Taipei’s financial district and business hub, Xinyi isn’t just about sleek skyscrapers and shiny shopping malls (although yes, there is a LOT of that).
From cultural parks and cool cafes, temples to themed 7-Elevens, Taipei’s Xinyi has many things to do – you can also take a step back in time at 44 South Military Village, a world away from the modern metropolis that is Xinyi.
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Xinyi in Taipei is also blessed with multiple ways to see Taipei from up high, from Taipei 101 and its Simple Kaffa Sola coffee shop, to rooftop bars and terraces like Hooters Xinyi.
From Taiwan’s biggest Pokémon center to craft beer bars and Bugcat Capoo, here is our ultimate guide to Xinyi in Taipei, Taiwan.
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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 we recommend Get Your Guide, Viator or Klook.
How to get to Xinyi District in Taipei
Xinyi District in Taipei is a huge area, with several MRT stops in the district including Taipei City Hall MRT and Zhongxiao Dunhua MRT on the blue Bannan line.
Alternatively, the red Tamsui-Xinyi Line also runs through Xinyi including Xinyi Anhe MRT station and Taipei 101/World Trade Center station.
If you want to start at Taipei 101 and the main mall area, it is best to get the Tamsui-Xinyi line to Taipei 101/World Trade Center station and depart from exit 1, right below Taipei 101 tower.
The quickest form of public transport from Taipei Main Station to Xinyi district is to take the red Tamsui-Xinyi Line towards Xiangshan from platform 2 of main station – the journey time is approximately 15 minutes.
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 >
Xinyi Accommodation
Budget ($)
Formosa 101
Popular hostel with both private rooms and dorms. Facilities include a TV lounge, kitchen/dining area and laundry. Check rates and availability on booking.com, agoda.com or hostelworld.com
Mid-Range ($$)
The Tango Hotel Taipei XinYi
Stylish hotel located a 15-minute walk away from Taipei 101. Facilities include a gym and 24-hour lounge with snacks. Check rates and availability on booking.com or agoda.com
Luxury ($$$)
Grand Hyatt Taipei
5 star elegant hotel located in the heart of the Xinyi district. Facilities include an outdoor pool, spa, a sauna and fitness centre. Check rates and availability on booking.com or agoda.com
Check out the best hotels in Xinyi via booking.com or agoda.com
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Xinyi Taipei – things to do
1. Taipei 101
Perhaps Taiwan’s most iconic building and once the world’s tallest, Taipei 101 is 508 metres high and has…you guessed it… 101 floors.
Looking out across Taipei, the observation deck runs between floors 88 and 91, whilst there are two floors of high-up restaurants on floors 85 and 86.
Taiwan’s fastest elevator soars up incredibly quick at a speed of up to 1,010m per minute (and yep, your ears might pop).
To assist with earthquake resistance, Taipei 101 also has the world’s biggest mass damper which is on display, like a huge ball. And in true Taiwan style, they’ve even created a cartoon character out of it, Damper Baby (which has merchandise across the several gift shops).
Admission to Taipei 101 is quite steep (like the tower really), but very much worth it. We found it took a LONG time to exit on our last visit so bear that in mind if you have any plans afterwards.
Skip the line – book your Taipei 101 observation deck ticket >
Taiwanderers Tip: Taiwan’s tallest cafe – Simple Kaffa Sola is located on the 88th floor of Taipei. If you don’t want to pay the Taipei 101 admission fee, go here instead. More on this in a moment.
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2. 44 South Military Village
A historic village juxtaposed against the modem metropolis that is Taipei’s Xinyi District, the 44 South Military Village (四四南村) is like taking a step back in time – almost a world away from the nearby gleaming skyscrapers and CBD cityscape.
Akin to a central city cultural hub, 44 South Military Village is home to a theatre, gift shops and numerous cafes and coffee shops plus also hosts the occasional weekend market.
It is one of the best places to view Taipei 101 from afar, with the tall tower easily viewed from the historic courtyards and alley-ways here – and better yet, it is free to visit with pleasant parks and gardens all around.
