Taipei is a vibrant city with modern architecture and traditional cultural heritage. As a backpacker, I particularly like Taipei's convenient transportation and rich food. Taipei 101 was once the tallest building in the world. You can overlook the entire city of Taipei from the observation deck. The National Palace Museum has a large collection of precious Chinese cultural relics and is an important place to understand Chinese history and culture.
Ximending is a paradise for young people, with a variety of fashionable shops and food. Night market culture is a feature of Taipei. Shilin Night Market and Raohe Street Night Market are good places to taste snacks. Taipei's cafes and bookstores are also very distinctive, where you can feel the literary side of Taipei people.
Taipei, a city that makes people linger.
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Sign InTaipei's cafe culture is very unique. Do you have any recommendations for literary cafes?
Taipei's night market is indeed a paradise for food. The variety of snacks in Shilin Night Market is so rich!
Ningbo, abbreviated as "Yong", is a prefecture-level city, a sub-provincial city, and a state-planned city under the jurisdiction of Zhejiang Province [127]. It was formerly known as Siming and Mingzhou [234]. It is located in the northeastern coastal area of Zhejiang Province [188]. The terrain is high in the southwest and low in the northeast. It is mainly plains and low mountains and hills. It has a subtropical monsoon climate [201]. As of the end of 2024, Ningbo has jurisdiction over 6 districts, 2 counties, and 2 county-level cities, with a total area of 9,816 square kilometers and a permanent population of 9.777 million [75] [229] [231]. Ningbo is a national historical and cultural city [1] and the cultural capital of East Asia. It has prospered because of its port since ancient times. It is the starting point of the "Maritime Silk Road" and one of the earliest cities in China to open ports [203]. It gave birth to the Siming School, Yangming School, and Zhejiang School. Ningbo Tianyi Pavilion is the oldest existing library in Asia [192] [236]. The Ningbo Gang is the largest business gang in modern China [198]. The number of Ningbo-born academicians ranks first in the country [195-196]. Ningbo's history can be traced back to the Hemudu culture 7,000 years ago. The Jingtoushan site pushes the history of Ningbo's humanities back to more than 8,000 years ago. In the first year of the Changqing period of the Tang Dynasty (821), the Mingzhou prefecture was moved to Sanjiangkou and a sub-city was built, marking the beginning of the construction of Ningbo. In the 14th year of the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty (1381), it was renamed Ningbo, which means "when the sea is calm, the waves are calm" [202]. Ningbo is an important central city in the Yangtze River Delta region, a modern marine city, a national comprehensive transportation hub, a national advanced manufacturing base, a regional science and technology innovation highland, a national shipping and logistics center, an important node city for the "Belt and Road" port and shipping cooperation [1], an important member of the Shanghai metropolitan area [131], the first National Civilized City [239], the first pilot demonstration city of Made in China 2025 [110], and has the world's third largest container port and the world's largest port in terms of cargo throughput, Ningbo-Zhoushan Port [205]. Ningbo has formed a modern industrial system dominated by digital industries, green petrochemicals, and high-end equipment, with new functional materials, new energy, key basic components, smart home appliances, fashion textiles and clothing, and modern health as its features, as well as a number of emerging and future industrial clusters with forward-looking layout [235]. In 2024, Ningbo's GDP will be 1,814.77 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.4%.
