The historic district of Dihua Street and Dadaocheng in Taipei is perhaps most famous for its amazing architecture, traditional Chinese medicine shops and Lunar New Year celebrations – however, in recent years, the area has welcomed an influx of coffee shops, fashions stores and craft beer bars.
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A marvellous mix of new and traditional Taipei, the main Dihua Street and its opulent mansion houses were once Taipeiโs most prosperous area, built up in the 1850s – it has real charm and character and is one of the most interesting Taipei neighborhoods to visit.
Featuring historic markets and temple food courts plus creative coffee shops, there are many things to do in Dihua Street and Dadaocheng (including a riverside wharf with container bars and street food kiosks).
From tasty Taiwan food finds to themed cafes and cool collectibles, here is our ultimate guide to Dihua Street and Dadaocheng district in Taipei.
This article was originally published on 5 July 2024.
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How to get to Dihua Street & Dadaocheng
Dihua Street is located between two MRT stations – Daqiaotou MRT station in the north on the orange line) or Beimen MRT station towards the south (on the green line).
Both MRT stations are around a 10 minute walk to Dihua Street. It is also a 20 minute walk from the main Ximending Entertainment District.
Also check Google Maps or the official Go! Taipei Metro app to see which is the quickest and best route for you.
Taiwanderers Tip
Grab a Taiwan EasyCard as a convenient way to use buses and public transport in Taipei and across Taiwan). They can be easily topped up at stations and convenience stores.
Read more about how to use a Taiwan EasyCard, including how to top up >
Dadaocheng Hotels and Recommended Accommodation
Use the Agoda code TAIWANDERERS for a discount.
Budget ($)
Beimen WOW Poshtel
Popular hostel with both dorms and private rooms, located a 10 minute walk away from Dihua Street.ย Check rates and availability on booking.com, agoda.com or expedia.com.
Mid-Range ($$)
Royal Seasons Hotel Taipei โง Nanjing W
4 star hotel located within walking distance of Dihua street.ย Check rates and availability onย booking.com, expedia.comย orย agoda.com
Luxury ($$$)
Palais de Chine Hotel
5 star hotel with outdoor swimming pool, gym, bar and 3 onsite restaurants.ย Check rates and availability onย booking.com, expedia.comย orย agoda.com
Check out the best hotels in Taipei via booking.com or agoda.com
Dihua Street and Dadaocheng – Things to do
1. Dadaocheng Cisheng Temple Food Street
We think this might be our favourite thing to do in Dadaocheng – the Cisheng Food Street must be one of the most serene street food settings in the world, with a huge outdoor seating area, surrounded by banyan trees and next to the temple.
There are around 20 or so stalls selling traditional Taiwanese tidbits, from pig trotters to congee, fried oysters to Sishen soup.
Cisheng Temple Market Food Court featured on the recent Taipei episode of Somebody Feed Phil on Netflix. Phil explores the Dadaocheng neighborhood and meets up with Instagrammer Charlene Yang to eat at the Usu-Tasi Pork Noodles stall.
When we visited, it was a warm sunny afternoon and most of the tables were busy, with local groups of elderly gentlemen, many of whom seemed to be enjoying big bowls with big beers – ganbei!
You might like – 45+ things to do in Taipeiโs Xinyi district >
2. Yongle Market – food and fabric market
The largest fabric market in Taipei, Yongle Market is a colourful kaleidoscope of materials, silks and gorgeous garments and a wonderful way to see local life up-close.
There are several floors of fabrics and a treasure trove of satin, silks and gauzes to browse on the upper levels, plus you can get garments made to order or just fixed.
Yongle Fabric Market also has a fair few food stalls on the ground floor, so it is a fine fabric and foodie combo, for shopping and eating or a spot of Chinese herbal tea. One of the most popular stalls is the sushi counter which is packed by lunchtime.
Please note Yongle Fabric Market is usually open from 10am to 6pm but closed on Sundays.
3. Dadaocheng Wharf
Overlooking the Tamsui River with lots of container / pop-up bars and food kiosks, Dadaocheng Wharf is an easy walk from Tamsui Street and enjoys lots of riverside paths and walkways.
