Taipei

Taipei is a city that rewards attention to small things: the neighbourhood breakfast stall open at 6 AM with soy milk and you tiao, the lane temple with a single guardian deity and a courtyard where old men play Chinese chess, the mountain that rises directly behind the city, Yangmingshan, with hot spring spas accessible by city bus and hiking trails through subtropical forest.

The night market culture is genuine rather than tourist-facing: Shilin, the most famous, is big and busy, with oyster omelettes, fried chicken cutlets and bubble tea at every turn. Raohe Street Night Market, smaller and less publicised, is preferred by most Taipei residents. The Din Tai Fung dumpling restaurant originated here, the original branch on Xinyi Road has a glass kitchen where you can watch the eighteen folds of each dumpling made by hand.

Jiufen, the former gold-mining town in the mountains north of the city, has become one of Taiwan's most-photographed spots. Its tea houses perch on the hillside above the Pacific, reached through narrow lanes and stairways hung with red lanterns that become impractical at weekends. Go on a weekday. The Beitou hot spring district, around half an hour by MRT from the centre, has sulphur pools in forested valleys, a Japanese-era bathhouse now restored as a museum, and a public open-air pool still used daily.

The National Palace Museum holds one of the greatest collections of Chinese art in the world, much of it brought from the mainland in 1949. The collection is so large that only a fraction is displayed at once. The Jadeite Cabbage and the Meat-shaped Stone are the most famous pieces, but the ceramics, bronzes and paintings reward a longer visit. Arrive at opening time or late in the day to avoid the tour groups.

Taipei 101, once the world's tallest building, has an observation deck with views over the city and the mountains, and its giant tuned mass damper is on display. For a free view of the tower, climb Elephant Mountain in the late afternoon; the short but steep trail takes around twenty minutes and is at its best at sunset.

Temples are central to daily life. Longshan Temple, founded in the eighteenth century, is busy from early morning with worshippers burning incense and consulting fortune sticks. Dalongdong Baoan Temple, restored with great care, is one of the finest examples of temple craftsmanship on the island. Dihua Street, the city's oldest street, is lined with shops selling dried goods, herbs and fabric in restored shophouses.

The food goes well beyond the night markets. Beef noodle soup is often called the city's signature dish. Breakfast shops serve soy milk, egg crepes and rice rolls. Tea culture is serious, with oolong from the mountains around the city, and tea houses in Maokong, reached by gondola, overlook the valley.

The best times to visit are from October to December and March to May. Summer is hot and humid, with typhoons possible from July to September, and winter is mild but often damp. The Lantern Festival, at the end of the Lunar New Year celebrations, brings lantern displays across the city, and sky lanterns are released at Pingxi, in the hills to the east.

Taoyuan International Airport is around forty minutes from the centre by express train. The MRT is clean and efficient, and a prepaid transport card covers the metro, buses and even convenience store purchases. Four days covers the city and nearby day trips, and you could add Taroko Gorge, Sun Moon Lake or the tea mountains of Alishan for a longer journey around Taiwan.