Flagship fashion - Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants

Tantalizing Taipei
More than 400,000 Hong
Kong residents visited Taipei
last year, according to city
officials. While many are
business travellers, increasing numbers are
interested in exploring the city’s historical, culinary
and cultural treasures.
In Hong Kong, there has been a renaissance
of interest in Taipei – and Taiwan in general. Last
year, the John Woo historical epic Seediq Bale
ignited interest in Taiwan’s aboriginal culture.
While Taiwan’s rugged natural beauty and
historic temple cities such as Tainan have long
56 May 2012
Business travel
The island's capital is a popular destination but
visitors can find hidden gems. Institute member
Honnus Cheung, CFO of Travelzoo Asia Pacific,
wanders its streets
been on the tourist trail,
there has been less of an interest
in Taipei, long considered an
unexciting commercial capital.
However, city authorities have worked
hard over the past two decades to create a
more vibrant and diverse metropolis. The arts
scene has become much more interesting of
late, with institutions such as the Museum of
Contemporary Art offering provocative, cutting-edge
exhibitions.
The Taipei Fine Arts Museum – not to be
confused with the National Taiwan Museum
of Fine Arts in Taichung – has
presented exhibitions by dissident
mainland artist Ai Weiwei as well as
its popular displays of Western masters
such as Paul Gauguin and Claude Monet.
The pinnacle of visual artistic expression
remains, of course, the National Palace Museum,
representing 5,000 years of Chinese
cultural artefacts. Insanely busy to the point
where some treasures such as the 19th century
Jadeite Cabbage may be glimpsed for only
seconds, the museum remains a must-see.
Another popular destination is the Taipei
PHOTO: AFP