Here is a city where you really have to budget yourself when it comes to shopping, unless of course you have saved up and are well-prepared. In this post, I am sharing a few destinations to explore if you are looking to stock up on cheap souvenirs, clothes, accessories, snacks, and unique knick-knacks.

First of all, Ximending is the destination famous known for attracting the young and trendy. Easily accessible from the Taipei subway line, you'll find small bargain stores, larger chain shops, karaoke, restaurants, bars, and plenty of young people strolling about. Many of the streets here are closed to vehicles and are large pedestrian walkways.

Shinjuku Plaza in Ximending
Tiny boutiques filled with imported clothing and cute accessories. These include items like dainty costume jewelry, retro looking accessories, hair accessories, brooches, and funky socks. There's a wide price range in here depending on where the items are coming from, ie. Japan, Korea, US, Europe. There are also shops renting out Louis Vuitton purses as well as shops selling second-hand brandname handbags for discounted prices.

There are also a couple mini-salons that specialize in intricate nail art. Japanese style acrylic nails seem to fairly popular in Taiwan. Very delicate and unique designs with different textures are available. Not for someone like me though since I would never figure out how to put on my contacts with those on - or even hold a pencil or button my clothes.

Funky shoes on the left and hairdye on the right. Apparently, the hairdye boasts many natural ingredients and only 9% hydrogen peroxide (compared to most permanent hairdyes at around 20-35%). The packaging resembles a delicious slushee or ice-cream dessert.
Etude House. This photo was taken in Ximending but there are several more locations throughout the city.
Taipei carries many options and brands for those who are interested in Asian skincare and cosmetic products. Check out Watson's (found on almost every street), Cosmed (also has numerous locations), Momo, Sasa (outside Zhong Xiao Dun Hua Station), and Poya (superstore with massive selection).

And to give you a better idea of the scene that greets you when you exit Ximen subway station (exit #6):

A quick video of a little performance outside the station. I love the atmosphere of bright lights and busy hustle bustle everywhere. It is exciting but can definitely be overstimulating at the same time!

Apologies for the shakiness and random zooming in the video but you get the idea.

Another place to checkout is the area around Taipei Main Station shown below.
There is an underground walkway with discount shoes, accessories, food, 7 eleven, and even an arcade.
There are a couple malls in this area, most famously Shinkono (Shin Kong) Mitsukoshi pictured below.
Many floors of women's fashion, men's fashion, accessories, a huge food court, typical things you would find in a mall. The malls in Taipei are quite different in style and layout compared to the suburban ones we often see in Canada and the US. Because of the dense population and lack of space, malls are tall buildings consisting of at least 7 to 8 floors rather than wide and sprawled out. The interiors are bright and shiny and some of the malls have such glam washrooms that they resemble a lounge. ie. complete with sofas, lamps, wallpaper, vanity mirror, music, and a television set. Across the intersection from Shin Kong, there is another newly built mall which boasts some fantastic food as well as a large movie theatre. Unlike other movie theatres I am accustomed to, this one not only had popcorn vendors but also included jewelry and accessories shops and a Bose electronics store.

Other shopping malls to check out are Pacific Sogo and Min Yao, outside of Zhong Xiao Dun Hua station. Outside the latter, there's a great deal of upscale boutiques for those interested in more high-end shopping.

Taipei night markets are also a MUST-SEE. I have explored four different ones so far but failed to capture decent photos of any of them (due to being too distracted by all the wonderful food and gadgets). I do plan on visiting a couple more and will be sure to take some photos to share!

So that wraps up my post on shopping destinations to check out. And in a city like this, it's really only the tip of the iceberg!

This post is archived under Shopping, Taiwan