I was in Taipei earlier this month and I was lost. I was looking for the LGBT bookstore, Gin Gin, in the gay-popular district of Gongguan. I took the subway to the station closest to it. Google maps showed it was just a five-minute walk away. But unlike downtown, the street signs were all in Chinese.
Outside the station, I stopped and asked a woman for directions as she was standing in front of her small women's clothing shop. She didn't know where it was but left her shop unattended as she led me to a couple of neighboring businesses in search of directions. When that didn't work, she stopped a stranger in the street who knew some English who pointed me in the right direction. She dutifully reiterated his hand gestures so I wouldn't get lost again. I found the store, which was just a couple of minutes away. That experience was typical of the friendliness I found everywhere in the country, which very much extends to the LGBT community.
Taipei, Taiwan's capital, hosts Asia's largest Pride parade, held during the last weekend of October. Taiwan may also soon be the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage. Recent polls found that more than 60 percent there support gay marriage. For people under 30, that figure jumps to nearly 80 percent. Although proposed same-sex marriage bills have stalled, given the trends, all but the most die-hard opponents would have to concede that it's not a matter of if but when.
Youth support of gay rights was evident during Taipei's 13th annual Pride Parade that coincided with Halloween this year. Organizers estimated that about 80,000 people turned out for the celebration. The majority of marchers and spectators were under 30. The head of Taiwan Pride, Simon Tai, 25, told the Bay Area Reporter that many of the country's older population live a closeted double life but the country's youth feel free to openly march in the street.
Taiwan's gay acceptance has taken a sharp upward trajectory. Taipei's first Pride was attended by just 500 in 2003. Now Pride is still organized by volunteers with a budget of a little over $60,000 that is raised mostly by donations and various fundraisers. The event has more than earned its keep by bringing tourists from other parts of Asia and all over the world to participate and join in on the party.
Taiwan's tourism industry hopes the country's gay-friendliness will translate into more LGBT tourism year-round. It has plenty to offer visitors, from the modern cosmopolitan city of Taipei to the tropical beaches in the south end of the country. Taipei's downtown is similar to Tokyo's with buildings covered with giant brightly lit billboards and video screens. The city also boasts upscale modern shopping centers and a very lively gay nightlife scene. Plus, prices of things like restaurants, hotels, and cabs are about half of what you would pay in Tokyo or San Francisco, for that matter.
History
Taiwan was called Isla Formosa, or beautiful island, by the Portuguese explorers who first encountered it in 1544. You will still see references to Formosa throughout the island but you will see many more influences of the Japanese who occupied the island for about 50 years, until 1945, after World War II. The Japanese invested heavily in infrastructure and education. Many Taiwanese claim Japanese as well as Chinese ancestry.
Taiwan is densely populated, with more than 23 million people. It is about twice the size of Massachusetts but with almost four times that state's population. The island is in Southern Asia, about 400 miles from Hong Kong. At the Taiwan Strait, about 100 miles separates it from the southeastern coast of mainland China.
The Bay Area is a big market for Taiwan. Both the Taiwanese airline, Eva, as well as China Air and United, fly nonstop daily to Taipei from San Francisco International Airport. The flight is a little over 13 hours.
The sights
The majority of visitors to Taiwan understandably spend most of their time exploring Taipei. As you would guess, that is also where the island's gay life is centered. The biggest concentration of gay bars can be found in the Red House area. It is named after the red brick building that once housed a movie theater that was popular with closeted gay men. Now far from being closeted, the area around the building is clustered with smallish gay bars and a large open-air courtyard where everyone hangs out, especially on warm nights. For an up-to-date list of gay bars, saunas, and nightclubs check the Taiwan section of http://www.TravelGayAsia.com.
It is easy to get around Taipei without a car. The city has an extensive subway system that is fast, clean, efficient, and safe. The fare to most places in the downtown area is about 75 cents. The subway ticket vending machines have English directions and are pretty easy to figure out. Most people speak enough English to communicate the basics. Just be sure to speak very slowly and use a lot of gestures.
