Ximending

西門町徒步區

Rainbow crossing, standing-room noodles: Taipei's Myeongdong

Hours

Streets always open; most shops roughly 11am–10pm; Red House octagon Sun–Thu 11:00–21:30, Fri–Sat 11:00–22:00

Tickets

Free

Address

Ximending pedestrian zone around Hanzhong and Emei streets, Wanhua District

It began as a Japanese-era pleasure quarter outside the old west gate, became the city's cinema strip, and is now a car-free shopping zone. Step out of Ximen station Exit 6 and you're on the rainbow crossing, with the Red House, an octagonal red-brick market hall built in 1908, right beside it. The lanes behind are a crush of sneaker shops, character merch and foot-massage signs. The routine: slurp a bowl of thick vermicelli with pork intestine standing up on the pavement, then walk off with a brown-sugar boba. Lots of visitors base themselves here, so it stays busy late into the night.