Why should every Muslim travel to Taipei?

Taipei City is the capital of Taiwan, an island in East Asia that lies between Japan and the Philippines, across the strait from mainland China. It is the political, economic, educational and cultural centre of Taiwan, a modern metropolis with a thriving economy and a vibrant tourism industry. People who flock to Taipei are there for the street food, night markets, historical artifacts, hot springs and its many upscale shops. Entry rules depend on your passport: many nationalities can visit visa-free for a set number of days, usually with a passport valid for at least six months and proof of onward travel (such as a return flight ticket), and all foreign visitors now fill in the online Taiwan Arrival Card before landing. Check the latest rules for your nationality with Taiwan’s Bureau of Consular Affairs before you book.

Anyone who travels is sure to face challenging circumstances during their trip. But as Muslims, we have to understand the dual nature of challenges, for it is seldom that a challenge does not also present an opportunity!

Islamic tourism has grown from Muslim countries issues to a global concept due to the increased potentials of Muslim tourists traveling around the world. Review of literature demonstrates that Islamic tourism has received much attention as a distinct type of travel that has engaged an important religion. Islamic tourism is principally a different ‘touristic’ version of pilgrimage that unifies religious and leisure tourism, which proposed as an alternative to the hedonic conceptualization of mass tourism. Muslims are encouraged to practice such type of tourism activities for historical, social and cultural encounters, to gain knowledge, to associate with others, to spread God’s word and to enjoy and appreciate God’s creation (Intan Shafina Suid, Nor Ashikin Mohd Nor and Hamimi Omar, 2017). Given the increasing trend of Muslim traveling worldwide, many non-Muslim countries such as Taiwan are working to provide a comfortable experience for Muslim visitors, and Taiwan is becoming a popular destination for a large number of Muslim travelers. 

And to our dear Muslim travelers, the big question is: Is Taipei Muslim friendly to travel?

Well of course Taipei is Muslim friendly to travel! There is even a Facebook page all about it.

Muslim Travel in Taipei is a facebook page completely dedicated to sharing all about Muslim friendly travel in Taipei. There are some things that often become a problem for Muslim travelers. The first is finding halal food. The second is the difficulty in finding the direction of Qibla, and also the facilities for water ablution (in the countries that the majority of citizens are not Muslims). For countries with majority Muslim citizens, sometimes the problem is cleanliness. Furthermore, for both Muslim countries and Muslim-minority countries, the problem of information is also an obstacle if they do not use the international language commonly spoken in the area, so that to ask about their needs as a Muslim is quite difficult. This is why the Muslim Travel in Taipei Facebook page is promoting all sorts of Taipei traveling information for Muslims- trying their best to make this beautiful city a Muslim friendly travel destination.

In Taiwan, the Chinese Muslim Association (CMA) issues two levels of certification for restaurants and hotels: Halal certification and the lighter Muslim-friendly certification. Certificates can change, so look for the current certificate on the wall or ask the staff. For a wider list of halal places across the island, see our Ultimate Halal Food Guide in Taiwan.

Mosques in Taipei

1. Taipei Grand Mosque

The Taipei Grand Mosque, opened in 1960, is the largest and best-known mosque in Taiwan. It stands at No. 62, Section 2, Xinsheng South Road in Da’an District, facing Daan Forest Park, and holds the five daily prayers and the Friday (Jumu’ah) prayer. On Fridays around midday a small halal food market is often held outside. Non-Muslim visitors are welcome to look around; guided tours can be booked in advance by phone through the mosque.

2. Taipei Cultural Mosque

The smaller Taipei Cultural Mosque is at No. 3, Lane 25, Section 1, Xinhai Road in Zhongzheng District, a short walk from Exit 1 of Taipower Building MRT station. It is a convenient place to pray if you are staying around Gongguan or the south of the city.

Muslim friendly food (Halal-certified restaurants) in Taipei

The most fun part about traveling is food. Food tastes different all over the world. You could literally dedicate your whole trip to just trying out one culture’s food. Here are a few restaurants in Taipei that serve halal or Muslim-friendly food:

1. Chang’s Beef Noodles Shop

Chang’s (張家清真黃牛肉麵館, No. 21, Yanping South Road) is one of the decades-old halal beef noodle shops opened by Chinese Muslim families in Taipei. The price range is pretty reasonable and there are plenty of options to choose from. If you’re not craving noodles, there is also another halal beef noodle shop right next door. It is a good stop for our dear travelers on a budget.

