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Letter From Taipei
How an anti-theft feature in Taiwan homes became the island’s ‘biggest eyesore’
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During the so-called Taiwan Miracle, metalworkers were given free rein to weld steel into art. The metal window cages of the time, therefore, featured elaborate motifs.
PHOTO: OLD HOUSE FACE
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TAIPEI – Why does Taipei, one of Asia’s wealthiest cities and home to many of the world’s ultra-rich, look so ugly and dilapidated?
This was one of my first thoughts when I was posted to Taipei in late 2022 as Taiwan correspondent for this publication, and it’s not just because so many of the city’s old buildings feature grey and shabby exteriors. Not to mention all the unauthorised rooftop additions made of metal sheeting or plywood.
