The Taipei 101 is the 10th tallest skyscraper in the world and you can’t miss it i you visit Taiwan. It set a World Guinness record of having the fastest elevator climb 1,010 meters per minute. That’s 37 seconds from the main floor to the 89th floor!
Walking in the city center, the skyscraper looks huge and amazing in where there are very few tall buildings. There’s plenty to do inside the building including a shopping mall, restaurants, a gallery, and the first mass damper open for public viewing. A mass damper stabilizes skyscrapers against earthquakes and strong winds.
If you need directions you can use this address for the building No. 7, Section 5, Xinyi Road, Xinyi District. The Observatory is open daily from 9am-10pm, with last ticket sale at 9:15pm. Tickets are 600 NT, which is around $20 USD for adults.
Since four in Chinese culture means bad luck, the 44th floor is actually floor 43 after 42a. The building is in very good condition because they started building it in 1999 until December 2004. Today, even Google has an office there but I didn’t see the business areas. However there are plenty of public and shopping areas to visit. I wasn’t even aware of how many stores there are before my visit.
Well enough of the facts. Here’s how you can visit some of the upper floors.
- Buy a ticket for 600NT ($20) to visit the observatory. You will have to wait in line.
- Visit the Starbucks on the 35th floor but you will need to make a reservation one day in advance. I’ve never seen a Starbucks where you need a reservation. They must do it to reduce the amount of tourists making noise there as there are businesses on that floor. If you are late to your reservation time, then you will not be allowed in.
- Go to the Moon Garden cafe. This option usually has no wait and no line. Moon Cafe is on the same floor as Starbucks. To get access you will need to look for the kiosk in the lobby which has a LCD monitor. It is the directory of the building for the public. English is available so select it and type in floor 35. A list will appear with Moon Garden as an option. When you tap Moon Garden, it will call the cafe through the screen so all you have to say is that you want to eat there. One minute later security will let you pass to the elevators.
That’s it! Enjoy the view from the magnificent Taipei 101.