Discover the amazing Wenshan District in 4 steps
Wenshan District is the most southern District of Taipei and is famous for its beautiful nature. Most foreigners like to live there because of its natural beauty and calm small-town vibe not far away from the big city life style
In this article I”ll work through some of the best places of this amazing district to give you an idea what to expect if you’re planning to move or travel here!
The topics we will be going over:
- How to get around
- Historical sights and tourism
- Where to eat
- Nightlife
How to get around
There are some options for transportation in Wenshan District. Firstly, you can make use of the MRT. The Brown Line brings you from Taipei Zoo over Daan District to Songshan Airport. The other MRT option is taking the Green Line from Xindian over Guting and Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall to Taipei Arena.
Plus, Wenshan is home to the Maokong Gondola, which starts at Taipei Zoo MRT, goes over Taipei Zoo South and Zhinan Temple and ends at Maokong. For other ways of transportation you can still make use of the public buses and if needed taxi’s, of course depending on your needs.
Historical sights and tourism
Taipei Zoo
The Taipei Zoo, sometimes referred to as the “Muzha Zoo”, is the most famous zoological garden in Taiwan and a leader in conservation, research, education and recreation. It is one of the largest zoos in Asia, with a total area of 165 hectares, more than 90 of them are developed.
The Taipei Zoo displays animals from Taiwan, Australia, Africa, the Asian tropical rainforest, the desert, and the temperate zones. The zoo also displays domestic animals in its Children’s Zoo, as well as over 12000 birds of over 130 species in an aviary. Other exhibitions in the zoo include an insectarium, amphibian and reptile house, penguin habitat, koala habitat, nocturnal animals display, and a panda exhibition.
Zhinan Temple
The giant Temple Zhinan is one of the most popular and important early Taoist temples of Taiwan. The temple was built in 1890 and is dedicated to the Daoist immortal Lu Tung-pin, better known as “Xiangong” or “Luzu.” It is a great place for watching sunsets over green hills and of course you shouldn’t miss the famous Stairway of 1000 steps.
Lu Tung-pin loved poetry and books and later became a county magistrate. Because of his pious devotion to the Dao, Lu’s path crossed with that of the Daoist immortal Zhong Liquan, who showed him the way to enlightenment. Many mysterious and noble deeds were attributed to Lu, making him one of the best known and most-loved of the Daoist immortals in Taiwan.
Chang Nai Miao Memorial Hall
The Chang Nai Miao Memorial hall is all about ”Bring good teas closer to everyone.”. The Memorial Hall started only with Tiekuanyin teas. However, nowadays they provide an overall and more in depth introduction on Taiwanese teas, so that visitors can get a general idea about all Taiwanese teas instantly.
Tea Master Chang Nai-Miao is the pioneer of Taiwanese Tiekuanyin tea plantation. He introduced it to Taiwan by bringing small plants of tea trees from his hometown Fujian, China, to Muzha, now known as Maokong. Since then, Muzha has been known as the largest plantation of Tiekuanyin Tea in Taiwan and is considered as the best place for finding the traditional speciality.
The Mountain Theater of U-Theater
It’s an outdoor amphitheater which occupies an area of more than 1,000 pings (approx. 3,300 m2) hidden in Laoquan Village on Mount Laokeng. It was founded by U Theatre’s artistic director, Liu Ruo-Yu, who wanted to create a minimalist space for his performers, so they could contemplate and perform in peace. They found this place and built all of the wooden structure themselves. It’s a place, where dance meets zen and the artists can immerse in drumming, meditation and Chinese martial arts in a serene setting, away from the downtown bustle.
The Mountain Theater consists of two parts: a wooden house for the performers’ meditation sessions and drumming practices that is off-limits to visitors without reservations, and an open stage for commercial performances and rehearsals, which is open to the public. This one and only mountaintop amphitheater in Taiwan that overlooks the Taipei Basin. In 2007, Taipei City’s Cultural Heritage Review Committee decided to list the it as a cultural landscape for contributions as “a culturally significant display of human-nature interactions”, “a historical, cultural, artistic or scientific value that is commemorative, representative or distinctive”, “period-specific or of social importance” and “rarity”.
Hiking
Wenshan District is nestled between beautiful green mountains crisscrossed with hiking trails.. You can explore the area by yourself or follow the recommended routes. There are the Xianjiyan hiking trail, the Zhinan Temple & Cihui Temple hiking trail and the Zhangshan Temple hiking trail.
