Tiger Tales

Taiwan

The drinks are served in urinal-shaped vessels and my Szechuan hotpot simmers inside a miniature bidet. Welcome to Modern Toilet, a commode-themed chain restaurant in Taipei. In Taiwan the buzz is as chilled as it gets in Asia - this island nation is an Asian tiger punching far above its weight in terms of style, creativity and sheer quirkiness.

We're at a teahouse in Taoyuan, on the outskirts of Taipei, where traditional pavilions enclose a pond teeming with carp. The Taiwanese tea ceremony dates back centuries, but not so this particular teahouse, whose ambience belies the fact that it's just two decades old. The tea leaves, usually oolong or green tea, fill one-fifth of the pot (never washed, just wiped dry). Before anyone enjoys a taste, there's the crucial matter of breathing in the aroma. Then we sip while nibbling on tea-coloured yam cakes stuffed with radish.

Rat-a-tat-tat-tat! A fusillade of firecrackers shatters the calm in celebration of Lunar New Year. Outside, traffic slows for a parade of trailer-mounted deities, then ploughs on through dense clouds of smoke and eardrum-shattering explosions.

We filter through a good-humoured throng to join huge crowds awaiting the start of the New Year Lantern Festival, held in historic Lugang about 180km from Taipei. As dusk falls, the lanterns begin to glow.

Many take the form of lions, tigers and mythical creatures, while the most opulent recreate Imperial Chinese palace pavilions.

The next morning, back in Taipei, we're at the Silks Palace, whose art imitated life in China for centuries. Strangely, roast pork and bok choy cabbage inspired two of the finest stone carvings here.

Fast forward to 21st-century Taiwan, epitomised by Taipei 101, the landmark tower which soars more than 500m into the heavens and once ranked as the world's tallest building. Take an ear-popping ride to the 89th-floor observation gallery.

Back down at street level, the Shihlin night market is as much about amusements such as Japanese-style parlour games as it is about cheap-and-cheerful shopping for snacks, bling, T-shirts and even pets.

Commanding a hillside outside Taipei, the Juming Museum is an unlikely but rewarding destination. Internationally-acclaimed sculptor Ju Ming presides over a contemporary outdoor gallery, which showcases the uncompromising human figures of his "Living World" series.

Sculptured paratroopers descend from the skies and swimmers lounge around a pool. Some are crafted from shimmering stainless steel, while others are hewn from massive chunks of timber. This, too, is modern-day Taiwan.

FACT FILE

● Taiwan Lantern Festival, 6-19 Feb, http://eng.taiwan.net.tw

● Modern Toilet, 184 Wunlin Rd, Shilin, tel: +886 (0)2 8861 4384, www.moderntoilet.com.tw/en/store.asp

● Silks Palace, 221 Zhishan Rd, Sec 2, Shilin, tel: +886 (0)2 2882 9393, http://silkspalace.com.tw/english/tour.htm

● National Palace Museum, 221 Zhishan Rd, Sec 2, Shilin, tel: +886 (0)2 2881 2021, www.npm.gov.tw

● Taipei 101, tickets/entrance on 5/F, Taipei 101 Shopping Mall, tel: +886 (0)2 8101 8899, www.taipei-101.com.tw

● Juming Museum 20842 2 Xishihu, Jinshan District, tel: +886 (0)2 2498 9940, www.juming.org.tw