The central urban area of Shanghai, with famous attractions such as the Bund and Nanjing Road. Huangpu District is under the jurisdiction of Shanghai and is the economic, administrative and cultural center of Shanghai. [89] It is located in the central part of Shanghai's downtown area, at the southwest end of the confluence of the Huangpu River and Suzhou River. It starts from Suzhou River in the north, borders the Huangpu River in the east and south, and extends to Chengdu North Road, Yan'an Middle Road, Shaanxi South Road, Zhaojiabang Road, and Ruijin South Road in the west. The district covers an area of 20.52 square kilometers [11], of which 18.71 square kilometers are land and 1.81 square kilometers are water. [11] As of the end of 2023, it has 10 sub-districts under its jurisdiction [67] [69] and a permanent population of 504,700 [85]. Huangpu District carries the history of Shanghai's more than 700 years of city construction and more than 180 years of port opening, and has witnessed the development and changes of Shanghai as an international metropolis. [47] From the tenth year of the Tianbao reign of the Tang Dynasty (751 AD) to the Song Dynasty, it belonged to Huating County. After the district adjustment in December 1959, it was divided into Huangpu District, Luwan District, and Nanshi District. After two “reconstruction” in 2000 and 2011, Huangpu District was established [47]. Huangpu District has four distinct seasons, abundant rainfall, and a long frost-free period. It has a subtropical monsoon climate [36]. It is located in the northeast of the saucer-shaped depression of Taihu Lake and belongs to the saucer edge highland [36]. During his work in Shanghai [47], General Secretary Xi Jinping positioned Huangpu as the “heart, window, and business card” of Shanghai [47]. In June 2020, Huangpu District was selected as the first batch of national demonstration areas for the construction of a law-based government [48]. In January 2021, Huangpu District became the first batch of national cultural and tourism consumption pilot cities [49]. In 2023, Huangpu District will achieve a year-on-year growth of 5.9% in gross regional product (GDP) [85]. In 2024, Huangpu District will achieve a GDP of 334.441 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.0%.
Xiamen City, abbreviated as "Xia" or "Lu", is a prefecture-level city, a sub-provincial city, a separately planned city, and a Type I large city under the jurisdiction of Fujian Province, China. [164] [198] It is located on the southeastern coast of Fujian Province [186]. It faces the Big and Small Kinmen Islands to the east and Longhai District of Zhangzhou City to the south. It borders Nan'an City of Quanzhou City, Anxi County of Quanzhou City, Changtai District of Zhangzhou City, and Longhai District of Zhangzhou City by land. [207] It has a total area of 1,700.61 square kilometers and the language used is the Minnan dialect. [123] As of the end of 2023, Xiamen City has 6 districts under its jurisdiction; by the end of 2024, the permanent population of Xiamen City is 5.35 million [225]; the Municipal People's Government is located at No. 61 Hubin North Road, Siming District. [204] The territory of Xiamen City consists of the mainland area along Xiamen Bay in the southeast of Fujian Province, as well as the islands of Xiamen Island, Gulangyu Island, and Xiamen Bay. The terrain slopes from northwest to southeast, and is mainly composed of coastal plains, terraces, and hills. It has a subtropical marine monsoon climate, with mild and rainy weather, no severe cold in winter, and no scorching heat in summer. [205] In ancient times, Xiamen Island was a habitat for egrets, so it was also called "Egret Island". During the Western Jin Dynasty, Tong'an County was established. In the 27th year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty (1394), Xiamen City was built. In 1935, Xiamen City was established. In 1980, Xiamen Special Economic Zone was established. In 1988, it became a separately planned city. In 1994, it was promoted to a sub-provincial city.
Changsha City, also known as Star City, is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Hunan Province and the provincial capital. It is located in the eastern part of Hunan Province, in the lower reaches of the Xiangjiang River and the western edge of the Changsha-Liuyang Basin. It is an important central city in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, a national historical and cultural city, and a national comprehensive transportation hub city.
