Why are the segments eight floors each?

Eight is a lucky number in Chinese culture

Taipei 101 Quiz: The Giant Wind Damper and Bamboo Design

From 2004 to 2010 a tower shaped like a bamboo stalk was the tallest building in the world, and this Taipei 101 quiz explores how it handles wind and earthquakes. Play 10 interactive questions on its 508-meter height, the tuned mass damper, the Damper Babies, eight-floor segments, C. Y. Lee, record elevators, New Year fireworks and Typhoon Soudelor.

Start Taipei 101 Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Height
How tall is Taipei 101 to its spire?
Record
When was it the world's tallest building?
Damper
What is the giant steel sphere inside the tower?
Weight
Roughly how heavy is the damper?
Visible
What is unusual about the damper?
Mascots
What are the damper's cartoon mascots called?
Bamboo
Which plant inspired the tower's segmented shape?
Eight
Why are the segments eight floors each?
Architect
Who designed Taipei 101?
Typhoon
During which 2015 typhoon did the damper swing about a meter?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: How tall is Taipei 101 to its spire?
Answer: 508 meters
It has 101 floors above ground.
Q2: When was it the world's tallest building?
Answer: 2004 to 2010
Burj Khalifa then surpassed it.
Q3: What is the giant steel sphere inside the tower?
Answer: A tuned mass damper
It reduces swaying.
Q4: Roughly how heavy is the damper?
Answer: 660 metric tons
It hangs between upper floors.
Q5: What is unusual about the damper?
Answer: Visitors can see it
It is a tourist attraction.
Q6: What are the damper's cartoon mascots called?
Answer: Damper Babies
They promote the building.
Q7: Which plant inspired the tower's segmented shape?
Answer: Bamboo
It symbolizes growth.
Q8: Why are the segments eight floors each?
Answer: Eight is a lucky number in Chinese culture
It suggests prosperity.
Q9: Who designed Taipei 101?
Answer: C. Y. Lee
His firm designed many Taiwan towers.
Q10: During which 2015 typhoon did the damper swing about a meter?
Answer: Typhoon Soudelor
It showed the system working.

Taipei 101 Quiz – The Giant Wind Damper and Bamboo Design

Taipei 101 rises 508 meters to its spire and was the world's tallest building from 2004 until the Burj Khalifa opened in 2010. Designed by C. Y. Lee, its stacked segments resemble a bamboo stalk, each eight floors high because eight is a lucky number.

Inside hangs a 660-metric-ton steel tuned mass damper that sways against the tower's motion during typhoons and earthquakes. Visitors can see it, and cartoon mascots called the Damper Babies promote it.

During Typhoon Soudelor in 2015, the damper swung about a meter. The tower's elevators were the fastest in the world when it opened, and its New Year fireworks are famous.

What This Quiz Teaches

Architecture and travel fans will enjoy these questions.

How tall the tower is
How the damper works
What inspired its design
Who designed it
Which events tested it

Did You Know?

The observatory sits on the 89th floor.
A shopping mall fills the lower floors.
The building earned a green building certification.
Its name refers to its 101 floors.
Taiwan sits in an active earthquake zone.