48 Hours in: Taipei

Just a short hop from Hong Kong, Taipei is the perfect destination for a quick getaway with the girls!

Cocktails with a view
At 101 stories high, Tapei 101 was the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2010. The building was architecturally created as a symbol of the evolution of technology and Asian tradition. There is a public Observatory on the 91st floor (NT$450), however expect long queues at peak times and the outside deck is closed in windy weather. Opt for a drink at the bar on the 85th floor instead, and for a minimum spend of NT$930 you can walk around the restaurant to enjoy the view at sunset, with a cocktail in hand. The view from the Ladies Bathroom was priceless!
OUR TIP: Access is via the lift in the Office Tower - don't follow signs to the Observatory!

The Shangri-la's Far Eastern Plaza Hotel
The highlight of this centrally located hotel is the roof-top swimming pool on the 43rd floor. Heated year round it offers fantastic views over Taipei to the 101 building, and comfy sun loungers to complete the relaxation experience. There is also a spa and the Marco Polo lounge on the 38th floor for afternoon tea or cocktails with a view!
OUR TIP: The breakfast buffet should not be missed with its extensive choice of great food.

Hot Spring
Xin Beitou (or New Beitou) is an easy 30 minutes on the Taipei MRT but feels a million miles from the city with its mountain greenery - and smell of sulphur! The Hot Spring Museum (free entry) is housed in a Japanese colonial bathhouse and walks you through the history of Beitou's spas. Follow the road up through the thermal valley to view the steaming source before taking a dip in the hot springs. There is a wide choice of hot spring resorts, or the public Millennium Hot Spring bathhouse next to the museum. For just NT$40 (around HK$10) it offers a choice of hot spring pools of varying temperatures in 3 hour sessions. Unlike many of the hot springs visitors are required to wear bathing suits!

Shilin Night Market
Shilin Night Market is the largest night market in Taiwan, covering a large area of outdoor shops and an indoor market hall. Vendors sell food, clothes, toys and accessories - shoes are a great buy with ladies sandals starting from around HK$100. There is a large food court downstairs with over 500 stalls offering everything from stinky tofu and squid on sticks to steamed pork buns and peanut cookies.

OUR TIP: Go for a foot massage first - try the place opposite the MRT station.

Shopping in Taipei

Find the best places to shop in Taiwan's capital!

Ximending shopping district

Taipei is a shopper's dream, with its multitude of department stores, markets and little alleyways that snake around filled with boutiques and shops. The Taiwanese are a fashionable bunch, so it is never difficult to find a local product - be it a pair of shoes, a handbag or a simple souvenir - that truly reflects the unique character of this island nation.

Ximending

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Taipei's Shopping Districts

The city of Taipei is so big that it can be difficult to sort out where to begin your shopping adventure. Luckily, there are numerous districts around Taipei that offer particular shopping experiences, so you can narrow down where and how to begin your day of retail therapy.

The Daan and Xinyi Districts are full of big shopping malls, so this is a good place to start if you just want to buy something fashionable or check out what Taiwan's fashion is all about. Zhongxiao East Road, in particular, has a huge number of malls and department stores to keep you busy for hours.


The area around Taipei 101, in Xinyi District, East Taipei

Ximending used to be Taipei's theater district, but it is now also a hugely popular shopping area. Ximending is particularly impressive at night, when the huge square glows with massive LCD screens and bright neon lights that advertise the many stores and brands represented here.

Taipei is also home to dozens of markets where vendors sell special products at discounted prices. For instance, the Jade Market is located at the south end Zhongxiao East Road, and is one of the largest jade markets in all of Asia. There is also a huge wholesale clothing market, where vendors offer discounted clothing in large amounts, in the Wufenpu area of the Songshan District.

 

What to Buy in Taipei

There is so much on offer in Taipei that the question really should be, "What not to buy?". The city is literally your oyster when it comes to clothing, shoes, accessories and electronics, and you will also find that it is easy to score cheap DVDs, CDs and techno-gadgets around town.

Sometimes, though, what you really want is something a little bit special - a souvenir you can only procure in Taipei, and for that, you should keep a look out for jade, Buddhist items and wooden crafts, all of which are local specialities in Taiwan.

Jade jewellery and statues are best purchased in the Jade Marketin the Daan District, while the area around Longshan Temple onXichang Street is an excellent place to search for Buddhist items and typical Taiwanese wooden crafts.


