TAIPEI Tours Traveling Taipei 10 June and July is a time of fun and excitement. Students are on Mind Set Art Center summer vacation and filled with anticipation, and summertime is perhaps the best time of all for exploring Taipei. We’ve mapped W e out three tours for you this issue that show you all the city’s n z h hottest new flavors and tastes, the Wenluoting area with its air of o Treasure Hill International Artist Village THE WALL Drop Coffee House Good Design Institute u learning, showcasing the super-popular Ximending Commercial S t District, the fine-eats emporium that is Yongkang Street, and the . Tequila Sunrise cultured ambience of Qingtian Street. This “Traveling Taipei” is Chen San Ding Bubble Milk Tea Tequila Sunrise 11 9 bursting with refreshing summer surprises! ❹ ❾ Good Design Institute The star at this always busy Gongguan shop is bubble milk tea. Boiling in brown sugar Looking like a small rural Mexican home, this syrup heightens the fragrance of the soft yet chewy tapioca-starch “bubbles.” Pure Mexican restaurant has been serving popular Rd. Roosevelt 3, Sec. 283, Lane milk is used. This is a must-try drink while in Gongguan. classics like burritos and beef taco salad for over Sec. 1, Xinhai Rd. Tasting WenLuoTing twenty years. Location: Entrance to Aly. 8, Ln. 316, Sec. 3, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei City fembooks 8 The name “WenLuoTing” is derived from the first syllables of Tel: (02)2367-7781 Add: 42, Sec. 3, Xinsheng S. Rd., Taipei City MRT Taipower Building Station No. Wenzhou Street, Roosevelt (pronounced “Luosefu”) Road, Tel: (02)2362-7563 45 Lan Jia Guabao and Tingzhou Road. Centered on National Taiwan Normal and ❺ Mind Set Art Center National Taiwan universities, it has a highly cultured, academic air, Guabao, soy-braised streaky pork in a sliced wheat bun, is a favorite local ❿ with many bookstores, creating a university-town oasis of eclectic snack delicacy, served with cilantro, sweetened peanut powder, and Enjoy works by domestic and international Drop Coee House 7 Spectacular Taipei pickled mustard greens. This shop offers five meat choices to satisfy contemporary artists in a redeveloped building 6 30SELECT character, its lanes and alleys brimming with the fragrance of th S W every palate: fatty, lean, half fatty half lean, fattier or leaner. over 70 years old (no entry fee). A 5 anniversary e c e th . Jun. ~ Jul. 2015 coffee and books, and perfect for a slow stroll. Sec. 3, Roosevelt Rd. n exhibition is being held until July 25 , showcasing 3 z , Add: 3, Aly. 8, Ln. 316, Sec. 3, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei City h X o about 20 artists. i n Tel: (02)2368-2060 u s | Bimonthly | h S t e Add: 16-1, Sec. 3, Xinsheng S. Rd., Taipei City . n g Tel: (02)2365-6008 S Treasure Hill International Artist Village 30SELECT . ❶ ❻ R Within the Gongguan riverside’s Treasure Hill Artist Village is Baozangyan Temple 30SELECT is targeted primarily at 30-somethings, displaying Taiwan-design apparel Good Design Institute Sec. 3, Tingzhou Rd. d National Taiwan (an official city heritage site), and a cluster of heritage residences on a slope. and imported Japanese goods in a bright display space of concise design, perfect for ⓫ University From the hilltop are great views over the Xindian River landscape. The artist independent-minded individuals with youthful vision. A café, exhibit space, and studio all rolled into one. Ln. 286, Sec. 3, Roosevelt Rd. village has 15 artist studios, studio/living spaces for both local and international The interior design has a lab theme. The café has Shuiyuan Rd. / Shuiyuan Expressway Add: 10, Ln. 210, Sec. 3, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei City artists-in-residence. The village is freely open to visitors, and around every corner regular exhibits of works by artists from Taiwan and Tel: (02)2367-3398 waits a surprise. Japan. Visitors can savor “Good” coffee and specially made snacks, as well as admire and buy high- Add: 2, Aly. 14, Ln. 230, Sec. 3, Tingzhou Rd., Taipei City Drop Coffee House quality design goods both local and imported. Tel: (02)2364-5313 ❼ Yesterday’s National Taiwan University dormitory quarters Lan Jia Guabao Zhoushan Rd. Add: 1F., 22, Ln. 48, Wenzhou St., Taipei City have now become a popular and chic café, a cozy cove 5 MRT Gongguan Station THE WALL Tel: (02)2362-0723 4 of natural wood with French windows, and special-blend Ln. 316, Sec. 3, Roosevelt Rd. ❷ Chen San Ding This is a live-show keystone for Taiwan’s indie-music scene, and a great place ice drip coffee: a perfect accompaniment to some relaxed Bubble Milk Tea Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd. for rock lovers to sway with the bands and shout their heads off, enjoying street-scene gazing. themselves to the full. There’s also a practice room, creative music-themed . Add: 1, Ln. 76, Sec. 3, Xinsheng S. Rd, Taipei City d R merchandise, tattoo studio, and bar – a complete music-trend showcase. Taipei Water Park g Tel: (02)2368-4222 n Siyuan St. lu Add: B1, 200, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei City e e K , Tel: (02)2930-0162 fembooks 4 . 