A container park with nice views, this is a good place to grab some Taiwan craft beer, international street food or traditional Taiwanese eats.
Note Dadaocheng Wharf is great for a riverside walk any time of day but other than a couple of container cafes, this only really gets going in the evening (alas we visited at lunchtime so it was pretty dead and quiet).
You might like – Our guide to Simple Kaffa Sola in Taipei 101, Taiwanโs tallest coffee shop >
4. Chinese Herbal Medicine Shops on Dihua Street
Dihua Street is perhaps best known for its long line of traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine shops that line both sides of the main street.
It is fascinating to watch as pharmacists have numerous boxes and cabinets full of dried animals, plants and spices that are combined to create magical natural health remedies.
Some of Dihua Streetโs herbal stores are very โfragrantโ and most of the stores are steeped in history, like they havenโt changed in decades – these stores also seem to be the last to close at night.
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5. Dihua Street Taiwan bag / gaji shops
We are big fans of Taiwanโs traditional striped tote bag, so much so, we wrote a dedicated gaji article about them here.
Whilst Taiwan bags in tourist hubs such as Ximending usually start from NT$80 upwards, the cheapest Taiwan striped gaji bags weโve found in Taipei are along the Northern part of Dihua Street.
We spotted a few bag shops with a broad range of colours and designs and low bag prices: Gao Jian Tong ้ซๅปบๆกถๅบ (map) had one of the biggest and best selections of these bags.
6. Dadaocheng Visitor Center
One of the best looking information centers in Taiwan, Dadaocheng Visitor Center is found along Dihua Street and located in an old historic building.
The visitor center has been made to look like a traditional medicine store, coffee shop, tailor store and a public school (complete with old school desks and chalkboard).
Best of all, the Dadaocheng Visitor Center has traditional clothing that you can put on and dress up in, free of charge.
What makes this visitor center different is that on the upper levels, it has some very Instagrammable photo points and selfie spots, like a huge lantern room filled full of colorful lights and lamps – Dihua Street is โlitโ.
You might like – our 1 day Taipei itinerary or our 3 day Taipei itinerary
7. Chinese / Lunar New Year on Dihua Street
Weโve been lucky enough to visit Dadaocheng and Dihua Street during a couple of Chinese New Years festivities (usually in late January) and this is one of the best times of year to visit.
Lit up lanterns are strung all across the streets for Lunar New Year, plus on occasion, there has been special market stalls lining the length of Dihua Street.
On our last visit, they were even giving out cardboard dragons with LED eyes which you could take away and make at home or hotel.
Xia Hai City God Temple is the focus for New Year celebrations, prayers and worship with fire-crackers, special ceremonies and lanterns. on our last visit, they were even giving out.
Read more in our Lunar New Year in Dihua Street article >
Try this – Full day private custom Taipei city tour >
8. Breakfast tour of Datong District
Recently, we joined a tasty TourMeAway Taipei breakfast food tour lasting 2.5 hours along Dihua Street. The tour takes place several days a week in the historic Dadaocheng neighbourhood starting at 10am.
We visited many different interesting spots in the area including a traditional market, some breakfast restaurants, a boba tea store and a tea house. The tour concluded in a store along Dihua Street for pineapple cake tasting.
The Taipei breakfast food tour costs $NT1,299 per person and you can book directly on their website (use the code TAIWANDERERS for up to 15% discount), orย on Klook (donโt forget to use the code CKTRAVELS for a discount).
9. Mikkeller Bar Taipei
Located close to Taipeiโs famous Dihua Street, we have a love-hate relationship with Mikkeller Bar Taipei โ whilst they possibly have the largest craft beer selection in Taipei, boy do you have to pay for it!
It can be pretty expensive, as it worked out to cost around ยฃ20 a pint (over $NT800) based on the small measures we opted for. โTai-wannaโ drink more here but the cost of craft beer at Mikkeller is quite hefty, easily the most pricey pint we had anywhere in Taiwan.
Two x 150ml craft beers cost us just over $NT400. That said, if you arenโt a budget traveller in Taiwan, Mikkeller Taipei has over 20 craft beers on tap and a shiny sleek bar of epic proportions as you first enter.
