The Red House

An old heritage building with modern shops inside. It’s rather uninteresting, but the area around it is worth exploring, with Xifutang bubble tea, the Pop Mart store, and more. There are also many shops in the Ximending area featuring local women’s fashion and shoes, and ladies can easily spend hours browsing through them.

This is an iconic historical building in the heart of Ximending. Inside, there is a large toilet, small cafe, and many local businesses. This is a fantastic place to buy souvenirs for friends and family back home — most vendors are local illustrators and crafters, and many sell merchandise that feature famous sightseeing spots in Taiwan such as Jiufen, Shifen, Taipei 101, and so on. I really love the range of works displayed, and couldn’t help but buy a few postcards and keychains from the following artists (Instagram usernames in brackets): Ni Hao Club (@littleyellowstudio), Cornet Cat (@corner_catt), Littdlework (@littdlework) and miimiicat (@miimiicat), Humor Star @twinkle_twinkle_humor_star). Hope to see more of their works around! Also, on the upper floor, there are more stalls and a small display of local biodiversity which I really liked too.

Build in 1908 by Japanese architect Kondo Juro, this old heritage landmark with 8-sided structure (“Bagua" shaped Octagonal Display Hall) as a public market, interesting with a unisex toilet.

If you are visiting the ever popular touristy Ximending, then this is a not to miss spot. It sits right outside of the pedestrian only area of Ximending and you can’t really miss it. The architectural features of this brick building by themselves were worth my visit. This used to be an old theater (opera house) that has been converted into an indoor exhibit/shopping area that showcases Taiwan’s younger generation talents of arts & crafts. It is also a nice place to pick up unique souvenirs for friends and family back home. It has volunteer conducted tours (we didn’t have the time for it, but it should be worth your while if interested in old Taipei history). The whole place had A/C, areas to rest, clean bathrooms and a nice Tea Cafe. Although it probably didn’t warrant a special trip, but if you are already in the area, then you should check it out.

Sep 2025: Reminded me of a London theatre where Le Miz had been staged, this look-alike sells all these cute souvenirs that Taiwan likes to make.

A spot you definitely need to visit whilst in Ximending. The outdoor bar area outside is also a great place to chill and unwind from your travels

Conserved heritage building near the LGBT area in Ximending as told by our walking tour guide. Interesting enough the toilet sign says "All Gender Toilet", a first time for me using it 😜 Little stalls line the insides selling cute stationery and souvenirs.

This is a heritage building, and inside display arts, cultures, souvenirs and more. It's surrounding by shops, restaurants and pretty much a prime LBGTQ areas. There are a few gay bars and some shops behind the building only opened at nite. There's where you meet people, friends and hangout at night. This is wide open busy and safe area, also a subway point. I always come here to meet my friends when I visit Taipei.

We stopped by The Red House for a photo op on our first night mainly because it's the heart of LGBTQ Taiwan, with gay bars, stores and restaurants surrounding it. The next day we came back and read about the historical landmark aspects of the building and marketplace, and shopped inside at the Creative Boutique. If you are an arts and crafts hunter and want to avoid cheap "Made in Hong Kong or Taiwan" trinket souvenirs, this is your stop. There are many booths of handmade items inside and on the weekends, outside. Taiwanize clothing shop is also inside! Truthfully, we walked by The Red House everyday. So much eye candy!

The Red House is super-cute. I see tons of people coming here to get a picture in front of the building, but there's also a good amount of stuff to do within and outside the Red House. For the most part, it's shopping and eating (I have no problems with either of these!), and there are lots of cute shops within the Red House. There are, on occasion, events that are occurring inside/outside the building, which means more food and more shopping. The shops are cute, and the merchandise they sell are pretty quintessentially Taiwanese. Some of the prices can be a little "yikes", but some of the souvenirs you can't find too easily elsewhere (e.g., a specific artist's showcasing). It's not a humongous building, so there's a point in time where you'll either be done shopping, and you're too full to eat. But it's not really a place to stay at; you're honestly supposed to be milling around a bit, and then go to the next attraction point. Is the Red House worth a very special, specific visit if you're coming in from outside of Taiwan? No. Is it worth it if you're already in Ximending? Maybe. May be back, but only mainly if I'm in the area again.

The Red House / Ximending (Taipei) -- Let's cut to the chase here. Jamie W and I knew Taipei's biggest concentration of gay bars surrounded this landmark building. What's more, we visited during Taiwan PRIDE, the biggest LGBTQ event in Asia. No surprise that it was crowded, but this historic building stood out as not only a cultural center but a beacon for inclusion in the most liberal country in Asia. It used to be a public market but has since been upgraded into a conglomeration of a cafe, a designer showcase called the Creative Boutique, and an upmarket souvenir gift shop. There's a theatre upstairs, but we didn't have an opportunity to go up there. However, we did manage to patronize a couple of the gay bars in the south court. As the social anchor of Taipei's gayborhood. It's an energetic gathering place no matter what your sexual preferences are. RELATED - Exploring Taiwan? Here's my collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3YNkL5j

We wanted to take a break from walking Ximending and saw this place. Originally, I was thinking that the interior would be dated with a tons of handmade knick knacks for sale. Well, I was so wrong. The interior was clean and modern, while the handmade items are made with quality materials. One of the salesperson at one of the stores were super friendly and explained to us about the design they used on their shirts. In the end, my husband bought 2 shirts for our daughter.

