December 2025
For the grown-ups, it wasn’t our first time in Taiwan. We had stayed around Taipei Main Station and visited popular (and super crowded!) attractions like Jiufen, Shifen, Maokong Gondola and Beitou. So we decided to skip all that and really focus on the kids on this trip.
We kept our days in Taipei very simple, and only wanted to cover some shopping and a smaller, manageable night market.
Dihua Old Street
On our second evening, we took a slow walk through Dihua Old Street, which sits within the older neighbourhood of Dadaocheng. Once a busy trading hub, the area still carries traces of that past in its narrow shophouses and traditional stores selling dried goods, herbs and old-school snacks. We picked up some dried strawberries, which the kids loved.
The pace here felt noticeably different from the rest of Taipei. Some shops have been refreshed into cafés and small boutiques, but many remain family-run, carrying on the same trade for generations. There was also a small festive market, and we had fun simply browsing around.
We did regret arriving a little too late. We missed Sin Hong Choon Tea Museum (新芳春茶行), a free museum that was once a tea factory from the 1930s. Inside, you can see displays of old equipment, learn about Taiwan’s tea trade, and admire its well-preserved Taiwanese-style architecture. We also didn’t manage to stop by the Dadaocheng Visitor Center, which would have been helpful for getting a better overview of the area.
If we had a little more time, we would also have liked to properly pray at Xiahai City God Temple (霞海城隍廟), a well-known temple tucked right along Dihua Old Street.
Ningxia Night Market
For dinner, we headed to Ningxia Night Market, choosing it because it’s smaller and less overwhelming — perfect for our four-year-old. It was also the nearest night market to our hotel, and we walked the entire distance, which made it feel even more satisfying.
It turned out to be a great choice. There were just enough food options for everyone: tanghulu and red bean pancakes for the kids, sea salt chicken skewers, BBQ squid and grilled corn for us. Right at the end of the street, a couple of old-school game stalls lit up the kids’ faces!
At one of the game stalls, there were three to four different versions of ball-throwing games, plus one danzhu game, which was honestly a little confusing at first. But it’s actually very simple — you buy trays of balls for NT$100 and just play.
What surprised us was how the prizes worked. You could tell the stall owner which prize you wanted (say, a Pokémon plush toy), and he would tell you how many trays of balls it was worth. So you’re not really aiming for the kids to “win big” in the usual sense — you’re more or less guaranteed the prize, as long as you’re happy with how many trays of balls it costs. Once we understood that, it felt more like a fun, low-stress experience than a competitive game, which was perfect for the kids because they each get to go home with what they want.
We did end up spending more than what we expected, but we’re just happy the kids were both super happy with their chosen prizes.
On to Part 3 of Taipei With Kids: Wooderful Land!
This Little Season 