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Taipei
is the capital of Taiwan, located in the north of the island. To describe it as bustling is a supreme understatement. As the financial and business center and the largest city of Taiwan, home to over 5.5 million people, it is the embodiment of all that modern cosmopolitan life has to offer. At the same time, it is steeped in the full richness of Chinese tradition and culture. Taipei is as much its alleyways and small shopkeepers as it is glass and steel and financial moguls, blended together in a unique combination.
 For some, this density of activity is overwhelming; for others it is a
necessity. The only certainty is that Taipei offers a diversity not found in any other city in the world.
As an amalgam of the best of China's different regional flavors and western metropolitan life, nearly every cuisine is represented in Taipei's restaurants, and the latest in
fashion and electronic gadgetry can be found in its huge new department stores and urban shopping malls. Don't pack your coffee; Starbucks is already here. Don't gorge on American fast food before coming here; McDonalds,
Pizza Hut and Kentucky Fried Chicken established themselves here years ago. Look closely at the label of the latest electronic gadget you own. It was likely
made here. If you can't get it here, it probably hasn't yet been invented. You'll have to be patient, though - they're probably already working on it and it will be available in Taipei first.
 Traditional Chinese artisanship and ingenuity is equally represented in
carved wood, jade, art and pottery found by investigating the many night markets peppering the city. Even a simple teapot or the intricate landscaping of Taipei's parks and abundant recreational venues
embody an esthetic perspective of generations of craftsmen refined over millennia.
On the other hand, Taipei has paid a price for juxtaposing the old with the new. With its seemingly endless supply of jobs and economic opportunity, people from all across Taiwan and many western countries have flocked to Taipei. It has more than its fair share of urban noise and air
pollution. Crossing the wide boulevards in Taipei and any Taiwan city on foot can be a challenging test of dexterity and peripheral vision as taxis, motor scooters and trucks swirl around you. At times, Taipei can make
New York, London, and Sydney seem strangely tame and rural.
Dispel your illusions of Taiwan as part of a struggling third world Asia. The rest of the world must now keep pace with Taiwan, and Taipei is the jewel in its crown.
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