Xindian MRT Activities – Things To Do Near Xindian MRT

If you are staying in a hotel in the Xindian side of Taipei, which is now technically New Taipei City, or are simply traveling there for a weekend getaway, you will want to make sure not to miss some local sites and attractions. Xindian is known by Taiwanese for having some of the best air quality and standard of living due to its location near the Bitan area (near the river) and quick access to the mountains in Wulai where there are many hot springs and rivers to explore.

Below is a list of sites, areas and restaurants you may want to consider depending on where you are visiting in Xindian based on my recommendations of having lived in the area for over 3 years.

Near Xindian MRT

Activities and Restaurants

Your best option is to walk out and head down to the Bitan scenic area, which despite popular belief, is not just accessible from the Bitan MRT station but also from the Xindian MRT station. Head to the riverside and walk down to the area the opposite way from the red bridge you see people walking across, as that is where all the restaurants along the riverside are located. There is an assortment of Western and Taiwanese dishes there, in addition to bars. No need to worry about excess sunlight or rain if you grab a tablet near the riverside as almost every restaurant has its own shades that can be drawn at request.

You will also notice lots of people pedal boating in the riverside. The boats can be rented for around NT$250-300 (US8-$10) per a boat depending whether it is a 2-4 person unit, with timing limited to around 1 hour. Many families enjoy doing this on the weekends but it is also a popular date activity for locals.

Near the Red Bridge

If you head up to where the red bridge is the connecting entrance to the street down below is full of street vendors with some local goodies. Oddly enough, my personal favorite dish from that area is chicken and beef wraps from a local Indian vendor, whose name remains forgotten to me, but you can’t miss it. There are also lots of ice cream vendors but I wouldn’t be tempted as the ice cream quality is poor in that it lacks that creamy taste (typical in Taiwan). Instead, you may want to vouch for some fruit from one of the local vendors nearby. The nearby fruit vendors slice up some of the best guava, pineapple and lychee in town.

Across from the red bridge are various cafes. However, if you walk across to the other side (coming from the Xindian MRT exit) there is a restaurant to the left-hand side that looks like it isn’t a restaurant. In fact, it may even look like it is abandoned. This place in fact serves local dishes along with local teas with a great view. While Taiwanese are all exiting to the right of the bridge, make sure to head to your right up the path and check out this place, as many do not know about it.

Alternative Activities

Since Xindian is largely nature related, we recommend that you make use of taking in the scenery. Heading from the Xindian MRT station, walk toward to the nearest bus station west side of Beixin Rd. in order to head south. Take bus 849 and from there you can go all the way to Wulai where you can bathe under waterfalls and enjoy hot springs from natural spring water.

The bus ride all the way to the Wulai stop takes about 30-40 minutes and can stop along the way. In fact, there are many hiking trails along this path (a bit to many to describe) before getting to the final destination so you could get off at pretty much any stop along the way and just explore. However, there are many trails at the final destination so after you got a long hike in you can soak in the hot springs.

We also recommend that you visit Wenshan farm 文山農場 located just outside of Xindian. This place is about a NT$150 taxi ride away and offers camping, BBQ facilities and tea picking/tea manufacturing classes as part of a 2-3 hour package. It is a government sponsored organization and is free, but requires reservation. Unfortunately, none of the classes are in English and neither is their website so you may need a guide for this.

Xindian District Alternatives

For basic shopping, you may want to check out the Carrefour located in Xindian, which has a variety of food available for purchase. On the first level there are a number of restaurants ranging from Sushi Express and Cold Stone, to various Korean and Chinese dishes. Up above on the third floor is the actual Carrefour shopping mall where you can purchase groceries.

If staying by the Qizhang MRT station, just outside of exit 1 to the right there is a subway in the first alley. If not that, continue down the street toward the first stop light and you will see a new Japanese restaurant along with a French café called Reve that serves up some good crepes and milk tea. My favorite is the Creme Brulee milk tea as I haven’t been able to find this flavor anywhere else in Taipei.