Taipei Hsimenting: the gathering place of Taiwanese pop culture

Almost many cities set off fireworks during the New Year’s Eve, Sydney Opera House, Auckland Sky Tower, Hong Kong Victoria Bay, Taipei 101 Tower, so many people spend the New Year’s Eve under the fireworks. Taipei 101 Tower is the first choice of many people on New Year’s Eve, nevertheless, Hsimenting on the other side is also the places where young adults gather on New Year’s Eve.

Hsimenting located in the northeast of Taipei’s Wanhua District, is the most important business circle in the west side in Taipei. There are not only many historical buildings and time-honored restaurants here, but also has become the gathering place of Taiwanese pop culture, gathering different foods and flavours from China, Asia and far beyond. Hsimenting is a business circle where tradition coexisted with modernity.

“Hsimenting” name originated from the Japanese occupation of administrative planning, due to the geographical location falls outside of the west gate of Taipei Prefecture, so call Hsimenting. The majority of citizens at that time lived in Taipei Prefecture, the west gate area was their resting place, this place had Taipei’s first theatre “Tokyo pavilion” in 1896, until 1922, it formally “Hsimenting named”.

Hsimenting Walking Street is the first pedestrian zone in Taipei, a growing number of various boutiques and shops have become a feature of Walking Street.

The centuries-old Red House Theater is the landmark of Hsimenting, established during the Japan-occupied period, the classical octagonal red brick Western-style building exudes smells of nostalgia. Now many cultural and creative companies settle inside Red House Theater, Red House Theater becomes a “land of treasure” where young people may not neglect when they go shopping.

Behind Red House Theater is a row of wine bars and bookstores, where is also the gathering place of Taipei homosexuals, the young handsome and pretty men and women with their fancy clothes often gather for a party, drinking beer, and nostalgically remembering what a nice time they had here.

Hsimenting is called Harajuku of Taipei. Excepting Japanese magazine specialty stores, various Japanese books, music CDs, costumes etc flooding the market, following Japanese fashion trend, here is the so-called Jap lovers Paradise.

I really miss Hsimenting, whether it is food, drink or having fun, they have it all. A lot of artists in Taiwan take part in roadshow in a crossroads in Hsimenting. There are currently over 600 buskers permitted to play for passers-by in Hsimenting, especially at night, music and dance master-hand race to appear, their performance make the lively nightlife of Hsimenting more wonderful.

A lot of good food can be found in Hsimenting, more than ten famous old gourmet shops are situated here, including Lao Tien Lu Braised Food, Ay-Chung Noodle, Fong Da Coffee etc. It is worth mentioning that Taiwan’s aborigines selling Sausage Wrapped in Glutinous Rice is widely loved, not only taste better than food in other places, it is cheaper. A lot of girls have been queuing up, maybe it is because the boss is a handsome boy.

Hsimenting is symbol to lead the fashion in Taipei, on the coming of 2018, closely following the fashion trends is the top choices for the trendsetters.