Taipei main station, Transportation hub in Taipei, Taiwan
Taipei Main Station is a large transit building in central Taipei that brings together intercity trains, the high-speed rail, local metro lines, and the airport MRT on a single site. The structure rises several floors above ground and goes several levels underground, all linked by a network of corridors, shops, and exits that spread across a wide area.
The first station on this site was built in the late 19th century during the Japanese colonial period and went through several rebuilds over the following decades. The current building dates from the 1980s and was gradually expanded to absorb new transport lines as they were added to the city.
A well-known local habit at this station is floor picnicking: on weekends, many people, often migrant workers, sit directly on the marble floor of the main hall to share meals and rest. This scene turns the building into something closer to a public square than a transit point.
The building has many levels and exits, which can make it hard to get your bearings on a first visit, so it helps to note your exit number before you arrive. Signs are in both English and Chinese, and staff are easy to find at the main junctions inside the building.
There is an in-city airport check-in counter in the basement where passengers can drop off their luggage before boarding the train to Taoyuan Airport. This means travelers can walk through the airport without carrying bags, picking them up only at the gate.
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