Taiwan's cities after dark

Taiwan is a night-time society. Shops stay open late, convenience stores never close, and evening is when many people eat, shop and walk. That makes its cities as worth seeing after dark as by day.

In Taipei, the skyline is dominated by Taipei 101, which for several years after its completion in 2004 was the tallest building in the world. Its lights change colour for holidays and events, and on New Year's Eve fireworks are launched from the tower itself. The hills on the city's eastern edge, such as Elephant Mountain, give the classic view over Xinyi at blue hour.

Around the capital, districts of New Taipei such as Xizhi have their own skylines of apartment towers, glowing along the Keelung River as the sky fades.

In the south, Kaohsiung has made light part of its identity, with lanterns and installations along the Love River around the Lunar New Year and a harbour front that stays lively at night.

And then there are the night markets, found in almost every city and town, where the light comes from bare bulbs, neon signs and the steam rising from the stalls.

The best moment for a Taiwanese city is usually blue hour, a little after sunset, when the sky still holds colour and the lights are already on.

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Photos: magictv, jaboczw, hugo_ob, artideg, fishopen770, aiworldexplore, 4601460 on Pixabay, used under the Pixabay Content License. These are not my photographs.