Lifestyle and Shopping in Taipei
Initially, expats may find their lifestyle in Taipei full of ups and downs.
The city is certainly not the most aesthetically pleasing - marked by monoliths of glass and steel; wide, congested boulevards; and the noise and pollution normal to most major metropolises. Not to mention the odd East meets West surroundings and cultural intricacies can often make it difficult to carve out a niche in this de facto capital.
For example, despite the wayward idolatry of Western pop culture and the admiration for the other half of the world's ideology, local lifestyle in Taipei can disapprove of certain past times. Drinking alcohol is taboo unless done in a bar or nightclub, behaving loudly and badly in public is looked down upon and complaining is a faux pas.
Still, once expats become acclimated with their surroundings they'll find plenty to see and do in the city, and will soon have a happy handle on what kind of lifestyle they'll look to live in Taipei.
On the edge of the city sit a plethora of parks, nature reserves, rolling hills; a bit further away, gorgeous deserted beaches and a countryside begging to be explored during weekend breaks.
The food culture is amazing, and hefty expat salaries often allow foreigners to dine out at restaurants more often than ever imagined.
Going to the cinema is also a favourite pastime in Taipei. Most movie theatres can be found in the bigger malls where films are shown in English with Chinese sub-titles. However, when planning on watching an animated movie, note that separate Chinese and English versions of the movie are screened.
Visiting a night market is a quintessential Taiwanese experience and a popular leisure activity for families and couples alike. Night markets are held outdoors and resemble carnivals with their endless food stalls, game arcades, clothing stalls and trinket peddlers. Granted, items bought at night markets aren’t known for their quality, but prices are usually quite cheap and great bargains are easy to find. Weekends can be uncomfortably crowded.
The city is certainly not the most aesthetically pleasing - marked by monoliths of glass and steel; wide, congested boulevards; and the noise and pollution normal to most major metropolises. Not to mention the odd East meets West surroundings and cultural intricacies can often make it difficult to carve out a niche in this de facto capital.For example, despite the wayward idolatry of Western pop culture and the admiration for the other half of the world's ideology, local lifestyle in Taipei can disapprove of certain past times. Drinking alcohol is taboo unless done in a bar or nightclub, behaving loudly and badly in public is looked down upon and complaining is a faux pas.
Still, once expats become acclimated with their surroundings they'll find plenty to see and do in the city, and will soon have a happy handle on what kind of lifestyle they'll look to live in Taipei.
On the edge of the city sit a plethora of parks, nature reserves, rolling hills; a bit further away, gorgeous deserted beaches and a countryside begging to be explored during weekend breaks.
The food culture is amazing, and hefty expat salaries often allow foreigners to dine out at restaurants more often than ever imagined.
Going to the cinema is also a favourite pastime in Taipei. Most movie theatres can be found in the bigger malls where films are shown in English with Chinese sub-titles. However, when planning on watching an animated movie, note that separate Chinese and English versions of the movie are screened.
Visiting a night market is a quintessential Taiwanese experience and a popular leisure activity for families and couples alike. Night markets are held outdoors and resemble carnivals with their endless food stalls, game arcades, clothing stalls and trinket peddlers. Granted, items bought at night markets aren’t known for their quality, but prices are usually quite cheap and great bargains are easy to find. Weekends can be uncomfortably crowded.
Shopping in Taipei
Furthermore, expats will find Taipei is a shopping paradise; though it may require two or three trips to get what you would find in a single shop at home. An array of fashion stores and nearly all of the high-end designer labels are found in local shopping malls.
Shopping Malls in Taipei
Breeze Centre
(03) 6600 8888
39 Fuxing North Rd, Section 1
11 floors including movie theatres
Core Pacific “Living Mall”
(03) 3762 1888
138 Bade Rd, Section 4
15 floors and 24hr cinemas
Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Department Store
(03) 8780 1000
11 Songshou Rd
Dayeh Takashimaya
(03) 2831 2345
55 Zhongcheng Rd, Section 2
SOGO Department Store
(03) 7713 5555
45 Zhongxiao East Rd, Section 4
Electronics Stores in Taipei
Electronic goods such as laptops and cameras and accompanying accessories are very cheap and always top of the range as Taiwan manufactures a variety of electronic goods for export. Good places to shop for electronics are:
Guanghua St
Bade Rd, Section 1
NOVA Computer Arcade
(03) 2381 4833
100 Guanjian Rd
Night Markets in Taipei
Good night markets to visit are
- Shilin Night Market
- Shida Night Market
- Tonghua Night Market
- Snake Alley (you can watch snake-handlers here or visit a restaurant that specialises in snake meat)
Day markets are also fun. We recommend Jianguo Weekend Jade Market and Ianguo Weekend Flower Market. They are open on the weekends only, and are located under the freeway on Jianguo South Rd, in the Da’an district.
Shopping Hours
- Department stores: 11am-10:30pm
- Shop hours: 10am-9pm
- Night market hours 6pm–10:30pm
