The highlight of my first day in Taiwan was the Taichung National Theater and Concert Hall, designed by Toyo Ito, located in Taichung. It's a large performing arts facility built in the new downtown area of Taichung City, about a 50-minute ride from Taipei Station via the High-Speed Rail (similar to Japan's Shinkansen).
I had pre-booked and purchased my High-Speed Rail tickets in Japan beforehand. It was straightforward and convenient to pick them up at the ticket machine by simply entering the last four digits of my passport number and the reservation number.
The fact that everything is written in Chinese characters made it feel familiar and approachable. After arriving smoothly at Taichung Station, I took an Uber to the National Taichung Theater. Uber seems incredibly popular in Taiwan; the car arrived in just a few minutes after I called it.
From Taichung High-Speed Rail Station, it took about 15-20 minutes by Uber to arrive.
The building was far larger than I had imagined, and I was overwhelmed. The roads are wide, the surrounding buildings are huge, and everything just feels massive. The smooth, playful curves of the exterior walls and the glass panels sandwiched between them combine an indescribable cuteness with modernity.

The interior features curves on every surface, creating an intriguing space that makes you feel like you're in a cave.
The café and shop blend in beautifully, offering a cozy and relaxing atmosphere.
Climbing the stairs revealed a rooftop garden.
Greenery surrounds a white, chimney-like structure with a curved form, evoking a somewhat Laputa-like image.
I wanted to take a break at the attached cafe, but since I'd set my MRT return time early to visit Taipei's night market stalls, I took an Uber back to the station after thoroughly enjoying the place.
(Actually, the Taichung Green Museum designed by SANAA is nearby, but since it was opening the following week, I decided to skip it this time.)

After video calling my family about the hotel room, I almost decided to just grab a quick bite at a nearby shop and call it a night. But I couldn't do that.
Considering the rest of my schedule, today was probably my only chance to visit the night market. I steeled myself, took the MRT from Ximen Station to Zhongshan Station, and headed for Ningxia Night Market.
Still, every station around Taipei Station was packed. The crowds were so dense, it felt like every station was Shinjuku Station.
Ningxia Night Market, about a 10-minute walk from Zhongshan Station.
Stalls lined up in two rows down the middle of the street, and we squeezed through the packed crowd between them.

On both sides, the aromas of Taiwanese food and a wide variety of dishes and sweets filled the air. Everything looked delicious, but since I was already craving noodles, I decided to eat at a slightly less crowded shop serving rice noodles and squid soup.The taste was... well, okay lol
I really wanted to try other stalls too, but eating alone has its limits. So I bought milk tea at a nearby convenience store and headed back to the hotel. (This milk tea was insanely good lol)
With 7-Eleven and FamilyMart convenience stores everywhere, you're unlikely to be stuck if anything happens. (Being able to pay with an EasyCard is also super convenient)

I took the 12:00 high-speed rail from Taipei Station to Kaohsiung, located in the Tainan area.
What I absolutely wanted to see in Kaohsiung was the Weiwuying National Center for the Performing Arts.
The Weiwuying National Center for the Performing Arts, adjacent to Kaohsiung's Weiwuying Urban Park, is a national performing arts facility representing southern Taiwan. Designed by the Dutch architectural firm Mecanoo (Francine Hoven), its large, curved roof reminiscent of a banyan tree canopy is iconic. It features multiple halls, including a concert hall and opera house, and is known as one of the world's largest "performing arts centers under one roof."
After about two hours, I disembarked at Zuoying Station. From there, I transferred trains for another 30 minutes.
As soon as I exited the station, it appeared right before my eyes, but the building's front was completely filled with food stalls. Perhaps because it was a holiday, it felt like a festive celebration.

However, it's far too large compared to yesterday's Taichung National Theater, making it impossible to grasp the whole picture.
After walking around the perimeter for a while and stepping inside, I found another cave-like space like yesterday's. Only, it felt even more rugged and organic.Perhaps because even the ground curved smoothly, it had an intriguing quality that made you forget it was a building.
And everywhere was bustling with events. Exercise classes, live performances, and children's events were happening all over the building, while an outdoor stage hosted rehearsals by a female group that seemed to be Taiwanese artists?
The halls looked truly beautiful on the website, and I thought it must be an amazing space to experience concerts or plays here.

The final stop on this trip was Jiufen, that super popular tourist spot recommended by Naomi. There are several ways to get there, but this time I chose the Taiwan Railways (TR) × Uber combo. The plan was to take the TR from Taipei Station to Huanfang Station (about 50 minutes), then an Uber from Huanfang Station to Jiufen (about 15 minutes).
(I even consulted ChatGPT, and this is probably the most time-efficient way lol)
After about an hour and a half, we arrived in front of Jiufen Police Station.
As we started climbing the stone steps towards the famous spot, the quintessential Jiufen scene unfolded immediately – rows of red lanterns lining both sides.
And then, tons of tourists. The most popular photo spot was packed like Takeshita Street.

Since Jiufen is said to be the inspiration for the setting in Spirited Away, Ghibli-related merchandise was everywhere, and No-Face was peering at us from all corners.
Gui Shan Street was lined with takeout shops, and the smell of stinky tofu wafted through the air whether you liked it or not. It's normally a place to enjoy eating while walking around, but I wasn't particularly hungry. Still, I figured I might as well try the famous black sugar tapioca milk tea at Xing Fu Tang.

As expected of a tourist spot, the staff spoke to me in Japanese once they realized I was Japanese.
I saw a photo of a tapioca milk tea on fire and wondered if it was just some kind of image, but it turned out to be a performance where they sprinkle brown sugar powder on top of the milk tea right there and char it with a burner until it caramelizes.
And this is delicious.Not overly sweet, the caramelized brown sugar bits provided a crispy accent. I don't usually drink sweet beverages, but this was right up my alley.

With my tapioca milk tea in hand, I strolled through Jiufen Old Street for a while. As I relaxed, soothed by the view from the observation deck, dusk began to fall. I decided to head back to the photo spot to capture that scene.
As the sky darkened, the red lanterns gradually lit up. The townscape glowing towards nightfall was incredibly beautiful, and combined with the magic hour, a fantastical world unfolded.
But man, it was way too crowded lol.
After enjoying it for a while, I called an Uber back to Banpo Station and returned to Taipei Station.

Well, this concludes our 10-part architectural journey!
This journey began after our miraculous Grand Prix win, to test the theory that "creativity seems to be proportional to distance traveled."
Thanks to the support of our company, family, clients, and everyone who visited our travel site, we were able to see this project through.
And it was a year where Studio transformed us profoundly.
We are grateful for everything...

It's impossible to prove just how much my creativity was honed, lol.
But seeing all sorts of things, meeting people I wouldn't have met otherwise, and getting all kinds of inspiration—it was definitely a wonderful time.
I think it was a trip that probably boosted my creativity too!
So, I'd be thrilled if this travel site helps someone, somewhere, in some way.
Thanks to everyone who read to the end!
Well then, see you somewhere.