Taipei

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Taipei (台北市, táiběishì) is the capital of Taiwan and the nucleus of the Xinbei (新北市, xīnběishì) municipality, Taiwan's largest. Taipei, including it's neighboring commuter-cities, is a large city with a city bus and subway system (MRT) and connections to the rest of the island via several bus companies as well as high speed and local rail. <map lat='25.020123' lng='121.489859' zoom='11' view='0' float='right'/>

Hitching Out

Taiwan National Highway 1, which runs from Keelung in the north to Kaohsiung in the south, runs straight through Taipei. Additionally, highways 3 and 5 run through Taipei's exurbs.

West towards Taoyuan, Southwest toward Hsinchu, Taichung, Tainan, and Kaohsiung

Highway 1 runs along practically the entire length of Taiwan's west coast, which includes all the islands other major cities.

One place to catch a ride westward on highway one is near Deyin Elementary School (德音國小, déyīn gúoxiǎo) in Wugu/Taishan. Many busses stop at this school, the most convenient from the city center perhaps being the 637, which you can catch at Chéngdōu Road (成都路) near the Ximen MRT station (西門站, xīměnzhàn), or the 638 which runs from the Nanjing East MRT station (南京東路站, nánjīngdōnglùzhàn) and past Minqian West Road MRT station (民權西路站, mínquánxīlùzhàn).

From the bus stop, take the road just behind you to the east (left as you're facing it, right from the perspective of the bus you just got off) towards Xinwu Road, Section 2 (新五路二段, xīnwǔlù èrduàn), and turn right. Walk 150 meters along this road, being careful because it's essentially an expressway, with no sidewalks and not intended for pedestrians. At the first light you hit, you want to cross the street. Again, be careful, as there's no crosswalk and the lights operate in a funny rotation. Once across, you're looking at the on ramp to highway 1 west. Most traffic comes from the south, so you're best walking a bit to your right and waiting on the shoulder of the curving entrance to the ramp from the south.

Timmy Tofu was picked up from this spot in a matter of seconds, by the very first vehicle that passed.