A young kid in Ximending

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My Favorite Night Market in Taipei City

Shilin Night Market: No Taipei shopping odyssey is complete without walking around the infamous Shilin Night Market, in the northern part of the capital. Shilin is a maze of small streets and alleys that packs thousands of food stalls, small shops, karaoke stores, arcades, massage parlors, and other small businesses.

If you're only gonna have time to visit one night market during your trip to Taipei, this should be it. Sellers start setting up their stalls around 4 in the afternoon, but the best time to be there is between 9:00pm and midnight.

Getting to Shilin Night Market: Take the MRT (Danshui Line) to Jiantan Station.


Shilin Night Market

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English Books in Taipei

If you need to buy magazines or books, know that the Page One bookstore on the fourth floor of the Taipei 101 mall has a huge selection of English stuff. If you're looking for English-Chinese language material, travel guidebooks to Taiwan, or an imported mag, Page One is where you'll most likely find it.


Page One Bookstore in the Taipei 101 Mall

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Taipei 101 Mall

I'm not a mall guy. I prefer shopping at small, traditional markets like the Jade Market or even better... local markets that are so small, they don't even have a name. BUT, I have to honestly admit that the shopping mall at the base of the Taipei 101 tower is really nice. The food court is the best in Taiwan - in my opinion - and there's a supermarket (Jason's) which has the biggest deli in Taipei.

I've got my little ritual every time I go to the Taipei 101 building:

First, I go to Page One to buy a book or two. After that, I slowly make my way down to Jason's where I buy a fresh baguette, some brie cheese, a cold salad from the deli and a bottle of strong, Belgium beer. Then I find a table outside and I have a picnic with one of the finest views in the world above my head - an awesome skyscraper that rises half a kilometer toward the sky!


Taipei 101 Mall

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Tips for Taipei Shoppers

• Taipei is an extremely crowded city, so shopping areas tend to be quite busy. Be prepared for big crowds and queues.
  
• Keep an eye on your wallet and personal belongings, as pickpockets are known to work the large shopping areas and markets. I've personally never been a target but I've heard a few scary stories about people being mugged while doing some late night shopping in Taipei.
  
• In some of the markets in Taipei, it is necessary to haggle for your price, so come with a price in mind and bargain upwards to reach an agreement with the seller. It is common practice to ask for a 10 to 20 percent discount at the beginning.
  
• In summer, shopping in Taipei during the day is almost impossible because of the heat, so most locals do their shopping during the evening, when the weather is cooler.

I hope you enjoy shopping in Taipei and that you find what you're looking for! Zai Jian!

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A guide to shopping in Taipei

 a guide by rjay

Shopping districts, markets, local made products, luxury shopping areas, electronics malls and more around Taipei.

Sorry, we have no imagery here.

Map data ©2013 Google, Kingway - Terms of Use

Map

Satellite

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Zhongshan North Road

Treelined and home to a growing number of Taipei's most prestigious shops. Stores in the area include Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Yves Saint Laurent. The Regent Galleria complex which hosts brands such as home to Hermes, Bulgari and Cartier.

a: Section 2, Zhongshan North Road Taipei City

a: 台北市中山北路二段

Wufenpu shopping district

Fashion cheap – affordable clothing and accessories from over 100 shops and stalls are crammed into the tightly packed Wufenpu retail area. Located just off Yongji road and in surrounding lanes.

a: Yongji Road, Taipei City

a: 台北市永吉路

Bellavita – Taipei

Another grand luxury brand mall located in Xinyi District. Bellavita is host to stores such as Bottega Veneta, Bvlgari, Gucci, Tiffany & Co as well as numerous other international brands and boutiques. A very pricey food court sits in the basement, while the upper floors host a number of restaurants including L'ATELIER de Joël Robuchon, the first Michelin Guide listed restaurant to open in Taiwan.

a: 28 Songren Rd, Xinyi District

a: 台北市信義區松仁路28號

Nanjing West Road

Shinkong Mitsukoshi department stores, streets full of small shops and small eateries. SPOT – Taipei Film House, an independent cinema / art house cinema, is located nearby.

a: Nanjing West Road Taipei City

a: 台北市南京西路

NOVA

Several floors of independent electronic sellers – shop for laptops, computer accessories, cameras and mobile phones. Smaller than Guanghua Digital Plaza.

