If you asked Jeff Miller, an American who has lived in Taiwan since the 1980s, what is so special about Taipei, his response would probably run for hours. Now, he has answered that question in book form.
Miller is the co-author of a book called Taipei Day and Night, written in Chinese and English and published by the Taipei City Government.
Unlike conventional travel guides, it describes Taipei at six different times of day — “in the early morning,” “in the morning,” “at noon,” “in the afternoon,” “in the evening” and “into the night.”
The Chinese half of the book, written by Yang Li-ling (楊麗玲), presents Taipei though the eyes of seven local celebrities. The English section, written by Miller, describes cultural and historical aspects of the city.
“It’s from my own perspective. I focused on the things I am interested in — the culture and history,” Miller said at the book launch on Tuesday.
Miller first visited Taiwan for a year in 1986 when he was a college student. He returned for a year in 1989 and settled in northern Taiwan in 1993. He said he was impressed by the country’s beauty and culture.
“I don’t think there is another place like Taiwan, whose culture is influenced by Japan, China, [the] US and Europe,” he said.
What makes Taipei really special is that such a variety of places are very close by — a national park to the north, hot springs in New Taipei City’s (新北市) Beitou (北投) and Wulai (烏來), and many hiking and biking trails, he said.
Like other modern cities around the world, Taipei is very crowded, but beautiful mountain views and seascapes can be found within an hour’s drive of Taipei, he said.
For Miller, early morning is the best time of day in Taipei, “because just before everybody gets up, the city is still very quiet and it’s a nice time to walk around.”
“Morning in Taipei is truly a magical time. Don’t forget to bring your camera to capture the early morning swirls of incense rising from temple censers, the contrasts of light and shadow playing off temple walls and monks’ shaven heads. This is the best time to capture Taiwanese just being themselves,” he writes in the book.
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