Taipei, the capital of the island nation of Taiwan. The city skyscrapers reach up from a basin in the north of Taiwan, which is separated from the Chinese mainland by the narrow Formosa Strait.Taipei itself has grown from a swampy farming settlement into a modern metropolis in an extraordinarily short time, most of its development having taken place since World War II. The latest engineering feat to grace the city's ever-rising skyline is the soaring Taipei 101 tower (named because of its 101 floors), opened in 2004, which not only serves as an amazing tourist attraction for those with a head for heights, but is also the city's international financial centre.