From cafe culture to history, illuminations to markets, here is our guide to ultimate 44 South Military Village in Taipei >
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3. Digital sign post
Taipei’s digital signposts have gone viral on social media and are a fun thing to do in downtown Xinyi, even if you have Google Maps.
Recently installed in key spots like the outside concourse of Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Xinyi Place, these Taipei digital sign posts work in several languages – use the keypad on the touch screen tablet to enter where you want to go.
The signpost then magically rotates in the direction you need to, also showing the distance on the LED direction arrow. Very smart!
Lots of people have filmed themselves using the Xinyi digital signposts and posted their videos on Tik Tok and Instagram – and they didn’t get lost in Xinyi district either (bonus).
Try this – Top Taiwan tours with Viator or Klook
4. Pokémon Center Taipei
Time to go to the new Pokémen Center in Xinyi, located in Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Taipei Xinyi Place A11.
Opened in December 2023, Taiwan’s biggest Pokémon Center in Taipei ( 寶可夢中心台北) is packed full of all your favourite Pokémon characters including exclusive Taiwan merchandise, trading card games, Pokémon Ga Ole machines plus Pokédex, Pokémon App Gallery and more.
We joined the crowds and visited the new Pokémon Center Taipei in early 2024 – from all the cute merchandise to the awesome arcade machines, here is our guide to visiting the Pokémon Center Taipei in Xinyi >
Taiwanderers Tip – Did you know there is also a Pokémon themed 7-Eleven store in Kaohsiung? Find out more here >
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5. Simple Kaffa solo Taipei 101
A ‘simple’ (Kaffa) way to get Taipei 101 views without paying the full admission price, Simple Kaffa Sola is the new Taipei 101 cafe and coffee shop located on the 88th floor of the Taipei 101 tower.
Opened in January 2023, Simple Kaffa Sola is also the highest / tallest cafe in Taipei, Taiwan (even more so now that the former Starbucks within Taipei 101 tower has now closed).
Whilst admission to Taipei 101 starts from NT$600 (located one floor above the cafe on level 89), you can save money (and enjoy a drink) by buying a NT$180 Simple Kaffa coffee, which gains you admission to their 88th floor cafe.
For the ultimate Taipei brews with views, here is our guide to visiting Simple Kaffa Taipei 101 including how to get reservation tickets, prices and photos >
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6. Taipei Hooters Xinyi Bar
The Taipei Hooters Xinyi Bar in Taiwan might be the best Hooters bar in the world.
With an incredible rooftop bar terrace offering incredible views of Taipei 101 (plus a very ‘Happy Hour’), Hooters is one of the best bars in Xinyi for a fun night and cheap drinks.
Serving up American style diner food accompanied with American, European and Taiwanese beers, Hooters (near Taipei 101) is blessed with skyline views and located on the 14th floor of the Far Eastern Department Store Xinyi A13 Store.
Whilst some of the Hooter waitress outfits can be a tad revealing / skimpy, Hooters is a popular bar and great place to watch live sports in Taipei, including Taiwan baseball games (and live on the huge HDTV screens).
From tipples to the rooftop terrace, the food menu to Hooters merchandise, here is our guide to visiting the Xinyi Hooters >
Taiwanderers Tip – Xinyi Hooters has special set menus that are cheaper at lunch, plus the (very) happy hour at Xinyi runs every day from 3pm to 6pm (buy 1 get 1 on selected draft beer).
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7. Jimmy’s Moon Bus 幾米月亮公車
From Xinyi to the moon! A fun thing to do in Xinyi with kids, Jimmy’s Moon Bus is a fun art installation in the shadow of Taipei 101 on Xinyi Road.
It has been created and designed based on local author Jimmy Liao’s children’s book ‘When the Moon Forgot’.
Unlike a lot of ‘art installations’, you can actually jump aboard Jimmy’s Moon Bus and pose with characters and artwork from the book.
Outside the bus, there is also a water feature with many moons plus the bus lights up at night. Jimmy’s Moon Bus is ‘out of this world’ (ahem) and free to visit.
