508-Meter ‘Megatower’ by Engineering News-Record, a weekly magazine by McGraw-Hill Construction of McGraw-Hill
• LEED Official Site
• C. Y. Lee Architects Office Official Website

Taipei 臺北
—  Special municipality  —
Taipei City · 臺北市
Flag Seal
Nickname(s): The City of Azaleas
Satellite image of Taipei City
Coordinates: 25°02′N 121°38′E / 25.033°N 121.633°E / 25.033; 121.633Coordinates: 25°02′N 121°38′E / 25.033°N 121.633°E / 25.033; 121.633
Country	Republic of China (Taiwan)
Region	Northern Taiwan
Settled	1709
City seat	Xinyi District
District-divisions	12 districts
Government
• Type	Taipei City Government
• Mayor	Hau Lung-pin (KMT)
Area
• Special municipality	271.7997 km2 (104.9425 sq mi)
• Water	2.7 km2 (1.0 sq mi)  1.0%
Population (December 2010)
• Special municipality	2,618,772
• Density	9,600/km2 (25,000/sq mi)
• Metro	6,900,273
	Population Ranked 4 of 22
Time zone	CST (UTC+8)
Postal code	100–116
Area code(s)	(0)2
Districts	12
Bird	Formosan Blue Magpie (Urocissa caerulea)
Flower	Azalea (Rhododendron nudiflorum)
Tree	Banyan (India laurel fig, Ficus microcarpa)
Website	taipei.gov.tw (English)
The metropolitan area (or tri-cities) of Taipei includes Taipei, New Taipei, and Keelung.

Taipei City (/ˌtaɪˈpeɪ/; [tʰǎipèi]; Chinese: 臺北市 or 台北市; pinyin: Táiběi Shì) is the capital of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Situated at the northern tip of the island of Taiwan, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River; it is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, a port city on the Pacific Ocean. 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 Tamsui River along the city's western border.^[1] The city proper (Taipei City) is home to an estimated 2,618,772 people.^[2] Taipei, New Taipei, and Keelung together form the Taipei metropolitan area with a population of 6,900,273.^[3] However, they are administered under different local governing bodies. "Taipei" sometimes refers to the whole metropolitan area, while "Taipei City" refers to the city proper. Taipei City proper is surrounded on all sides by New Taipei.

Taipei is the political, economic, and cultural center of Taiwan. The National Palace Museum which has one of the largest collections of Chinese artifacts and artworks in the world is located in Taipei. Considered to be a global city,^[4] 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 two airports – Taipei Songshan and Taiwan Taoyuan.

Taipei was founded in the early 18th century and became an important center for overseas trade in the 19th century. The Qing Dynasty in China made Taipei the provincial capital of Taiwan in 1886.^[5] When the Japanese acquired Taiwan in 1895 after the First Sino-Japanese War, they retained Taipei as the capital of the island, and also advanced an extensive urban planning in Taipei.^[6] The Republic of China took over the island in 1945 following Japanese surrender. After losing Mainland China to the Chinese Communist Party in the Chinese Civil War, the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) resettled the ROC government to Taiwan and declared Taipei the provisional capital of the Republic of China in December 1949.^[7][8]

Culture[link]

The National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall is a famous monument, landmark and tourist attraction in the Zhongzheng District of Taipei.

Tourism[link]

Memorial halls and museums[link]

The National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall is a famous monument, landmark and tourist attractions that was erected in memory of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, former President of the Republic of China.^[9] The structure stands at the east end of Memorial Hall Square, site of the National Concert Hall and National Theater and their adjacent parks as well as the memorial. The landmarks of Liberty Square stand within sight of Taiwan's Presidential Building in Taipei's Zhongzheng District.

The National Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall is a memorial to one of the most recognizable founding fathers of the Republic of China, Sun Yat-sen, and was completed on May 16, 1972.^[10] From the opening of the hall, majority of the exhibits displayed were revolutionary events of the national founding fathers at the end of the Qing Dynasty. However, recently its function moved toward a multi-purpose social, educational and cultural center for the Taiwanese public.

