TAIPEI 101: On Top of the Tallest Building in Taiwan :)

Taipei 101 observatory is a touristy stop and a showcase of Taiwanese excellence.

I usually don’t get enticed by the promise of a 360-degree view of the city, because the experience is a bit passive and there’s no cultural or entertainment value. But sometimes I surrender to the urge of checking out tourist places to see when I’m in a place for the first time. 

I would like to share with you our experience for you to decide to go or not to go to Taipei 101 observatory…

Flavors of Taiwan Series (2012):

• DIN TAI FUNG Experience @ Taipei 101!
• TAIPEI 101: On Top of the Tallest Building in Taiwan 🙂
• TIAN WAI TIAN Hot Pot – The BEST Hot Pot I’ve Ever Tasted
• The Making of Tea (Nantau, Taiwan)
• CHATIME: What We Can Learn from the Market Leader in International Bubble Tea Industry
• Taiwan’s SHILIN MARKET: #1 Shopping Attraction in Taiwan!
• SHILIN MARKET Taiwan: Xiao Tze (Small Eats) Food Trip Guide
• XIMENDING Market (popularly known as the Harajuku of Taipei) 🙂

The Taipei 101 building, completed in 2004, has 101 stories and is 508 meters or 1,667 ft high.

In 2010, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai (828 meters or 2,717 ft in height with 162 stories) grabbed the distinction of being the tallest man-made structure in the world from Taipei 101.

To get to the observatory, you head towards the fourth floor of the Taipei 101 Mall where you pass by high-end stores of the most expensive fashion brands in the world.

You take the elevator up to one more floor to arrive at the Taipei 101 observatory.

Take note of the cost and operating hours:

Admission Fee:
Adult – NT$450
Children – NT$400 under 12 years old
Child under 115cm is complimentary (should be accompanied by adult)
Group Ticket – NT$400 (for 20 persons or more)
Note: Should be made by 17:00h the previous day and no same day sale for Group ticket.

Operating Hours:
9am to 10pm daily
Last ticketing & entry: 9.15pm
Operating hours during holidays are subject to change.

The lines are quite long, even on a typical weekday, since there are a lot of tourist groups that visit the place.

You have to remember your ticket number, which they call during the appointed time for you to line up and enter.

I was excited to ride the Guinness World Record 2004 holder of the world’s fastest passenger elevator with a high-speed pressurized elevator with a speed of 1,010 meters per minute.

As the elevator door closes, darkness embraces you, revealing the display of stars and comets on the ceiling.

It was so fast that it only took 37 seconds to arrive at the 89th floor Indoor Observatory. Not much time to really enjoy the ride and feel the change in elevation.

You are welcomed by the Damper Baby mascot to the 89th floor Indoor Observatory.

You can go around and appreciate the view of the entire city with appropriate labels and names of the buildings and structures.

I love how the green mountains seem to embrace the valley city of Taipei.

You can explore on your own and get a free multimedia guide to listen to.

 

It’s wonderful to see the various structural designs and how the buildings are adequately spaced apart.

Once you get bored in the indoor observatory, you can go to the 91F outdoor observatory using the stairs.

The 91st floor is not usually open; it depends on the wind and weather conditions.

It’s great to smell and feel the cold fresh air, and it’s less suffocating than viewing the city from the indoor observatory.

There’s no climbing, no throwing substances, no running, no smoking, no jumping and leaning against the post in the outdoor observatory.

All you can do is look at the long-range telescope for a closer view of the buildings.

You can also get a nearer look at the spire at its highest point of 508 meters.

After spending 10-15 minutes there, you can go back via the stairs to the 88th floor to exit.

Before leaving, you can see the World’s Largest Wind Damper, which provides stability to the building amidst strong winds and harsh weather.

The Tuned Mass Damper (TMD) is a specially designed passive damper that reduces wind movement in high-rises, with a diameter of 5.5 meters and weighing 660 metric tons. (Source: Taipei 101 website)

Check out the Wind Damper in action during the Krosa Typhoon in October 6, 2007.

 
They created a cute mascot inspired by the wind damper called the Damper Baby with the following profile:

Name: Damper Baby
Birth Date: October 1, 2004
Horoscope: Libra
Blood Type: O type
Birth Place: Taipei 101
Height: 550 cm
Weight: 660 metric tons
Favorite Extracurricular: Swing
Favorite Weather: Typhoon and earthquake
Mission: To protect Taipei 101 

The Damper Baby has its own story and even has its own comic strip. 🙂

We could learn a thing or two from the Taiwanese in terms of tourist marketing (i.e. even such simple things like a wind damper get promoted).

As you make your way out, you are entertained by an interactive hallway where the clouds clear as you step on them to reveal a satellite top view of the city.

Before you finally exit, you’ll pass through the Treasure Sky showroom — the World’s Highest Jewelry Arts Boutique showcasing the art pieces made from Taiwan’s coral gemstones, blue chalcedony, jade and other gemstones.

 
This is the World’s Tallest Gemstone Coral with 141cm height and 131cm width.

The Gemstone Coral tree comes from 200 metres below the Pacific Ocean, North-East of Taiwan. As Gemstone Corals take 10 years to grow 1cm, this gigantic Gemstone Coral tree becomes one of the most precious treasures of Taiwan.

Sky is the Limit. 

The Eagle demonstrates the exquisite craftsmanship of Taiwan’s Coral Gemstone Artist. Each feature is individually carved, then collaborated to form the structure of the eagle. The collection of materials, in addition to the precision involved in the making of this masterpiece, took 28 months for this artwork to be completed.

You can have a souvenir photo taken for NT$400 or NT$600 for two.

I’m not a fan of photoshopped pictures because it becomes too dated and can be done by anybody.

To enter the high-speed elevator on the 88F, you have to box out Chinese tourists bumping you and trying to cut ahead of the line.

The best time to go to Taipei 101 Observatory is in the late afternoon, just before the sun sets.

It took us about an hour to explore the entire observatory from the time we entered to the time we stepped out of the elevator.

To be honest, I don’t think you’ll miss a lot if you decide not to visit Taipei 101.

This is just one of those Taipei tourist stops that are nice to check off your list and give you bragging rights that you have been on top of the tallest building in Taipei.

Taipei 101 Observatory
89Floor, No.7, Hsin Yi Rd Sec. 5, Taipei 110 
Ticket Booth & Entrance are located at the 5th floor of the Taipei 101 Shopping Mall
Telephone: +886 – 2 -8101-8899  
Website: Taipei-101.com.tw

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Flavors of Taiwan Series (2012):

• DIN TAI FUNG Experience @ Taipei 101!
• TAIPEI 101: On Top of the Tallest Building in Taiwan 🙂
• TIAN WAI TIAN Hot Pot – The BEST Hot Pot I’ve Ever Tasted
• The Making of Tea (Nantau, Taiwan)
• CHATIME: What We Can Learn from the Market Leader in International Bubble Tea Industry
• Taiwan’s SHILIN MARKET: #1 Shopping Attraction in Taiwan!
• SHILIN MARKET Taiwan: Xiao Tze (Small Eats) Food Trip Guide
• XIMENDING Market (popularly known as the Harajuku of Taipei) 🙂

Please note the following:

• Taipei 101 Observatory is a non-smoking area.
• Betel Nuts and chewing gums are not permitted.
• Do not bring food, pets, banned substances or dangerous items.

Live an Awesome Life,

 
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Full Disclosure: Nothing to disclose. Our entrance fees were courtesy of Chatime Philippines. We are not connected with the establishment or any organization marketing Taipei 101.

P.S. Have lunch at Din Tai Fung at the basement of Taipei 101 🙂