Suzhou City, a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Jiangsu Province, is a megacity [102]. It is located in the southeastern part of Jiangsu Province in East China. It borders Shanghai to the east, Zhejiang Province to the south, Taihu Lake to the west, and the Yangtze River to the north. It is a city in the central area of the Yangtze River Delta [215]. It belongs to the Yangtze River Delta Plain and Taihu Lake Plain. It has a low terrain, numerous rivers and lakes. Most of the surface of Taihu Lake is within the territory of Suzhou City. It has a subtropical monsoon marine climate [2]. The total area is 8,657.32 square kilometers [2] [146]. At the end of 2023, Suzhou City has jurisdiction over 5 districts and administers 4 county-level cities [94] [115]. The Municipal People's Government is located at No. 998 Sanxiang Road, Gusu District [67]. At the end of 2024, the permanent population of Suzhou City is 12.987 million [234]. Suzhou is an important central city in eastern China approved by the State Council, a national historical and cultural city, a national comprehensive transportation hub, a national advanced manufacturing and high-tech industrial base, a regional highland of scientific and technological innovation, a comprehensive modern logistics center, and an international tourist destination with the characteristics of a Jiangnan water town. [1] Suzhou has a history of more than 4,000 years since the beginning of written records. During the Spring and Autumn Period, Shoumeng of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty established the Wu Kingdom. In the sixth year of King Jing of Zhou (514 BC), King Helu of Wu began to build Suzhou City. In the Qin Dynasty, Wu County was established. In the ninth year of Kaihuang of the Sui Dynasty (589), it was first called Suzhou. In the 17th year of the Republic of China (1928), Suzhou City was established. [125] Suzhou City is the only city along the Grand Canal that has applied for World Heritage status as an ancient city, and is a famous Jiangnan water town. Since Wu Zixu built the Helu City in the Spring and Autumn Period, Suzhou City has maintained a double chessboard pattern of "water and land running in parallel, rivers and streets adjacent to each other", with "small bridges and flowing water, white walls and black tiles, historical sites and famous gardens" as its unique style, and has the reputation of "paradise on earth". As the core carrier of "Jiangnan culture", Kunqu Opera, Pingtan, gardens and Suzhou embroidery nurtured by Suzhou have become distinctive symbols for the world to identify China. [97] [104] Suzhou City has four major industries: electronic information, equipment manufacturing, biomedicine, and advanced materials. [133] According to preliminary calculations, the GDP of Suzhou City in 2024 will be 2672.7 billion yuan, an increase of 6.0% over the previous year.
Zhangjiajie City, formerly known as "Dayong", is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Hunan Province. It is one of the most important tourist cities in China, a national key ecological functional area, and an important ecological barrier in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The city has two districts and two counties under its jurisdiction, namely Yongding District, Wulingyuan District, Cili County, and Sangzhi County, with a total area of 9,533 square kilometers. [51] At the end of 2024, the permanent population of Zhangjiajie City was 1.4869 million. [90] Zhangjiajie City is located in the northwest of Hunan Province, in the middle and upper reaches of the Lishui River, and belongs to the hinterland of the Wuling Mountain Area. [1] It is the birthplace and central area of the Hunan-Hubei-Chongqing-Guizhou Revolutionary Base. It was built for tourism. It is the window of Hunan's opening up, the living room for welcoming guests, the leader of all-region tourism, and the beautiful business card of Beautiful China. It is known as "an enlarged bonsai and a shrunken fairyland". [51] In September 1982, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park became China's first national forest park. In August 1988, Zhangjiajie Wulingyuan Scenic Area was listed as a national key scenic spot. In 1992, the Wulingyuan Scenic Area, which consists of three major scenic areas including Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, was listed in the World Natural Heritage List by UNESCO; in February 2004, it was listed in the world's first batch of World Geoparks; in 2007, it was listed in China's first batch of national 5A-level tourist attractions. [2] In 2017, Zhangjiajie City was awarded the honorary title of "National Forest City". [3] In 2024, Zhangjiajie City achieved a regional GDP of 65.44 billion yuan, an increase of 3.9% over the previous year.
Haikou City is a prefecture-level city and provincial capital under the jurisdiction of Hainan Province. It is located in the northern part of Hainan Island and is a southern coastal city rich in tropical coastal natural scenery. Haikou is a national historical and cultural city and an international comprehensive transportation hub city.
Lianyungang, formerly known as Haizhou, is a prefecture-level city in Jiangsu Province, China. Located on the central coast of China, it borders the Yellow Sea to the east and connects to Xuzhou and Suqian to the west. The city covers a land area of 7,615 square kilometers and a sea area of 7,516 square kilometers. As of 2024, Lianyungang has a permanent population of 4.5817 million. The city is known for its coastal scenery and has two national 5A-level scenic spots: Liandao and Huaguo Mountain, along with 14 4A-level scenic areas.