Taipei's shows were one of the things we loved most about living in the city, and a night at the movies is the easiest of them: no tickets to fight for, and cinemas a short walk from the MRT. Foreign films are not dubbed for adults. They play in their original language, and every film shown in a Taiwanese cinema must carry Chinese subtitles (or a Mandarin dub, which is mostly used for children's films).
Check the language on the showtime
Cinema schedules put the language in brackets after the format, so you can tell at a glance which session to book:
| On the schedule | Means |
|---|---|
| 數位(英) or 英文版 | English soundtrack, Chinese subtitles |
| 數位(國) or 國語版 | Mandarin soundtrack: usually the dubbed version of an animated or family film |
| (日), (韓), (粵) | Japanese, Korean or Cantonese soundtrack, Chinese subtitles |
| IMAX, 4DX, Dolby Cinema, 3D | The format; these cost more than a standard (數位) ticket |
Good to know: animated films often run in two versions, Mandarin-dubbed for kids and in the original language. If you want the English or Japanese voices, look for the session marked 英 or 日, not 國.
The main cinema chains
| Chain | In Taipei | Big screens |
|---|---|---|
| Vieshow Cinemas (威秀影城) | Xinyi, Ximen, Q Square near Taipei Main Station, Nangang LaLaport | 4DX in Xinyi; IMAX only in New Taipei (Xindian Yulon City, Banqiao Mega City) |
| Miramar Cinemas (美麗華影城) | Dazhi | IMAX and Dolby Cinema |
| Showtime Cinemas (秀泰影城) | Taipei Dome, Xinxin on Linsen North Road | |
| Ambassador Theatres (國賓影城) | Ambassador Theatre in Ximending, Changchun | Dolby Atmos hall and D-BOX seats in Ximending |
| SPOT (光點) | SPOT Taipei Film House, Zhongshan | Art house |
Vieshow Xinyi
- Address No. 20, Songshou Rd., Xinyi District
- Tickets NT$360 adult, NT$300 before noon; 3D NT$430; 4DX NT$570
- MRT Taipei City Hall Station (Blue Line, BL18), Exit 3; Xiangshan Station (Red Line, R02), Exit 1; or Taipei 101/World Trade Center Station (Red Line, R03), Exit 4
Vieshow Xinyi (台北信義威秀影城) was the first cinema in Taiwan built as a multiplex, in the middle of the Xinyi shopping district a few minutes from Taipei 101. It has 15 halls and 2,681 seats, including Taiwan's first 4DX hall, opened in 2013. Five halls were redesigned with the Golden Horse Film Festival committee.
Miramar Cinemas and the IMAX in Dazhi
- Address 6F, No. 22, Jingye 3rd Rd., Zhongshan District (Miramar Entertainment Park)
- Tickets Standard 2D NT$350 (NT$300 before noon); Dolby Cinema NT$500; IMAX NT$560; 3D adds NT$70
- MRT Jiannan Road Station (Brown Line, BR15)
Miramar Cinemas (美麗華影城) is the one for film fans. Its IMAX hall, opened in 2004 as the first in Taiwan, has a curved screen 28.4 m wide and 20.54 m high, dual 4K laser projection and 12.1-channel sound, and it can show the full 1.43:1 IMAX frame, which Miramar says no other cinema in Taiwan can. If a big film was shot for IMAX, this is the screen to see it on; book early for opening weekend. The cinema also has a Dolby Cinema hall.
It is inside Miramar Entertainment Park (美麗華百樂園), the mall with the Ferris wheel on its roof: 100 m tall, the first in Taiwan built on a rooftop, with 48 cabins and a 17-minute ride that looks out over Songshan Airport. A ride before or after the film makes a good evening.
Showtime Cinemas at the Taipei Dome
- Address 2F, No. 105, Guangfu S. Rd., Xinyi District
- MRT Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall Station (Blue Line, BL17)
Showtime Cinemas Taipei Dome (大巨蛋秀泰影城) has 14 halls and 1,793 seats in the mall of the Taipei Dome complex, so it pairs well with a walk through Songshan Cultural and Creative Park next door.
