Text 1 Taiwan On Top

The official opening of the Taipei 101 Tower in December 2004, makes it one of the world's tallest building (Fig. 2.1). In the 20th century, competition for this title was largely waged in Chicago and New York, but it has recently migrated to Asia.

 

Figure 2.1 - Taipei 101, considered one of the world's

tallest skyscraper

 

Hong Kong, Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur, and now Taipei, Taiwan, all have modern mega-structures, and more are planned in India and China. So why are Asian countries building so high just when the United States and Europe are backing off from the competition?

The many answers to this question include pride, the explicit display of national development, prosperity, ambition, and the eagerness to create new national landmarks. Of importance too is the hope that the prestige will stimulate both domestic and foreign attention, putting less developed capitalist nations firmly into the international limelight.