Chiufen Town

Chiufen is a mountain town in the Rueifang Township of Taipei County near Keelung, Taiwan. Chiufen was only an isolated village until 1893, when gold was discovered in the area. The resulting gold rush hastened the village's development into a town, and reached its peak during the Japanese rule. Many present features of Chiufen reflect the era under Japanese colonization, with many Japanese inns surviving to this day. During World War II, a POW camp named Kinkaseki was set up in the village, holding Allied soldiers captured in Singapore (including many British) who worked in the nearby gold mines. Gold mining activities declined after World War II, and the mine was shut off in 1971. Chiufen quickly went into decline, and for a while the town was mostly forgotten.

At present, Chiufen is a renowned tourist attraction representative of Taiwan. It draws many tourists from Taipei during the weekends.

I was really lucky to be part of the 1st of April celebrations (according to the lunar calendar). These celbrations give you a fantastic insight into the history and religion of Taiwan. Thanks Peppi for showing me around!

Taipei 101

Taipei 101 is a 101-floor landmark skyscraper located in Taipei, Taiwan. The building, designed by C.Y. Lee & Partners and constructed from May 1995 to March 2005 primarily by the South Korean multinational Samsung Engineering & Construction is one of the world's tallest completed skyscrapers. Taipei 101 received the Emporis Skyscraper Award in 2004. It has been hailed as one of the Seven New Wonders of the World (Newsweek magazine, 2006) and Seven Wonders of Engineering (Discovery Channel, 2005).

The building stands as an icon of Taipei and Taiwan as a whole. Its postmodern style combines tradition and modernity in ways that make it Asian and international both at once. Its safety features enable it to withstand typhoons and earthquakes. A multi-level shopping mall adjoining the tower houses hundreds of fashionable stores, restaurants and clubs. Fireworks launched from Taipei 101 feature prominently in international New Year's Eve broadcasts, and the landmark appears frequently in films, television shows, print publications, anime media, games, and other elements of popular culture.

The name of the tower reflects its location in Taipei's 101 business district and its floor count. The number is pronounced in English simply as One Oh One and in Mandarin by the equivalent.

Taipei 101 was overtaken in height on July 21, 2007 by the Burj Dubai in Dubai, UAE, upon the completion of that building's 141st floor. The title of "world's tallest building" still rests with Taipei 101, though, as international architectural standards define a "building" as a structure capable of being fully occupied. The Burj Dubai is on course to claim the title once its construction is finished.