I had a 36-hour layover in Taipei that I almost spent entirely in the airport hotel. Glad I didn’t.

Taipei is one of those cities that rewards walking in a way that isn’t immediately obvious. The surface-level story — night markets, Din Tai Fung, the skyline — is all there, but the actual texture of the place is in the neighborhoods.

I spent most of my time in Zhongshan and Datong, just walking east-west along streets that weren’t on any map recommendations. The light in November is incredible — low and directional even at midday, with that particular quality you only get in subtropical cities in late autumn.

On shooting unfamiliar cities

There’s a kind of photography that tries to explain a place — to give the viewer information about it. That’s journalism. Then there’s the kind that just tries to convey being there, the feeling of moving through a space.

On layovers like this, I lean into the second mode. I don’t know enough to explain Taipei. But I can show you what it felt like to turn a corner at 7am with a coffee and a camera and nowhere specific to be.

The night market shots are coming in a follow-up post. Raohe Street at 9pm is its own whole thing.