Xinyi

Xìnyì (信義) is a modern, cosmopolitan district in eastern Taipei. In recent decades it was transformed from an agricultural and industrial periphery into the city’s premier financial and commercial center. The district’s most iconic landmark is Taipei 101, the tallest skyscraper in the world when it was completed in 2004, surrounded by mega-malls and corporate headquarters. Xinyi preserves traces of Japanese colonial era industry, most notably Songshan Tobacco Factory, completed in 1937 and now repurposed as Songshan Cultural and Creative Park. The post-war era left an extensive network of military dependents’ villages across the district, of which 44 South Village, established in 1948 for workers at the nearby Joint Logistics 44 Arsenal, stands preserved as a heritage site and public park in the shadow of Taipei 101. Other landmarks include Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, completed in 1972 to commemorate the founding father of the Republic of China; Elephant Mountain, easily the most iconic hiking trail in Taipei due to its spectacular views of the financial district; and Tao Zhu Garden, an unusual twisting residential tower completed in 2019 that has become a popular backdrop for photography.