Taipei photography guide: how to photograph Taiwan

Discover Taipei, the capital city of Taiwan, one of the most authentic and photogenic cities in the world, with this complete photography guide. Best photo spots, areas, and inspiration for your trip.

Taipei is one of these special cities. As a photographer, some cities require time to feel and understand how to photograph them. Taipei is not like that. I have only had this feeling in a handful of cities, such as Osaka or Vienna. Taipei is not a city with very specific photography spots. There are areas, regions, and photography opportunities all over the city. In this Taipei photography guide, I will share some of my favourite spots, areas and concepts to photograph in the capital city of Taiwan.

How to photograph Taipei: practical tips

Before deep-diving into the Taipei photography spots and areas, this is some of the practical information on Taipei, photographing Taipei and moving in the city I would have appreciated reading before getting there.

How many days to photograph Taipei?

Over 7 million people live in the metropolitan area of Taipei. This can give you some sense of the size of the city. Although it is not like Tokyo, it is a big city, and it is definitely not one you can photograph in a 1-day layover. I would recommend at least 3 days to visit and photograph Taipei.

I spent 4, and I can’t wait to be back, but next time I’ll also explore the surroundings and some nearby villages.

Where should I stay in Taipei as a photographer?

Taipei is not that expensive, especially if you come from Europe or North America. Thus, I would recommend finding a place close to a good metro station. Walking is my preferred way of seeing a city, but you will need to take public (or private) transportation to get to some places, for example, the famous Taipei 101.

I stayed near the Taipei Main Station and it was really easy to move around, and I could walk to most night markets and alleys areas.

What gear do I need to photograph Taipei?

Tricky question. It really depends on what your photography style is. I’d say that if you are into street photography, anything between 35 and 50mm will do the trick. However, for larger buildings like the 101, it will not be enough. I tried to pack light, and I went with a 35mm, a 10-24mm and a 50-200mm.

If it’s useful to you, over 60% of my photos were taken with the 50-200mm, but that’s because I liked the compression on the busy streets. I took almost no photos with the 10-24, but two of them are in my top 10 Taipei photos.

How photography-friendly is Taipei?

I did mostly street photography. I did not bring a tripod, so I don’t know how people would react to them. But as a 185cm white European man, it was easy to spot me, and I had no problems at all. As usual, be respectful and friendly, and if you want to photograph something sensible, ask permission first.

Taipei photography guide: spots and main areas

Night markets

Taipei has hundreds of night markets. When the sun goes down, the city mutates, and streets get full of locals (and a few tourists) who explore the food stalls.

There are two types of night markets. The touristy ones and the real ones. As you can imagine, the best night markets for photography are the real ones. These are not located at the heart of Taipei, but at a short walk or metro ride.

The Ximending Night Market is the most popular one, and the one that most tourists visit. It is worth a visit, but in my opinion, it is worth going to other markets such as the Huaxi Street night market or the Guangzhou Street night market. Other top choices are the Linjiang night market, the Ningxia night market, and the Yansan night Market (located on a busy road, which makes for unique photos). I could write a whole guide on night markets and street photography in Taipei, who knows, maybe someday.

And although you will be there with a camera and will take amazing photos, don’t forget to try some of the local food. It’s cheap, it’s tasty and really authentic.

Peace Memorial Park

This is one of the typical Taipei photography spots. A beautiful garden, with a pagoda in the middle of a pond. Great photo spot. However, don’t stop there, and explore the whole park, as you can stumble upon some nice surprises, such as the Park Fude Temple.

Liberty Square Arch and Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall

This is THE most photographed spot in Taipei, together with the Taipei 101, and it is a must in any photography guide. It is worth a visit, for sure, but it is nowhere close to the most beautiful place in the city. The arch is impressive and the views of and from the memorial are breathtaking. I enjoyed photographing the area, although it is quite difficult to get new points of view or unseen photos.

Bangka Lungshan Temple

Taipei offers a great mix of old and new, and the Bangka Lungshan Temple is a great example of it. It is nothing unique or unseen, but this temple is surrounded by beautiful old streets and tall residential buildings. I visited it at day and night, and the experience is completely different, as there is a night market in the area.

If you want to see and photograph the most traditional side of the temple, visit it during the daytime. Otherwise, it can be a great addition to your night route in the area.

Taipei rainbow zebra crossing photography spot

This is the definition of an Instagram photography spot in Taipei. A rainbow painted on a zebra crossing in the heart of the city. You will most likely find yourself there while exploring the city. Unless you want the Instagram photo, which is great, you will need to get creative and access some of the nearby buildings to take a great photo.

All of my photos were taken from an H&M store that is perfectly located just next to the Rainbow Crossing path.

Alleys and streets

This is the piece of advice I would have liked to read in some of the other Taipei photography guides, so here it comes: the best part of Taipei is its little alleys and hidden streets. Being a very secure place, you will take your best photos there.

To be very honest, I don’t know the exact streets or places where I took some of the photos below. I walked over 35k steps per day while in Taipei, and both daytime and nighttime are packed with photography opportunities. Despite not knowing the exact places, here you have a short list of some of the areas I explored, so you can wander and take even better ones.