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8. INPARADISE Breeze Xinyi Branch
A blissful buffet restaurant and all-you-cat utopia, INPARADISE is a chain of Taipei buffet restaurants with a big branch at Breeze Xinyi mall.
Serving oodles of noodles, choice Chinese cuisine and tasty Taiwanese tidbits, the experience is enhanced with incredible views over Xinyi including Taipei 101.
Reservations are recommended. Seafood, sashimi and seasonal dishes are also available, along with rather strong cocktails!
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9. Bugcat Capoo 7-Eleven
The Bugcat Capoo themed 7-Eleven in Taipei (map) is definitely one of the more fun convenience stores in Taiwan to visit, and an excellent activity in Xinyi with children (or big kids like us).
7-Eleven Taiwan has over 100 themed stores across the country, including cartoon character branded stores such as Snoopy / Peanuts, Hello Kitty, Ultraman, Pokemon and Mofusand.
Bugcat Capoo (貓貓蟲咖波) is one of the most popular Taiwanese cartoon characters. A cute cross between a blue cat and a bug, created by Taiwan illustrator Yara (亞拉).
One of the cutest convenience stores in Taiwan you’ll ever see (and very ‘blue’ but in a good way), here is our guide to visiting the Bugcat Capoo 7-Eleven in Taipei >
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10. Ichiran Ramen Main Branch Xinyi
Our favourite chain ramen restaurant from Japan with branches in Taiwan, Ichiran Ramen is all about the dining experience and dish customisation.
As this is some of the top Tonkatsu Ramen in Taipei, expect BIG queues to get in, no matter what time of day.
Order your noodles based on preferred ramen requirements – you are then ushered into your very own dining booth (move the divider if there is more than one of you).
Complete a tick box paper sheet saying how spicy / how much garlic / which noodles etc you want. Then wait for tonkatsu ramen to magically appear in front of you from the serving hatch. Recommended ramen!
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11. Donguri Republic
Donguri Republic is the official Studio Ghibli store chain, comprising around 10 stores in Taiwan, with mountains of Princess Mononoke merchandise, shedloads of Spirited Away souvenirs and tonnes of Totoro gifts.
Xinyi’s Donguri Republic / Studio Ghibli Taipei store is located on the top floor of Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Taipei Xinyi Place A8, handily next door to a huge children’s outdoor play area (which is incidentally is one of the best things to do in Xinyi with kids).
Better still, there is something to suit all budgets from glorious Studio Ghibli gachapon to huge plushies.
This Xinyi Donguri Republic store even has a huge recreation of the My Neighbour Totoro cat bus which you can pose with and even go inside!
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12. Taipei Eats Xinyi Food Four
One of the best food tours we ever did in Taipei was the Xinyi Backstreets Food Tour (AKA Iconic Food Tour) with Taipei Eats.
This particular tour that we chose takes you through the small hidden alleys of a district typically associated with sleek shopping malls, convention centers, and Taipei 101.
Our Xinyi food tour consisted of four people, ourselves and two others from the USA. We started in a local market and visited several different restaurants and street food kiosks – the enthusiasm of both our guide, Sophia and the locals we met in the eateries was infectious.
Check out the Xinyi Backstreets Food Tour with Taipei Eats >
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13. ATT 4 FUN Xinyi Store
A fashion and lifestyle mall (the ATT stands for ‘Attractive’), Taipei trendsetters are in retail heaven here with several floors of fashion shops, boutiques and clothing stores.
Flagship tenants include Zara, Berksha, Pull and Bear, UNIQLO and ABC Mart – if shopping isn’t your thing, head to the 10th floor for various night clubs and bars including Frank’s British bar, Blue Balls!) Nightclub and The Door Shisha restaurant .
Head to the top floor (11F) for the outdoor Sky Bar, Drunk Play which recently reopened.
ATT 4 FUN Xinyi Store also has several floors of smaller local brands and independent stalls, which had lots of cute crafts and artisan gifts.
14. National Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall – temporarily closed in 2024
2024 update – National Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall closed its doors in February and will reopen in 2026.
The restoration will cost NT$1.6 billion and will renovate all the inner halls as well as create a brand new reflective pool outdoors.
