Airport, taxi, hotel, taxi, business meetings, taxi..... leaving for the airport going home..... Do you recognize yourself?

What can you do to treat yourself to some small excursion when traveling? Perhaps you can take a walk from the office or exhibition hall to explore a little bit of the city. Make sure you have the business card to the hotel with you, then you don't need to worry; there are always taxis available in Taipei which are safe and clean.

Around the World Trade Center Exhibition Hall, Xinyi area, are many local restaurants, shops, a night market and big shopping malls with food courts. The latter will be overcrowded during the fairs, so why not spare yourself from queuing and frustrations and look around in the neighborhood?

All the places mentioned here are within less than one hour from the WTC.

Maokong Gondola, Xinguang Rd. Sec. 2, Wenshan District, open 9am - 9pm Tuesday – Thursday, weekend and holiday open 8am - 10pm. There is a nice place to visit a tea plantation and/or one of the local tea houses that Taiwan is well-known for.

Huashan Cultural Park at BaDe Rd. Sec 1, #1 is the former area of a winery and Huashan railway station which has transformed into a place for art and culture. Here we find special and permanent exhibitions, performances, restaurants, small shops with unique items, art galleries and much more. Cars are not allowed.

Martyr's Shrine at Bei An Rd. # 139, open Monday to Sunday 9am – 5pm. Built in 1969 and dedicated to all the men who sacrificed their lives to the overthrowing of the Ch'ing Dynasty before the establishment of the Republic of China in 1911. The Shrine is close to the Grand Hotel, Zhong Shan North Rd. Sec 4, #1 built in Ming dynasty palace style.

Snake Alley, a night market in Huaxi Street famous for snake meat, open daily 7pm – 2am, popular with tourists, although very little English is spoken by the vendors. Near by is the Longshan Temple, Guangzhou Street, #211, one of Taiwan's most important places of worship. Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, is situated on Zhong Shan South Rd. #21.

Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, Renai Rd. Sec 4, #505 open daily 9am – 5pm, dedicated to the man considered as the father of The Republic of China.

National Palace Museum, Chih-Shan Rd. Sec2, #221, open daily 9am – 5pm.