Some of Taipei’s most rewarding detours are already well known to the people who use them. A market, an old commercial street, a courtyard house, or a place where artists work can change the pace of a visit without needing to be a secret.
These eight places come from the original Amaiwan guide and film. They cover Taipei and nearby New Taipei, so treat them as choices for different days. Yingge, Maokong, and the Tamsui waterfront each deserve room of their own.
Choose a detour
- Taipei Fish Market — food and a working market area
- Bopiliao — an older Wanhua streetscape
- Tamsui Fisherman’s Wharf — the river opening to the sea
- Huashan 1914 — industrial buildings with a new use
- Maokong — tea and a slower hillside afternoon
- Yingge — ceramics worth looking at closely
- Lin An-tai — courtyards and garden space
- Treasure Hill — art within a lived-in settlement
1. Taipei Fish Market
The useful distinction here is between the market area and the businesses within it. You can browse seafood and food retail, or make a meal the reason for coming. Addiction Aquatic Development is one of the dining and retail names associated with the area; it is not another name for every stall.
The market is in Zhongshan District. Do not plan around an assumption that every purchase will be cooked to order. Choose the actual counter or restaurant that fits the meal you want.
Plan the visit: the official address is No. 20, Alley 2, Lane 410, Minzu East Road. Taipei Travel lists Xingtian Temple and Zhongshan Junior High School as nearby MRT stations; allow for the onward walk or a local connection. Opening arrangements differ between the market and individual businesses. The city listing also distinguishes Monday hours from the rest of the week.
Official market information and current hours ↗
2. Bopiliao Historic Block
Brick arcades, old shop-house fronts, and the scale of the lanes make Bopiliao a useful place to pause within Wanhua. Look at how a commercial street was arranged before stepping into whatever exhibitions are open.
This is a natural companion to a west Taipei history walk. Longshan Temple MRT is a practical starting point. You can spend time in the surrounding neighborhood instead of crossing the city for a single photograph.
Plan the visit: the operator lists Tuesday–Sunday access, with outdoor areas 9 a.m.–9 p.m. and indoor spaces 9 a.m.–6 p.m.; Monday is closed. Outdoor entry is free. Individual exhibitions and events may have their own ticket arrangements. Check announcements for weather closures.
Bopiliao visitor information ↗
3. Tamsui Fisherman’s Wharf
At the wharf, the view opens toward the river mouth. The pedestrian Lover’s Bridge and waterfront make this a place for a walk with a long horizon. Sunset can be part of the plan, but weather decides what you see.
Fisherman’s Wharf is farther out than Tamsui Old Street. Allow for that extra journey instead of treating both as the immediate surroundings of the MRT station. The larger Taipei day-trip guide gives the Tamsui and Bali area more space.
Plan the visit: continue from Tamsui by a local transport connection, or plan a journey using the Danhai light rail’s Fisherman’s Wharf stop. Check the service you intend to use on the day, especially if returning after sunset. Waterfront paths are exposed to sun, rain, and wind; choose the length of your walk accordingly. Ferries are an option only when the relevant route is operating.
Official Lover’s Bridge information ↗ · New Taipei’s light-rail visit context ↗
4. Huashan 1914 Creative Park
A former industrial site gives exhibitions, shops, and performances a setting with more character than a blank exhibition hall. The pleasure can be in the buildings and open space as much as in a ticketed show.
Check the programme first if a particular exhibition is the reason for your visit. A general walk through the grounds and a full exhibition visit are different commitments of time and money.
Plan the visit: Zhongxiao Xinsheng MRT is a convenient approach to No. 1, Section 1, Bade Road. The operator lists free park admission and outdoor space open around the clock; exhibitions, performances, and businesses set their own hours and charges. The service centre offers wheelchair loans, while access to a particular room or event should be checked separately.
5. Maokong Gondola and the hillside
The gondola changes the perspective before you reach a table. Give yourself time for tea and a look around the hillside instead of treating the ride as a quick return trip.
Choose a tea house according to its actual menu, opening hours, and seating arrangements. A view is not a guarantee that the next table will be available, and some paths beyond the station involve slopes or steps.
Plan the visit: use Taipei Zoo MRT as the approach to the gondola and follow the signs to its station. Check the operator’s calendar before leaving: maintenance closures are date-specific, and wind, lightning, or other conditions can suspend service. Check current fares and the last service directly rather than relying on an old fixed price or journey time.
Maokong Gondola: service, fares, and notices ↗
6. Yingge Ceramics Old Street
Yingge is a separate outing in New Taipei. The old-street area offers a reason to compare shapes, glazes, and objects you might actually use: a bowl, a cup, a teapot with a handle that feels right.
Leave time for browsing without assuming that every shop is a working studio. If making something is the purpose of your trip, book a class and confirm the language, firing process, and collection or shipping arrangements.
Plan the visit: Yingge railway station is a starting point for the walk toward the old streets. The ceramics museum publishes a walking route linking the station, historic sites, and pottery stops. Shop and workshop hours vary. Museum visits and classes have separate arrangements; the old guide’s single bus-fare figure is not a useful budget for the whole journey.
The ceramics museum’s Yingge walking route ↗
7. Lin An-tai Historical House and Museum
Courtyards and a garden give this visit a quieter rhythm. Look at the relationship between rooms, thresholds, and open space. It is a different way of paying attention to the city from another busy shopping street.
The house is on Binjiang Street in Zhongshan District. That location is useful when deciding whether to combine it with another northern Taipei stop; do not navigate to Xinyi District for it.
Plan the visit: Taipei Travel lists No. 5, Binjiang Street, with opening hours Tuesday–Sunday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., and Monday closed. Its listing includes wheelchair access, wheelchair rental, and accessible toilets. Confirm the route and any specific access needs with the venue before visiting.
Official house and museum information ↗
8. Treasure Hill Artist Village
Treasure Hill brings art into a hillside settlement near Gongguan, in Zhongzheng District. The lanes and changes in level are part of the place, but so are the boundaries between public exhibition space, studios, and homes.
Go for the work that is open and for a careful walk through permitted areas. Ask before photographing people or entering a studio. An open lane does not make every doorway public.
Plan the visit: approach from the Gongguan area and check the artist village’s current programme. The operator’s exhibition information lists Tuesday–Sunday daytime opening, commonly 11 a.m.–6 p.m.; check the specific event. Broader neighborhood hours on a tourism listing do not guarantee that galleries are open. If steps or slopes are a concern, ask the venue which public areas will work for you.
Artist village programme and visitor information ↗
Build a day around one part of the city
For a shorter city visit, choose Bopiliao or Huashan and leave room for the surrounding streets. Give Maokong, Yingge, or Tamsui a larger part of the day. The Fish Market and Lin An-tai sit in the same broad district, but still require planning the connection between them.
Monday closures matter for several places here. So do exhibition schedules and weather. Check the official links, choose the pace you want, and let the rest of the day stay open.
Story sources & context
Adapted from the existing Amaiwan Traveler archive. Practical details may change; follow official links before a visit.