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Architecture of Taiwan
The beautiful island of Taiwan has seen a lot of prosperity and trouble
for the thousands of years that it was inhabited. Both Taiwanese
aborigines and the early Han migrants, Europeans and the Japanese as
well as refugees from Mainland China all would bring pieces of their
own country to Taiwan that have wonderfully blended to become unique
and characteristic of the land.
Architecture of Taiwan is diverse and combines rich
traditions of the
past with modernity and utility.
Tourists who travel
Taiwan can see remnants of different cultures all
over the territory; in Danshui' San Domingo Fort structure which used
to belong to the Spanish and the Dutch at different periods, in the
baroque monuments of the busy Tihua Street of Taipei, as well as in
the
historic areas of Taoyuan and Tainan,
in the National Palace Museum
(housing a great collection of art
in Taiwan), the Presidential
Office Building and in the Lin Ben Yuan's Gardens of Banciao. Religion
has also played an exceptionally important role throughout the history
of Taiwan, and this can be seen in the lavish decorations of
numerous
temples, such as the Longshan Temple, the Mazu Temple, and the Chaotian
Temple glorifying different deities that were believed to protect the
islanders from natural disasters and aggressors.
And what do contemporary cities look like?
While you travel Taiwan,
you will hardly see uniformity in the
buildings, but rather a fusion of styles and appearances where glass
skyscrapers will neighbour on small family houses with barred windows
and washing hanging out. By the way, the tallest building of the world
is situated in Taiwan's capital, Taipei and has 101 floor, hence the
name – Taipei 101.
For the recent years neon signs have been largely mounted on the roofs
and walls of the houses so when you travel Taiwan you may find it hard
to tell what street you are actually going along at night because of
the dazzling lights.
A lot of buildings are tiled up to the flat roofs with no attic, where
upon a cozy garden is sometimes planted. As space has always been
scarce in
Taiwan, so houses often stand side by side, thin and tall, leaving no
room for pavements to say nothing of gardens. What may amaze tourists
who travel Taiwan is the habit of building additional floors right
above the roof. Windows are not too big as the weather in Taiwan
is hot
in summer so less sunshine from the east side makes it possible to cool
down the rooms a bit.
On the whole, architecture
of Taiwan presents fusion of traditions and
styles creating a romantic and sometimes even mysterious air
inviting to explore this Oriental country.
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