Step into Ximending and you could be forgiven for thinking you have been teleported to Tokyo. Locals call it the "Harajuku of Taipei," and the comparison sticks. This is a daytime and evening pedestrian shopping area with a high concentration of hip, funky, and downright unusual things to see and do. It is without a doubt Taipei's coolest neighborhood and a regular hangout for tourists and young-hearted locals alike.
Ximending's history as a hip hood goes back to the Japanese colonial era, when it was built as a recreation area just outside the West Gate (西門 or Xi Men) of the Taipei Old City. The "ding" at the end is a Japanese district designator. It grew into a theater district in the 1930s and was the place to be in the 1950s. When the city's development shifted east toward Taipei 101, Ximending was neglected until the government reestablished it as a pedestrian street in 1999. Since then it has roared back as Taipei's center for youth culture, Japanese-influenced pop culture, and LGBTQ+ nightlife.
Red House Theatre and the LGBTQ+ District
The Red House (紅樓) is Ximending's top landmark and one of Taipei's most iconic buildings. Built in 1908 during the Japanese colonial period, the octagonal structure was later repurposed as a theater and now houses shops selling creative arts, crafts, and souvenirs by local Taiwanese artists. Entry is free, and it is closed on Mondays. On the south side of Red House, a large square contains the city's primary LGBTQ+ district, a cluster of outdoor bar patios with a welcome-all vibe, the largest collection of such patios in Taipei.
On weekends, the north side of Red House hosts a full arts and crafts market from 1:30 PM to 10 PM every Saturday and Sunday, showcasing local artists and a few interesting foreign ones. The general theme is tastefully cute, and it is a great place to pick up a locally made, non-mass-produced souvenir.
The Pedestrian Streets and Shopping
Ximen MRT Exit 6 feeds directly into the pedestrian zone and is one of the classic meeting spots in Taipei. Right outside the exit, the Taipei Rainbow Pride Flag is painted on Hanzhong Street, a popular photo spot. The main walking street is lined with clothing stores, sneaker shops, cosmetics boutiques, and a flagship Uniqlo. Hang a left after Uniqlo and you hit Ximen Tattoo Street (刺青街), a lane of open-fronted piercing and tattoo parlors where you can spot people getting inked a few feet off the sidewalk.
Ximending is the center of Taipei's cosplay and anime subculture. Maid cafes like Moe Hime Maid Café and Kokorolia dot the upper floors of buildings around Exit 6, where waitresses dressed as dolled-up maids serve food and pose for photos. Animate Cafe and Animate Store cater to otaku with anime merchandise, posters, and figurines. For K-Pop and Taiwanese pop merchandise, try Idol King or 95樂府. Pop Mart has a branch for collectible blind-box toys. There are two Sanrio-themed Hello Kitty 7-Elevens in the area for cute photo ops and merch.
Street Art, Street Food, and Quirky Stops
Kunming Street Lane 96, also called America Street (美國街), is an open-air gallery of legal street art. The Taipei Youth Art Center takes proposals from local artists, and the government has sponsored artwork and street dance competitions in the area. You can spot works by famous Taiwanese graffiti artists like Mr Ogay and internationally renowned artists like Alex Face from Thailand.
For street food, Ximending does not disappoint. Ay Chung Rice Noodles (阿宗麵線) is the famous vermicelli stall tourists line up for. Xing Fu Tang's flagship store serves torched-topped brown sugar bubble tea with a dinosaur-head blowtorch. For weird ice cream, Snow King (雪王) has been churning unusual flavors since 1947, including basil, pork floss, sesame oil chicken, Taiwan beer, and wasabi. Modern Toilet is a toilet and poo-themed restaurant where food comes in squat toilets and urinals, more of a photo op than a culinary destination.
MRT Access and Practical Tips
Businesses in Ximending open around 11 AM and close around 10 PM, and most are closed during Lunar New Year. Ximen MRT Exit 6 drops you into the pedestrian zone. Exit 1 is best for Red House Theatre and the LGBTQ+ district. Ximending is one of the stops on the Taipei Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour and is included in several free walking tours. The area has the highest concentration of claw machine arcades in Taipei, with rooms full of blindingly bright machines robbing patrons of their TWD 10 coins. For a quieter break, slip into Tian Hou Temple, the spiritual heart of Ximen, tucked surprisingly among the shops.