25 Reasons To Love Taipei

City Taiwan

Taipei might just be one of the most underrated cities to visit. It doesn’t matter whether you are a foodie, a shopper, or if you simply enjoy marvelling at the wonders of nature – Taipei will have you covered.

So many street snacks to love, so many night markets to roam at, so many more karaoke sessions that we need, so many cultural centres to visit. Taipei is one destination in Asia you must visit.

Here are 25 Reasons To Love Taipei.


#1 THE CITYSCAPE AND ITS ORGANISED MESS


You’ve longed to see iconic skylines in cities like Paris and New York, but Taiwan’s scenic cityscape also holds its own charm. Signboards are everywhere, mostly with Chinese characters that we can’t read – but this mess is precisely what we appreciate.

Taiwanese Bubble Tea

Chun Cui He Milk Tea


#2 TAIWAN MILK TEA


Taiwan is home to many good milk teas. They come in bottles of all sizes and patterns, and can be easily found at all the convenience stores. Just pick one up at random and chances are it won’t disappoint.

Dumplings Taiwan


#3 STEAMED DUMPLINGS


Taiwan might not be the origin of dumplings, but you will be able to find tons of these all over the streets. A plate of piping hot steamed dumplings are what we yearn for the most when we visit in the cold December.

Taiwan metro Station


#4 THE EFFICIENT METRO SYSTEM


Getting around the country is easy, especially when their metro system is clean, organised and very efficient. And inexpensive, of course.

Tonghua Night Market

Linjiang Night Market


#5 THE SHEER NUMBER OF NIGHT MARKETS


This goes without saying. Taiwan’s sheer number of night markets means every night will be occupied and fulfilling. We love roaming these markets and hunting for the best street hawkers and snack stalls.

Din Tai Fung


#6 DIN TAI FUNG


Taiwan is, after all, the birthplace of the world-famous Din Tai Fung. Take things up a notch by visiting the brand’s very first outlet in Xinyi road.

Taiwan Convenience Stores


#7 THE ARRAY OF CONVENIENCE STORES AT THE READY


Sounds silly, but if you’ve stepped in to one at Taiwan, you would realize how much it eases your life! Apart from the usual routines like picking up a snack or a drink, you can pay your utility bills, buy movie tickets, use the ATM, have your blood pressure measured, print documents and so much more – all within one convenience store.

Read more about the 12 Things That Make Taiwanese Convenience Stores So Awesome.


#8 YONG KANG STREET – A DINING DESTINATION IN TAIPEI


Yong Kang Street is a dining destination in Taipei. Whether its cheap and delicious Taiwanese snacks like ‘cong zhua bing’, shaved ice mountain or beef noodles; nice and chic cafes where you can get a cup of good coffee and desserts; or niche boutiques selling lifestyle products – there are plenty of options at Yong Kang Street. You can easily spend a day wandering in the alleys.

Taipei 101


#9 TAIPEI 101 TOWER


When in Taipei, the Taipei 101 Tower is a must-see. The magnificent giant houses offices and many retail shops. Going up the tower will allow you to get an aerial view of the entire city too.


#10 CHIA TE’S SUNCAKCES AND PINEAPPLE TARTS


Chia Te makes some of the best Taiwanese pastries, and the queues outside their stores – comprising both locals and tourists – is proof of that statement.

Jiufen

Taipei Jiufen

Taipei Jiufen Old Street


#11 THE BEAUTIFUL STREETS OF JIUFEN


Jiufen retains an old-world charm; think bright red lanterns and cobbled pavement. The narrow, snaking streets are made up of souvenir and snack stalls. Jiufen is also a popular filming spot for Taiwanese TV programmes!

Read about the 7 Must-try Local Food at Taiwan’s Jiufen Old Street.

Domesticated pets Taiwan


#12 PETS ARE PART OF BOUTIQUES


It is not every day that you get to play with Toy Poodles while shopping for your clothes in a local boutique. Taiwanese sure love their pets and they bring them along to work!

Taipei Fujin Street

Fujin Tree 353 Cafe


#13 FUJIN STREET – THE OTHER YONGKANG STREET


This is the other Yongkang Street you never knew about.

