On our way to Okinawa, we stopped in Taiwan and spent a day in Taipei. It's a fascinating city! If the chance arises, we'd gladly go back and spend longer.

Our time in Taipei was short, so we spent a bit of time exploring the city, then focused on Taipei 101 -- a unique architectural highlight of the country.

Taipei 101 is an astonishing 101-story (natch) office building that dominates the Taipei skyline.

Taipei 101 was built between 1997 and 2004. It was the world's tallest building until 2010, when it was surpassed by the Burj Khalifa.

Graphic displays installed in the elevators let you know how fast you're flying up to the observation decks. The 881 meters/minute (33mph) shown here is half the top speed!

The building is designed to counteract earthquakes and typhoon winds up to 134 mph. Among other structural elements, this Tuned Mass Dampener, basically a giant pendulum weighing 728 tons, is suspended between the 92nd and 88th floors.

Our Taipei time was short and sweet! On our way to the airport, we waved goodbye to the Taipei Grand Hotel, constructed to resemble a pagoda.