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Taipei · Mixed

From Ximending to the River: Markets, Gates and Dadaocheng Tea

This route mixes history, trade, faith and scenery. It starts in Ximending, the entertainment district the Japanese built around a red-brick market, passes the hall where Japanese rule officially ended and the only gate of the Qing wall that keeps its original look, and heads into Dadaocheng, the district that grew rich exporting tea. It ends at the Tamsui River wharf at sunset, a few steps from Ningxia Night Market. Taipei 101 and Elephant Mountain are on the other side of the city: save them for another afternoon, a short metro ride away.

  • 6 stops
  • 2.4 km
  • 2 h 5 min
  • Free
Start with GPS Read about this stop 1
Dihua Street with brick shophouses, arcades and the signs of traditional stores

The route

Stop by stop

  1. 1 Red House (Ximen Red House)An octagonal brick market built in 1908 on a former cemetery, the seed of Taipei's youngest neighbourhood.
  2. 2 Zhongshan HallThe hall where, on 25 October 1945, fifty years of Japanese rule in Taiwan came to an end.
  3. 3 North Gate (Beimen)The only one of Taipei's five city gates that still looks as it did in 1884.
  4. 4 Dihua StreetTaipei's oldest street, where tea, herbs and fabrics made several generations of merchants rich.
  5. 5 Taipei Xia-Hai City God TempleA tiny temple where, tradition says, the Old Man under the Moon ties lovers together with a red thread.
  6. 6 Dadaocheng WharfThe old tea port, today the best place in Taipei to watch the sun go down over the river.

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Start with GPS

Guide mode

Walk it with GPS.

Open guide mode on your phone: you’ll see your position and the distance to each stop, and we’ll let you know when you arrive. Then read or listen.

Start with GPS

  1. Turn on your location

  2. Walk to the spot

  3. Check the photo and listen

What you’ll discover

From Ximending to the River: Markets, Gates and Dadaocheng Tea

The only original gate

The North Gate, from 1884, is the only one of Taipei's five city gates that keeps its Qing-era appearance.

The tea district

On Dihua Street, herbalists, fabric sellers and tea merchants still trade from 19th- and 20th-century shophouses.

Love and sunset

The Old Man under the Moon, the god who ties couples together with a red thread, and the sun setting over the Tamsui River.

Keep exploring

More routes in Taipei

Back to Taipei
HistoryCity Walls, Governors and a Square for Freedom Mysteries & legendsGods, Oracles and Ghosts of Old Bangka

Itineraries

How many days do you have in Taipei?

We’ve planned it day by day for you: which routes to walk and in what order, what else to see and where to eat.

1

Taipei in 1 day

All three routes in one full day: the highlights, the history and the legends at dusk.

See the itinerary 2

Taipei in 2 days

A gentler pace: the three routes over two days, plus extra sights and where to eat.

See the itinerary 3

Taipei in 3 days

The city in depth: one route a day, extra museums and neighbourhoods, and a day for good food.

See the itinerary