Ximending: Ambassador Theatre and Vieshow Ximen
- Ambassador Theatre No. 88, Chengdu Rd., Wanhua District
- Vieshow Ximen 8F to 11F, No. 52, Hanzhong St., Wanhua District; NT$320 adult, NT$260 before noon
- MRT Ximen Station (Blue Line, BL11; Green Line, G12): Exit 1 or 6 for the Ambassador, about 5 minutes; Exit 6 through the pedestrian streets for Vieshow
Ximending is Taipei's classic place to see a film with the busy streets outside for a late snack. The Ambassador Theatre (國賓大戲院) has just three halls, but one is a giant: the Ambassador Grand hall, with more than 700 seats, a screen 22 m wide and 12 m high, Dolby Atmos sound (the largest Atmos hall in Taiwan, the Ambassador says) and D-BOX motion seats. A few minutes away, Vieshow Ximen (台北西門威秀影城) has nine halls on the top floors of a building on Hanzhong Street.
→ Ximending neighborhood guide
SPOT Taipei Film House: art films
- Address No. 18, Sec. 2, Zhongshan N. Rd., Zhongshan District
- MRT Zhongshan Station (Red Line, R11; Green Line, G14)
For independent, Taiwanese and international art-house films, go to SPOT Taipei Film House (光點台北), a small cinema with a cafe and bookshop in the white mansion on Zhongshan North Road that was home to six US ambassadors between 1950 and 1979. It opened in 2002, backed by director Hou Hsiao-hsien's film association.
Taipei Film Festival
The Taipei Film Festival (台北電影節) is held in summer; the 2026 edition opened on June 26, with screenings at Zhongshan Hall, SPOT Huashan and Eslite Cinema, and the Taipei Film Awards at Zhongshan Hall. Tickets are sold on OPENTIX, which our ticket guide explains for visitors. In 2026 the program came out in mid-June, a day before tickets went on sale, so watch the festival website.
How to book
Every chain sells tickets on its own website and app, with a seat map so you choose exactly where you sit. You can also buy at the box office, which is the simplest option if a site or app gives you trouble.
- Schedules. Vieshow posts the next week's sessions (Friday to Thursday) every Wednesday afternoon. Miramar posts its own release times for new sessions on its website.
- Paying. Vieshow takes Visa, Mastercard and JCB online with 3D Secure, so your bank may text a one-time code to the phone number it has on file: keep your home SIM reachable or use your bank's app. Vieshow adds NT$20 per ticket for online booking.
- Getting in. With an online booking you can usually enter on a barcode in the app, or collect a paper ticket at the counter. Each Vieshow cinema runs its own system, so collect tickets at the cinema you booked, not another branch.
- Changing your mind. Vieshow refunds online bookings up to 2 hours before the show (the NT$20 fee is not refunded); the Ambassador does not refund or exchange tickets within 30 minutes of the show.
Film ratings
Taiwan's Ministry of Culture rates every film in one of five categories, shown next to each title on cinema websites. Cinemas check age, and Vieshow asks for ID at the door, so bring it for teenagers.
| Rating | Who can watch |
|---|---|
| 普遍級 General (G) | All ages |
| 保護級 Protected (P) | Not under 6; ages 6 to 11 with a parent or adult |
| 輔十二級 (PG12) | Not under 12 |
| 輔十五級 (PG15) | Not under 15 |
| 限制級 Restricted (R) | Not under 18 |
Children: at the Ambassador, children under 2 who sit on a lap get in free (at Vieshow, for G-rated films), and ages 2 to 11 pay the concession price. At Miramar the cutoff is height: under 90 cm is free on a lap.
Snacks
Popcorn and soft drinks are sold at the cinema counters. Cinemas set their own rules on bringing food in. Miramar bans hot food such as burgers and fried chicken and anything with a strong smell from its halls. The Ambassador bans spicy or strong-smelling food, hot soups and drinks, noisy snacks, alcohol, glass bottles and metal cans. Under those rules a cold drink and a quiet snack are fine at both; leave the night market food for after the film.
→ More shows and nightlife → The MRT
Sources
Taipei Times (Motion Picture Act subtitle rule); Laws and Regulations Database (film rating regulations, Article 8); Vieshow Cinemas (cinemas, Xinyi, Ximen, IMAX locations, booking FAQ); Miramar Cinemas (prices, IMAX, FAQ); Showtime Cinemas (cinemas); Ambassador Theatres (cinemas, Ambassador Theatre); SPOT (SPOT Taipei Film House) and its history from the Taipei Times; Taipei Travel (Miramar Entertainment Park, Miramar Ferris Wheel); Taiwan News (2026 Taipei Film Festival); Taipei Film Festival (taipeiff.taipei). Checked October 2026.