National Theater and Concert Hall (Taiwan)

National Theater and Concert Hall (Taiwan) 國家戲劇院/國家音樂廳

Most tourist would only visit these two traditional architectures in the day, which is a pity as the site is simply magical after sunset. You can stand anywhere in the huge park, breathe in the evening air (considerably fresher than HK), luxuriate in the stillness or gaze at the skyline faraway (even the awful Taipei 101 looks better in the evening). It'd be hard not to feel a little envy.

The interior is another matter. Some of it reflects the polyglot influence, but others are just simply gaudy. Mo matter, it's still much more of an oasis than our own venues.

If you love music, you should try to attend one of the events here. The Concert Hall is famed for its acoustics. You can hear a pin drop onstage. This doesn't mean it's perfect; my composer friend said musicians have to learn to damp their sound a little here or else there'd be a runaway feeling. And it'd be better to sit further from the stage or upstairs in case of a full orchestra. Admire the organ here while you're there.

Official Site

Informative Wikipedia Entry

Interesting Interview with Artistic Director