Some of the lesser explored Taipei neighborhoods, Gongguan and Longquan are under the tourist radar districts in south Taipei near Da’an that you need to visit. Longquan has sublime side streets full of little shops and cafes whilst Gongguan has many things to enjoy (and eat!).
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As these Taipei South Town areas are close to Taiwan’s largest universities (NTU and NTNU), you’ll find lots of thrift stores and delicious cheap eats plus there are loads of green open spaces and cultural parks enjoyed by locals.
From Michelin Bib Gourmand street food stalls to maid cafes, Gongguan and Longquan are some of the top Taipei districts to explore with very few tourists – and Gongguan Night Market is easily one of the most authentic night markets in Taipei (small in size but big in taste).
Featuring some of the most interesting Taipei creative parks like Taipei City Cultural Park and the Kishu An Forest of Literature plus the Treasure Hill Artist Village, Gongguan and Longquan are a treasure trove of talent and imagination.
Check out our Gongguan guide and Longquan list of things to do.
You might like – Our 1 day in Taipei itinerary or how to spend 3 days in Taipei
How to get to Gongguan and Longquan
Both areas are accessible by MRT. To get to Longquan, take the MRT subway to either Guting station or Taipower station on the green Songshan Xindian line, (depending which part of Longquan you want to visit).
Gongguan has its own MRT station also on the green Songshan Xindian line.
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 >
You might also like – 30 cute Taiwan EasyCard designs and where to buy them >
1. Gongguan Night Market
One of Taipei’s best night markets and possibly the most authentic, what Gongguan Night Market lacks in size is more than made up for by the amount of amazing food.
Located in the popular student area near NTNU-Gongguan Campus, Gongguan Night Market is Taipei’s largest night market in the South District, within a minute’s walk of the nearest MRT stop and takes place over two parallel side streets.
These lanes of Taiwanese street-food and international fare are an incredible foodie foray – when we visited Gongguan, we saw no other Westerners and it is very different from say Raohe Night Market or Ningxia Night Market.
Several stalls had long queues and we tried food at them all, including Gongguan Night Market’s Michelin Bib Gourmand flaky scallion pancake stall.
From the best food stalls to try to where to find the two streets, here is our ultimate guide to Gongguan Night Market, loved by local families and students alike >
You might like – Our guide to Yongkang Street, Taipei’s tastiest neighborhood >
Taiwan checklist
We love using agoda.com and booking.com for researching and booking all our hotels, and Hostelworld for booking hostels.
For booking tours, transfers and SIM cards/eSIMs we recommend Get Your Guide, Viator, KK Day or Klook. You can also purchase eSIMs from Airalo.
For booking rental cars visit Discover Cars.
2. Treasure Hill Artist Village
A short walk from Gongguan MRT Station, Treasure Hill Artist Village is an interesting place to visit (free to walk around too).
It is an old settlement with many abandoned houses and areas that have been turned into artists studios (and many residents still live there).
From robot workshops to neon light installations, Treasure Hill Artist Village is a ‘treasure trove’ of street art, fun installations and a few outdoor sculptures. Even the squash courts near the river are adorned with vibrant murals.
The whole area feels a little run down and abandoned and is all a bit curious (albeit quirkily creative).
The best bit is just wandering around the village without a plan, discovering artworks in out-houses or on tree-covered terraces – just remember some people still live here so try to be respectful of their privacy and homes.
You might like – more weird, wonderful and unusual things to do in Taipei >
3. Lan Jia Gua Bao
Bao-tiful! More Taiwan food heaven is ‘Lan Jia Gua Bao’, around a 10 minute walk from Gongguan Night Market.
Seriously, we think this is the best gua bao we’ve had in ages, possibly ever!
A Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant where the baos cost just NT$70 (approx $2.20 USD or £1.60), this is succulent pork belly served with pickled mustard greens, crushed peanuts & coriander / cilantro in a soft steamed bun – add chilli to your liking.
This gua bao joint was great as because unlike others, the meat was such good quality and you could choose lean pork, fatty or a mix (I opted for the lean and ate every single last bit).
We rocked up at around 5pm tonight & managed to get a table but by the time we left, a massive queue had formed outside for takeaways and tables. The restaurant was packed with locals young and old and it was just wonderful.
Lan Jia Gua Bao has now been in Gongguan for over 30 years and received the Michelin Bib Gourmand status in 2019.
You might like – Our guide to Taiwan’s best night markets or Taiwan’s most famous dumpling chain, Din Tai Fung >
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4. Taipei City Hakka Cultural Park
We visited Taipei City Hakka Cultural Park one sunny Saturday afternoon in October 2024 and couldn’t believe how busy it was with families.
Our visit coincided with a huge outdoor festival of play and music and the grounds were bustling with local families, having picnics or buying food from street vendors in the park (it might be a LOT quieter on weekdays).
Comprising a huge outdoor park complete with a stream, stepping stones, water-wheel and wooden bridges, the center has been designed to resemble a traditional Taiwanese Hakka Village.
There is also a free museum and temporary exhibitions inside plus a charming cafe next to the galleries.
If you have time, grab a map from the visitor center and walk to the rear of the park, up some steep steps to the colossal Cross Dike bridge and cycle paths.