3 c ❽ e Pipe Live Music This was the first feminist bookstore in the Chinese community, opened by a group Pipe Live Music S ❸ of women’s-movement activists concerned with gender-equality issues. It stocks THE WALL Beside Taipei Water Park, this live house is set in a pumping-station heritage the Chinese-speaking world’s most complete collection of books and audio-visual 2 building. Seating three hundred people, bands (including many new-generation products on women’s and gender issues. Hand-crafted aboriginal accessories are also acts) play here into the wee hours. displayed and sold. 1 Treasure Hill Artist Village Add: 1, Siyuan St., Taipei City Add: 2F., 7, Ln. 56, Sec. 3, Xinsheng S. Rd., Taipei City fembooks Mind Set Art Center Tel: (02)2365-3524 Tel: (02)2363-8244 Discount coupons for shopping and dining Super-Fun Ximending STAGE Taipei Official Stage, Taipei Cinema Park ❿ ⓬ Ximending has it all – movies, fashionable apparel, anime, music, STAYREAL The spacious Taipei Cinema Park is filled with street artists, skate-boarders, street performers, and much, much more. A well-loved shopping Ximending symbolizes all that’s “in” a grand emporium of dancers, flea markets, which is the place for young people. and entertainment district for young people, almost every weekend all the latest fashions. Celebrities with own-design brands Add: 19, Kangding Rd., Taipei City or holiday you’ll come across celebrity autograph signings and like to open their shops here. Taiwan pop star Show Luo Tel: (02)2312-3717 street concerts, movie-publicity events, street performers, and much has opened STAGE Taipei Official Stage, and Mayday rock- else. Among the many cherished nostalgic elements are the heritage band member Ashin has opened STAYREAL clothing American Street buildings and old-time snack shops, all rich in character. Want to Tattoo Street amba Taipei Ximending American Street Modern Toilet Restaurant Somebody Café store, offering apparel, backpacks, jewelry, accessories, ⓭ learn how young Taipei citizens love to play? This is the spot! and much else besides. Star-chasers on pilgrimages come Popularly called American Street, this lane is growing from specialty shops in large number. selling secondhand American clothing to include sellers of hip-hop outfit must-haves, skateboard apparel and accessories and, seemingly, all else Add: 78, Kunming St., Taipei City / Nishi Honganji Temple Tattoo Street imaginable. Local and foreign graffiti artists have used the lane’s walls as a ❶ ❻ 1F, 85-4, Sec. 2, Wuchang St., Taipei City Called the Xibenyuan Temple in Chinese, this was Taiwan’s largest Japanese-style Lane 50, Hanzhong Street, there are many tattoo and manicure shops, attracting canvas, becoming a favorite youth gathering spot. temple during the Japanese colonial period. A 1975 fire destroyed the Grand Hall Tel: (02)2389-2213 / (02)2371-9511 many tourists who love sub-culture come to visit. Location: Ln. 96, Kunming St., Taipei City and other key structures, and only the Rinbansyo (head priest’s residence) and Sec. 2, Hankou St. Shuxin Hall (lecture hall) escaped. Savor premium Taiwan teas at Eighty-Eightea in Location: Ln. 50, Hanzhong St., Taipei City 8 Film Street th (Between Xi’ning S. Rd. and Hanzhong St.) Hdco Ltd. Chiang’s Talk 7 ⓫ SKATEBOARDING Shop the renovated Rinbansyo, and until July 5 explore the history and culture of Taiwan STAGE Taipei Ocial Stage Outside the Film Theme Park is the most famous “Film 10 ⓮ ballads in the Shuxin Hall’s “Song Inheritance Taipei” exhibit. Street”in Ximending, known for its high concentration of Established over 17 years ago, SKATEBOARDING sells import-brand skateboarding Chiang’s Talk Hanzhong St. hardware, clothing etc. Skateboards, skateboard stickers, and skateboard T-shirts Add: 174, Sec. 1, Zhonghua Rd., Taipei City ❼ 7 to 8 theaters in 1960s. Even though there are only four Tel: (02)2311-5355 ext. 27 / (02)2312-0845 This is a cultural-creative shop brimming with special-design items with Taiwan’s remaining today, you can still feel the strong movie culture cover the shop’s walls. It also serves as an exchange center for skateboarding STAYREAL two former presidents named “Chiang” as theme, along with local Taiwan specialty when you walk here. enthusiasts, and free lessons are offered Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Come 10 9 amba Taipei Ximending The Red House on out for a skateboarding treasure hunt! products, including postcards, nostalgic notebooks, and small creative items. 11 Film Street Sec. 2, Wuchang St. Location: Sec. 2, Wuchang St., Taipei City (Between The❷ Red House, one of Taipei’s prime west-side cultural-arts attractions, is a Add: 2F, 24, Hanzhong St., Taipei City Kangding Rd.