The first stop on your Taipei half-day tour is Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, an impressive monument in memory of the late president of the Republic of China, Chang Kai-shek. To reach the hall, you need to climb up 89 steps, which represent Chang Kai-Shek’s age when he died.
On the way to the Grand Hotel Taipei, your tour guide will provide you with a brief introduction when you pass by the Presidential Office Building—a neo-Renaissance building built in 1910s during Japanese colonisation, previously served as the office of the Governor-General of Taiwan. Nowadays, the building operates as the seat of political power in Taiwan. With a long history and an iconic facade, it is also a symbolic landmark in Taipei City.
The next stop of your tour is the Grand Hotel Taipei, a historic hotel built in the 1950s, where the government hosted banquets for many foreign dignitaries who visited Taipei. The hotel features numerous art and opulent decors, including the ornate wall panels, paintings, carvings, etc, providing luxurious accommodation and dining experiences to the guests. Here your tour guide will help you snap a group photo against the majestic building of this extravagant hotel, capturing your bright smiling faces.
After the photo stop, your tour continues with a visit to the Martyrs’ Shrine. The shrine was built in the 1969, dedicated to the fallen soldiers in civil wars and armed conflicts, to honour their brave spirit. Every year on Youth Day and Armed Forces Day, the president of Taiwan leads the civil and military officials to pay floral tribute to the martyrs.
The last stop on your tour is the world-famous National Palace Museum, which is also one of the world’s largest museums. With a collection of nearly 700,000 pieces of ancient Chinese artefacts and artworks, the museum showcases 8,000 years of Chinese art history spanning multiple dynasties. Two of the most famous artworks on display are “the Jadeite Cabbage” and “the Meat-Shaped Stone”, which are the must-sees in National Palace Museum.
At the end of your half-day tour, you can choose to disembark at MRT Zhongxiao Xinsheng Station or Ximending Shopping District.
