The Best Places To See Public Art In Taipei

There was a time when public art in Taipei consisted only of monuments to former military leaders – these days however, you need only take a walk through Xinyi, Daan, or Zhongshan to find that Taiwan’s capital is now home to an incredibly diverse collection of public art.

1. The Love Sign

Building

The love sign in front of Taipei 101 is perhaps one of the most photographed pieces of public art in Taiwan, if not Asia. Everyone who visits the building poses for a photo with this message of happiness.
No 7 , Section 5, Xinyi District, Taipei City, Taiwan

Love by Robert Indiana 2008 | © Tristan Schmurr/Flickr

2. Bomb Artwork

University

Located on a grass-topped wall in National Taiwan University of Education, this bomb artwork is one of many – they are quite a surreal find on the university campus.

National Taiwan University of Education, 134 Heping East Road Section 2, Daan District, Taipei City, Taiwan

Artist unknown | © Ciaran McEneaney

3. City Cow

Just a short walk from the Love sign you’ll find this rather interesting cow art in Xinyi Plaza. Like the bomb artwork, it’s another piece that is missing from the city’s listing of public artwork.

Xinyi Plaza, Songzhi Road, Xinyi District, Taipei City, Taiwan

Artist unknown | © Ciaran McEneaney

5. Hippos at the zoo

Zoo

One of many sculptures and pieces of public art found in Taipei City Zoo, Hippo Square is a very popular spot especially with young kids who can crawl all over the sculptures and even sit in their mouths.

The Moment We Meet

Commuters on Taipei’s MRT network are spoiled with many pieces of public art in or near the stations – but perhaps the most striking of all is Huang Hsin-Chien’s The Moment We Meet. At first glance it looks something like a giant TV wall or a simple advertising poster, but is in fact an installation of hundreds of photos that form a person’s face. As the photos flip, so too does the face.

The installation at Taipei 101‘s MRT Station isn’t surprising, given that the city’s efforts to bring as much public art into the capital happened to coincide with the construction of the public transport network. Therefore you’ll find quite a lot of public art both in and around many of the city’s MRT stations.

But the best area to find a wide variety of works within walking distance of each other is still the ever-popular Xinyi district. In fact, if you take a stroll down the streets surrounding Taipei 101 and the Taipei World Trade Center, you will come across much of the city’s most popular and impressive works of public art.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.