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| Taipei
Sports |
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Golf
The most popular game in Taiwan, very much favoured
by the President, Lee Teng-Hui and most captains of industry. Golf
has become a status symbol for Taiwanese businessmen. The only way
to get to any of these courses is to drive as (from the costs it
will be apparent) if you can afford the green fees, you can afford
a car.
Costs are for non-members:
Peitou
Kuo Hua Golf Club (18 holes)
23-1, Hsiao Ping Ding, Ping Ding Li Tanshui Town, Taipei County
Telephone: +886-2 2621-2882
Rates:
Green fees-Monday to Friday before 9.00 am--NT$1,950; after 9.00 am--NT$2,300;
holidays/weekends--NT$2,800.
Insurance-NT$20
Shoes-NT$50
Golf clubs rental-NT$500 per set
Cart rental-NT$700
Tan Shui Village
Golf Club (18 holes)
309 Shang Gung Road Tan Shui Town
Telephone: +886-2 2621-3271
Rates:
Green Fees-Monday--NT$1,400; Tuesday to Friday before 9.00 am--NT$1,75%;
after 9.00 am--NT$2,100; Saturday, Sunday and holidays--NT$2,800
Bag fee-NT$100
Service-NT$50
Foundation-NT$20
Clubs-NT$350
Shoes-NT$50
Caddy-NT$600
Hsin Tan Shui Golf
Club
300 Ba Shih Road Tan Shui Town
Telephone: +886-2 2809-2466
Rates:
Green fees-Monday to Friday before 9.00 am--NT$1,500; after 9.00 am--NT$2,000;
weekends and holidays--NT$2,500
Caddy-NT$650
Clubs-NT$500
Shoes-NT$200
Tennis
Municipal courts are available for use free of any charges. But
tennis is not popular in Taiwan and if you are
traveling alone, you will have a very hard time finding someone
to play with. Major universities (Taiwan Normal University and Taiwan
National University) and the Taipei American School have hard tennis
courts that are rarely used. Tennis clubs do not really encourage
non-members.
Taipei City Tennis
10, Nanking East Road, Section 4
Telephone: +886-2 2579-6557
Facilities: Six tennis courts
Jogging
and bicycling
Jogging is almost impossible
inside the city unless it is during off hours. As for bicycles,
Taipei City has ruled much of the city streets off limits. However,
there is hope for bicycling outside the city. Bicycles are not for
rent unless you can hook up with a club that has an activity planned
for the weekend. If so, and if a member has an extra bicycle (which
they invariably do) you will be invited to take part.
You can call Giant Foundation at +886-2 2719-2025
or the Taiwan Bicycle Foundation at +886-2 2721-6802
for more information as to when the next route is planned. Some
of the routes can be quite strenuous, climbing mountains. etc. These
routes will take you from inside the city to the wilds of Taiwan
and are very much recommended. The people are very friendly too.
Bowling
Chia
Chia Bowling Center (24 hours)
223, Sung Chiang Road
Telephone: +886-2 2503-7216
Facilities and rates: Two stories of lanes available before 9.00 am
for NT$50; after 9.00 am--NT$60.
Yuan
Shan Bowling Center
3rd Floor, 6 Chung Shan North Road Section 5
Telephone: +886-2 2881-2277
Hsin
Chia Bowling Center
2F, 287 Chang An West Road
Telephone: +886-2 2552-7159
Sung
Lung Bowling Center
2F, 327 Sung Lung Road
Telephone: +886-2 2762-0256
Swimming
Swimming is not as popular on
Taiwan as you might expect on any island. Few people swim regularly,
and half the people cannot swim at all. The dearth of space in most
hotels means that many of them do not have pools, including some
of the five-star hotels in Taipei. Just as it is with tennis, more
swimming pools per capita are located in South and Central Taiwan.
Tung Men Swimming Pool
1, Hsin Yi Road Section 1
Telephone: +886-2 2321-0943
Facilities: Outdoor pool that is only open in the summer, May-September
Ching Mei Swimming Pool
50 Roosevelt Road, Lane 176, Section 5
Telephone: +886-2 2932-9926
Facilities: Outdoor pool open from May-September
Recreation
Taipei Municipal Library
125 Chien Kuo South Road Section 2
Tel: +886-2 2755-2823
One of the best places to do research on
Chinese society and culture, the library is home to a number
of periodicals and newspapers that are useful to the traveler once
he has the chance to catch up. Free, but a passport is required
to get in.
Wisteria House
1, Lane 16, Shin Sheng South Road Section 3
Tel: +886-2 2363-7375
A Taipei Historical Site, the Wisteria
House is an old Japanese-style house located in the center
of the city. Now a teahouse that also serves food, it is an oasis
of tranquility in the bustling city of Taipei.
Peitou
Hot Springs area
Located at the end of the MRT, the business traveler might enjoy
getting off and finding a place to take a natural hot springs
bath. Hotels are available as is a Hot Springs Museum and
Hell Valley, where hot springs bubble up through the ground and
where the water temperature reaches 90 degrees C. It is the former
favorite spot of the Japanese soldiers and government officials
in the colonial period. |
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