Ximen

This is the area where the Ximending market is, but it is not the only thing to see there. You can find some hidden little alleys that make for great photo spots, plus some of the other ones I mention below, such as the rainbow zebra crossing. I would recommend exploring it both day and night, as it seems a completely different place. However, I could say the same thing about all the places mentioned below.

Guilin Road and Guanzhou street

This has to be one of my favourite areas for street photography in Taipei, and it has to be listed in this photography guide. Narrow authentic alleys full of mini local shops, restaurants and unique sights. At night, it hosts a great market, but even at mid day, it is worth getting lost in the streets between Guilin road and Guanzhou street.

North of Taipei main station

This is where I went on my first night in Taipei. On a rough estimate, I am talking about the area that goes from the Taipei Main Station to the Ningxia night market area. Again, the time of the day (and the day of the week) will make a huge difference. Either empty and dark streets or bustling, busy shops. I had lots of fun shooting there, although it wasn’t the easiest place to take great photos.

South of Taipei Main Station

Between the Taipei Main Station and the National Museum, there is a set of streets that can resemble the ones north of the station, but in my opinion, are a bit less crowded. I went there because I had read about the Liu Shandong Beef Noodles, which were really great, but my favourite part was waiting for daily-life scenes in the alleys.

South of Taipei 101

I spent quite some time exploring the Taipei 101 area, and I focused on two of them, the southern part and the western part. The southern part is more authentic, older and with no boulevards or busy four-lane streets. However, you will need to walk a bit to find nice street photography opportunities. In my case, I was there day and night, and both were super busy, making it a bit difficult to get isolated characters in the photos. Nonetheless, this is where the most famous Taipei 101 photography spot is (see below), so you will most likely go there.

West of Taipei 101

This is where I got one of my favourite images: the Taipei 101 from a not-so-common spot, with the light of a car occupying most of the image. The west and south-west of Taipei 101 is a bit more modern, with some markets, a couple of busy roads and a few little alleys. However, it makes it easier to find streets that are well-lined with the Taipei 101, which is one of the main photographic elements of the area.

Taipei 101: day and night photography

This is the must-visit photography spot in Taipei. Every Taipei travel (photography) guide will list it as the top thing to do or see in the city, and I have to say I agree. The 101 is like a monster looking at you at all times. A bit like Sauron’s tower in TLOTR. It is everywhere, and you can see it from almost every street when you are in the right area.

There is a very famous Instagram photo spot of the Taipei 101 tower, where you will find a short (or long) line of people waiting to take the same photo. I have to recognise it is a nice photo. However, don’t stop there. Explore other surrounding areas, as you will get to see the tower from other perspectives. And don’t miss my next spot, where you will be able to also capture the tower, but from a more elevated point of view.

Elephant Mountain

Despite being a massive city, Taipei has a fair share of green areas. One of the most popular among locals and tourists is Elephant Mountain. It is a short but steep hike that will reward you with amazing views of the city and its main landmark, the Taipei 101. Don’t stop at the first viewpoint, continue hiking, and maybe even go for one of the circular routes. There are some hidden viewing spots that I hadn’t seen anywhere else on the internet before.

Taipei Rush Hour photography

This is one of the must-do in Taipei. As you will see, this city could be named Scooter city. They are everywhere, and rush hour is when you can see why it is one of the most chaotic cities to drive in the world. There is a quite well-known spot, just in front of the 9ine Hotel, where the main spot to take photos of the rush hour in Taipei is.

The photos below should be enough to explain why it is a popular spot. However, you might very well not be the only photographer there. Keep an eye on the traffic situation during your whole trip there. As my next point addresses, it is a great photographic element in Taipei.

Scooters and bikes

Scooters are everywhere in Taipei. If it wasn’t for them, Taipei would be almost like Tokyo in terms of photography opportunities. There are the neons, there’s the people, there’s the contrast between old and new… but there are the scooters. Streets are crowded, not empty, and scooters are parked everywhere, difficulting a bit taking simple and easy-to-digest photos (what everyone is shooting these days).

However, use them to your advantage. Include them in your photos, because they are the heart of the city, and a Taipei photo with no scooters in them is not really a Taipei photo.

Taipei plane landing photography spot

Yes, this is a very specific spot. But I have to say I had never seen anything like this in the world. An airport located just next to the city, where, with the right angle, you can frame a landing plane and a temple in the same photo.

It took me quite a while to get to the exact location, and on my way there, I crossed one of the most authentic markets in Taipei. Once you are there, it’s a waiting game. Check the schedule of landings and wait. Unfortunately, small aeroplanes don’t make a good photo, because they don’t descend as early as the big ones. I spent around 2h there, but I finally got what I was waiting for.

While I won’t share the exact location, because of crowded spots, I will leave a little hint of where it is: this is not the main Taipei airport you will land at, and the planes land from west to east.

Night and day

Taipei is an easy city to photograph at night. Neon lights, night markets, scooters… It is really difficult not to get a great photo. However, don’t sleep on the mornings in Taipei. Head to some of the areas I mentioned above, and admire the slow life of the little alleys, with solitary drivers or pedestrians.

More information about this Taipei photography guide

There are the best photography spots and opportunities in Taipei, as part of my Taipei photography guide. If you have any questions regarding this amazing location, feel free to message me on Instagram (@aniolvisuals). Find more photography and travel-related content below