Taipei has one of the most vibrant gay scenes going now in Asia. Tropical weather, great food, and plenty of shopping opportunities combine with some of the sexiest social experiences to be found in the region. There's a cruisy gay beach, two gay-popular hot springs, WILD parties, swinging saunas, and hot native Taiwanese guys whose dark, rugged and hirsute physiques appeal to many...there's even an S&M bar, a rarity in Asia outside of Japan. But it's the relaxed, easy-breezy lifestyle that makes Taipei the go-to destination for gays from neighboring countries. Here, they can be themselves without feeling like someone's looking over their shoulder. There's also huge number of very visible muscle bears proudly strutting their pumped up torsos and huggy panda chubs who have developed their own home-grown tea house hangouts.

Public rapid transit makes getting around the city easier than ever. Cabbing is convenient - have your hotel write down the address in Chinese, or show the cabby a business card you've picked up. Clusters of rainbow life are are expanding along the transit lines. Most notably, the Ximen area around the heritage Red House entertainment complex (a virtual gay shopping mall), the Zhongshan area just north of that, plus Zhongshan Dunhua and Taipei City Hall to the east.

Super popular with gays from neighboring Japan, Korea and China, Taipei is ready to be discovered by the rest of the world.

Metropolitan Taipei's population is nearing 7 million (that's close to 300,000 Utopians).

Navigating the local gay scene is easy with our interactive Utopia Map of Gay & Lesbian Taipei:

Click here for Taipei hotels and accommodations.

• Dihua Street vintage street UTOPIA VERIFIED FEB 2024
  Utopia Map

  Enter from Nanjing West Rd and stroll north to Taipei Bridge and the nearby Daqiaotou Subway Station. Taipei is a mostly modern city, but this single stretch of narrow street perfectly preserves the look and feel of old Taipei from 100 years ago. Along the way you will encounter local steet food carts and sweets vendors, fascinating spirit world supply shops, a City God Temple that is a favorite place of gay and lesbians seeking supernatural help to find their life partner, dry good stores, contemporary designers and art spaces, woven basket shops, glimpses of heritage Chinese shop houses, a museum of traditional puppetry, casual coffee shops and inventive fine dining. It's vibrant and authentic, and being preserved by a new generation of trend-setting entrepreneurs.

Click here for Taipei bars and clubs.

• Eslite (Dunhua store)
  2/F, 245 Dunhua S. Rd, Section 1, (near Jen-Ai Circle)
  敦化南路1段245號(仁愛圓環)
  2775-5977

  Flagship store of this upmarket book chain is open 24 hours every day, with a fairly well-stocked gay and lesbian section. MRT Nan-kang line, Zhong-xiao Tun-hua station.
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• Eslite (Xin Yi store)
  No. 11 Song-Goa Rd, Xin Yi
  誠品書局信義店
  8789-3388

  The biggest book store in Taiwan. Open daily 10am-2am.
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• Eslite (NTU store)
  98 Xin-sheng South 3rd Rd
  新生南路3段98號
  2362-6312

  MRT Hsintien line, KungKuan station.
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• GinGin's UTOPIA VERIFIED FEB 2024
  1/F No. 8, Alley 8, Lane 210, Roosevelt Rd, Section 3 (close to Taipower Subway Station and 10-minutes from National Taiwan University), Utopia Map
  100 台灣台北市中正區羅斯福路3段210巷8弄8號1樓
  +886 2-2364-2006, email

  Landmark LGBT book shop with pride goods, DVDs, gifts, and gay magazines from the region. They welcome visitors from all over the world. Friendly staff, some English spoken. Open 2-9:30pm Wed-Mon and on bank holidays.
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Click here for Taipei discos.

Click here for Taipei karaoke.

Click here for Taipei massage for men.

• 228 Park (formerly called New Park) UTOPIAN VERIFIED AUG 2022
  Utopia Map
  公園/新公園

  Evenings. Famous setting of Taiwan's first gay novel, Crystal Boys, which was also made into the feature film, The Outsiders. Although the Net and Apps have largely replaced parks as a method for social contacts, cruising still takes place in the evening, especially near the facilities for mainly older men. Open all night long.
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• Eslite Bookshop

  Dunhua store (see listing under Bookshops). Quite cruisy with Asian tourists (Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore) after midnight.
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• Shalun Beach UTOPIAN VERIFIED JUL 2023
  Tamshui, Utopia Map
  淡水沙崙海灘

