Banqiao (板橋) is the center of New Taipei City: the city government sits here, and Banqiao Station is a major transport hub. It is a busy, modern district rather than a sightseeing town, but it has one of Taiwan's finest old gardens, a lively temple and shopping area around Fuzhong, a night market that runs until 2am, and, from mid November, New Taipei's big Christmas light show. It is one direct MRT ride from Taipei Main Station.
- Where Banqiao District, New Taipei City
- MRT Banqiao Station (Blue Line, BL07; Circular Line, Y16) and Fuzhong Station (Blue Line, BL06)
- Train Taiwan Railway and High Speed Rail both stop at Banqiao Station
- Best for a classical garden, temples and food, Christmas lights in November and December
- Time half a day, or an evening for the night market or the lights
How to get there
Take the MRT Blue Line (Bannan Line) from Taipei Main Station or Ximen toward Dingpu and get off at Banqiao Station (BL07). For the old part of Banqiao, the Lin Family Garden and Nanya Night Market, stay on one more stop to Fuzhong Station (BL06). The Circular Line (Yellow Line) also stops at Banqiao (Y16), handy if you are coming from Zhonghe or Xinzhuang.
Banqiao Station is a stop for Taiwan Railway trains and the High Speed Rail as well as the MRT and intercity buses, so it is an easy first or last stop on a trip down the west coast. The Fuzhong shopping area is about 10 minutes' walk from Banqiao Station. → How the Taipei MRT works
What to see
Lin Family Mansion and Garden (林本源園邸)
The old estate of the Lin Ben Yuan family, where the family once collected rents and crops, is a national monument and Banqiao's best-known sight. Its garden is a classical Chinese garden of pavilions, ponds, small bridges and rockeries, modeled on the gardens of Suzhou. After a second phase of restoration, the whole site reopened on 1 June 2026.
- Where: No. 9, Ximen Street, Banqiao District.
- Hours: 09:00 to 17:00 every day. Ticket sales stop 30 minutes before closing.
- Closed: the first Monday of each month (the next day if that Monday is a national holiday), Lunar New Year's Eve and Lunar New Year's Day. The next closures are 2 November and 7 December 2026.
- Entry: NT$80. Free with proof for children under 12, people aged 65 and over, students at Taiwanese schools, registered New Taipei residents, people with disabilities and one companion, and a few other groups.
- Tours: free garden tours leave on weekdays at 10:00, 11:00, 14:00 and 15:00, with an extra 14:30 tour on holidays. The Sanluo House (三落大厝), the family's old residence, is private property and can only be seen on a guided tour of up to 15 people, with free passes handed out an hour before each tour. English and Japanese tours can be booked for groups of five or more, at least seven days ahead.
- MRT: Fuzhong Station (Blue Line, BL06), Exit 1, about 15 minutes' walk along Fuzhong Road and Wenchang Street. From Banqiao Station it is about a 20-minute walk.
Good to know: the garden paths are narrow and uneven, and the garden itself advises against strollers and wheelchairs. Indoor eating, pets and smoking are not allowed.
Cihui Temple and the Fuzhong area (慈惠宮, 府中)
The streets around Fuzhong Station are old Banqiao's busy center, full of shops, snack stalls and small restaurants. Its heart is Cihui Temple, a Mazu temple that New Taipei City describes as the oldest in the Banqiao area, decorated with ceramic shards, carvings and paintings and holding plaques and dragon pillars from the Qing dynasty. It is especially busy at Lunar New Year, when people come to pray for a prosperous year.
- Where: No. 81, Fuzhong Road, Banqiao District.
- Hours: 05:00 to 22:00.
- MRT: Fuzhong Station (Blue Line, BL06), a short walk.
→ Temples in Taipei, for how to visit a Taiwanese temple
Nanya Night Market (湳雅夜市)
Banqiao's main night market runs along Nanya East Road, with the classic mix of hot food, cheap clothing and games. Its late closing time is the draw: it stays open until 2am every night.
- Hours: 17:00 to 02:00.
- MRT: Fuzhong Station (Blue Line, BL06), about 8 minutes' walk. From Banqiao Station it is about 20 minutes on foot along Xianmin Boulevard.
NightMarket.tw has Nanya Night Market's stalls and walking route. → Taipei's night markets
Shopping around Banqiao Station
The new district around Banqiao Station, Xinban Special District (新板特區), is Banqiao's modern side: department stores, malls and multiplex cinemas within a few minutes of the station, and the New Taipei City government building beside it. It is an easy place to fill a rainy afternoon or to eat before a train.
- MRT: Banqiao Station (Blue Line, BL07; Circular Line, Y16).
New Taipei Christmasland (新北歡樂耶誕城)
Each winter New Taipei City turns the squares around Banqiao Station into a free Christmas light show, with a giant lit tree, a market and light zones in front of the city government building. In 2026 it runs from 13 November to 27 December, with the main zone around Citizen Square, the station plaza, Wanping Park and Fuzhong Plaza. Smaller light zones are set up in other New Taipei districts too.
- Entry: free.
- MRT: Banqiao Station (Blue Line, BL07; Circular Line, Y16).
- Check the official Christmasland site for lighting times; rides can stop in bad weather.
→ What's on in Taipei this month
Timing tips
- Garden in the morning. The Lin Family Garden opens at 09:00 and closes at 17:00, and it is closed on the first Monday of the month.
- Night market late. Nanya is open until 02:00, so it works after a day in Taipei or a late train into Banqiao.
- Christmasland crowds. Weekend evenings during the light show are very busy around Banqiao Station. A weekday evening is calmer.
- Rain. The garden is mostly outdoors; the malls around Banqiao Station are the rainy-day option.
→ Zhonghe and Yonghe · Sanchong and Luzhou · Yingge and Sanxia
Sources
Lin Family Mansion and Garden hours, closures, entry, free entry, tours and visitor rules from the garden's visiting page, its 2026 closure notice and its directions; its address from the garden's website, and its Suzhou-style design from New Taipei City's garden page. Cihui Temple from New Taipei City's temple page, with the street address from TVBS. Nanya Night Market hours and walks from New Taipei City's night market column. Banqiao Station, Xinban Special District and the Fuzhong walk from New Taipei City's Banqiao page. Christmasland dates from the official site, with the 2026 light zones from TVBS. Station codes from the Taipei Metro station list. Checked October 2026.