Upstairs, there is a nice seating area with the Mikkeller beer characters painted on the wall and it was super busy on the Saturday night we visited. It has a nice atmosphere and there were drinkers of all ages.
You might like – Our guide to Taipeiโs best craft beer bars and breweries >
10. Jim & Dadโs Taipei taproom
Whilst in Yilan, we popped by Jim & Dadโs brewery for some fine brews with views – we had such a good time and enjoyed their craft beer range so much, we knew we just had to drop by for a pint at their Jim & Dadโs Taipei Taproom in Datong District, near Dihua Street.
A two storey beer emporium with around 8 beers on tap plus a wide range of beers and craft cans, Jim & Dadโs Taipei ๅๅง่็น ๅฐๅๅคง็จปๅๅบ is a fine way to spend an afternoon sipping their core range and relaxing in the neon-soaked lounge upstairs or in the cosy bar downstairs.
Founded by a father-son team in 2015 and now recognised as one of the best breweries in Taiwan – Jim & Dadโs in Datong is the perfect way to relax and do some sipping after a busy day of shopping.
11. adidas Originals Dihua Street store ๅคง็จปๅ็ถๅ ธๆฆๅฟต้ๅธ
One of the most iconic Adidas stores in Taiwan, this two storey sneaker store may not be the biggest Taipei Adidas shop (hello Xinyi), but this adidas Originals Dihua Street store ๅคง็จปๅ็ถๅ ธๆฆๅฟต้ๅธ has (shopping) BAGS of character.
In keeping with the rest of the older style buildings along Dihua Street, the ground floor is designed to look like a traditional Chinese herbal workshop.
As well as all the usual sporting goods and fine threads, adidas Originals Dihua Street is home to a super-cool sneaker customisation lab “MADE FOR YOU” plus you can buy exclusive adidas Taipei branded clothing and merchandise.
It is a great place for unique Taipei adidas souvenirs or to buy seasonal ranges like the super popular adidas Taiwan Lunar New Year range.
12. Taipei Xia Hai City God Temple
Dihua Streetโs most famous temple, Xia Hai City God Temple was built in 1859 and is a small but sublime shrine that is home to several hundred deity figures.
Many locals come here to wish for prosperity and good fortune plus there is a stall inside selling random fortunes and religious icons.
Taipei Xia Hai City God Temple bustles any time of day but particularly during the Lunar New Year celebrations and during the City God annual festival and birthday celebration in mid July (this is usually the 14th day of the 5th lunar month).
13. Du Hsiao Yueh Taipei Dihua
One of the most famous and well established Dihua Street restaurants, this is the go to place for Danzai noodles in Dadaocheng (the dish is also known as Tร โฟ-รก-mฤซ).
Often with a queue out the front, this Dihua branch Du Hsiao Yueh has two floors of seating and ordering is via a simple pen and paper pad – the staff were also nice (rushed BUT nice).
Food is relatively inexpensive with a small bowl of danzai soup noodles costing NT$50, Lu Rou Fan (Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice Bowl) NT$55 and deep fried shrimp rolls NT$200.
Try this – Taipei food tours with with Viator >
14. Dadaocheng Park
A gorgeous green space towards the northern end of Dihua Street. Dadaocheng Park is a nice spot for sitting down or a quick picnic place to eat any takeouts you may have bought.
It is perhaps most famous as being Taipeiโs musical park, with a big bronze statue of Lee Lin-Chiu in the centre, one of Taiwanโs most prominent songwriters who died in 1979 and once lived in the Dadaocheng area.
A speaker in Dadaocheng Park plays Lee Lin-Chiuโs most famous compositions for 15 minutes on the hour, between 9am and 6pm every day.
15. Dadaocheng Theater
One of Taipeiโs best known traditional theaters, Dadaocheng Theater gives the opportunity to enjoy classic opera performances such as Taiwanese opera (Gezi) or musical glove puppets.
Located above Yongle Market on the 8th and 9th floors, this is one of the many cultural Taipei activities you can enjoy along Dihua Street and in Dadaocheng.