  A fabled gay beach in Taiwan (although less popular in this age of phone apps) that still sees some action in good weather, during the day and afternoon. Take the MRT Red Line heading north to Hongshulin Station (紅樹林), then transfer to Danhai light rail (pink color) and exit at Shalun Station (which is one stop before the final stop, Tamsui Fisherman's Wharf). Once you get off the light rail, follow in the train's direction and turn right immediately when you see the U-Bike station. Keep walking along the road until you see a break in the wall with a sandy trail heading into the bushes. Once you get into the bushes you will see guys cruising or sunbathing nude. Be sure to bring plenty of drinking water!
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• Starbucks

  Especially the Zhongxiao Dunhua branch near the World Gym, Utopia Map

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• Youth Park swimming pool
  Shuiyuan Rd, Utopia Map
  青年公園游泳池 水源路

  Very popular in summer. There are three pools here. Go to the outdoor pools (the indoor pool is for training athletes). This is where local guys like to hit the catwalk in their Speedos. Not as popular following the close of the sunbathing area, but still attracts many gays in the afternoon. Check out the shower room and facilities. Wear your sexy swimwear. Swimming cap and goggles required (they will sell to you if you don't have). Open May-Sept. Closed Mon.
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XIMEN -- Red House

• Artisan Bakery (bakery) UTOPIA VERIFIED JUN 2019
  66 Emei St, Wanhua Dist, Utopia Map

  Superior baked goods in a comfy, homey environment.
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• iced fruit water shop UTOPIA VERIFIED JUN 2019
  Utopia Map

  Foodie alert! Famous iced fruit drink vendor. The perfect remedy for a hot, humid day. Die-die-must-try: their pineapple water! Not too sweet. Just perfect.
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• Niko Niko Yakiniku (Korean bar-b-que) UTOPIA VERIFIED JUN 2019
  No. 42 Lane 25, Kangding Rd, Wanhua Dist, Utopia Map

  Big selection of meat, seafood, and veggies to grill at your table-top Korean bar-b-que.
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• secret alley dumplings UTOPIA VERIFIED JUN 2019
  Utopia Map

  Foodie alert! Delicious steamed or fried dumpling shop tucked away in an alley just across the main road from the Ximen gaybourhood. A plate of dumplings, plus a vegetable side dish, for under US$3!
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• Taoyuan Street (dumplings and noodles) UTOPIA VERIFIED MAY 2017
  Utopia Map
  寶慶路桃源街

  Two blocks directly east of the Exit 1 MRT Ximen Station. This one block stretch of side-by-side shophouses offers a huge variety of hand made dumplings and noodles. Particularly famous are the beef noodle bowls, but there are also plenty of vegetarian treats.
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• UDE Café Bistro UTOPIA VERIFIED FEB 2024
  No. 62, Sec 2, Kaifeng St, Utopia Map
  台北市萬華區開封街二段62號
  +886 98-345-1069, email

  Gay-owned, quaint cafe bistro with friendly owner. The name sounds like "half place" in Mandarin, a gay reference for those in-the-know. Handmade cakes, classic coffee. Feels like an oasis from the busy city outside.

• Ximen Map (coffee, drinks and snacks) UTOPIA VERIFIED JUN 2019
  Utopia Map

  Friendly bear den for coffee, drinks, snacks or arts and crafts.
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  OTHER AREAS

• Guangzhou Street night food market UTOPIA VERIFIED FEB 2024
  One block northwest of Longshan Temple Station, Utopia Map

  Bustling night food street with a huge variety of fresh, local specialties and drinks.
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• Shenkeng UTOPIA VERIFIED OCT 2023
  新北市深坑區深坑老街

  Nicknamed "stinky tofu village" (for their most popular and spicy specialty), this street market 20 minutes outside Taipei (drive with a friend) is jammed with utterly unique local food specialties as well as traditional crafts and useful items for everyday life (the widest variety of backscratchers we've ever seen, for example). You'll be able to try free samples of at least a dozen types of foods and sweets that you may never have encountered: almond and walnut milk, black sesame butter, semi-liquid lollipops, do-it-yourself cotton candy, tofu ice cream, fresh cherry juice and much, much more. A photographer's dream.
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Click here for Taipei saunas for men.

XIMEN -- Red House
• BAD.TW UTOPIA VERIFIED JUN 2019
  1/F Red House, Lane 10, Chengdu Rd, Utopia Map

  Gay undergear, clothes, toys, and gifts. Open daily 1pm-midnight.
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• OTOKO Manboutique
  2/F Red House, Lane 10, Chengdu Rd, Utopia Map
  091-590-6573

  Upstairs, between PUSH Homme and Commander bar. Men's fashion.
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• Par.T Lala Fashion Shop UTOPIA VERIFIED JUN 2019
  No. 24 Lane 55, Neijiang St, Wanhua Dist, Utopia Map
  2375-2112

  Tomboy fashion shop with trendy guyz clothing in appropriate sizes for women.
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