In spite of the tensions between Taiwan and China (and my own serious misgiving about the activities and intentions of the Chinese Communist Party), I absolutely love the city of Beijing. Maybe not as much as I used to—age and experience have taken some of the sheen off.
To be sure, the capital of the People’s Republic of China is a fundamentally different city than the capital of the Republic of China. I’ll have a funny story about this distinction in a minute.
The purpose of this post, to be sure—of the entire Taipei vs Beijing debate—is not to make you “pick” one city, and skip the other. I just want to help you set realistic expectations!
How Taipei Almost Got Me Deported from China
About 15 years ago, when I was living in Shanghai as an English teacher, I posed what I assumed was an innocent question to my students. “What is the capital of the Republic of China,” I asked, “Taipei or Beijing?” When every single one of them chose the latter instead of the former, I proceeded to issue a gentle correction—which, again, I assumed was totally above-board. Not so.
The good news? I didn’t get deported and/or banned from the People’s Republic of China for my indiscretion. The bad news? In that moment, I realized just how contentious the idea of Taiwan as an independent country (a reality I had never previously questioned) was in mainland China. Needless to stay, if you decide to visit Beijing after you’ve been in Taipei, I’d suggest not even bothering to broach the topic!
Ways to Compare Taipei with Beijing
Getting there and around
These days, it’s easier (and cheaper) to fly nonstop to Taipei than it is to fly to Beijing, at least if you’re outside of Asia. Once you’re on the ground, I personally find Taipei’s MRT system a lot more intuitive to use (and humane in size) than Beijing, to say nothing about the fact that much of Taipei’s city center is comfortably walkable. This is only the case in certain areas of Beijing.
Things to do
Both Taipei and Beijing are full of amazing attractions. In Taipei, for example, you can spend the day praying at Longshan Temple or eating your way along Yongkang Street and then, after watching the sunset behind Taipei 101 from Xiangshan Mountain, enjoy the colors and tastes of a night market. In Beijing, meanwhile, legendary attractions like the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven speak for themselves.
Restaurants and nightlife
You won’t have a bad meal in either Beijing or Taipei, though in my opinion neither city has a world-leading restaurant scene. I generally prefer Taipei’s street food for its cleanliness (particularly within night markets such as the ones at Shida, Shilin and Raohe Street). When it comes to nightlife, there are plenty of bars and clubs in both cities, though if you happen to be gay, nothing in Beijing compares to The Red House in Taipei’s Ximen area.
Hotels
Beijing has more (and better) hotels than Taipei; they’re also more expensive on the whole. Taipei, to be sure, is one of the only cities in the world where I find Airbnbs to be better, on the whole, than hotels. There are exceptions to this rule, of course, such as with citizenM Taipei Hotel Northgate, accessible on foot from both Taipei Main Station and Ximen.
Onward adventures
Virtually everywhere in northern Taiwan, from Yangmingshan mountain, to Keelung, to Jiufen and even Yilan, is within day-trip distance of Taipei, to say nothing of how easy it is to get to points far beyond the capital in a matter of hours. By contrasts, the main day trip from Beijing is the Great Wall of China (though, to be fair, it’s relatively easy to fly or take a train to other cities in China from Beijing).
How Many Days Do You Need in Beijing? What About Taipei?
Beijing is an absolutely massive city, and while it has a very good subway system, the reality is that traversing distance takes time. Moreover, because certain attractions may require advance reservations (sometimes, unexpectedly), you might need to see things on a schedule other than the one you originally planned. I recommend spending a minimum of 3-4 nights in Beijing, with extras for any day trips you plan to take, such as to the Great Wall.
For Taipei, on the other hand, you can see the city center in as little as a day or two. Well, not the entire city center, but at least the highlights. By contrast, over half a dozen cities, towns and natural attractions in northern Taiwan are within day-trip distance of Taipei, meaning that you could realistically spend a week (or even longer) in the city and no be bored or feel like you were missing out.
Other FAQ About Visiting Beijing and Taipei
Is Beijing more expensive than Taipei?
In some senses, Beijing is definitely more expensive than Taipei. You can expect to pay more for hotels, for instance, although this comes with the caveat that Beijing has both more hotels than Taipei, and higher-caliber ones as well. On the whole, however, Beijing might not be significantly more expensive than Taipei.
Is Beijing or Taipei the capital of China?
Beijing is the capital of the People’s Republic of China (PRC); Taipei is the capital of the Republic of China (ROC). Although the ROC views Taiwan and the legitimate “Chinese” state, most people in the world recognize Beijing (and not Taipei) to be the capital of China.
Is Beijing the capital of the Republic of China?
Beijing is the capital of the People’s Republic of China, which is the official name given to the country that currently occupies the Chinese mainland. The capital of the Republic of China (in other words, Taiwan) is Taipei. You can freely discuss these distinctions while in Taiwan, though I don’t recommend doing so in China.
The Bottom Line
Comparing Taipei vs Beijing isn’t always as dangerous as it was for me 15 years ago, when doing so nearly got me deported from the Chinese mainland. Indeed, Beijing and Taipei don’t have a whole lot in common, their status as national (yes, I said it) capitals notwithstanding. While Taipei is a livable city with a manageable footprint you can easily explore, Beijing can feel dystopian and difficult to penetrate, in part because of how vast it is—and in spite of how much I’ve come to love it over the years. Need personalized help planning your visit to the Chinese-speaking part of the world? Hire me to create a custom Taiwan (and, perhaps, mainland China) itinerary.