The National Palace Museum houses over 600,000 ancient Chinese artifacts.

The National Palace Museum is an art gallery and museum built around a permanent collection centered on ancient Chinese artifacts. It should not be confused with the Palace Museum in Beijing (which it is named after); both institutions trace their origins to the same institution. The collections were divided in the 1940s as a result of the Chinese Civil War.^[11][12] The National Palace Museum in Taipei now boasts a truly international collection while housing one of the world's largest collections of artifacts from ancient China.^[12]

The Taipei Fine Arts Museum was established in 1983. Located in a purpose-built building inspired by Japanese metabolism, is was the first museum in Taiwan dedicated to modern art. The artworks in the museum are mostly done by Taiwanese artists. There are more than 3,000 artworks in the museum. Most of them are done after 1940 by Taiwanese artist, and are organized into 13 groups. In 2001, the first museum dedicated to contemporary art opened as MoCA Taipei or Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei (台北當代藝術館), located in the old building of the Taipei City government.^[13]

The National Taiwan Museum is the oldest museum in Taiwan. It was established as the Taiwan Governor Museum by the colonial government of Japan on October 24, 1908 to commemorate the inauguration of the North-South Railway during the Japanese rule in Taiwan.^[14] The museum had a collection of over 10,000 items in its initial stages. In 1915, the new building of the museum in Taipei 228 Peace Memorial Park (formerly known as New Park) was inaugurated and became one of the major public buildings during Japanese rule. Since 1999, it has been renamed to the "National Taiwan Museum".^[14]

Taipei 101 fireworks during the 2008 New Year's Celebrations

Taipei 101[link]

Taipei 101 is a 101-floor landmark skyscraper that claimed the title of world's tallest building when it opened in 2004. Taipei 101 is now the world's second tallest building. Designed by C.Y. Lee & Partners and constructed by KTRT Joint Venture and measuring 449 m (1,473 ft) from ground to roof, Taipei 101 lost the title of the tallest completed skyscraper in the world on January 4 2010. (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.

Performing arts[link]

The National Theater and Concert Hall stand at Taipei's Liberty Square and host a events by foreign and domestic performers. Other leading concert venues include Zhongshan Hall at Ximen and the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall near Taipei 101.

A new cultural landmark, the Taipei Performing Arts Center, is slated to open in 2013.^[15] The venue will stand near the Shilin Night Market and will house three theaters for events with multi-week runs. The architectural design was determined in 2009 in an international competition.^[16] The same design process is also in place for a new Taipei Center for Popular Music and Taipei City Museum.^[17]

Shopping and recreation[link]

Taipei is known for its many night markets, the most famous of which is the Shilin Night Market in the Shilin District. The surrounding streets by Shilin Night Market are extremely crowded during the evening, usually opening late afternoon and operating well past midnight. Most night markets feature individual stalls selling a mixture of food, clothing, and consumer goods.

The busy streets of Ximending at night

Ximending has been a famous area for shopping and entertainment since the 1930s. Historic structures include a concert hall, a historic cinema, and the Red House Theater. Modern structures house karaoke businesses, art film cinemas, wide-release movie cinemas, electronic stores, and a wide variety of restaurants and fashion clothing stores.^[18] The pedestrian area is especially popular with teens and has been called the "Harajuku" of Taipei.^[19]

The newly developed Xinyi District is popular with tourists and locals alike for its many entertainment and shopping venues, as well as being the home of Taipei 101, a prime tourist attraction famous for being one of the world's tallest buildings. Malls in the area include the sprawling Shin Kong Mitsukoshi complex, Taipei 101 mall, Eslite Bookstore's flagship store (which includes a boutique mall), The Living Mall, New York New York shopping mall, and the Vieshow Cinemas (formerly known as Warner Village). The Xinyi district also serves as the center of Taipei's active nightlife, with several popular nightclubs concentrated in a relatively small area around the Neo19 and Taipei 101 buildings.

