It’s my friend’s birthday this weekend and he’s thinking of doing an outdoor barbecue considering the better weather we have coming up. Problem is, none of us know any places to do it (you know, Taipei and its distinct lack of backyards). Are there any public areas/parks in Taipei where we could just bring a grill and chill out in the open?
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!! 
(Sorry if this is the wrong subforum – I didn’t know where to put this topic.)
[quote=“kikiko”]It’s my friend’s birthday this weekend and he’s thinking of doing an outdoor barbecue considering the better weather we have coming up. Problem is, none of us know any places to do it (you know, Taipei and its distinct lack of backyards). Are there any public areas/parks in Taipei where we could just bring a grill and chill out in the open?
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!
(Sorry if this is the wrong subforum – I didn’t know where to put this topic.)[/quote]
The public BBQ scene is non-existent 'round here. I’ve seen people having BBQs at Dajia Riverside Park under the Dazhi / Neihu Bridge, but I wouldn’t suggest you do it…in 2009, the city of Taipei banned all outdoor grilling in all public places, with an exception for the Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋節).
A quick Google search produced this:
mykafkaesquelife.blogspot.com/20 … parks.html
Doesn’t say anything specifically about BBQ however… I would think that if you’re willing to travel outside of Taipei City, you could find a suitable location in the Danshui or perhaps Xindian areas. Meanwhile, do you have any friends with a balcony? You might even make a call to Public Works to see if you can get a special permit. Cupla phone calls around town might get you some results.
It’s banned in all of Taipei?! Well damn…
I’ll see if I can make any calls; thanks for the info!
If I were doing what you plan, I would consider going up Chengtian Rd next to 7-11 at Yongning MRT Exit No. 2 in Tuchen. Yongning is the south end of the blue line but it sounds like you have some 4 wheel transportation. Anyway, you can easily see where I mean on google or MRT map. Chengtien Temple is about 3 kilometers up the road. Go past the temple turn off and continue going up the mountain. About 5 kilometers further up the road are a few wooden (very secure and comfortable) wood balconies with ample room for a BBQ grill and seating for about 25 people. Usually no one is using them. They are on the right side of the road and have a tremendous view of the valley. You could easily get the BBQ down the 2-3 steps to the balcony. On the left of the road there are also some of these balconies with ample seating but you have to climb about 20 steps to get up to them. Same view but if the BBQ is heavy, you will need some help getting up to them.
Have you thought about using the roof of your building. I did that during moon festival. If you try to negotiate with your building security guard/manager, I’m sure something can be arranged.