Opened in 1972, The National Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall is dedicated to the former president of the Republic of China, Dr. Sun Yat-sen, whose large statue can be found in the main hall.
Other facilities include a large library plus permanent galleries and exhibitions.
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15. Songshan Cultural Park
Whilst not on the scale of Huashan Creative 1914 Park, this former tobacco factory has been transformed into a huge complex full of cool craft shops, gorgeous gift shops plus regular pop-up exhibitions.
Songshan cultural park houses the Taiwan Design Museum also has a small lake and seating area which is pleasant in the summer months.
Many of the old tobacco old buildings have been transformed into industrial chic cafes like the Cama Coffee Roastery.
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16. Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Xinyi Place malls & A8 Rooftop
One of the biggest shopping mall complexes in Taipei, Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Xinyi Place sprawls over several Xinyi blocks, packed full of shops, food courts, play areas and international / Taiwanese restaurants.
Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Xinyi Place is split up into four distinct malls, A4, A8, A9 and A11.
The shopping consists of over 2000 shops including a professional sports arena area with brands like Adidas, ABC Mart, Pop Mart and Nike plus a beauty and cosmetics mall with brands like Aesop, Clinique and Kiehls
If you have kids, be sure to check out the free outdoor playground on the rooftop of Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Xinyi Place – A8.
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17. Taipei 101 Mall
Taipei 101 isn’t just about the tower and office buildings above – Taipei 101 Mall is a sleek and shiny shopping centre with luxury brands upstairs and a bustling basement food court downstairs.
Brands located in Taipei Shopping Center include Louis Vuitton, Dior, Chanel and Armani and on every occasion we’ve been over the years, there has always been a rather posh pop-up from a luxury brand in the center of the mall, like an Autumnal forest of floral village.
This is also a good Taipei shopping mall for sporting brands with branches of Adidas, Kangol, Nike, Lululemon plus jewellery shops like Longines, Tag Hauer, Swatch and Tissot.
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18. Tap Bistro Zhangmen / Taipei Xinyi craft beer bars
There are lots of Taipei craft beer bars in the Xinyi District, including Far Yeast Taiwan Craftbeer Gastropub, Flow Taproom Beer Hall and GB Brewery Restaurant.
However for our (beer) money, the best craft beer bar in Xinyi is Tap Bistro Zhangmen – ganbei to good beer!
Zhangmen Craft Brewery is a cracking craft brewery in Taiwan with over 10 brewery taprooms, including five in Taipei (with popular craft beer bars at Huashan 1914 Creative Park and just off Yongkang Street).
We tried their 6.4% cherry sour 6.6% American IPA and Tap Bistro Zhangmen usually has over 20 different craft beers on tap – so you won’t go thirsty!
Their outdoor seating area also has a view of Taipei 101 in the distance so it is a good thing to do in Xinyi Taipei at night.
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19. Din Tai Fung Xinyi – 3 locations
If you haven’t heard of Din Tai Fung before, where have you been? One of the most popular chain restaurants on the Taiwan dining scene, there are branches all over Taipei and Taiwan plus has outposts as far afield as Australia and the UK.
It all started back in 1958 with their Din Tai Fung branch at the end of Yongkang Street, and they now have three branches in Xinyi including one below Taipei 101 and another couple in Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Taipei.
Best known for its xiao long bao soup dumplings, Din Tai Fung is affordable and generally very good (we’ve been to several branches in and around Taiwan and always had first class fodder).
Din Tai Fung Taipei restaurants are always very popular (especially at lunch-time and weekends) so you’ll likely need to get a ticket to join the line – but as it is a timed entry, you might have time for a little shopping before your steamed dumplings.
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20. Eslite Spectrum Songyan
Located next door to Songshan Creative Park, the Eslite Spectrum Songyan has one of the best bookshops in Taipei, located on the upper floors and looking out over the park.
There are several floors of retail therapy including an upmarket food court in the basement levels – there are also lots craft and artisan stalls including a pottery and glass blowing shop where you can make your own ornaments.
