Taipei, district by district

Taipei sits in a basin ringed by mountains, and each part of the city holds a different chapter of its history: old river ports in the west, a colonial-era centre, and a glass-and-steel east.

18 April 2025Đài Bắc, Đài Loan3 min read0 viewsTaiwan

Taipei is a young capital by Asian standards. It grew from a cluster of river settlements in a basin surrounded by mountains, where the Tamsui and Keelung rivers meet. The basin holds heat and humidity in summer, which explains the city's green, damp feel, and the hills are never far from view.

The old west: Wanhua and Dadaocheng

The oldest parts of Taipei lie on the west side, close to the river. Wanhua, once known as Monga, was a busy river port in the Qing era, and its Longshan Temple is still one of the most visited places of worship in the city. A little further north, Dadaocheng grew rich on the tea and textile trade in the 19th century. Its main street, Dihua Street, still has old shophouses selling dried goods, herbal medicine and fabric.

The centre: Zhongzheng

The Japanese colonial period (1895–1945) gave Taipei its government quarter. Many administrative buildings in Zhongzheng District date from that time, including the Presidential Office Building. Nearby are the National Taiwan Museum, 228 Peace Memorial Park and the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall.

A traditional Chinese-style hall with orange roofs in Taipei

The new east: Xinyi

From the 1980s the city expanded east. Xinyi District was planned as a new commercial centre, with wide avenues, department stores, office towers and, since 2004, Taipei 101. This is the Taipei of postcards and New Year's Eve fireworks.

Glass towers in a Taipei business district

Rivers, hills and edges

What makes Taipei liveable is how quickly the city gives way to something else. Riverside parks and cycle paths follow the banks of the Tamsui and Keelung rivers. To the north, Beitou is known for its hot springs, and Yangmingshan National Park rises behind it, with volcanic hills, steaming vents and flower fields in spring. To the south, the tea-growing hills of Maokong can be reached by gondola.

The red Rainbow Bridge and a LOVE sign at Rainbow Riverside Park, Taipei

When to go

Autumn, roughly October to December, is usually the most comfortable season: drier, cooler and often clear. Spring is pleasant but changeable, and the plum rains tend to arrive around May and June. Summer is hot and humid, with afternoon storms and the chance of typhoons. Winter is mild but often grey and drizzly, as the northeast monsoon brings cloud to the north of the island.

Taipei rewards slow exploring. Each district feels like a different decade, and the MRT ties them all together.

Photos: magictv, niccolino, pnntrn, fishopen770 on Pixabay, used under the Pixabay Content License. These are not my photographs.

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