“What used to be a place where citizens stood at attention and saluted a flag is now a spot for leisure activities: playing chess and musical instruments, sports, and practicing Chinese opera, qigong, or hip-hop dancing.”

Da’an Forest Park

“The big pond in the park is awesome — there are so many big birds there!”

Gay Taipei

You’d be hard-pressed to find a place in Asia as gay-friendly as Taiwan. “It’s safer,” says Julian Wang, something that’s changed in the last 20 years: “There’s no violence, no murder.” LGBTQ bars and clubs operate in the open, and throughout Taipei, you see same-sex couples holding hands without fear. This year, same-sex marriage is expected to become a reality.

Airbnb host Julian Wang at Café Dalida

The scene, however, remains small. There are two regular dance parties, Blush and Werk. “Werk is the oldest one, and nicer,” says Wang. “It’s hosted at Triangle, a club located in Maji Square at Taipei’s International Flora Expo Park. A lot of top drag queens started from there, including me.”

The heart of the drag scene, however, is Café Dalida, one of the gay bars clustered around the historic Red House Square in the youth-centric Ximending neighborhood. Dalida hosts drag ­performances — Wang performs as Fei Fain (“I use my real Chinese name cuz I can’t come up with a funny one!”) — and viewing parties for RuPaul’s Drag Race. Dalida’s owner, says Wang, would love to bring RuPaul’s Werq the World Tour to Taipei, but he’ll have to spend big. “It’ll cost him NT$3 million.”

There’s also less of the sex-for-money action you find in places like Bangkok or Tokyo, says Wang, who moved to Taipei 13 years ago from Taitung (“imagine a small town where everyone knows each other”). You find that, he says, even at Commander D., “one of the most popular BDSM bars in Taipei,” which is not just for LGBTQ but for fetishists of all stripes. “There is nothing too extreme. People can keep at a safe distance to watch and feel safe.” In other words, it’s as open and friendly as Taipei itself.

Your Best Wee-Hours-of-the-Morning Itinerary

Whether you’re jet-lagged or energized, the city runs all night long, so there’s no shortage of ways to fill the time. Here is Jerry Lee’s ideal night out on the town.

◆ Midnight: “Even if they have no seats at Chuoyinshi Landmark Taproom, that won’t stop you from enjoying the best craft beer around.” ◆ 1:30 A.M.: Stop in at Family Mart to refuel with rice balls — wrapped in seaweed and stuffed with egg, pickled cabbage, cruller-like fried dough, or pork floss — and a carton of iced green tea. ◆ 2 A.M.: Ride YouBike (Taipei’s inexpensive bike-sharing program) to KOR Club: “People who love pure hip-hop — definitely not trap or electro — are drawn here. They have fancy interior design, so there’s also people who enjoy good cocktails as well.” ◆ 5:30 A.M.: Breakfast at Wei Mei, a classic Taiwanese greasy spoon. “They make the best dan bing” — scallion pancakes with fried egg. ◆ 6:30 A.M.: Walk (or YouBike) east to Elephant Mountain and go for a hike to catch the sunrise. “You know you’re still here in the middle of the city, but you feel like you’re part of Mother Nature. You can see sunlight spray onto the buildings, the reflection getting more and more intense as the sun rises.”

Spa Day: Beitou

For over a century, the neighborhood of Beitou has provided an escape from the dense urban ­fabric of Taipei. Just 30 minutes by MRT from Taipei Main Station, it lies at the edge of Yangmingshan National Park, whose volcanic depths fuel ­numerous hot springs.

The often sulfurous pools, now built into resorts, form the engine of Beitou’s economy — but they’re only part of the attraction. “We’re like a village,” says Beitou native Jia-Min Lin. “People are close to each other. We even have a Facebook group. If today my pet bird goes missing, I just post a picture, and people will help to find it.”

Long Nice

“It’s in a Japanese-style building renovated one year ago,” says Lin. “There are two pools, and the bricks of the bathtub are Qilian stone, an ­important material for buildings in old ­Taipei. No food here, though — they only offer a good-quality hot spring and good atmosphere.” (NT$150 per person)