Taipei

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Taipei lost out to Dubai this summer as home to the world’s tallest skyscraper, but the capital of the Republic of China has come a long way since its days as the last refuge for political foes of Mao Zedong’s. “Made in Taiwan” now means high-tech innovations like Quanta Computer’s second-generation iPhone, while cinematic exports win Oscars and top prizes at Cannes. Business travel makes up a third of all foreign arrivals, but that need not exclude the sybaritic pleasures of Taiwan’s famous hot springs.

Where to Sleep
The Carlyle Group’s James Baker, former U.S. secretary of state, turned his friend George Bush Senior on to the understated elegance of The Sherwood. With its central location and unsurpassed service, this in-the-know address is a favorite of young bankers, as well, who fend off jet lag in the naturally lit pool. Morgan Stanley, Citibank, and LVMH have all hosted corporate events at the Tony Chi–designed Grand Residence inside the Grand Hyatt Taipei. These minimalist meeting rooms share a terrace that has sweeping city views and a state-of-the-art kitchen where, between presentations, attendees grab gourmet snacks off the tasting table. The decor at the Shangri-La Far Eastern Plaza is inspired by the Song Dynasty, but its amenities are up-to-the-minute, with Wi-Fi, plasma TVs, and DVD players for guests, including native son Ang Lee as well as Bill Clinton, who still checks into the Presidential Suite. Taiwan’s Vogue editors swear by the cool-as-ice all-white interiors at the Ambience Hotel, near the business district, where models lounge on the Philippe Starck and Ferruccio Laviani furniture. Look for Shu Qi, celebrated Taiwanese sex kitten turned serious actress, at luxury launch parties such as the one Dior held inside the penthouse Ambience Suite. Trend-spotting progeny Josh Spear prefers the five-speaker surround sound and high-tech gadgetry at the Tango Hotel, in the Xinyi District, within stumbling distance of many of Taipei’s hottest nightspots.
 
Where to Eat
Fistfights are common among Taiwan’s notoriously confrontational politicians, but leaders of both major parties agree on the quality of the Cantonese cuisine at The Dragon, barely more than a chopstick’s length from the government’s legislative and executive buildings. Inside the private Emperor Room, Taiwan’s real seats of power are plush, high-backed thrones in an imperial Chinese setting complete with a traditional gong. Clothing designer Isabelle Wen turned her talents to an Old Shanghai–style eatery, Fifi, where the fashion crowd now guzzles and grazes. Euro    centric gourmets need not starve in this Far East outpost. At La Petite Cuisine, chef Justin Quek’s training in Michelin-starred kitchens like L’Oasis and Le Crillon impresses visiting European diplomats, who dine on roast quail with foie gras and figs in Taipei’s most elegant eatery. A modest expense account will cover plenty of Asia’s most delicious xiao long bao (soup dumplings) at Din Tai Fung, where even Jackie Chan lines up for dim sum.
 
Where to See and Be Seen
Seemingly straightlaced bankers at ABN Amro and ING take the world’s fastest elevator to the basement of their 1,671-foot-high office tower, the vertical city known as Taipei 101, to blow off steam on the glowing dance floor at Mint. The decadent pleasure palace of Taiwan’s richest playboy, Johnny Hwang, now throbs nightly as Luxy, so it’s no surprise the Black Eyed Peas popped in during their last Asia tour. Director Hou Hsiao-Hsien prefers to watch classic and cutting edge reels at The Spot, his art house cinema in the former American ambassador’s residence, a stately 1926 European mansion. Homesick expats seek solace and literate company 24/7 among the 75,000 English-language titles at the bookstore Eslite. The mindblowing magazine selection is the ideal distraction for body clocks that are still a dozen or more time zones behind Taipei.
 
Where to Close a Deal
Taipei tycoon Ming-hung Chiu built his dream retreat among soaring camphor trees near the recuperative Beitou hot springs, 30 minutes from downtown Taipei on misty Yangming Mountain. Sensing opportunity, he opened the ultramodern five-room Villa 32 to paying guests such as Hong Kong action star Michelle Yeoh and high-flying business types, who seal some of the region’s biggest deals over a bonding soak in the mineral-rich outdoor baths. Toast to success—“gan bei” in Mandarin Chinese—with a selection from the 30,000-plus-bottle wine cellar, which includes rarities like a Château Lafite 1784.
 
Local Codes
Arrive with plenty of business cards—or ask the concierge to arrange for some to be printed with English on one side and Chinese on the reverse. Expect to deliver one with both hands to every person you meet. Pay attention to the business card you receive (with both hands) in return—slipping it right into your card holder is considered rude. Address people by their surname along with their professional title, as in “Director Wu”; it’s a sign of respect. Gift giving is essential to building relationships in Taiwan, but how you wrap the present is almost as important (do not use black or white paper—they signify mourning). Prepare a brief speech for any social feast, since your host will likely expect you to respond to his or hers. Eating local cuisine signifies your respect for the culture, but never finish everything on your plate—it means you’re still hungry.
 
Airport Intelligence
Ousted Taipei mayor turned presidential hopeful Ma Ying-jeou is calling for direct cross-straits air links to the People’s Republic of China, but for now, expect to transit through Hong Kong or Macau if your itinerary includes meetings on the mainland. Most flights depart from the efficient but uninspiring Chiang Kai-shek International, 25 miles west of Taipei.
 
The Three-Hour Tour
The quickest way to orient yourself in any Taiwanese city is to find its most bustling avenue, most likely named Chungshan, the honorific for Dr. Sun Yat-sen. Taipei’s Chungshan Road is no exception. Early risers can center themselves before the day’s negotiations with tai chi or quigong on the grassy grounds surrounding Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. On his rise to the top, President Chen Shui-bian was known to stop in at Po Tun Barber Shop, in the basement of the Ambassador Hotel, to have his hair cut by four old-school Shanghainese barbers who have been snipping the locks of Taipei’s top businessmen and politicos for more than 30 years. The Grand Hotel, long a local landmark, served as a backdrop for Ang Lee’s breakout international feature Eat Drink Man Woman. Imposing from the outside—thanks to yellow swooping roofs and an elevated mountain perch—it is no longer one of Asia’s finest hotels but still offers a panoramic perspective on Taipei that’s worth the detour. Up the road, the National Palace Museum displays a rotating selection of more than 650,000 imperial Chinese masterpieces carried off by the Nationalists in 1949. After hours, refuel in the Shilin Night Market, a glutton’s paradise best known for fried buns filled with pork and scallions, oyster omelets, and obscure Hello Kitty products sure to ease the separation for daughters left behind.    

–Cynthia Rosenfeld