Must-see attractions in Taipei

  • Ketagalan Culture Center

    Taipei

    This multistorey centre explores Taiwan's indigenous people's culture with exhibits, performances, pictures and artefacts. There are crafted pieces –…

  • Discovery Center of Taipei

    Xinyi

    This is a great place to get your bearings on the city and its history. Maps and models show Taipei's evolution from a walled, gated city in 1882 to the…

  • Taiwan Comic Base

    Taipei

    Taiwan Comic Base is a Ministry of Culture initiative to show off and support the island's vibrant manga industry. This small centre has a graphic-novel…

  • Fine Arts Museum

    Taipei

    Constructed in the 1980s, this airy, four-storey box of marble, glass and concrete showcases contemporary art, with a particular focus on Taiwanese…

  • Taipei Guesthouse

    Taipei

    Surrounded by a high grey concrete wall just to the south of NTU Hospital MRT station, Taipei Guesthouse is a two-storey Renaissance-style building dating…

  • Taipei Grand Mosque

    Taipei

    Built with money from the Saudi government and other Middle Eastern countries back in the 1950s, this modest, traditional structure is set in its own…

  • Museum of Drinking Water

    Taipei

    Located next to a water park (open in summer only), this museum covers the history of water treatment in Taipei and is set in a rather beautiful former…

  • Tea Research and Promotion Center

    Taipei

    This lovely red-brick building, about a 20-minute walk from Maokong gondola station, has tranquil gardens, free tea (look for the tap at the far right of…

  • Beitou Library

    Taipei

    Opened in 2006, this beautiful wooden building was Taiwan's first green construction project. You can go inside and wander about or just hang out on the…

  • Taiwan Design Museum

    Xinyi

    Housed in one wing of an atmospheric former tobacco factory, this exhibition space showcases modern designs by local and international artists.

  • Fuyou Temple

    Taipei

    Halfway along Zhongzheng Rd is smoky Fuyou Temple. Built in 1782, this beautiful low-lying structure is the oldest temple in Tamsui, and is dedicated to…

  • National Taiwan University Hospital

    Taipei

    The western wing of this hospital is a heritage site. This attractive Renaissance-style red-brick building was built during the Japanese era at the end of…

  • Wazihwei Nature Reserve

    Taipei

    A mixture of mudflats and mangroves, this quiet section along the Tamsui River is home to migratory birds, abandoned fishing boats, and, at low tide, a…

  • Silver Stream Cave Waterfall

    Taipei

    This is a narrow waterfall that flows out of a cave; the rock face behind has a spooky temple built into the stone. It's a fairly vigorous hike to get…

  • Taipei Artist Village

    Taipei

    This yellow-and-white striped building that looks like municipal offices is home to a small gallery, a garden and a cafe. It runs an artist-residency…

  • Shandao Temple

    Taipei

    This Japanese-era temple is an imposing, hushed edifice in dark-pink and brown marble, and is in sharp contrast to the flashy bling of most of Taiwan's…

  • Jinan Presbyterian Church

    Taipei

    This lovely red-brick church with its arched Gothic windows dates from 1916 and is fronted by a row of palm trees. Inside is dominated by white wood. The…

  • Tamsui Presbyterian Church

    Taipei

    The Gothic-style Tamsui Presbyterian Church was reconstructed in 1933. It's a popular backdrop for wedding photos. Open only during services.

  • Nishi Honganji Square

    Ximending & Wanhua

    This small park is the site of a former Japanese temple, which was built at the end of the 19th century for the country's military, and which offered…

  • Chungshan Hall

    Yangmingshan National Park

    Built in 1965 to commemorate the centennial birthday of Sun Yat-sen, this hall is about a three-minute walk back down the road from the 7-Eleven by…

  • Xiaonanmen

    Ximending & Wanhua

    Taipei's 5th gate, whose name means Little South Gate, dates back to when the capital was a walled city under the Qing dynasty. It now sits like a lonely…

  • Jin An Gong

    Songshan

    This little temple is only worth the trip if you're planning to visit Wufenpu market next door, since almost every street in Taipei has a similar site of…

  • Tamsui Fisherman's Wharf

    Taipei

    This bridge, river boardwalk, mall of seafood restaurants, a fancy resort and snack stalls is only worth it for the ferry ride from Tamsui or, if it's a…

  • Taipei World Trade Center

    Xinyi

    This squat Lego-like building, in pink stone, stands next to the much more impressive Taipei 101 and is the capital's main venue for international trade…

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