In addition to these, you can also mount the peak of Ergeshan and hike beyond Wenshan District to Taipei County. There also exists the Zhanghu Camphor Lake Trails, where the Mountain Theater is located. Furthermore there is the Zhanghu Camphor Tree Walking Trail and a trail leading to the Four Dragons Waterfall, which is already in Taipei Country. Also the Riverside Park follows through the district, so it’s impossible to not get enough nature.
Tea Plantations and Tea Tastings
Maokong is known for its vast tea plantations. There are numerous gardens and plantations, most of them concentrated in Zhinan Road. Local tea specialties include the previous mentioned Muzha Tieguanyin and Wenshan Baozhong. Many tea makers have tasting rooms for sampling the latest teas, or will do so by appointment. Taipei Tea Promotion Center offers introduction to tea picking, processing, brewing and free taste testing.
Where to eat
Jingmei Night Market
Jingmei Night Market is a local night market, which gathered hundreds of vendors from main dishes, snacks, desserts and restaurants. It is known for Shanghai steamed buns, vermicelli, tofu pudding, saltwater chicken, glutinous rice, four flavored soup and barbecue. All the food is within reasonable price, allowing people to dine here or take out within budget. The vendors in the night markets closes around 11 pm, but there are a few restaurants and vendors open until 2 in the morning.
Nightlife
The Wall Live House
The Wall Live House is Taipei’s best resource for independent music. Named after Pink Floyd’s rock album, they host live performances by various local bands like Sodagreen and indie bands from around the world. The cavernous venue, tucked in a mini-mall that caters to the punk/grunge scene with a record shop and tattoo parlour, is a no-frills performance space that accommodates up to 600 music fans. Shows are regularly held from 8pm-11pm. You get there by taking the Green Line exiting at Gongguan Station.
Temper Beer Bar
It’s located near the Taipei Zoo MRT station and according to customers it’s I quote: “Best craft beer bar in southern Taipei. Crowded decorated place but still feels comfortable. I tried both craft IPA and lager, both were nice and fresh. In sum you can’t find any comparative bar in the area.”. Another review affirms that it has a relaxing atmosphere and different kinds of beer to choose. According to him, it’s a good place to hang out, have a drink and chill with friends.
Circle Bar
It’s a bar located near Wanlong MRT Station on the Green Line. Customers reviewed it with comments like “great relaxing bar with excellent bartender” or “A lot of creative bartending, with food, outdoor smoking area”.
Who is going to like living in Wenshan District
Wenshan District for living is most suitable for people wanting to be in a modest calm neighborhood. It seems not like Taipei City anymore, it’s a little bit isolated. It’s popular for military servicemen, civil servants and teaching professionals, followed by those engaged in commerce and industry, and then those involved in farming and agriculture. It’s also really convenient for students studying at National Chengchi University and tea lovers in general.
Due to it’s remote area it’s perfect for people enjoying nature, but in the same time thanks to MRT you’re quick back in busy city life. It’s a relatively cheap area to live and has everything you need, from night markets over cultural spots and shopping areas to amazing scenic nature.
If you’re looking for a room, we also offer rooms for rent all around Taipei! Maybe we have a room free in Wenshan district in case you’re planning on moving to this district!
Sources
- Picture 1: https://spectralcodex.com/x/taiwan-taipei-wenshan-district-scenery-8-900×600.jpg
- Picture 2: https://res.klook.com/images/fl_lossy.progressive,q_65/c_fill,w_1295,h_720,f_auto/w_80,x_15,y_15,g_south_west,l_klook_water/activities/nn0ovvmua9dajspnq6hh/MaokongGondolaComboTicketsinTaipei.jpg
- Picture 3: https://backendimage.taiwannews.com.tw/photos/2019/07/12/1562924576-5d2856206a5a1.jpg
- Picture 4: https://www.travel.taipei/image/63894/1024×768
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- Picture 6: https://www.ocac.gov.tw/OCAC/File/Attach/14000571/File_172753.jpg
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- Picture 10: https://www.airbnb.com/google_place_photo?photoreference=CmRaAAAAOQiYDtcOKo7FvEN_hImZ8hK1BIFMh1Czj47NitOIVIaW0ZTwYI_W1S5Lo0SxEnoRz4bzglDd-_8j58O8T37QGgOEiNknkTMfkwd8_FhOSs3ziM6FNpxocBlCn5CUVtPKEhBeiRmEX0SuO6dueMD5MREoGhQ0IHFoPRZki7teWCG5EcUar1IuwQ&maxwidth=1000&maxheight=1000&place_id=2370528
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