A walk along Taipei's sidewalks is radically different from a walk elsewhere in the world, and ignorance of the laws of motion can lead to results that range from frustration to injury. Consider, by way of comparison, the typical American sidewalk. A simple principle defines its purpose: it is a conduit between Point A (the starting place) and Point B (the destination). Ideal sidewalks are therefore well-paved and unobstructed routes constructed to help pedestrians arrive with a minimum of hassle and danger (thanks in part, no doubt, to dedicated action by generations of torts attorneys).
Taiwan's sidewalks are based on other principles—some with deep historical roots—and function in different ways. First of all, forget the primary function of sidewalks as conduits from Point A to Point B. As any local pedestrian knows, the sidewalk itself is the first destination. Sure, walkers have an ultimate goal in mind, but any route always includes intermediate stopping points.
For example, sidewalks are for shopping. Local residents are aggressively entrepreneurial, and one of the best ways to pick up some extra money (and avoid bothersome sales taxes at the same time) is to become part of what amounts to a citywide streetside market. From early morning until late at night, vendors claim large sections of sidewalk space to hawk clothing and leather goods, watches and costume jewelry, books and electronics, and countless other items that are oftentimes obtained from factory overruns and seconds or wholesale and retail store closeouts. These are spread on blankets, portable tables, truck beds, and display cases mounted on motorcycle seats—all easily movable in case a strolling police officer comes by to clear a wider path for pedestrians. Combined with Taipei's numerous night markets, street vendors add diversity to the retail scene and provide plenty of opportunity for another favorite pastime with a long history: bargaining.
Much of Taipei's walking space is being usurped by parked vehicles. Parking lot construction in Taipei has fallen far behind the huge increase in automobile and motorcycle ownership.
Sidewalks are also for eating. Chinese snacks are available all day. Morning commuters may pick up soybean milk, fried bread, or steamed dumplings near the bus stop on the way to work, buy a lunch box from a curbside vendor at noon, and some sliced fruit or a sandwich for an afternoon snack. And when the hungries hit late at night, virtually all neighborhoods have vendors selling bowls of noodles, grilled sausages, and other Chinese-style snacks from carts and food wagons. Many vendors also provide tables and stools, encouraging their customers to stay for a chat and enjoy watching passersby. The food vendors give the sidewalks a genuine Chinese flavor.
Sidewalks are for conversation as well. Throughout the city, clusters of people crowd around shop windows, sit on stools to read newspapers and play checkers, or just chat together between bouts with curbside video games. Taipei is a hectic place, but the sidewalks have a more languid pace.
Even in the days before paved sidewalks, Chinese city streets were invariably crowded with vendors, portable snack stands, and shops displaying their wares. For confirmation, take a close look at "A City of Cathay," the long handscroll painting (1,153 centimeters) done in 1736 by five imperial court painters. Vehicles, pedestrians, vendors, and leisure activities share the streets in a bustling display of city life.
Traditionally, the more cluttered the streets and walkways—day and night—the more interesting the city. Why? Because there are always Things To Do! The city is je-nao, "hot and noisy," a phrase indicating that people are having a good time in an especially busy atmosphere. The concept is similar to the European tradition of spending leisure time in piazzas and plazas.
A break from Taipei sidewalks—Some of the best walking areas are in the broad median strips of Jenai and Tunhua Roads.
Taipei's architecture helps promote a promenade culture. The practice in southern China of constructing buildings so that the second floor extends forward over the sidewalk is widespread in Taiwan as well. It makes good sense. Pedestrians are protected from the intense summer heat and the frequent rains that occur through out the year. And since a large portion of the island's multistory structures use the first floor as commercial space, pedestrians find that every five to ten steps along the sidewalk puts them in front of a different shop, restaurant, or other business. Hence, the lure of lingering along any walking route.
After understanding the multifaceted role that sidewalks play in Taipei's lifestyle, it is easier for foreigners to adjust to what seems at first to be an incredible clutter. They start to expect more from even a brief walk, and realize as well that the time needed to cover any distance is going to be longer than what it would take in Chicago or Philadelphia.
Visitors should also get used to different styles of walking, including the ubiquitous "Taipei stroll." This slower walking speed can drive brisk-walking foreigners to distraction and even anger. Local pedestrians are usually not in a rush, and they more or less unconsciously factor in extra time when heading for their ultimate destination. Foreign residents must adjust or risk ulcers.