2. Yunus Halal Restaurant

Yunus (清真泰富豪) is on Beining Road near Taipei Arena, and has a prayer room for guests. As it is an a la carte meal, it will be slightly pricey if you were to eat a lot. It is better to go with a small group. It is more like a Thai food place for those who are craving some Thai flavor. Steamed lemon fish is a must!

3. Kunming Islamic Restaurant

This is more of a rice and dishes type of restaurant, run by a Chinese-Burmese family, with dishes like curry chicken and Middle Eastern moussaka. Absolutely delicious, and a very nice spot for some halal food in Taipei.

4. Ice Monster

If you ever visit Taipei in the summer, you are bound to feel what it is like to be melted. Ice Monster is Taiwan’s famous shaved ice dessert chain, and the place for our travelers to try Taiwan’s well-known mango shaved ice. It is a dessert shop rather than a halal restaurant: its Ximen branch (inside Eslite Ximen) has been listed with the CMA’s Muslim-friendly certification, so if that matters to you, go to that branch and check the certificate. Apart from mango shaved ice, there are also a whole lot more flavors to choose from.

5. Ding Xian 101

If the first eateries got you hooked on Taiwanese flavors, Ding Xian 101 on the 86th floor of Taipei 101 serves Taiwanese seafood with a selection of halal set meals at different price points, along with views over the whole city. Every set meal comes with immaculate presentation and rich flavors. Definitely a nice and fancy place for a special halal dinner in Taipei; book ahead and mention the halal set when you reserve.

Muslim friendly accommodations in Taipei

Nowadays, in Taiwan there are many Muslim friendly hotels, not only in Taipei but everywhere, and Taipei City runs its own certification for them together with the CMA. A Muslim-friendly hotel typically offers halal or Muslim-friendly breakfast (sometimes with a separate dining area), a prayer room or prayer mats in the room, and the Qibla direction. But if you are traveling on your own, we can’t guarantee that the hotel will prepare halal breakfast, because some hotels only cater special requests for big groups. You can always ask the hotel before you arrive in Taiwan. As a Muslim traveling in Taipei, here are some places for you to check out (or in?).

1. Atami Hotel (Beitou)

Located in the Beitou hot spring area, Atami Hotel’s rooms have their own onsen tubs supplied with hot spring water. Because of the hot spring, when filling up your tub, there will be a strong sulphur smell. The room space is a little bit restricted. For Muslim travelers they provide prayer mats and the Qibla direction, so make sure to tell them when you book. At breakfast there is a separate dining area, and the staff will tell you which food you can eat, which you cannot, and which is the non-meat section.

2. Amba Hotel Ximending

This hotel is located in the middle of Ximending and is really convenient. It offers spacious rooms, with separate toilet and shower areas, and its restaurant has a Muslim-friendly certified kitchen. Not every room is set up for Muslim guests and halal breakfast may need to be requested, so ask when you book.

3. Toucheng Farm House (Yilan, outside Taipei)

If you are heading out of the city, Toucheng Leisure Farm is in Yilan County, about an hour from Taipei. Nothing much to say about the rooms, as the special thing here is the nature and the surroundings, plus the activities at the farm. Our room had 2 queen beds and a balcony with a lake view. For breakfast, just ask the staff which is the halal section. Halal-only set meals can be requested for big groups.

This is why we encourage Muslims to visit Taipei! It is a very Muslim friendly destination, with plenty of halal food, and we try to make all our Muslim travelers feel at ease when exploring a new place.

Make sure to follow Muslim Travel in Taipei for more exciting information about traveling in Taiwan!

To promote Taipei City as a Muslim-friendly travel destination, check out this video made in partnership with the Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government: https://youtu.be/ofqO2srQiLM

Want a Muslim-friendly day out in Taipei with a local? Browse our Taiwan tours, ask us to plan a custom trip around halal meals and prayer times, or find a local guide.

Cover photo: Jonashtand, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons