Shilin (士林) is the district in north Taipei that most visitors pass through without realizing it: the night market, the National Palace Museum and the science museums are all here. It makes a full, easy day on the Red Line: a museum in the morning, Chiang Kai-shek's old residence and its gardens in the afternoon, and the night market after dark.
- MRT Jiantan Station (Red Line, R15) for the night market; Shilin Station (Red Line, R16) for the residence and the museum buses; Zhishan Station (Red Line, R17) for Tianmu
- Best time a weekday, ending at the night market in the evening
- How long a full day
Getting there
Ride the Red Line north from Taipei Main Station: Jiantan (R15), Shilin (R16) and Zhishan (R17) are consecutive stops. For the night market, get off at Jiantan, not Shilin: the market is about 300 m from Jiantan. For the residence, use Shilin Station, Exit 2. The National Palace Museum and the science museums are a short bus ride from Shilin or Jiantan.
What to see
Shilin Night Market (士林觀光夜市). Taipei's best-known night market, spread through the lanes around Yangming Theater and Cixian Temple, plus a food court; the market area dates back to 1899. It runs from about 16:00 to midnight every day, and it is packed on weekends and holidays. → Taipei's night markets compared
Shilin Cixian Temple (士林慈諴宮). The night market grew up around this Mazu temple, which was founded in 1796 and moved to its present site in 1864. It is a city-designated monument.
Chiang Kai-shek Shilin Residence (士林官邸). Chiang Kai-shek lived here from 1951 until his death in 1975. Two parts, with different hours:
- The gardens are free and open daily from 08:00 to 18:00: about 13 hectares with a rose garden, a European-style garden with a fountain and a Chinese garden. The city holds tulip shows in spring and chrysanthemum shows in autumn.
- The main house is open Tuesday to Sunday, 09:30 to 12:00 and 13:30 to 17:00 (last entry 11:50 and 16:50). Tickets are NT$100, or NT$50 for students (including ISIC cardholders) and visitors 65 and over. It closes on Mondays, over the main holidays (Lunar New Year, Tomb Sweeping, Dragon Boat and Mid-Autumn) and for maintenance weeks, usually one in February or March and two in September.
Address: No. 60, Fulin Road; Shilin Station (Red Line, R16), Exit 2.
National Palace Museum and Zhishan Garden. The museum is a bus ride from Shilin Station, and its Chinese garden, Zhishan Garden (至善園), is free and keeps the same hours as Exhibition Hall I. → National Palace Museum: tickets, hours and the bus
The science museums. The Taipei Astronomical Museum (臺北市立天文科學教育館) and the National Taiwan Science Education Center (國立臺灣科學教育館) sit next to each other, with the Children's Amusement Park nearby; bus Red 30 links them with Jiantan and Shilin stations. Both close on Mondays, and the Astronomical Museum stays open until 20:00 on Saturdays. → A day in Shilin with kids
Taipei Performing Arts Center. The big cube by Jiantan Station, Exit 3, about two minutes on foot, and a short walk from the night market. → Theater and dance in Taipei
Shuangxi Park (雙溪公園), a park at Fulin and Zhishan roads, and Tianmu (天母), further north from Zhishan Station (R17), where the Wei Chuan Dragons play at Tianmu Baseball Stadium. → Taipei's parks · Baseball in Taipei
Where to eat
The night market is the meal. Arrive hungry and graze: the lanes around Cixian Temple and the food court have the classic snacks. → What to eat at Shilin Night Market · Taipei dishes to try
A full-day order
- Morning: the National Palace Museum (bus from Shilin Station), with a walk in Zhishan Garden.
- Early afternoon: back toward Shilin Station and the residence gardens; add the main house if you like (closed 12:00 to 13:30).
- Late afternoon: the science museums by bus Red 30, or the Performing Arts Center by Jiantan.
- Evening: Shilin Night Market from Jiantan Station (R15), with a stop at Cixian Temple.
Good to know: Mondays are a bad day for Shilin. The residence's main house, the science museums and the Performing Arts Center close, and the National Palace Museum opens on Mondays only on a few dates a year.
→ All neighborhoods · Beitou, further up the Red Line
Sources
Shilin Night Market: Taiwan Tourism Administration and NightMarket.tw. Cixian Temple: Focus Taiwan, February 18, 2025 and PTS News. Shilin Residence: Taipei City Department of Cultural Affairs, official fee table, Taipei Parks Office and CNA. Zhishan Garden: National Palace Museum. Astronomical Museum: Taipei Astronomical Museum; Science Education Center: NTSEC. Checked November 2026.