Shopping in Taiwan is almost never simply a means to an end, but an end in itself
Taiwan is increasingly popular for being one of the best places to shop in Asia. With its maddening amount of shopping malls and night markets, it is easily the most loved shopping destinations for shopaholics of the Middle who are eager to hunt for all that their hearts desire – at a bargain price.
From north to south, Taiwan is dotted with large shopping centers and department chain stores. Combining diverse leisure and entertainment facilities, these venues offer designer clothing, lifestyle products, food outlets, bookstores, movie house, wholesale warehouses, amusement centers, and others, providing the ultimate shopping environment. Moreover, several theme streets have sprung up, exhibiting an exciting blend of history and style, including Taipei’s Ximenting and Kaohsiung’s New Juejiang commercial area, attracting different consumer groups. Other venues, including the weekend jade markets and computer lane in Taipei’s Guanghua commercial plaza, are very good places to find unexpected bargains. The area around the intersection of Zhongxiao and Dunhua South roads has become a major shopping area in Taipei’s east district thanks to its convenient location.
High-end boutiques are packed along Dunhua South Road between Xinyi and Zhongxiao East roads, presenting a tempting array of brand clothes, jewelry, shoes and leather items. The SOGO department store and Gloria Outlets in Taipei is an especially good bet for the fashionably acquisitive, with Coach, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, DKNY and other top brand boutiques to choose from at bargain prices.
The Xinyi Planning District is Taipei’s newest trend-setting commercial district, embracing dozens of fashionable malls, restaurants and hotels between Xinyi Road sections 4 and 5. Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Department Store’s New Life Square and A4 branches, Novel Hall for Performing Arts, New York New York mall, View Show Cinemas, Grand Hyatt Taipei Hotel, and Taipei 101 are just a few of the many places where you can satisfy your consumer cravings with superb stores.
By day, the Xinyi Planning District bustles with the fast-paced energy of business as Taipei’s commercial and financial center. But at night, the skyscrapers come alight with eye-catching displays of LED lights, setting the mood for evening fun.
Essential Taiwan…
Administrative and Commercial Capital: Taipei
Geography: Located 180 kilometers off the southeastern coast of China, Taiwan has an area of 35,881 km2 (13,853.7 sqmi).
Demography: A population of close to 23 Million. Muslims account for about 0.3% of the population.
Climate: The best time to travel is between October to April as the average temperature in Taipei, Taiwan is 21.6 °C (71 °F).
Language: Taiwanese Hokkien, commonly called “Taiwanese”, is the language with the most native speakers. English is widely spoken and the Taiwanese are very mild, polite and friendly people.
Local Time: +4:0 hours. Taipei is 4:0 hours ahead of the UAE. That means when it is 9:00 am in Dubai, it is 1:00 pm in Taipei.
Flights: There are a number of direct flights and ones with stops between UAE and Taiwan. The flying time between Taiwan and UAE is 8 hrs, 42 minutes approximately.
Currency: 1 Taiwan Dollars equals 0.12 AED
