Taipei Marriott Hotel

Ximending is a neighborhood and shopping district in the Wanhua District of Taipei, Taiwan. The Ximending Pedestrian Area was the first pedestrian zone constructed in Taipei and remains the largest in Taiwan.[1]

Here's a premium shopping trip for you: know that in Taipei "value for money" in clothing and accessories means the Wufenpu Garment Wholesale Area . Located in the eastern part of Taipei City, here your tourist dollar travels far. The literal translation of "Wufenpu" is "five parcels of open land," indicating that in pioneering days the first Chinese settlers bought up a large plot here in modern Taipei's Songshan District in a group of five. To today's Taipei residents, however, the place name is synonymous with a renowned wholesalers' district stuffed to the brim with quality inexpensive clothing and related adornments -- and stuffed with happy bargain-hunters most every day. It is now rightfully gaining recognition on the tourist map as well. Some people release the stress accumulated in the workaday world by climbing mountains (read this issue's article on hiking). Some find release by sitting quietly and reveling in the appreciation of the more delicate beauties created by Mother Earth (see our article on bird-watching). And some "many" seems more appropriate find blissful release by going out for a day of ardent purchasing of material goods, taking possession of items they may or may not have known in advance that their little heart desired. Wufenpu officially called Wufenpu Garment Wholesale Area is just the antidote, then, for those in the last category seeking pure joy, and just the thing for those in all categories in need of clothing necessities or gifts for those waiting back home.

Located within the Taipei Expo Park, the Taipei Fine Arts Museum is one of Taiwan's most prominent art museums and arguably the most popular art exhibition hall. Hosting a wide variety of international and Taiwanese art, the museum is located just north of the city center, and is very easily accessible.

One of the oldest night markets in Taipei, the Raohe Street Night Market is a must visit destination! The epitome of a traditional Taiwanese night market, this 600 metre path along Raohe Street in Songshan District is packed with fun and interesting night foods and snacks, quaint shops and stalls, and carnival games with prizes. At the eastern end of the night market outside Songshan Station (both the MRT Green Line 3 and train) is the Ciyou Temple (慈祐宮), built by local residents during the Qing Dynasty era. Tour groups tend to concentrate themselves around the eastern edge of the market. Individual travellers are recommended to walk directly past these groups for a nicer experience. Before grabbing a snack at Raohe, take a stroll through the Clothing Shopping Outlet in Wufenpu (五分埔), a hotspot for finding deeply discounted fashion in an abundance of shops located within a maze of alleys.

The Miramar Entertainment Park is a new-age shopping and entertainment complex built with the idea of offering enough consumption and entertainment options to keep visitors occupied for a full-day stay. The most striking feature of this park, which was opened only at the end of 2004, is a 95-meter-high, 70-meter-in-diameter Ferris wheel that light up at night to add a strong touch of romance to the Taipei skyline.

Since the TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall opened in 2008 it has become a key landmark in Taipei and model for the MICE industry. The structure’s purpose built twin-level show floors contain an impressive 45,360 sqm of show space. On the upper level of this green-certified building is the Sky Dome. The Dome is Taiwan’s largest column-free showground and can hold 18,000 people. It is a great place for international trade shows, concerts, direct sales conferences, religious conference, incentive travel events, and year-end parties.

This very busy temple is devoted to Guan, a famous deified general who lived (A. D. 162-219) during the Three Kingdoms period. A man, who valued loyalty and righteousness above all things, Guangong is worshipped as the God of War; since he was adept at managing finances, he is also worshipped as the patron saint of businessmen. This is young temple, built in 1967, with a simple and dignified appearance. In front of the hall is a censer with a somewhat unusual design, its two handles in the shape of flying dragons and its four sides adorned with dragons’ heads stretching toward the sky. The courtyard of the temple is usually busy, with crowds of worshippers bowing their heads or kneeling in devotion. On the main altar you will see offerings of only fresh flowers and tea, since the temple forbids the killing of offering of animals. The temple also discourages the burning of ritual paper money as an offering to the deities and the spirits of the deceased, the staging of operas for the gods, the presenting of gold medallions in gratitude to the deities, and the like. The temple supplies free candles, and there is no donation box-a first for traditional religion in Taiwan! Many believers feel that this is a very efficacious temple, and it is frequently thronged with people praying for help and seeking divine guidance by consulting oracle blocks. Even the pedestrian underpass outside the temple is filled with fortune-tellers and vendors who take commercial advantage of the temple's popularity.

