Why I have not come here sooner!?

During a recent trip to Taipei, it was impossible to stop repeatedly posing myself this question. Having lived in Beijing for four years, I strongly regretted waiting so long before finally discovering the charming capital of Taiwan.

After all, the two cities are only a mere three and half hour flight apart. It’s that easy to swap the hazy, bitter Beijing winter for the crystal-clear skies of exotic Taipei.

However, when learning from the Wechat updates of Beijing friends that it had snowed in the northern Chinese city on the very same morning of my visit to Taipei, a little confidence in my sense of timing was regained. After all, exploring the calm, sun-kissed streets of Taipei whilst clad in just shorts and a t-shirt sure does beat trudging through Beijing’s grey, slushy snow to the subway station and then fighting your way through the masses for a space on the train during the city’s notorious rush hour.

And it’s not just the lack of crowds, clean air and warm weather that make Taipei attractive, but the Taiwanese culture that is also very alluring. Very likely due to the city’s miniscule crime rates, the locals are incredibly friendly and approachable. Smiling faces greet you in the streets. It’s very easy to strike up conversations with the city residents – something I discovered when I asked a middle-aged Taiwanese lady if I could stroke her sumptuously-sized pet swine. Without a moment’s hesitation, she beamed and invited me to pat her porcine pal. ( Yes, this did really happen!)

In addition, some tourists may be relieved to learn that the classic pet peeves such as spitting, public displays of nasal-exploration and queue-cutting are pretty much non-existent in Taipei and deeply resented by locals. In fact, the Taipei Airport specifically assigns one of its staff members the duty of ordering offending queue-cutters? back to the end of the line.

Another aspect of Taiwanese culture that may come as a surprise to tourists is that Taipei’s residents are actually not fazed by foreign faces. This is especially astounding given that far more foreigners live in Beijing, yet they may still provoke much intrigue amongst the locals. Hence, its not rare for an expat in China’s capital city to find themselves being stared at, pointed at and being called ‘laowai’ ( a Mandarin term for the old foreigner.)

Shanghai, Seoul, and Singapore – in all honestly, none of these thriving international Asian cities have ever really left a deep impression on me. None truly seemed to boast their own individual identity. Of course, my trips to these destinations were rather brief, and thereby may not have granted the opportunity to gain a more profound appreciation for them, yet it was still a struggle regard these cities as anything more than just another glitzy cosmopolitan metropolis with an Asian twist.

In stark contrast, Taipei really does stand out from the crowd. Whilst one of the city’s most famed icons is, of course, bamboo-inspired Taipei 101 skyscraper, the landscape of the rest of this destination is incredibly unique: soviet-style housing blocks, temples and lush green palm trees – all surrounded by? majestic mountains.

Needless to say, another fantastic aspect of Taiwan is its culinary delights. Foodies should definitely head for Shilin nightmarket. At this buzzing location, one can explore a seemingly infinite row of food stands selling Taiwanese mouth-watering treats including bubble tea and mango shaved ice as well as – rather regrettably – the ever-pungent chou dofu ( stinky tofu).

As my weekend trip came to end, I sullenly headed for the airport with my stomach packed with tasty Taiwanese treats and my lungs full of air so pure. As I bid adieu to Taipei’s turquoise heavens, I found solace in the words of a wise Austrian. In that bittersweet moment, I whispered to myself “I’ll be back.”