This is such a fun historic building made of red brick in the bustling Ximending district. It's a must see on a visit to Taipei. Inside you have two floors with all kinds of little indie boutiques with the coolest T-shirts, soaps, beauty products, an art gallery, and all kinds of local designers from Taiwan. I found some of the cutest T-shirts ever inside at the Mochi Rabbit store, by artist Lori Shu. Love the lucky black cat store. In the outside courtyard there are lots of restaurants, bars and some more fun shops.

Solid bars for larger groups, cheap happy hour and nice nibbles to go with beers. It's not cynical as many such areas can be. Fun spot to meet friends for beers next to a great shopping area. Gay friendly

We were in the area and heard about this landmark. We had to check it out. It provides wonderful historical background on the building. There isn't much to explore, but it is worth stopping by to learn about the history and take a seat at the tea shop on the first floor to the right of the entrance.

This octagonal historical 1908 structure is a nice-to-visit landmark in Taipei's Wanhua District! There are plenty of shops, markets, exhibits to keep all ages (including kids) entertained. It would be easy to spend at least an hour walking about browsing or buying locally-made items, or to learn about the history of this venue. Many reviewers have said to visit the Creative Boutique. Do stop at the Tea Shop or theaters. Did you know they filmed movies & tv shows at The Red House? Note that this landmark is wheelchair-accessible too.

A tourist location to check out of this historic location in the Xinmending area that now houses lots of local Taiwanese vendors selling clothes, stoneware, earthware, and even melted and flattened beer/liquor bottles. Other area has panel boards explaining the history of this famous brick building.

Iconic spot, easy to find. Don't miss the Creative Boutique in the wing off to the side of the main (round) building. It's full of interesting shops, most selling locally made items. Great for non-tacky gifts to bring home for friends and family.

Tourist friendly area with lots of performances going on outside and tons of cute souvenirs made by local artists. Go to the second floor for some fun photo opps. There are two small stalls where you can take pics of a bunny character created by local artist Mori Shu.

This house was built in the early 1900s and is now a location for shopping. The streets that lead here are cool to walk around as you see an older part of Taipei that they used to film movies and TV shows in. A cool landmark in Taipei to see if you have some time.

Historical landmark now featuring local artists. Lots of cute Knick knacks you could purchase as souvenirs for yourself or others. Hubby and I spent a while here browsing and subsequently spending way too much money! Some shops especially sell quite unique Taiwanese items. Definitely recommend stopping by! As always, when in Taiwan, be prepared with some cash as not everyone accepts credit card.

Local Taiwanese artisans share their wares. A huge assortment of gift items to choose from with all price ranges.

Love the environment and the vibes here with the historical building. It's become more bustling since they invited a ton of artists to sell their things here. A good place to support local artists and there are a ton of bathrooms as well. Come here to read about the history of the building and support the maintenance and renovation of historical structures!

Historical landmark located right outside the ximending shopping district, and it's currently showing the photography exhibits.

(Disclaimer: Review based on visit to Taipei in November 2013.) The Red House in Ximending is one of the most notable buildings in Taipei. It is located in Ximending across the street from the Ximen Station entrance. It is not a must visit, but worth a visit if you are nearby for its architecture. The interior of the building now houses a ground floor tea cafe which is a good spot for a relaxing drink inside a Taipei landmark. The building also is full of shops where independent artists sell their wares. If you are looking for unique souvenirs in Taipei, this is a good place to start.

Situated in Ximending, The Red House is a historical building built in 1908 to serve as public marketplace. After renovation, it is a landmark for entertainment and creative arts forum. You can come here to enjoy free exhibit, relax in café, and find unique arts and craft. On weekends, various artists and vendors sell their stuff at The Red House Market For Artists & Designers. It's like a mini art fair with lots of specialty items. Cute place to stop by if you're in the area, walkable by MRT and bus.

The Red House is located at Ximen station, opposite the popular Ximending shopping District. This place holds fond memories as this was where I got to know a few Taiwanese friends. About the Red House, it's an old building, a historic one which was build before the First World War, nice to have such building still around during this era and it holds art, music and other creative kind of events and shops over here and on Sunday, there will be a mini bazaar outside the Red House, selling all kind of interesting art stuff, so who those who has this similar interest should drop by. There are also events on certain dates, do check out the website is you have any interest. Just behind the red house, there are a few pubs, so after enjoying the tour inside the Red House, you can enjoy some beer or other alcoholic beverages over there to end your day. So if you come to Ximen, do remember to drop by this place, it's part of Taipei's history.

I felt they could have done more with the space. Nice that they show exhibitions, and sell crafts. But it didn't feel very unique. You can pick up various cool gifts or things for your house, but it's not sensational.

Traditional house that has been converted to a shopping area. Cute items for souvenirs

The Red House is one of the major hot spots for art, music, and any other kind of creative industry. The building, which was built in 1908, has a long history of supporting the arts in Taipei. Its central location and distinctive construction features makes it easy to locate, even in the crowds of Ximen. Typically, I like to go here when there is an art exhibition of something like that. Sometimes, DJs will perform on Friday and Saturday nights with an entrance fee. Keep in mind there isn't always event at the Red House and some of the events scheduled are not worth going. Take a look at the website to make sure you don't miss out on anything exciting.