Taipei 101 is an engineering marvel and the first building of its kind in the world. Spanning 101 stories above the ground at 508 metres, the building was designed as a symbol of technology's evolution fused with Asian tradition. The building features many pan-Chinese and Asian elements mixed with a postmodern style, and is designed to withstand typhoons and earthquakes common in Taiwan. Besides the tower, the base of the building houses a multi-level shopping mall, food court, various restaurants and stores (including Din Tai Fung 鼎泰豐), and an international grocery store. The double-deck elevators installed in Taipei 101 set a record in 2004 by traveling 60.6 km/h, lifting visitors to the observation deck at the top in only 37 seconds. The ticket price for the observatory is NT$600, but can be reserved online with our partner Klook for only NT$510! Benefits of reserving the ticket online include a discount and not having to wait in the long line to purchase the ticket. Take a trip to the top of 101 by purchasing a ticket inside the mall for NT$600, granting access to the observation deck and museum where visitors can learn about this technical and architectural wonder, as well as get a first-hand look at the tuned mass damper located at the core of the tower that keeps the building from swaying. It's a fascinating piece of technology, and visitors are allowed to view up close. With the grand opening of the office tower, TAIPEI 101 hosted an inauguration ceremony on December 31, 2004 to celebrate the start of a new era. The celebration reached its climax at night when the main tower was lit and fireworks were displayed to welcome the coming of 2005: a new year for Taipei 101 to shine. In Februday 2005 the Taiwan Stock Exchange Corporation signed a lease with TAIPEI101. Soon after that on April 18 The Bayer Group became the first transcontinental company to move into the TAIPEI 101 Financial Building. Winterthur Insurance Group, ABN AMRO Bank and GOOGLE become our valued tenants. With the growing interests from global enterprises, TAIPEI 101 has proven to be a beacon of Taiwan’s economical progress.

Shilin Night Market is the one of the largest night markets in Taipei. The market is centered on Yangming Theater and Cicheng Temple. The night market is formed by many prosperous shops on Wenlin Road, Dadong Road and Danan Road, etc. Among them, Shilin Market was built as early as in 1899 and the market is famous for various snacks and eatery. Many visitors have come to Shilin Night Market to enjoy the delicious foods, such as large pancake enfolding small pancake, hot pot on stone or Shilin sausage. Shilin Night Market has become a renowned place for great foods. Because the night market is close to many schools, students are the main customer group. Goods are sold at less expensive prices as compared to regular stores. There are special areas for furniture, clothing, photo shops or pet shops. The finery shops and cold dessert shops in "lover's lane" attract most student customers. Shilin Night Market covers a large area. When one walks in the turning lanes and alleys, he (she) would often find something unexpected. The night market is packed with many people during holidays. We can often see families carrying many things from shopping and enjoying good meals. Their satisfaction is fully shown from their happy expressions.

The National Palace Museum houses the world's largest collection of priceless Chinese art treasures, one which spans China's nearly 5,000-year history. Most of the museum's over 600,000 art objects were part of the Chinese imperial collection, which began over 1,000 years ago in the early Song dynasty.

The park houses the Meiti Pier for transportation along Keelung River. The park is an ideal place for casual strolling or cycling.

The Martyrs' Shrine, resting on the slopes of the Qing Mountain and overseeing the Keelung River, is located right next to the Grand Hotel. It was built in 1969 and covers a large area. Its grand and magnificent architectural style is similar to that of the Taihe Dian Imperial Palace in Beijing, Mainland China, and symbolizes the martyrs' brave spirit. More than 33, 000 square meters of grass fields surround the structure, and protected by the neighboring mountains it breathes a serene atmosphere which even more emphasizes its solemn and stately character. The 330,000 men who sacrificed their lives to the revolution before the establishment of the Republic of China and who fell during the Sino-Japanese war and the Chinese Civil war are worshipped here. Plates of these brave and loyal martyrs have been inserted into the four walls of the main building in testimony of their heroic deeds. Each spring and autumn, the president of Taiwan leads both civil and military officials in a public worship, while leaders from Taiwan's befriended countries come and pay floral tribute. Each year in October, groups of overseas Chinese also come to visit the site. Worth mentioning is the military police officers who guard the main gate, and who have been rigidly trained to stand like expressionless statues. Tourists alike are amazed at this display of composure and flock to see the ceremonial changing of the guards.

The 2010 Taipei International Flora Exposition (Taipei Flora Expo) was the first world-class exposition Taiwan was authorized to hold under international certification standards. Thanks to the enthusiastic support from people nationwide, the expo registered an impressive 8,963, 666 visits during a total period of 171 days. To keep the expo’s “power of beauty” alive after the closing ceremony, Taipei City Government unveiled a memorial Flora Expo Park consisting of Yuanshan Park, Fine Arts Park and Xinsheng Park Areas, with several exhibition halls: EXPO Dome, EXPO Hall, Pavilion of Dreams, Pavilion of Future and Pavilion of Angel Life, in continued operation alongside the relocated Taipei Pavilion from World Expo 2010 Shanghai. The park will surely become an excellent recreational spot with breathtaking scenery!

One of Taipei's largest creative arts spaces, this complex sits on the grounds of a former tobacco factory established by the Japanese. In 2011, the Taipei City government finished renovations of the area, changing the space into a large public park with exhibition halls, art shows, and conference spaces. An Eslite is located at the northern end of the complex, housing a large bookstore, creative works shopping mall, vinyl records store, and a large number of shops in which guests can participate in creative art workshops (known in Taiwan as DIY) or request custom pieces. Most exhibition halls and shops are located within the old tobacco factory, at the center of which is a large, beautiful Baroque Garden where guests can stroll or relax. When the factory was in operation, it was also home to its employees and provided accommodation and food services, as well as education opportunities and nursery services. Today, those spaces have been modernized while retaining their original purposes, inviting guests to explore Taiwan's history and culture during the Japanese occupation era. Outside the factory is a large pond which has been modernized to become an Ecology Pond, where visitors can experience wildlife and learn about local species native to northern Taiwan.