a: 2 Guanqian Road (near corner of Zhongxiao West Road), Taipei City

a: 台北市館前路2號

Red House

This Japanese era cinema opened in 1908 and now plays host to art exhibits, a tea house, a 200 seat theatre and the Red House Boutique Area. This complex is now home to independent small shops run by creative artists. Products range from t-shirts, accessories, knick knacks and other small run products.

a: Chengdu Road, Ximending Wanhua District, Taipei City

a: 台北市萬華區西門町成都路10號

Taipei 101 Mall

Located in Xinyi District, Taipei 101′s upmarket shopping mall includes the Designer Walk which houses Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci, Bulgari and other major international fashion labels. A large sized food court and the premium Jason’s supermarket and deli are located below. Taipei 101 Mall is located at the base of Taipei 101.

a: 45 Shifu Road, Taipei City

a: 台北市市府路45號

Ximending

Taipei’s largest pedestrianised area is full of Taiwanese youth fashion shops, fast food, street stalls and cinemas. The historic Red Theatre is located here.

a: Xinmending

a: 西門町

Xinyi District

Xinyi District is home to numerous department stores and malls including several large branches of the upscale Shin Kong Mitsukoshi department store, Bellavita (high end brand mall), Taipei 101 Mall (high end brands, Jason’s, large food court, restaurants) and Eslite’s flagship bookshop (Taiwan’s largest). Also located in the area are the Vieshow cinemas, Taipei 101, Taipei World Trade Centre, Taipei City Hall and Taipei City Hall Bus Station.

a: Xinyi District, Taipei

a: 台北市信義區

Zhongxiao East Road

Taipei's eastside is home to 3 large Sogo department stores (with food courts), lanes full of trendy shops and places to eat. Mostly concentrated between Fuxing and Dunhua Roads.

a: Zhongxiao East Road (between Fuxing and Dunhua Roads) Taipei City

a: 台北市忠孝東路(復興路與敦化路間)

Breeze Centre

Nine floors of shopping, plus a basement food court, upmarket deli and supermarket. The luxury floor includes Louis Vuitton, Bulgari, Dior, Prada and other boutiques. The centre is also home to Tokyu Hands, Kinokuniya bookstore, the Taipei branch of Dean & Deluca, the large Breeze supermarket and food court.

a: 39 Fuxing South Road, Section 1 Taipei City

a: 台北市復興南路1段39號

Gongguan

Being close to two major universities Gongguan is one of the more interesting shopping areas in Taipei and is bustling and crowded almost any night of the week.

a: Gongguan Taipei City

a: 台北市公館

Guanghua Digital Plaza

Guang Hua has by far Taipei’s largest collection of electronics retailers. Shop for mobile phones, cameras, computers, electronics accessories, parts and DVDs. The centre is located right next to Hope Market and across the road from Guanghua Jade Market.

a: Jinshan North Road and Civic Boulevard, Section 3 Taipei City

a: 台北市市民大道三段

Guanghua Jade Market

A smaller and less touristy jade market than Jianguo Jade Market, but with a wide variety of jade products and a large number of stalls. Located across the road from Guanghua Digital Plaza and Hope Market.

a: corner Xinsheng South Road and Bade Road, Section 1 Taipei City

a: 台北市八德路1段與新生南路交叉口

Hope Market

Pick up food products made by small local producers, such as Taiwanese tea, sauces, sweets and wine. This is also the best farmers market in Taipei to buy local fresh produce fro maorund northern and central Taiwan, including a good range of organically grown fruit and veg. Hope Market is located next door to Guanghua Digital Plaza, across the road from Guanghua Jade Market and just a short walk from the MRT.

a: 49 Bade Road (next to Guanghua Digital Plaza) Taipei City

a: 台北市八德路一段49號(緊臨光華商場旁)

Jianguo Flower Market

Located under an elevated expressway, the southern end of the Jade and Flower Market is home to numerous colourful flower stalls. Located across Renai Road from Jianguo Jade Market.

Jianguo Jade Market

The northern end of the combined Jianguo Flower and Jade Market is home to dozens of sellers offering jade ornaments and souvenirs.

a: under the elevated Jianguo Expressway (between Renai and Xinyi Roads) Taipei City

a: 台北市建國高架橋下(仁愛路與信義路間)