South of the Old City Walls: A Tour of the Local History and Culinary Delights

TEXT　Jenna Lynn Cody

PHOTOS　Vision

Although Taipei's city walls, erected in the late 19th century and torn down in the early 20th century, only existed for a very short time due to regime change, even today, the surrounding place names and neighborhood boundaries still largely follow the divisions of those city walls and their gates, a testament to their enduring legacy.

The part of old Taipei known as Chengnan is no exception. Encompassing an area roughly to the south and east of Xiaonanmen (Little South Gate), one of the still-standing city gates, its name translates unsurprisingly to "South of the Wall." Accessible from the Xiaonanmen, Guting, and C.K.S. Memorial Hall metro stations, Chengnan offers quiet tree-lined streets, historic buildings and museums from the Japanese (1895~1945) and post-war eras, bustling markets, and some of Taipei's best food.

National Museum of History

Imagine a morning stroll through lush gardens dotted with ponds, little bridges, and historic sites. You might first learn about the profusion of plants, watch some birds, spot a group of turtles, or set up an easel or sketchbook in a picturesque spot. Then you wander over to a history museum to have lunch in a restaurant overlooking a pond covered with lotuses. Your afternoon is spent wandering art and artifact exhibits from Chinese antiquity and Taiwanese modern history

This isn't a dream itinerary: Taiwan's National Museum of History and Taipei Botanical Garden sit side-by-side in the heart of Chengnan.

The architecture of the National Museum of History, built in 1955, is a Sino-European blend with Chinese palace-style red pillars, hip-and-gable tiled roofs, and door gods along with newer materials such as cement and etched glass. The foundation of its collection is a trove of Chinese historical artifacts returned from post-war Japan, including everything from oracle bones to Tang Dynasty ceramics, priceless calligraphy, and much beyond.

The museum reopened in early 2024 after nearly six years of renovations, now featuring expanded exhibition space. Despite its name, it is known just as much for art as history: recent exhibits of Chinese female artists and works by Chinese-French painter Sanyu have drawn a great deal of positive attention.

National Museum of History 國立歷史博物館

🚩49, Nanhai Rd., Zhongzheng Dist.

📞(02) 2331-1220

🔗www.nmh.gov.tw/en

🕝Tue-Sun 10:00am-6:00pm

Taipei Botanical Garden

The Taipei Botanical Garden has been providing a quiet green space for city residents since the Japanese era. First built as Taipei Nursery in 1896 by the Japanese, this garden was briefly neglected during World War II before it flourished again with 17 themed plant areas and nine ponds, showcasing over two thousand plant species, with blooms changing with the seasons.

The Succulent Plants Garden features winding stone paths, and the indigenous-plant section helps visitors better understand flora native to Taiwan. The Chinese Zodiac Plants Garden boasts curated plants with various relationships to the 12 Chinese Zodiac animals, and the ponds and wooded areas are popular with artists and birdwatchers, who often stake out specific spots that individual birds, such as the Taiwan barbet, are known to frequent. Although the Lotus Pond is most beautiful in June and July, egrets and herons can be seen on its shores for much of the year.

Taipei Botanical Garden 台北植物園

🔗tpbg.tfri.gov.tw/en

🕝5:30am-8:00pm

After a visit to the National Museum of History and/or Taipei Botanical Garden, foodies know to head to Nanmen Market, a short walk east.

Nanmen Market

Nanmen (South Gate) Market has existed in some form for over a century, first as an outdoor market, founded in 1907, and later in its current building on Roosevelt Road, to which it has recently returned after a temporary relocation to allow for extensive renovations.

The first floor of the four-story market is especially popular in the weeks leading up to the Lunar New Year, as it's well-known for its dazzling variety of candy, buns, and preserved meats.

Its dry goods and packaged ready-made dishes are also popular, including hard-to-find foodstuffs from abroad.

The produce is often said to be among the freshest in Taipei and, depending on the season, includes such locally rare items as banana peppers and large Western eggplants. The food court on the second floor is a renowned meal spot with seating.

Nanmen Market 南門市場

🚩8, Sec. 1, Roosevelt Rd., Zhongzheng Dist.

🔗www.tpnanmen.org.tw

🕝Tue-Sat 7:00am-7:00pm (second floor opens at 9:30am)

True Bao Maker

The gourmet experience doesn't end at Nanmen Market, though. True Bao Maker, in an alley on the other side of Roosevelt Road, gives classic gua bao (aka the "Taiwanese hamburger") a twist.

This small shop decorated with funky orange chairs and comic book memorabilia makes some of the most creative bao you'll find in Taipei – imagine spicy beef bao, sweet bao filled with cinnamon apple, vegetarian pumpkin bao, and side dishes like pumpkin tempura and tomato beef soup.

True Bao Maker 有情出包所

🚩25, Ln. 9, Ningbo E. St., Zhongzheng Dist.

🔗instagram.com/truebao_maker

🕝Tue-Sat 11:30am-2:30pm, 5:30pm-10:00pm (Fri & Sat till 12:00am); Sun 12:00pm-8:00pm

Nearby, Angelica Mutton Soup keeps it old school with some of the tastiest traditional Taiwanese delicacies available in Taipei. Served in a pared-back small diner with green-tiled tables and wooden stools, the house specialty here is lamb slices in a complex meat broth, with original, stewed, and garlic versions.

The garlic lamb soup is, without doubt, the most popular. A bowl of your choice pairs beautifully with the most iconic of Taiwanese comfort foods, braised pork rice, and a range of classic side dishes.

Angelica Mutton Soup 樂天羊肉

🚩25, Sec. 1, Roosevelt Rd., Zhongzheng Dist.

📞0958-572-101

🔗instagram.com/sixdaymutton

🕝Mon-Sat 11:30am-9:00pm

Rongjin Gorgeous Time

The "South Gate" area isn't the only part of Chengnan with great food. Head further east from the area to Rongjin Gorgeous Time, a Japanese-era complex of former government dormitories. Situated between MRT Guting and Dongmen stations, this long strip of wooden buildings once served as housing for workers in the Taipei Criminal Office; a prison once stood next door. After a period of abandonment, with some buildings destroyed by fire or due to severe neglect, the Department of Cultural Affairs began a years-long renovation project of the site.

Now, Rongjin Gorgeous Time is a haven filled with popular restaurants, cafés, and shops. It's also a pleasant place for a stroll, especially around sunset. Inside the complex, restaurants and shops seamlessly blend with the site's Japanese cultural heritage, rounding out Chengnan's reputation as a neighborhood where culture, food, and history meet.

Taihu Gyoza Bar is from the Taiwanese brand: Taihu Brewing, and it's a popular spot for Taiwanese craft beer and Japanese cuisine. With both indoor and outdoor seating, patrons can soak up the vintage atmosphere while chowing down on fried gyoza, steamed dumplings, chicken karaage, curry rice, tempting noodle bowls, and more. Some try for free dishes by partaking in drinking challenges!

Taihu Gyoza Bar 臺虎居餃屋

🚩155, Jinhua St., Daan Dist.

📞(02) 2391-0150

🔗facebook.com/taihu.gyozabar

🕝Mon 4:00pm-11:30pm, Tue-Thu 12:00pm-11:30pm, Fri-Sat 11:00am-12:30am, Sun 11:00am-11:30pm

After your gyoza and beer adventure, head to dessert purveyor Jin Jin Ding for its castella, a Japanese honey sponge cake topped with gold foil that requires a highly precise preparation method. The shop also serves colorful sugar gemstones with a crunchy exterior encasing a jelly-like center and an indulgent black sesame buttercream cake. Drinks are available to help wash down the different sweets.