Taipei Culture Taiwan’s culture is a mix of Taiwan’s history, folk beliefs, and influences of the Confucian Han Chinese, Japanese, and Western. The history of Taiwan cannot be separated from the history of China. After the Nationalist lost to the Communist during China’s civil war in 1949, they fled to Taiwan and established the Republic of China with its capital in Taipei. Over the years, Taiwan underwent major economic success and has established a democratic government. Taiwan’s three main beliefs include Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. However, most Taiwanese people blend elements from Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and folk religion together. Therefore, temples and religious festivals are common in Taiwan. Although not all the Taiwanese are believers of Buddhism, Taoism, or Confucianism, these three beliefs are the major part of Taiwanese culture. Moreover, some of these religious rituals and festivals have become traditions and customs of Taiwan.   Longshan Temple
Acknowledged as one of Taiwan’s most resplendent temples, Longshan Temple features traditional Chinese style architecture and decorations. As the center for worship Taoism, Longshan Temple is one of the oldest and largest temples in Taiwan.   Xingtian Temple
Advocating Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian beliefs, Xingtian Temple is one of the important representative temples of Taiwan. Due to its popularity, Xingtian Temple is always full of faithful believers. One unique feature of Xingtian Temple is the abundance of fortune telling stands outside the temple that provides answers for troubled people.   Taipei Night Life Taipei is not only full of activities during the day, but it also has many fun attractions to explore at night. First of all, night markets are always lively attractions for local citizens and foreign visitors. Several night markets even have carnival games and prizes to attract many excited children. Besides night markets, there are other entertaining places in Taipei such as shopping areas, department stores, karaoke parlors, night clubs, and lounge bars. If you are looking for a quiet and peaceful place, there are also some excellent spots in Taipei where you may enjoy the night views of Taipei City.   Ximending  Although Ximending is a hot spot for shopping and entertainment during the day, the place gets more crowded at night. With movie theaters, karaoke entertainments, coffee shops, an abundance of clothing and accessory shops, and a variety of food vendors, night entertainment at Ximending will last from the evening into the late night.   Shilin Night Market
Crowded with local citizens and foreign tourists, Shilin Night Market is one of the popular places to visit at night. Not only does Shilin Night Market have an array of shops, the negotiable prices and famous food vendors attract shoppers to return to Shilin Night Market over and over again.   Maokong
Maokong is a popular place to enjoy the Taipei night view and high mountain tea. There are various tea houses around so visitors may enjoy the different tea sensations while appreciating the night view of Taipei City.   Taipei Night Markets Being an essential part of Taiwanese culture, night markets are one of the favorite attractions for both local and foreign people. According to the report from the Ministry of Transportation and Communication's Tourism Bureau in Taiwan, around 60% of visitors would like to visit night markets and experience the local culture. With a more popular percentage score than the Taipei 101, night markets are a part of Taiwan tourism that you must experience.
 
Most people love night markets for several reasons. First, the delicious local Taiwanese snacks alone attract numerous food-lovers to visit night markets. With various Taiwanese snacks in various flavors, visitors may eat to their heart’s content. Second, the low prices of food and merchandises make shoppers crowd the busy night market streets. It is also common to bargain for better prices while purchasing any sort of products. In addition, night markets are one of the busy shopping areas where visitors may find vast varieties of clothes, shoes, accessories, sporting goods, etc. Come join where the crowd is at and enjoy the lively atmosphere of Taiwan night markets.
 
Useful conversation at night markets:
這是什麼? ----- What is this?
Zhe shi shen me
我要一份。---- I want one order (of this).
Wo yao yi fen
謝謝。---- Thank You
Xie xie
要辣 / 不要辣。----I Want it spicy / I don’t want it spicy
Yao la / bu yao la
多少錢?  ---- How much?
Duo shao qian
 
The night markets in Taipei include Shilin Night Market, Shida Night Market, Raohe Street Night Market, Huaxi Street Tourist Night Market, Ximending Night Market, Gongguan Night Market, Liaoning Night Market, and Tonghua Street Night Market.
 
