Taipei sits in a basin ringed by mountains, a capital of contradictions that somehow all work: a skyline tower next to a century-old temple, night markets an MRT stop from world-class museums, hot-spring steam rising at the edge of the suburbs. The city's reputation, though, rests less on sights than on temperature — the politeness of queues, the helpfulness of strangers, the convenience stores that never close. First-time visitors usually leave planning a return trip.