The most popular tourist attraction in the city is the Taipei 101 tower, deriving its name from its 101 floors. While it is no longer the world's tallest building, it is one of the most beautiful. Its unique architecture is designed both to resemble a bamboo shoot and a flowering plant. The circles on the side of the building symbolize Chinese coins, a sign of good luck and wealth. The building boasts the world's fastest elevator, taking visitors to the observation level in 37 seconds. If the weather is good, you can go on the outside observation deck. A huge round metal ball is in the center. It is designed to counter the effects of the wind sway on the tower.
Be sure to check out one of Taiwan's world famous night markets. The Raohe Street Night Market in the Songshan district is Taipei's oldest. Beitou, a suburban district, is where you will find the Yangmingshan National Park and many hot springs. The Kawaya Spa is probably the most gay-popular. If you are an art lover, be sure to check out the National Palace Museum that houses one of the largest collections of Chinese art in the world. Taipei also has the largest zoo in Asia.
Taipei's summers are hot and humid. Its winters are cool but it seldom dips below freezing. If you crave warmer weather, you can start in Taipei and head to the southern end of the country to the Kenting area. Winters there are dry and warm. It has a decidedly tropical feel, with towering palm trees and beaches. Kenting National Park is well worth seeing. It has a number of easy walking trails and an observation deck with a sweeping view of the southernmost part of the island. One of the main hikes goes through caves. Keep your eyes peeled throughout Kenting for wild monkeys. They are everywhere.
Taiwan's largest lake is in the middle of the country and is very popular with Chinese tourists. Sun Moon Lake doesn't have beaches but features walking and biking trails along the lake. The lake's modern sweeping dome-shaped visitors center with a reflecting pool offers the best view and the best photo of the lake. The lake is most popular for tour boats that take tourists to an island in the lake with a large Buddhist Temple and landmark statue.
Taipei has a high-speed rail system that can reach speeds of 186 miles per hour. But you can't travel to the very south of the country on the bullet train. It stops at about two hours from the southernmost point.
Nightlife
The aforementioned Red House area, at the Ximen subway stop, is home to more than a dozen small gay bars as well as the city's de facto LGBT center, Gisneyland. The center's logo sign looks like a Disneyland sign. The center provides health information and support for HIV and other health issues. Women are welcome in most of the Red House bars but the city's lesbian bar, Taboo, is outside the Red House area. By the way, as is the pattern in most places, the smaller bars are busy early in the evening and the larger dance clubs are busy late at night. Nightclubs stay open until the wee hours of the morning. Taipei also has a number of gay saunas that also are busy in the early evening with the after-work crowd.
The aforementioned Gin Gin bookstore and the nearby Love Boat shop are combination bookstores and gift shops selling LGBT-related items.
Accommodations
If you want to live it up in style in Taipei, the five star Regent Taipei is one of the city's finest. It is in the heart of downtown and a short 15-minute walk to the city's popular gay sauna, Ainki Wow. The full service hotel has several restaurants, a rooftop pool, and basement gym. Rates start at a little under $200.
The Hotel Quote Taipei is another great upscale option in the heart of downtown. Rates at that ultra modern boutique hotel start at a little over $200.
If you are on a tight budget, the Cube Hostel offers a bed in a shared room for as little as $20. If you want to try a gay or gay-friendly homestay, visit MisterBnb. The site has listings for $20 for a room with a futon to more luxurious accommodations for three times that much.
The Fleur de Chine is a good upscale option on Sun Moon Lake. It is near the temple and has sweeping views of the lake. It's also one of the more expensive hotels in the area with rooms starting around $300, but you can find a budget hotel there for as little as $30.
In Kenting, the Caesar Park Hotel features big rooms in a tropical resort setting, including a huge breakfast buffet with rates that start about $150. You can find a budget hotel in the area for as little as $30.
For more information, Taiwan's official travel website is http://www.go2taiwan.net. If you want to hire a tour guide as a solo traveler, couple, or group, former San Francisco and Los Angeles resident Peter Lee is a great choice. As a gay man, he can give you the inside scoop on the gay scene in the country as well as all the other stuff covered by the other professional tour guides. He can be reached through Facebook or by emailing [email protected].