It offers stunning views of the Taipei’s surrounding hills and skyline – it is also a shortcut to our thing to do, the Kishu An Forest of Literature.
Try this – Top 10 Taipei food tours with Viator including the award-winning 10 tastings private tour
5. Kishu An Forest of Literature
A world away from the hustle and bustle of Taipei areas like Ximending or Xinyi, Kishu An Forest of Literature is a designated historical site and pavilion dating back to 1917. It was constructed by the Japanese Hiramatsu family but sadly suffered several fires.
The local NTU Building and Planning department head to protect the forest onsite and restore the pavilion building – the site today contains a traditional teahouse, beautiful bookshop plus an exhibition hall and performance space.
Many of the Elder trees onsite are protected and the banyan trees next to the exhibition hall look incredible with their huge roots – the more modern three storey building containing the cafe and library is closed on Mondays.
You might like – Our guide to Taipei’s 20 best shopping malls including Syntrend Creative Park, Taipei’s trendiest shopping center
6. Shida Night Market
Whilst Gongguan has its own night market, Longquan’s best place for evening eats and tasty Taiwan tidbits is Shida Night Market.
Open daily from 4pm to around 11pm / midnight, Shida Night is located very close to the nearby National Taiwan Normal University campus (which you’ll see if you exit via Guting MRT) so it is a popular destination with students.
Comprising a few roadside stalls and late night eateries, whilst nowhere near the scale of say Raohe Night Market or even Gongguan Night Market, it is an interesting place to hang out and eat with the local youth.
Try this – Yehliu Geopark, Jiufen, Shifen, and Golden Waterfall day tour with Klook – over 300k booked >
7. Longquan Street thrift stores and boutique shops
What we really love about the eponymous Longquan Street area is exploring all the side-streets and alleyways, which are full of vintage clothes shops, second hand stores and cute crafts.
You’ll see a dozen or so fashion stores along Longquan Street when approaching from the Shida Night Market area.
On our latest trip to Longquan Street, we stumbled across the most amazing unmanned Japanese vintage fashion store – you browse the clothing rails and then pay the price based on the color of the tag at the checkout. The level of trust here is incredible and this is just another reason why we love Taiwan so much!
Taiwanderers tip – if you love looking for Taipei thrift stores and vintage clothes, the biggest concentration of thrift shops in Taipei is Zhongshan. Taipei’s trendiest district and hipster hangout, Zhongshan is THE Taipei neighborhood for cool cafes, boutique shops and second-hand stores.
Try this – From Taipei: Nantou and Sun Moon Lake View and Tribe Tour >
8. Korean Style Photo Booths
Given both Gongguan and Longquan’s student population and ‘youthful’ nature, it is no surprise that you’ll find lots of fun Korean style photo booths here with famous brands like Plan B.
These are often brightly painted small shops where you can borrow clothes and props and then pose for selfies or take photos in booths for a small fee.
Often the photo booths in these Korean selfie booths allow you to print out stickers as a lasting reminder.
You might like – Our guide to things to do in Ximending on a rainy day (including photo booths) >
9. Gongguan Book Stores
Given all the students in the area, there are lots of beautiful bookshops to explore, from chain stores like Eslite Gongguan NTU branch to independents like PNP Used Books, Fembooks (the first LQBTQ+ / feminist bookstore in Taiwan) and Tonsan Bookstore (which has been around for over 40 years).
PNP Books has shelves and shelves of titles (over 200,000) from Taiwan comic books to English language publications. Calligraphy, book restoration and painting tuition are also available.
Taiwanderers tip – if you love books or want to buy English language titles in Taiwan, check out our guide to Eslite bookstores >
Check out our Taipei neighbourhoods guides:
Beitou >
Dihua Street and Dadaocheng >
Gongguan and Longquan >
Tamsui >
Ximending >
Xinyi >
Zhongshan >
Also check out our guide to the best neighbourhoods in Taipei >
10. 7-Eleven Bar in Gongguan
We’ve been asked about 7-Eleven bars in the past in our Taiwan Travel Tips Facebook group and it turns out one of the biggest in Taipei is less than 10 minutes walk away from Gongguan Night Market – 7-ELEVEN 博源門市.
Local students congregate here for cheap beers and this boozy 7-Eleven has a huge indoor seating area and outdoor terrace that is packed at weekends with supping students.
This thirsty Taipei 7-Eleven can be found here on Google maps >
Read our guide to 7-Eleven bars in Taiwan or reasons why 7-Elevens in Taiwan are the best in the world.
Other things to do in Gongguan and Longquan, South Town Taipei
Yumemi Maid Cafe
‘Maid’ in Taipei, not Japan. The popular Japanese trend of maid cafes and cosplay cafes are now creeping into Taiwan and Yumemi Maid Cafe – eat themed food whilst the maids sing, dance and draw cartoon characters.
White Wabbit Records
Get some vinyl justice from this record store near Shida Night Market that has LPs and records from Taiwan and across the world plus often hosts instore gigs and signings.
National Taiwan University (NTU)
Established in the 1920s, NTU is the biggest university in Taiwan – even if you aren’t a student, visitors are sometimes allowed to walk down the tree-lined Royal Palm Boulevard and explore the campus.
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