Taipei City Government

Taipei’s East District offers a unique shopping and entertainment experience, combining local charm and tasteful consumer experiences. As Taipei’s commercial districts shift, the East District is stepping up to the plate to forge a new chapter in the history of the district and the city.

A repositioning and three other strategies will support the East District in creating a good business environment, says Commissioner Lin Chung-chieh of the Taipei City Government’s Department of Economic Development (DOED). For starters, the lighting and street furniture of the district’s squares have been improved, and green road lanes have been added to expand space for pedestrians. On weekends art troupes and street performers enliven the district’s squares and Liugong Park. In the medium to long term, a design team will inventory local needs, build consensus among locals, reposition the district, and develop a blueprint for the district’s plazas in parks, street design, parking facilities, and pedestrian spaces. The team will also help develop synergy in the district, and promote local stores and festivals in order to attract more visitors to the area as it reinvents itself.

Chief Han Hsiu-he of Guangwu Borough in Daan District comments that the East District is gradually raising its profile again thanks to its renewed commercial impact. Currently, the Commercial Area Development Association is actively reorganizing itself to develop consensus among businesses in the area to meet new commercial challenges and build a prosperous future for the East District. Chen Li-yu, the second-generation owner of Crystal Pancake, observes that the financial crisis of 2008 and the current shifting of commercial districts have triggered a new vision, and new hopes, for the East District through transformation and new strategies for the area. The owner of mid-aged Alley 5 says that he feels a sense of responsibility as the new generation of business owners in the East District endeavor to jointly create cultural and lifestyle-focused streets in the area to bring consumers a unique shopping and entertainment experience.

Initiatives being encouraged in this regard include new start-ups and established enterprises moving into the East District. For instance, TripMoment VR next to Wellcome opened its doors this year to offer immersive virtual reality experiences that take customers on trips to exotic destinations, satisfying the needs of young consumers looking for novel experiences. As long as transport to and from the East District is convenient, TripMoment VR CEO Li Chin-wei is optimistic that initiatives like this will be able to attract crowds. In addition, Lion Travel, Taiwan’s leading travel agency for several decades, is expanding its current outlet in the district into a large-scale flagship store, which will give further momentum to the area’s transformation. N-Ice Taipei and other specialty stores popping up are further enriching the East District one unique store at a time.

East District NEXT, the specialty store group with a sense of mission for their district, welcomes everyone to visit the East District and discover the many new things going on there! To stay informed about the stores and special events in the area, simply follow TCOOC’S Facebook fan page on “all the fun activities in Taipei” (https://www.facebook.com/tcooc/). See you soon in the East District!