Taipei Shopping
Due to recent demands of the society and media, the Taiwanese pays more attention to keep up with trends and fashion. There are a variety of fashionable styles in Taiwan for clothes, shoes, make-up, hair styles, and accessories that continue to develop. From electronics to particularly accessories and clothes, its style must keep up with the latest trends and may include styles and flavors of Japan, Korea, U.S., England, etc. There is not only a wide selection of fashionable styles to shop in Taiwan, but also a wide range of prices and qualities. From the cheapest NT $100 shirts in night markets to the most expensive NT $10,000 branded shirts in shopping malls, there is a wide price range to suit various budgets and needs. This is also why shopping is such a popular activity in Taiwan.
In addition to the variety of styles and prices, it is also a habitual for Taiwanese shoppers to eat and shop at the same time. That is why there are so many food vendors and eateries along the busy night market streets. With delicious Taiwanese snacks to accompany your exciting shopping adventure, it’s easy to lose track of time while shopping in Taiwan.
Below are some of the popular Taipei shopping places.   Taipei 101
There is a mall at Taipei 101 that caters many name brand stores such as Chanel, Gucci, Prada, LV, and Coach. Not just within Taipei 101, there are also a large number of shops and boutiques in the surrounding area. As one of the most prosperous districts in Taipei, Taipei 101 is the center of shopping for many mid-class and high-class shoppers.   Ximending Ximending is the entertainment paradise for young people. It has a fashionable reputation and a large selection of shops that attracts many shoppers of all ages. With a number of food stands that refuel your shopping energy, Ximending is the hot spot for a variety of affordable clothing and accessories.   Shilin Night Market
As mentioned above, Shilin Night Market is the most crowed place in Taipei with an array of food stands, restaurants, stores, and shops. The cloth and goods here are relatively cheaper than other places in Taipei. Many people would like to go shopping at Shilin Night Market.   Breeze Center
The Breeze Center is a huge shopping mall which contains various name brand stores like Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci, Coach and many more. The grand food court with international foods at B1 floor is also worth mentioning.   Living Mall
Living Mall is an enormous shopping mall located in Sungshan District of Taipei City. It is an L-shaped building combined with the biggest sphere building in the world. Thousands of name brand stores are located in this mall. In order to satisfy different consumers’ needs, some stores are nearly open 24 hours a day such as the Eslite Books Store and the Mira Specialty Store and Boutiques. It is a wonderful place for shopping and hanging out with friends.   Taipei Hot Springs Taiwan is blessed with numerous natural hot springs, and has become one of the main tourist attractions all year round. There’s nothing like having a relaxing hot spring vacation to keep your body warm during the chilly winter weather. In the humidity of the summer, taking hot spring bath is also a popular choice to escape from the heated city. Although the hot springs and the humidity of the summer air may not seem like a good mix initially, but the hot springs provide a healthy way to sweat in the summer without feeling humid or uncomfortable. Taking a quiet nap in the air-conditioned guestroom right after a hot spring bath is also another rewarding sensation. In addition to its soothing and vacation-like qualities, hot springs are also said to have healing qualities for beautifying skins and relieving physical pains such as arthritis and muscle soreness. As a healthy and relaxing way to enjoy a well-deserved vacation, do not miss out on Taiwan’s hot springs.
In Taipei, there are three well-known natural hot spring sites that attract an abundance of tourists.   Beitou Hot Spring
As one of the four major hot springs in Taiwan, the sulfuric Beitou Hot Springs are said to have healing effects for a variety of physical pains. At Beitou, numerous hot springs and hot spring resorts are located along a hill where visitors may also appreciate the mountainous scenery.   Wulai Hot Spring
Wulai is another great place for a hot spring vacation in Taipei. Different from other hot springs in Taiwan, the hot springs of Wulai are colorless and odorless. Aside from hot springs, Wulai also features a variety of other attractions such as waterfalls, scenery gondola, and an amusement park.   Yangmingshan Hot Spring Yangmingshan is the most famous mountain in Taipei with many scenery attractions and hot springs. There is also a well-established park (Yangmingshan National Park) that attracts many visitors.