Note: A little out of order here as Danny was only able to get his blog post on his visit to Taipei 101 (day 7 – the free day) while we were in Puli (day 8). No matter! Some of the pictures that Danny took while at the popular tourist destination are quite stunning. Enjoy!
On our free day on April 14, Dash, Henry, Finn, and I visited Taipei 101. We took the Taipei MRT to reach there, which took around 20 minutes from our previous location, a bouldering gym near ShuangLian station. All we had to do was follow the Red Line and after nine stops, we arrived!
We got concession tickets to the 88~91 floor for 540NTD by showing our student IDs. The other tickets included a normal pass(88~91) for 600NTD, a pass to the 101st floor for 980NTD, and a Skyline pass for 3000NTD. Surprisingly, the line for the tickets was not that long, as it only took 5~10 minutes.
Taking the elevator to the top of the tower was also an interesting experience, as Taipei 101’s elevator holds the title for the third fastest elevator in the world, at a top speed of 1010 meters per hour(37.7 miles per hour) when going up. It took us 36 seconds to get to the 89th floor, which is absolutely incredible.
The view from the top was amazing, as we were able to see the entire city under our eyes. We could see the Taipei Main Station, the National Taiwan University, and the Taipei Dome from the 91st floor. We enjoyed the view while drinking beverages from some coupons that we got when purchasing the tickets.
Taipei 101 also has its own special features: the Taipei 101 Damper and the Damper Babies. The Damper in Taipei 101 is a massive steel ball of 41 thick layers, weighing a total of 660 metric tons. The Damper is a key part of the skyscraper’s support, as it holds the building down from potential threats of collapse such as the earthquake that hit Taiwan on April 3. The Damper Babies are the mascots of Taipei 101, based on the Damper’s layered design and round parts that symbolize peace, luck, and well-being.
Visiting Taipei 101 was definitely a great way to spend my time on the free day; my only regrets would be that we didn’t have enough money to spend on the Skyline.
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