"Warm winters and sweaty summers" a Taipei Travel Page by Icemaiden02

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Introduction

I lived in Taipei for three years, and though initially found it very foreign and awkward, I grew to love the city for its food, its culture and its great shopping bargains.

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Sunset view from my apartment, taken 1998

Weather

Taiwan's weather is distinct in both the north and south. While the south enjoys a tropical, oceanic climate, the north is semi-tropical at mountain altitudes, with a touch of snow.

Summer (May to September) is usually hot and humid with temperatures from 27oC to 35oC. Sometimes, Taiwan could well be a natural sauna if humidity level does not drop to 75 percent.

Winter (December to February) is normally short and mild. Temperatures hardly drop below 5oC, but the dampness will freeze right through to the bone.

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Daytime view from my apartment, taken 1998

History

In 1895, military defeat forced China to cede Taiwan to Japan. Taiwan reverted to Chinese control after World War II. Following the Communist victory on the mainland in 1949, 2 million Nationalists fled to Taiwan and established a government using the 1946 constitution drawn up for all of China. Over the next five decades, the ruling authorities gradually democratized and incorporated the native population within the governing structure.

In 2000, Taiwan underwent its first peaceful transfer of power from the Nationalist to the Democratic Progressive Party. Throughout this period, the island prospered and became one of East Asia's economic "Tigers." The dominant political issues continue to be the relationship between Taiwan and China - specifically the question of eventual unification - as well as domestic political and economic reform.