Day 7 ~ National Palace Museum, ShiLin Night Market, and New Year's Fireworks

Day 7 saw the group spending the morning on research in the zebrafish labs.  After, the whole group traveled to the National Palace Museum.  This was a large group of beautiful buildings filled with so much historic Chinese art it would take years to see the entire collection.  Artifacts ranging from jewelry carved from the tusks of rhinoceros to ornately carved wooden furniture, to immense paintings and pottery were on display.  Each had its own story and piece of history to tell.  The audio guides we were given explained the context and the artist behind the piece, making the whole experience very interesting.  Had I not had the audio guide I would've moved through the museum much faster and learned a lot less.  After the museum and a crowded bus ride later we ended up at the ShiLin Night Market.  After visiting the Rahoe Street Night Market the previous evening, I was prepared for a packed, chaotic, and noisy evening.  I was plesantly surprised with this night market actually.  The ShiLin Night Market had way more shops selling clothing and goods than the Rahoe Street market.  I enjoyed finding gifts for my family and friends, as well as doing a little bit of shopping for myself.  Once we had walked through the entire market, we ended up back on the subway to our spot for watching fireworks from Taipei 101.  We got to our designated spot about two hours in advance, and by the time midnight rolled around the area was packed.  The fireworks show was shorter than I expected, but still beautiful.  The crowds were massive, but surprisingly calm and relaxed compared to what they may have been at home. The people were also very quiet during the fireworks themselves.  The whole event was quiet and not a big spectacle.