Cranes

Taipei, 200 years ago was just of ferryman's shack on the Danshui river. But now it is  a city of 2.7 million people. During the Japanese Colonial period of 1985 to 1945, Taipei was built up with typical Japanese meticulous planning. After WWII, during the Chiang Kai-Shek dictatorship, there was no urban planning at all. Because Chiang's KMT thought they were all going to retake the mainland there was no need to put much effort into Taiwan. No reason to plan for Taiwan, if you think your future is on the mainland. After Chiang's death in 1975, Taiwanese could openly say that their future was here on this island and they should plan that future. But even then, martial law wasn't lifted until 1987, Taiwan suffered 38 years under martial law, only Syria has been under martial law longer.

To move stuff in this crowded city requires cranes, they are amazing to watch.

Up on the roof, (as the song goes).

And in construction.

Construction details

Mobile cranes

These cranes are actually escape devices for tall buildings, I can just seen scare people reading the user manual as the build burns.