The thriving shopping area around Taipei Main Station includes the Taipei Underground Market and the original Shin Kong Mitsukoshi department store at Shin Kong Life Tower. Other popular shopping destinations include the Zhongshan Metro Mall, Dihua Street, the Guang Hua Digital Plaza, and the Core Pacific City. The Miramar Entertainment Park is known for its large ferris wheel and IMAX theater.

Taipei maintains an extensive system of parks, green spaces, and nature preserves. Parks and forestry areas of note in and around the city include Yangmingshan National Park, Taipei Zoo and Da-an Forest Park. Yangmingshan National Park (located 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) north of the central city) is famous for its cherry blossoms, hot springs, and sulfur deposits. It is the home of famous writer Lin Yutang, the summer residence of Chiang Kai-shek, residences of foreign diplomats, the Chinese Culture University, the meeting place of the now defunct National Assembly of the Republic of China, and the Kuomintang Party Archives. The Taipei Zoo was founded in 1914 and covers an area of 165 hectares for animal sanctuary.

Bitan is known for boating and water sports. Tamsui is a popular sea-side resort town. Ocean beaches are accessible in several directions from Taipei.

Temples[link]

Built in 1738, Longshan Temple is one of the oldest temples in the city.

Taipei is rich in beautiful, ornate temples housing Buddhist, Taoist, and Chinese folk religion deities. The Longshan Temple, built in 1738 and located in the Wanhua District, demonstrates an example of architecture with southern Chinese influences commonly seen on older buildings in Taiwan.

Xinsheng South Road is known as the "Road to Heaven" due to its high concentration of temples, shrines, churches, and mosques.^[20][21] Other famous temples include Baoan Temple located in historic Dalongdong, a national historical site, and Xiahai City God Temple, located in the old Dadaocheng community, constructed with architecture similar to temples in southern Fujian.^[22] The Taipei Confucius Temple traces its history back to 1879 during the Qing Dynasty and also incorporates southern Fujian-style architecture.^[23]

Besides large temples, small outdoor shrines to local deities are very common and can be spotted on road sides, parks, and neighborhoods. Many homes and businesses may also set up small shrines of candles, figurines, and offerings. Some restaurants, for example, may set up a small shrine to the Kitchen god for success in a restaurant business.^[24]

Festivals and events[link]

Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall during the annual Lantern Festival.

Many yearly festivals are held in Taipei, including the Taipei Lantern Festival when thousands of sky lanterns are released in Pingxi.^[25] Common locations for festival celebrations include Memorial Square, Taipei 101, and the Zhongshan Hall in Ximending. On Double Ten Day, celebrations are held in front of the Presidential Building.

Other annual festivals include Tomb-Sweeping Day, the Dragon Boat Festival, the Ghost Festival, and the Mid-Autumn Festival.^[25] In recent years some festivals traditionally held in Taipei, such as the Double Ten Day fireworks and concerts, have increasingly been hosted by other cities in Taiwan.

One other huge celebration in Taipei is the one on New Year Eve. Every year, thousands of people will gather in front of the Taipei City Hall to celebrate the beginning of a new year. Every time, there will be many famous singers who perform on the stage that is set up for the New Year Celebration. The performance usually starts out around eight o’clock and continues until midnight. Artists and dancers will perform throughout the night and it is just like a concert. Then, thirty minutes before midnight, the Taipei governor and some Taipei politicians will come up the stage and count down with the people. Then, when the clock reaches midnight, there will be firework at Taipei 101 and every year since, the firework has last longer than the year before.

From November 6, 2010 to April 25, 2011, Taipei held the garden festival named Taipei International Flora Exposition. It will be the first such internationally recognized exposition to take place in Taiwan, and the seventh of its kind to take place in Asia. Flora Exposition visitors hit new 1-day high admissions on February 27, 2011 with 110,000 people showing.