16. Linโs Wagashi Confectionery
Another local food shop to feature on the Taipei edition of Somebody Feed Phil on Netflix. Follow in the footsteps of Phil to Linโs Wagashi Confectionery, a small pastry shop in Dadaocheng to sample some dessert items.
A traditional taste of Taiwan, try their wafer with red bean paste, pineapple cakes and honey cakes.
You might like – the best day trips from Taipei >
17. House of Story Wear ๆฐธ็บ็พ่ฒจ
A very cool upcycled clothing and fashion store located in an old Chinese textile factory, House of Story Wear ๆฐธ็บ็พ่ฒจ isnโt your typical Taipei fashion shop.
Indeed, as well as fine threads and chic clothes, it has a coffee-shop / bar, library parlour and salon plus you can also rent clothes for special occasions.
Famous for its vintage clothes and designer denims, there are also lots of English products you can buy including British beer and snacks.
This is a nod to Story Wear ๆฐธ็บ็พ่ฒจ founder Kuan Pai Chen (้ณๅ ็พ) who learned their trade in London and has shown at London Fashion Week.
With an environmental ethos and using local workers to help craft their clothes, each Storey Wear item even has an individual label with the name of the sewer and how long it took them to make.
18. MixGene Custom Jewelry Studio
Located on Dihua Street itself, MixGene is a fun hands-on workshop experience located in a vintage studio.
Create your own custom silver or gemstone ring – or make a perfect pendant from scratch โ some courses are also available in English. You can even add your own personalized engravings or text โ free snacks and drinks are provided as you build your bling rings.
They offer a variety of Taipei workshops and custom gem / jewelry classes including:
- Handmade Ring Workshop (brass or silver rings) โ from NT$1,240
- Bracelet forging experiences from NT$1,240
- Gemstone ring DIY sessions from NT$1,240
- โPackageโ workshops where you can make both rings and bracelets at once โ from NT$3,000
- Wax sculpting workshops from NT$8,880
Book MixGene Taipeiย jewelry workshop on Klook >
Check out our guide to the best workshops and cooking classes in Taipei >
19. Lin Mao Sen Tea Co
Time for some tea! Established in 1883, Lin Mao Sen Tea Co ๆ่ๆฃฎ่ถ่ก is one of Taipeiโs oldest premium tea wholesalers with a Chongqing N Rd tea tasting room and shop in Datong District.
We visited Lin Mao Sen Tea Co as part of the TourMeAway breakfast tour (use our code TAIWANDERERS to get up to 15% off) and got to taste several local teas. There are different teas like High Mountain Oolong and Jasmine with various grades and price-points.
According to some literature we were shown, Lin Mao Sen Tea Coโs signature teas are oriental beauty (honey), Biluochun, Baozhong, Dongding and High Mountain Oolong and TieGuanyin strong roast.
All prices in the store are based on 600g and the minimum purchase per tea type is 150g. And the shop smells AMAZING! They also sell coffee cups, tea cups, and other souvenirs to take back home.
20. Showa Ice Cream ๆญๅๆตชๆผซๆดๆฟฏๅฑ_้ๆทๆทๅฐ่ณฃๅบ
So popular, there are often queues to get into this themed cafe in Dayou Village, a short walk from Dihua Street.
A Showa (retro Japanese)ย styled cafe / dessert spot located in an old laundry, Showa Ice Cream ๆญๅๆตชๆผซๆดๆฟฏๅฑ_้ๆทๆทๅฐ่ณฃๅบ has vintage theming inside and outย – there were so many selfies and photo shoots underway when we visited!
Inside, it is cute and cosy but with very limited seating so if you want to seat and eat indoors, avoid peak times or get there for opening at 11.30am.
Signature Showa dishes include the matcha / tiramisu ice-cream, red guava soft-serve, baked dumplings and Dango, traditional Japanese sweet dumplings served on skewers. Most desserts cost around the NT$130 to NT$180 mark.
21. Dixielane
Whilst Dihua Lane has less coffee shops and decadent dessert places than the likes of Yongkang Street or Zhongshan, there are few cool cafes along the way.
One of the best places day or night is Dixielane – known for its delicious desserts and strong coffee, at night Dixielane turns into a jazz bar with live performances and soulful singers.
