Shopping in Taiwan

Taipei is a shopper’s dream. There are dozens of districts offering everything under the sun, truly a world class experience. Shopping is considered a leisure pursuit for Taiwanese women. Every city has numerous ultramodern shopping malls and the traditional street side stores and markets that fringe alleys of the island selling local and international products. The alley stores are crowded with bargain buyers. The night markets with their neon lights, delicious aromas, wayside cafes and the underground malls are a delight to visit. From fashion accessories to electronics, from authentic food to local handicrafts, there is enough to satisfy every buyer. The malls are generally for the high end shopping while the markets scattered all over are for bargain shopping. Most stores are open daily from 10am to 10pm. The main shopping districts in Taipei are Simending, Tongsiao and Sinyi. Taipei has seen tremendous success in the Taipei Shopping Festival and the fest continues year after year to promote Taipei not only as a shopper’s paradise but to build and international shopping carnival. The annual Ximen Shopping Festival takes place during October and November in Ximending in the Wanhua district, which is locally referred to as the shoppers paradise, sees over 3 million shoppers per month and is a must for travellers looking for bargains on electronic goods, toys, books, magazines, CD’s and clothes.

 

Night Markets

Shilin Night Market

Taipei has many night markets, the biggest, busiest and most well organised one is Shilin. It has a typical flea market atmosphere and is one of the main attractions of Taipei. If you are looking for a bargain, this is the place to be. There is a wharf nearby which bustles with life, a real amazing experience for those who would like to savour Taipei at night. The market is distinctly divided into 2 zones. One specializing in food and the other in fancy consumer products. The food stalls at Shilin market sell authentic oyster omelettes, bubble tea, fried buns, chicken steaks and more. It stretches over several blocks. The labyrinth of streets are lined with stores buzzing with tourists and activity, appetizing smells, bargain peddlers. The market opens every evening at 4pm and is busy right till 2am.

 

The Jaoho Street Night Market

This is one of the liveliest markets in Taipei. It stretches over 600 meters and thrives in rows of stalls that line the winding Jaoho Street, strewn with colourful display of goods. The market is ideal for local handicrafts. Some of the handicrafts include bamboo pieces, hand woven clothes and hand crafted jewellery. The food stalls are famous for the local authentic delicacies.

Other notable night markets include Tong Hua , Huaxi, Wanhua, Shida, Shuang Cheng, Nanji Chang, Jingmei amd Gonguan Street Night Market.

 

Malls And Stores

Sogo Shopping Center

Sogo is one of the major department stores in Taiwan. The store in Taipei has a wide range to choose from. It is a popular destination and has a very convenient location. It is a towering structure of 18 floors and has a basement food court and 3 floors of basement parking. It is a landmark in Taipei. Sogo has a host of stores satisfying any fashion requirement. The basement food court has a number of restaurants and cafes serving traditional and international dishes and good variety of beer. Sogo’s entrance Plaza Clock draws crowds and chimes every hour with its dolls.

 

Taipei 101

This is a landmark skyscrapper which was ranked as the world’s tallest building since its completion in 2004 till the opening of Burj Khalifa, Dubai in 2010. It has a multi storey retail mall, home to hundreds of fashion stores, restaurants, clubs and other attractions. Fashionistas should visit Taipei 101 where designers like Armani, Louis Vuitton and many more line the corridor.

 

 

 

Core Pacific City

Also known as Living Mall, located on BaDe road, is a complex of 2 buildings. An L shaped building which contains speciality boutiques connected to a sphere which houses Mira Department Store. This mall is open 24 X 7. It is known as the largest shopping mall in Asia.

 

Other malls include Shin Kong Mitsukoshi, Min Yao Department Store, New York New York, Neo 19, Eslite Bookstore, Asia World, Dayeh Takashimaya and Breeze.

 

Underground Malls

Due to its high population and lack of space, Taipei has many underground markets which also serve as connections between metros.

One of them is Taipei Underground Market. It is one of the popular underground markets in Taipei. It is located under Civic Boulevard. It has 28 exits/entrances and there are 187 shops in the market. It is divided into 3 sections – clothing, electronics and food. There is an underground parking for shoppers too.

 

There are many more markets that are a must visit like Chienkuo Flower Market, Chinese Handicraft Mart, Guanghua Market, Holiday Flower Market, Holiday Jade Market, Jimmy’s Bike Shop, and Nova Computer Arcade.