Taipei in film[link]

Romanization[link]

The spelling "Taipei" derives from the Wade-Giles romanization T'ai-pei.^[26] Under the official New Phonetic System (also known as Hanyu Pinyin) romanization system, which is used to romanize all street signage in Taipei, and the formerly official Tongyong Pinyin system,^[27][28] the city's name is romanized as Táiběi. However, the familiarity of the longstanding "Taipei" spelling led government authorities to retain it as one of several exceptions to the general standard.

Geography[link]

The city of Taipei, as seen from Maokong.

Tracks of all Pacific typhoons between 1980 and 2005.

Taipei City is located in the Taipei Basin in northern Taiwan.^[29] It is bordered by the Xindian River on the south and the Tamsui River on the west. The generally low-lying terrain of the central areas on the western side of the municipality slopes upward to the south and east and especially to the north,^[1] where it reaches 1,120 metres (3,675 ft) at Cising Mountain (七星山), the highest (extinct) volcano in Taiwan in Yangmingshan National Park. The northern districts of Shilin and Beitou extend north of the Keelung River and are bordered by Yangmingshan National Park. The Taipei city limits cover an area ranked sixteenth of twenty-five among all counties and cities in Taiwan.

Two peaks, Cising Mountain and Mt. Datun, rise to the northeast of the city.^[30] Cising Mountain is located on the Tatun Volcano Group and the tallest mountain at the rim of the Taipei Basin, with its main peak at 1,120 metres (3,670 ft). Mt. Datun's main peak is 1,092 metres (3,583 ft). These former volcanoes make up the western section of Yangmingshan National Park, extending from Mt. Datun northward to Mt. Caigongkeng (菜公坑山). Located on a broad saddle between two mountains, the area also contains the marshy Datun Pond.

To the southeast of the city lie the Songshan Hills and the Qingshui Ravine, which form a barrier of lush woods.^[30]

Climate[link]

Taipei has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) which is slightly short of a true tropical climate. Summers are very hot, humid, and accompanied by occasional heavy rainstorms and typhoons, while winters are short, mild and generally very foggy due to the northeasterly winds from the vast Siberian High being intensified by the pooling of this cooler air in the Taipei Basin. Due to Taiwan's location in the Pacific Ocean, it is affected by the Pacific typhoon season, which occurs between June and October.

Air quality[link]

Motor vehicle engine exhaust, particularly from motor scooters, is a source of air pollution in Taipei. The levels of fine particulate matter, including PAHs, are consistently more serious in the mornings as there is less air movement; sunlight helps clear up some pollutants, which tend to be trapped close to the ground.^[32] When compared to other Asian cities, however, Taipei has "excellent" capabilities for managing air quality in the city.^[33] Occasionally, dust storms from Mainland China can temporarily bring poor air quality to the city.^[34]

Administrative divisions[link]

Taipei City is divided up into 12 administrative districts (區 qu).^[35] Each district is further divided up into villages (里), which are further sub-divided up into neighborhoods (鄰).

	District			Population	Area	Postal code
	Hanyu Pinyin	漢字	Wade-Giles	as of 2009	km²
	■ Běitóu	北投區	Pei-t'ou	249,319	56.8216	112
	■ Shìlín	士林區	Shih-lin	285,459	62.3682	111
	■ Dàtóng	大同區	Ta-t'ung	124,466	5.6815	103
	■ Zhōngshān	中山區	Chung-shan	218,551	13.6821	104
	■ Sōngshān	松山區	Sung-shan	209,903	9.2878	105
	■ Nèihú	內湖區	Nei-hu	267,120	31.5787	114
	■ Wànhuá	萬華區	Wan-hua	190,050	8.8522	108
	■ Zhōngzhèng	中正區	Chung-cheng	159,464	7.6071	100
	■ Dà'ān	大安區	Ta-an	313,371	11.3614	106
	■ Xìnyì	信義區	Hsin-yi	227,232	11.2077	110
	■ Nángǎng	南港區	Nan-kang	113,462	21.8424	115
	■ Wénshān	文山區	Wen-shan	261,523	31.5090	116