You might like – 17 reasons why 7-Eleven Taiwan are the best 7-Elevens in the world >
22. King of Toys Plaza
Located on the 1F of Binwang Mall, King of Toys Plaza ่ณ็ๅๅ ดย is a veritable variety of vintage toys, retro goods and old school collectibles. Located below the aging Hotel New Queen 2 ็ๅๆ ๅบ(ไบ้คจ), this might be the geekiest place on our geek chic list.
From classic cereal box giveaways to McDonalds toys from various decades, this is such a cool place to walk around and browse around 20 or vintage Taipei toy shops in close proximity.
Here you can get your Godzilla geek on, buy Mecha Muppets merchandise and have heaps of Hello Kitty collectibles – other vintage collectibles we saw included ET, Alien, Star Wars, WWE and Garfield.
There is also an amazing vintage Coca Cola store with very old Coke cans and bottles โ some of those drinks donโt look so good!
Find Kings of Toys Plaza ่ณ็ๅๅ ด here >
23. Sumikko Gurashi Themed 7-Eleven
Sumikko Gurashi goes to 7-Eleven! Located in Taipeiโs Datong District near Dihua Street, this cute, themed 7-Eleven Taiwan store is full of fun Sumikko Gurashi characters and merchandise.
Featuring Shirokuma, Penguin, Tonkatsu and friends, this super Sumikko Gurashi 7-Eleven store even has a themed seating area complete with character chairs, cool display cabinets (shaped like toast) plus Sumikko Gurashi plush toys and souvenirs.
A Kawaii 7-Eleven with chock full of cartoon characters, there are many cartoon themed 7-Elevens in Taiwan including Mofusand, Peanuts and Snoopy and perhaps the most famous, Hello Kitty 7-Eleven storese. Did you know Taiwanโs very own Bugcat Capoo has their own 7-Eleven themed store?
Here is our full guide to the Sumikko Gurashi 7-Eleven >
You might like – 10 Hello Kitty things to do in Taiwan including Hello Kitty trains, planes and a hospital! >
24. Dihua Street Post Office
Constructed during the Japanese colonial era, Dihua Street Post Office dates back to 1915 and still today looks like it hasnโt changed much inside (although considerable renovations have been made outside).
Famous locally as the Post Office that political Taiwanese activist Jiang Wei-shui used to send such telegrams in the 1920s, today this is a popular place to almost step back in time and send postcards overseas.
You might like – Our guide to Bugcat Capoo House and Foam Cat Cafe in Taichung >
25. Kuo’s Astral Bookshop
Kudos to Kuoโs Astral Bookshop, a cute four storey book store that also has a small cafe at the rear – even the stairs are made to resemble novels.
The antithesis of Eslite bookshops, this place is a pleasant pit-stop for a quick drink after exploring Dihua Street, with coffees costing from NT$120.
You might like – Things to do in Keelung, an easy trip from Taipei >
26. Ningxia Night Market
A short 10 minute walk from Dihua Street, Ningxia night market is one of Taipeiโs best night markets with hundreds of food stalls lined along one road.
Even though it is smaller than say Shilin Night Market or Raohe Night Market, it can get so busy especially on weekends and Friday night when it can take a LONG time to walk down the central aisle, as dozens of hungry customers wait for their food.
Many of the larger stalls have outdoor seating areas plus there are permanent restaurants dotted along either side of Ningxia Night Market. From beef noodles to Taiwanese pancakes, you will not go hungry here!
As well as food, youโll find lots of gaming / fun-fair style stalls for kids plus it seems to have the largest concentration of marble pinball machines and ring toss stalls of anywhere weโve seen.
Read more in our guide to Ningxia Night Market >
You might like – Taiwanderers guide to Yongkang Street, Taipeiโs tastiest neighborhood >
Our last thing to do in Dihua Street and Dadaocheng
27. Olympus Plaza Taipei
Wandering around Dihua and exploring all the historic interiors make us snap happy so it is apt that there is an Olympus Plaza Taipei photography store, selling the best of old and new cameras, plus offering photography workshops.
Part photography exhibition space, part camera store, this is a great spot to browse cameras or just learn more about what to photograph locally.
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