Taipei 101 was the tallest building in the world from its completion in 2004 until the Burj Khalifa surpassed it in 2010 — a 508-metre tower of blue-green glass designed by C.Y. Lee & Partners in a form inspired by a stalk of bamboo, with eight sections (eight being the luckiest number in Chinese numerology) stacking upward in a pagoda-like silhouette that has become the symbol of Taipei.
The observation deck on the 89th floor provides views across the Taipei basin to the surrounding mountains — on clear days, the volcanic peak of Yangmingshan is visible to the north and the forested ridges of the Central Mountain Range form the eastern horizon. The building's 730-tonne tuned mass damper (a giant steel pendulum suspended between the 87th and 92nd floors to counteract wind sway and earthquake movement) is visible to visitors and has become a tourist attraction in its own right — a gold sphere the size of a small building, swinging gently inside the tower.
The annual New Year's Eve fireworks, launched from the tower's facade, are Taiwan's most watched spectacle — the building becomes a vertical firework display that lights up from base to tip and is visible from across the city. The Xinyi District surrounding the tower is Taipei's luxury shopping and entertainment zone, and the contrast between the gleaming tower and the traditional temple (Songshan Ciyou Temple) a few blocks away captures Taipei's characteristic blend of ultra-modern and deeply traditional.
Verified Facts
Taipei 101 was the world's tallest building from 2004 to 2010
The building is 508 metres tall with eight sections
The tuned mass damper weighs 730 tonnes
The design is inspired by bamboo stalks
Get walking directions
No. 7, Section 5, Xinyi Road, Xinyi District, Taipei
