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June 15, 2015 By Hailey

The Towering Taipei 101

On my last day in Taiwan with the Rotary Club, I visited one of the tallest buildings in the world: TAIPEI 101. After it opened on December 31, 2004, Newsweek Magazine listed the elegant superstructure as “One of the New Seven Wonders of the World,” and I could see why. She’s a real beauty!

Taipei 101

A COMMERICAL CENTER
Taipei 101 stands as the financial, fashion, and recreational center of the metropolitan city. The upscale shopping mall is clothed with architectural grace, an alluring environment for purchasing high-priced products. A movie theater and restaurants add to the diversion Taipei 101 offers its visitors.

Taipei 101 Shopping Center
Taipei 101 Shopping Center

THE FASTEST ELEVATORS
Although Taipei 101 no longer holds the title of World’s Tallest Building, the Taiwanese tower still contains the world’s fastest elevators, according to Guinness World Records. These modern lifts carry guests at a top speed of 60km per hour to the Observatory on the 89th floor in less than 40 seconds. The elevators are pressurized to avoid extreme ear popping as they zoom up and down the shaft at record-breaking speeds.

Taipei 101 Elevator
Taipei 101 Model

THE OBSERVATORY
The 89th Floor boasts a spectacular panoramic view of Taipei City – unless you visit on a foggy evening like I did, as luck would have it. Despite the poor visibility, I still enjoyed surveying the capital city shrouded in mist. I was thoroughly entertained by the interactive displays around the observation floor, too.

Taipei 101 Observatory

Taipei 101 Green Building
Taipei 101 Observatory
Taipei 101 City View
Taipei 101 Foggy View

Taipei 101 City View

THE WIND DAMPER
In my opinion, the coolest element of the Taipei skyscraper is the wind damper. Officially called a Tuned Mass Damper, this massive ball of steel keeps Taipei 101 standing firm through strong winds and a multitude of earthquakes, reducing tower movement by as much as 40%.

Taipei 101 Wind Damper

The TAIPEI 101 Observatory has the world’s largest and heaviest wind damper with a diameter reaching 5.5 m (18 feet) and a weight of 660 tons. It is the only operational wind damper in the world exposed for public viewing. The wind damper is suspended between the 92nd and 87th floors and is composed of 41 layers of 12.5 cm (5 inch) thick steel plates riveted together, serving as one of the key elements of wind and earthquake resistance systems of TAIPEI 101.                  TAIPEI 101

What’s crazy to me is that visitors can be on the observation decks as the damper is moving! I’m not so sure how I’d feel to see the wind damper in action – which would mean some seriously high winds or ground tremors – but these folks didn’t seem too concerned when a typhoon hit Taipei in the fall of 2014. Take a look:

EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP
Taipei 101 engineers must have taken some tips from Disney when they designed the exit route. You cannot access the descending elevators without passing through the precious stones and jewelry store. Several information panels assured the legitimacy of trading red coral and other coral gemstones, but I remain skeptical to the practice. At any rate, I do appreciate the incredible artistry exhibited throughout the gallery.

Red Coral
Red Coral Taipei 101

A MUST-SEE/MUST-DO WHEN IN TAIWAN
Taipei 101 is so many things to so many people: a state-of-the-art office building, an engineering marvel, a shopping destination, a tourist attraction, a fireworks launcher, a source of pride. Make sure to visit and learn what it means to you!

Taipei 101 Night Cityscape


Nín hǎo, friends! Do you enjoy going to the towers’ tops when you travel? Can you believe that Taipei 101 only held the title of Tallest Building for less than 6 years? Would you hang out on the 89th floor if the damper was moving?

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  1. Aubrey Bosch says

    June 16, 2015 at 1:32 pm

    Girl I feel like I would book it out of there if that damper was swinging!! I’ve been to both the Empire State Building and the Eiffel Tower and I was pretty content not going to the top..so I guess this may mean I like sticking close to ground level : ) Well except for the occasional tree!

    Reply
    • Hailey says

      June 16, 2015 at 1:35 pm

      Sometime, you’ve got to try taking the lifts to the top… the views are incredible! But I am with you – not sure if I’d stick around if that wind damper were swinging :)

      Reply

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Hailey Domeck is a Southern girl with a Spanish heart and Swiss soul.

As a wife, mom, and travel addict, her love for mountains, fairy-tales, and great food keep her mind and heart always on the lookout for the next great adventure.

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💫 2020 - not about travel; all about family. 💫

#littleAlpenRose #WaveyBow
For me, this year was all about #motherhood - the For me, this year was all about #motherhood - the beauty of growing a child in the womb and then nurturing a precious newborn around the clock; the wild roller coaster of shepherding a toddler, whose contagious joy and  stubborn defiance make each day a challenge and a gift; the mundane tasks that help make a home feel warm and welcoming; and a bunch of other things. 

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📷: @whitneykeilman
• T H A N K F U L • We are saying thanks for • T H A N K F U L • 

We are saying thanks for all things in life this week. It’s so easy to get stuck on either the big picture or the tiny details, but I believe it’s important to take it all in - like I did on this ridge overlooking #Manang Village last year while trekking the #AnnapurnaCircuit in #Nepal. 

Creating a culture of gratitude takes intentionality and discipline... and it’s especially not easy when babies and toddlers demand so much of you at all hours of the day and night. Yet, here we are at the start of the holiday season, and I’m choosing to be grateful for the whole lot. 

What are you thankful for this year?
Hooray, it’s the weekend! 🥳 I don’t have a Hooray, it’s the weekend! 🥳

I don’t have any big plans today (#newbornlife), but I’m recalling the joy of “Heidi Hailey” in the Himalayas last November. ☺️ Shout out to @thatdutchieguy for bringing his Polaroid camera on our #CreateConnectNepal journey... what a fun way to capture special moments, - like my favorite stretch of the #AnnapurnaCircuit in the #Manang District ❣️

What are you up to this weekend?
As I sit here nursing an 8-week old babe, it’s j As I sit here nursing an 8-week old babe, it’s just wild to me that on this date exactly one year ago, I was walking among giants and completed the most difficult hike of my life. 

On November 11, 2019, the #CreateConnectNepal team and I went up and over the Thorong La Pass. At 17,769 feet (5416m), this is the pinnacle of the Annapurna Circuit and one of the highest mountain passes in the world. The day began in the dark with a grueling 4+ hour ascent through snow-kissed trails and then required a fierce descent down a bone dry valley. It demanded everything of me. 

Yet, that day up and over Thorong La was just one part of my epic adventure in #Nepal last November. I am eternally grateful for that experience and cherish those memories dearly. I also miss those people a lot. ❣️
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