Taipei's youth-culture hub — a pedestrianised warren of street fashion, cinemas, tattoo parlours, cheap eats and neon, buzzing late into the night. Fun, central and great value, packed with hostels and budget hotels; the base for travellers who want energy, shopping and the liveliest streets, with Longshan Temple and the old town close by.
A look around
What you’ll be living next to. Swipe through.
€65–120
typical per night in Taiwan
The sensible middle
Typical prices for Taipei — neither steal nor splurge.
Where it sits
The circle is Ximending and roughly a 10-minute walk around it.
How far is everything?
From the middle of this area to the city's headline sights — pick your own on the city page and these become your list.
- Dihua Street & Dadaocheng20 min walk1.6 km
- Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall20 min walk1.7 km
- Xiao long bao at Din Tai Fung7 min taxi2.5 km
- Shilin Night Market16 min taxi5.4 km
- Taipei 10117 min taxi5.8 km
- Elephant Mountain20 min taxi6.6 km
- National Palace Museum24 min taxi7.9 km
- Beitou hot springs31 min taxi10.5 km
On your doorstep
What you’re living next to if you stay here.
- 6.Longshan Temple — Taipei's oldest and most atmospheric temple, in the old Wanhua district — a smoky, ornate riot of carved dragons, red lanterns and gilt, thronged with worshippers tossing divination blocks and offering incense to a crowd of Buddhist and Taoist gods. Free, mesmerising and alive; go in the evening chanting hour, and explore the herbal and snake-street lanes around it.
- 9.Ximending — Taipei's Times Square — a neon pedestrian warren of street fashion, buskers, cinemas, quirky cafés and endless snack stalls, heaving with young Taipei day and night. The place to feel the city's pop-culture pulse, hunt street food and people-watch; the red-brick Ximen theatre anchors it, and the LGBTQ+ scene and tattoo studios give it real character.
- 14.Huashan 1914 Creative Park — A former winery turned buzzing arts-and-design complex — red-brick warehouses and factory sheds now full of galleries, indie shops, cafés, live-music venues and quirky pop-up exhibitions, with lawns for lounging. A relaxed, creative half-day showing off young, hip Taipei; there's usually something on, and the similar Songshan park nearby makes a good pair.
When are you staying?
Booking.com & Airbnb open searched to Ximending; flights via Google Flights.