Why the slower walking pace? One guess is environmental. Taiwan is a humid place, summer and winter, and hurried action quickly produces a heavy sweat. Another possibility is that since people find the pace of work on the job unremittingly hectic, walking is one of the few regular activities that provides a degree of relaxation.
Watch out for other walking habits as well. For example, people rarely keep to the right of the sidewalk, just like the rather free interpretation of vehicular lanes made by most drivers. And they almost never walk in a straight line. The reason for this is unclear; perhaps it evolved unconsciously as a way to avoid Chinese ghosts, who cannot turn corners. Many women and girls also like to lock arms or hold hands when walking with friends, becoming a sauntering bottleneck.
A widely accepted point of view: the more cluttered a city's streets and sidewalks, both day and night, the more interesting the city. Why? Because there are always Things To Do!
And like the roads and highways, one other rule is paramount on sidewalks: whoever gets there first has the right of way. Expect to be cut off in mid-step by people exiting buildings or approaching from any direction. No impoliteness is intended; it's just the way things are. This is another reason for a slower pace, because the probabilities of collisions are greatly reduced.
Watch also for another very typical way of walking: what may be called the "falling leaf pattern." In this, pedestrians take a meandering route characterized by sudden lurches to the left or right. These are occasionally interrupted by a brief stop, perhaps to look at something displayed by a vendor or store marquee. It's impossible to divine when the turns will take place, in which direction they will be, or when the stops will occur. But the chances are very good that they will happen just as one tries to pass—and that they will effectively block any attempt to get by.
Finding ways to pass other pedestrians, by the way, is not a worry limited just to city visitors. All Taipei residents in a hurry have been thwarted by this pattern and by the general tendency for people, alone or in groups, to use all the available space on a sidewalk by following erratic walking patterns. But the culturally attuned walker will laugh off such habits instead of screaming or tearing out hair. Just know some basic principles and life is easier—and more enjoyable.
In fact, pedestrians have for decades found Taipei an extraordinarily interesting place. But in recent years, the sidewalks have started to lose some of their traditional character, damaging the quality of city life. In many parts of town, people no longer dominate the sidewalks.
Today, many of the relatively broad sidewalk areas that line most of the city's main streets have become jammed parking lots with only narrow, winding paths left for pedestrians. Often there are two nearly unbroken rows of motorcycles (and sometimes automobiles) stretching along the sidewalk, one row next to the curb and the other parked underneath the overhanging second story of nearby buildings. As a result, the city appears much more crowded than it really is.
Times haven't changed much—A section of the long scroll "A City of Cathay" shows vehicles, pedestrians, and vendors crowding the streets in a bustling display of city life.
And, like any unmanaged parking area, the crush of vehicles on the sidewalks also attracts dirt, wastepaper, and garbage—all difficult to clean up because of the effort needed to sweep around the clutter. Hence, there has been a decline in the old habit of business people sweeping and watering down the sidewalks and streets in front of their establishments. The result is a thickening patina of dirt that further detracts from the city's old charm.
Sidewalks have also become substitutes for streets. When traffic jams build up, as they frequently do, motorcyclists brazenly hop the curb and compete with the pedestrians. Hear an engine roar? Get ready to dodge a motorcyclist taking a shortcut. Size and aggressiveness rule the route—another good principle for pedestrians to know.
The usurpation of walking space by vehicles is threatening the city's spirit by making it less people-friendly. And other nefarious forces are joining the vehicular plague. Public sidewalks are becoming private storage areas and repair shops. Hazards abound. Pi les of sheet metal near small workshops, disassembled engines by automobile repair shops, and masses of packing materials near retail stores make parents worry about every step their kids take outdoors. Adding to the danger are unmarked holes, broken sidewalk tiles, and uneven surfaces. No wonder people walk slowly: they have no choice.
Nevertheless, there is reason for optimism about a rejuvenation of the sidewalk pleasures of strolling, shopping, eating, and talking with friends. Despite the rapid increase in the number of cars and motorcycles over the past few years, vehicles are not likely to crowd out a time-honored tradition. As in other major metropolitan cities, parking lot development and a dedication to vigorous law enforcement in Taipei will prove highly effective in giving pedestrians priority over vehicles. When the public and their elected representatives decide to take aggressive corrective action, everyone will once again enjoy the many-faceted spirit of the Chinese sidewalk.