22 December 2009
On weekday nights and weekends, the trendy streets of Ximending are where you want to be if you are looking for Taipei’s young, hip crowds. This is urban pop culture at its best. The area is lively and full of energy. Concerts, exhibitions, and special events are often held here, making Ximending a popular youth hangout in Taipei.
Wikipedia refers to Ximending as the “Harajuku” of Taipei. The entire area is known as the largest pedestrian area in Taiwan and it packs a powerful punch. On weekend, visitors might see teens and young adults wearing special costumes known as cosplay. Ximending is also a great place for shopping, with thousands of vendors deliver the latest Japanese, Western, and local fashions.
With kitschy restaurants, karaoke, movie theaters, department stores, outdoor food carts, and individual street vendors lining the streets here, Ximending attracts a whopping 3 million shoppers each month. Storefronts are a jumble of colored lights, naked wires, and beautiful works of graffiti. This is where you’ll find tattoo and piercing shops. Vinyl toy collectors will love searching through any number of stores selling the latest artwork from their favorite artists. Hunt for the latest fashions, music, books, magazines or just come to watch everyone else. Anyone with an interest in Japanese culture and modern pop culture in Taiwan will adore the streets of Ximending. It is THE place to hang out in Taipei.
The streets of Ximending also come with some historical lore. The area encompassing Zhonghua Road, Kangding Road, Hankou Street, and Chengdu Road, was named after Seimon-chÅ�, an administrative division that existed during Japanese rule at the beginning of the twentieth century . Today, Ximending Pedestrian Area also includes Wakatake-chÅ� and Shinki-chÅ� administrative divisions. By the 1930s, Ximending flourished as Taipei’s premier theater street. In the 1950s, it continued to attract crowds and today, Ximending has over twenty theaters and thousands of vendors, street performances, and concerts. In Ximending, the dreams of artists are never far out of reach. Don’t miss this unique and trendy part of Taipei when you come to travel Taiwan.
