Except for the COVID-19 years, I have made at least one trip to Taiwan, in particular Taipei, each year since 2023.
In my earlier years, Xinyi District was the centre of my universe in the city. As I usually am there to attend an annual event held at Taipei World Trade Center (TWTC), my golden triangle was Grand Hyatt Hotel (where I stay), the TWTC halls (where I work) and Taipei 101 (where I eat).
That changed after a family trip in the late 2000s. It was my first trip as a tourist and I discovered so much more of Taipei and Taiwan as a whole.
Since then, I have experimented with staying at different parts of Taipei — though mainly in the Xinyi and Daan districts, mostly for the convenience of getting to the TWTC halls.
This year, it’s Ximending. While I’ve been there several times, the area never quite appealed to me. However, many of my friends chose to stay there whenever they are in Taipei.
A shopping district in Wanhua District, it is home to the Ximending Pedestrian Area, the largest in Taiwan. No wonder that it reportedly attracts three million visitors per month.
Having spent 10 days in Ximending, I can now fully understand why this is a great place to make as the base for my trip. Here are just five reasons:
- Strategic location: It’s the perfect location and just a hop away from Taipei Main Station. And it has everything from food and shops to tourist spots and hair salons.
- Easy connectivity: Both the Blue and Green lines converge at Ximending MRT so getting around is really convenient. If taking the train is not preferred, there are buses, bicycles for rent, and of course, Uber and taxis.
- Food galore: There’s food everywhere. And at plenty of price points too! There’s something for everyone, even a “simple” eater like me. Buy and walk and eat by indulging in street food. Or dine in at a hotpot or BBQ joint. While there are many great eateries with affordable food, my personal favourite is Braised goose at Ya Rou Bian at No.98-2 Yi Section,Zhonghua Road, simply because we cannot get goose in Singapore. The goose looks pale in comparison to others but it is tender and the skin is nice and chewy. Instead of rice, the restaurant offers noodles or bee hoon.
And my favourite drink stall is just a couple of junctions away. Star Fruits Ice at No. 144-1號, Section 1, Zhonghua Rd caught my attention as I passed by it several times while taking an Uber ride. I simply had to try it and the star fruit drink is heavenly. It reminds me of my childhood days when a similar drink was available from a mobile fruit stall.
- Shop till you drop: Admittedly, Ximenting caters to the younger crowd but there are lots of shops selling all sorts of stuff — gadgets, clothes, accessories, and many others. There are also more recognisable brands such as Donki, Muji and Uniqlo.
Local snacks are everywhere. As a Chia Te aficionado, I swear by the brand and would not indulge in other brands, especially for lao po ping. Well, that’s no longer the case. I tried a few brands and all are good in their own way. In fact, the lao po ping at Taihe Traditional Biscuit (太和傳統餅) on No. 47號, Chengdu Rd is comparable to Chia Te’s and less sweet.
- Snip away: If you want a hair cut and can’t seem to find a shop at eye level, try looking up because there are so many hair salons located on the higher levels.
Ximending is a part of the city that never sleeps. Well, not quite 24 hours but the stores stay open till late. It’s definitely somewhere I would stay again on a future trip.
101reasons.blog 