Daan District Walking Tour (Self Guided), Taipei

One of the translations of Daan is “great peace”. You will find this a misnomer when you explore Taiwan’s Daan district – as it is a lively, bustling area at all times of the day and night! There is something for everyone in this neighborhood from traditional markets where you can buy exotic herbs and spices to hi-tech stores selling just about every known type of top-of-the-range hardware, from quaint tea shops to high class restaurants, from open-fronted stores selling gaudy scarves and dubious leather goods to up-market boutiques. Bars, clubs and night markets keep the area hopping late into the night.

On Fuxing South Road and Zhongxiao East Road you will find shopping malls and department stores and a huge bookstore that is open around the clock and which sells books in all languages. Along Heping Road you will find the beautiful Taipei Botanical Gardens which houses over 1500 different plant species, and also one of the entrances to Daan Forest Park, where you can escape the hustle and bustle of city life and stroll the pathways of this 26 ha park. There is a playground, a jogging trail and two ponds where you can feed the ducks. It’s a great place to unwind for an hour or two and you will find a large number of businessmen spending their lunch-hour here.