Tourism Administration, Republic of China (Taiwan)-Taiwan Tourism Administration's Taiwan Tourism Information Website

The district acquired the name "Ximen" during the Japanese Rule. At the time, most people lived in the city center, and Ximen served as a suburban recreational place. In 1896, the first theater, "Tokyo Pavilion," was inaugurated. In 1922, the area was formally named "Ximen."

In the early days, Ximen was brimming with movie theaters, and most of them were situated on Ermei Street, Chengdu Road, and Xining S. Road. The streets filled with movie theaters marked Ximen's main area of development. After the nationalist government came to Taiwan in 1949, much more capital was introduced to this place. Other than movie theaters, department stores and other recreational business venues popped up. As soon as Zhonghua Shopping Mall was established, Ximen became the country's largest entertainment hub.

In the 1990s, businesses in Taipei started to move to the East District, Zhonghua Shopping Mall was demolished, and the main roads were being refurbished. These made Ximen quiet for a long while. It was only until MRT Bannan Line was inaugurated that Zhonghua Road transformed into the Champs-élysées Avenue of Taipei, as the city government planned. Not only so, outdoor plazas and activity centers took shape one after another. Today, on weekends and holidays, many people gather up here to attend art, cultural, and music events, and businesses are thriving. Ximen has become alive again.

Ximen bears witness to history and it leads younger-generation trends. Middle-aged visitors and elders enjoy finding traces of the past in Ximen, and youngsters love showing off their fashionable dressing styles here. People mingle up and exchange their views here. Everyone can find what they need, right here in Ximen Shopping District!