In the summer months, there is a small outdoor terrace plus the Eslite Spectrum bookshop on the top floor has a nice cafe hidden amongst the books.
If you are vinyl LP collector on the hunt in Taipei, this is one of the most fantastic plastic spots!
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21. Xinyi Apple Store
Mac stores are normally nothing special (unless you are a super Apple admirer) but the Xinyi Apple store is pretty unique.
We spotted this purely by chance when having a drink in Simple Kaffa Sola at the top of Taipei 101.
As we were looking down from the 88th floor, we almost spat our coffee when we realized the Xinyi Taipei Apple store was actually shaped like a Macbook – very cool! No word yet though on how many USB points it has coming out of the roof.
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22. Breeze Xinyi mall
Xinyi isn’t short of shopping malls but Breeze Xinyi shopping center is one of the nicest, and easily accessible from Taipei 101 via the walkway that goes across the main road.
There are several floors of high end shopping, featuring brands such as Guess, Issy Miyake, All Saints and Timberland – and any shopping mall that has chandeliers as standard is alright by us.
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23. BELLAVITA 寶麗廣塲 mall
An elegant European style mall, Bellavita (the ‘beautiful life’ in Italian) puts the ‘bling’ into your Taipei shopping. Full of high-end brands from all over the world, this is a cut above your usual shopping center experience.
The main shopping atrium is like something out of Italy via Las Vegas, and as well as luxury retailers like Hermes, Leica and Delvaux, there is a food court to suit all tastes and budgets.
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24. Xiangti Avenue Plaza 香堤大道廣場
Amidst all the retail therapy going on, Xiangti Avenue Plaza is a popular place in Xinyi for street-performers, pop-up shops and weekend festivals.
Many of the bars and restaurants overlooking the plaza have tables and chairs outside or to get a better view of all the proceedings, head up to the balconies on the upper floors of the malls to get a panoramic view.
During Christmas in Taipei, there is often a Christmas tree and winter market held at Xiangti Avenue Plaza, with winter food-trucks.
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25. Wei Mei Breakfast Restaurant
Xinyi has a reputation for good food and plenty of it. If you’re staying in Xinyi for several days or have just arrived early off a flight, be sure to grab some breakfast in one of the bustling restaurants or street food stalls.
We are big fans of green onion scallion pancakes so we went for a classic Taiwan breakfast scallion crispy egg pancake from Wei Mei Breakfast Restaurant (map), a family run restaurant that is popular with locals and nearby workers which opens daily at 5am (until 2pm).
Whilst it may not be healthy, damn it was delicious and the staff were really nice – we managed to grab the last table at the back of the restaurant and ordered via a paper pad – it was really cheap too!
Incidentally, we think the best Taiwanese scallion pancakes can be found on Yongkang Street in Taipei at Tian Jin Scallion Pancakes – read our review here >
26. Coca Cola 7-Eleven store
No, your eyes aren’t deceiving you – this is the ‘Real Thing’, a Coca-cola themed 7-Eleven (map) complete with Coke themed dining area.
Coke is it. This Coca-cola themed 7-Eleven in Taiwan is the …Real Thing.
With a colossal Coke bottle on the side, this is one of the more unique 7-Elevens in Taipei. While the downstairs 7-Eleven store is pretty normal, the upstairs seating area is transformed into a retro / vintage American style diner and Coca-Cola Museum.
There are Coke bottle shaped glass cabinets on walls showing all the different Coca cola bottle types and promotions over the years plus lots of vintage Coca-cola advertising.
You might like – Our guide to the Sumikko Gurashi and Ultraman themed 7-Elevens in Taipei
Our final thing to do in Xinyi, Taipei
27. LOVE art installation
We aren’t sure if this is naff or nice, cool or kitsch but if you want to do a selfie in front of the classic ‘LOVE’ sign, there is one on the pavement / sidewalk just outside Taipei 101.
We’ve seen these all over the world, from Myeongdong in South Korea to Merdeka Square in Kuala Lumpur – they are based on the 1970s’s pop art of American artist Robert Indiana.
With all this love in the air, perhaps they should rename it XXXXXinyi?
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