Primarily a residential area, Fujin Street is an upcoming area in Taipei that is littered with coffee shops and lifestyle boutiques. It is still pretty untouched by tourism, and the quaintness is exactly what we appreciate.

Read our guide on What To See & What To Eat at Fujin Street.

Smith & Hsu


#14 SMITH & HSU TEA & SCONE SALON


For us, no trip to Taipei s complete without visiting the renown tea salon. They serve some of the best scones we’ve ever tasted, along with a myriad of fragrant tea flavours to choose from.

Taipei Ximending


#15 XIMENDING


Ximending is probably the most bustling area in Taipei. This is where youngsters head to for some shopping fix and food. While the retail aspect is pretty acquired, we love Ximending for its food options.

Alpaca Taiwan


#16 ALPACAS


Alpaca Cafe is real, and Oia Cafe is where you need to be at.

Oia Cafe is home to a few alpacas and they roam around freely in the cafe. Play with these adorable white creatures and feed them with carrots or food that are approved by the cafe’s owner—this is also the best way to get the alpacas to take a selfie with you.

Taiwanese Street Food

Taiwanese Skewers


#17 THE ENDLESS STREET FOOD


Fried squid, fried XXL chicken, sweet potato balls, taro chips, Taiwanese hot dogs, pork buns, milk tea, bittergourd juice… and the list goes on and on. Taipei is not for those who are on slimming diets.

Salted Crispy Chicken

Taiwanese Oyster Omelette

And we say just eat to your heart’s content. The myriad of street food options is simply mind-boggling!

Addiction Seafood Restaurant


#18 ADDICTION AQUATIC DEVELOPMENT


Addiction Aquatic Development is a massive space that houses fresh seafood and aquamarine products, a large Japanese-style supermarket, and many themed restaurants and food kiosks under one roof.

Addiction Aquatic Development Seafood Bar

Addiction Aquatic Development Seafood

It stands head and shoulders above other famous seafood markets in the world such as Tokyo’s Tsukiji Fish Market, Seoul’s Noryangjin Fish Market, Sydney’s Fish Market, and Perth’s Fremantle Market.

Watch our video of Addiction Aquatic Development on our Facebook page.


#19 KARAOKE SESSIONS


Because karaoke sessions are the best in Taipei. Holding personal concerts are what we do best, especially when the karaoke systems and rooms in Taipei are so impressive.

The song list is unbeatable too, for after all, Taipei is home to Mando-pop.

Ay Chung Mee Sua Taipei

Ay Chung Mee Sua


#20 AY-CHUNG MEE SUA


Yes, it is touristy. And yes, there are better mee sua in Taipei. But you know what? We still go to Ay-Chung Mee Sua every time we are in Taipei. It always hits the spot.

Taipei


#21 THE PHOTOGENIC CITY STREETS


Let’s face it—Taipei has clean streets and you like your nice OOTD shots taken against the iconic background of motorcycles and yellow taxis, yes?

Dunhua Shopping District


#22 DUNHUA SHOPPING AREA


This district in Taipei is home to a huge amount of stores selling new-age clothing. It is where the shoppers should know about.


#23 THE NEVER-ENDING AMOUNT OF SHOE STORES


Taiwanese seem to be really into the sports-luxe trend. Bagging home a pair of sneakers or two is easy peasy with the sheer number of options availabile—New Balance, Nike, Adidas, Ked’s and more.


#24 SUN YAT-SEN MEMORIAL HALL


It is almost like a ritual for all first-timers to Taipei—a visit to Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, who was the National Father to The Republic of China. It is a multi-purpose centre to learn more about Dr Sun’s contribution and his life.

The main entrance to the hall also contains a statue of Dr Sun Yat-sen. The renown guards-changing ceremony takes place hourly at the memorial hall’s entrance too.

sunmoonlake taiwan


#25 TRAIN RIDES ACROSS THE COUNTRY


You can take train rides to get from the city to more rural areas like Hualien. The trains are very comfortable, making the ride so much more painless. The trains will go past forests and mountains and rivers, and we love admiring those scenic landscapes along the way.


FOR MORE RECOMMENDATIONS ON WHERE TO GO, READ OUR TAIPEI’S FOOD AND TRAVEL GUIDES.