Never claim to be a hipster if you haven’t been here — 4 hidden gems in Taipei that help you craft your unique style

▲ The Paper-Themed Pinmoranghang showcases hundreds of types of paper. Besides purchasing, you can also create your very own notebook. (Photo by intern reporter Xiong PeiTD, same below)

Intern reporters Liao Xiaoqiao and Xiong PeiTD / Taipei Reports

In recent years, Taiwan has seen a surge in the hipster trend, with almost every aspect of life — food, fashion, housing, and transportation — infused with a hipster vibe. The original yet tasteful style has captivated many. Want to find your own hipster style in daily life? Skip the department stores this weekend and explore these 4 hidden cultural and creative shops tucked away in Taipei’s alleys, where you can discover a hipster style all your own through everyday items.

▲ At Pinmoranghang, you can pick your favorite notebooks and even sit down to enjoy a drink and handmade dessert.

Pinmoranghang (Dongmen Station)
Who knew paper could feel so warm? Hidden in the backstreets behind Yongkang Street, Pinmoranghang is a small shop themed around paper. Though compact, it houses hundreds of types of paper categorized by color, texture, and transparency — the variety will definitely exceed your expectations.

▲ A selection of specialty papers.

The staff mentioned that to bring people closer to paper, they specially designed“handmade notebooks”services. Once you choose a size, you can select both the inner pages and cover from the in-store paper collection, then proceed with cutting and assembly. You can even decide on the number of pages and binding style based on your mood — in just 20 minutes, you can create a one-of-a-kind personalized notebook. Additionally, they offer a range of natural materials such as twigs, pinecones, and dried flowers that you can attach to the cover for a unique touch.

▲ Staff members personally guide you in making your own notebook.

Besides the handmade series, Pinmoranghang also runs another project:“Sun Days”. By using an oil-based pen to write or draw patterns on a piece of celluloid sheet and layering it with sun-sensitive paper, the designs will appear after being exposed to sunlight for a certain amount of time. Using sunlight to express your mood is a truly wonderful experience. The staff also explained that this project aims to change the common negative perception of paper yellowing over time, turning what might be seen as a flaw into a creative feature.

▲ The “Sun Days” project reimagines paper yellowing as a unique trait, with the paper’s shade changing depending on sunlight exposure.

Pinmoranghang
Address: No. 63, Yongkang Street, Taipei City
Phone: (02)2358-4670
Business Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM

▲ Xiaoqi showcases practical yet aesthetically pleasing lifestyle tools in its compact space, with linen curtains and a minimalist design.

Xiaoqi Lifestyle Tools (Zhongshan Station)
Want to add some flair to your home tableware? Check out Xiaoqi Lifestyle Tools. When asked about the shop’s origin, store manager Mr. Luo shared that the boss had lived in Japan for a while and noticed how many shops there sold lifestyle utensils, which was rare in Taiwan — so he decided to collaborate with Japanese ceramic artists and classic Japanese brands to sell Japanese-style lifestyle goods, offering customers more choices that combine beauty with function.

▲ The owner brings his Japanese living experience back to Taiwan, selling a wide range of Japanese tableware, including pieces by Japanese ceramic artists.

Besides various Japanese tableware, Mr. Luo also mentioned that in recent years, Xiaoqi has collaborated with Taiwanese illustrators Vita Yang and Lin Mingxue on exclusive Taiwan-themed merchandise. These feature local Taiwanese elements and have the feel of traditional Taiwanese souvenirs — for example, fruit cups and zodiac cups are part of the latest original Taiwan series.

▲ The fruit glass cup co-designed by %夹∑饔胩ㄍ宀寤?and Vita Yang gives off the vibe of a classic Taiwanese souvenir.

Xiaoqi Lifestyle Tools
Address: No. 29, Chifeng Street, Datong District, Taipei City
Phone: (02)2552-7039
Business hours: Monday to Sunday 12:00–21:00

▲The style inside Loopy is delightfully whimsical, and the items for sale are also uniquely creative.

Loopy (Zhongshan Station)
It all started with a crocodile-tooth toaster！"Loopy" means clumsy, and the brand was co-founded by two owner-operators who love drawing. True to its name, the product style is playful and quirky, aiming to bring people a simple and funny spirit.

The clothes and bags designed by Loopy are all hand-drawn by the owners—apart from being cute, they also hide little design touches. For example, the “Big Stomach Bag” represents a second stomach. When delicious food is in front of you but you can’t eat any more, you always wish you had another stomach to hold it all. The “Big Stomach Bag” was designed based on this idea.

▲The bottom left is the “Big Stomach Bag”; each bag’s pattern is designed based on a different concept.

Staff member Wei Zhu says the most distinctive item is the “Do One Good Deed a Day” poster, with the slogan “Do good when you’re young, become an immortal when you grow up.” But the good deeds listed on the poster are things like “Don’t pee sideways” and “Give Mom a back rub,” which not only elicit knowing smiles but also promote the importance of doing good every day.

▲The KUSO-style design of the “Do good when you’re young, become an immortal when you grow up” poster has also won over many moms, who buy it to enjoy with their kids.

Walking into Loopy, every item tells a little story. Besides exclaiming “So cute!” you can also understand the ideas behind each product. The owners’ sincere and fun thinking will definitely make you fall in love with Loopy.

▲Even the small patterns on the clothes hide cute little stories. The dumpling pattern shown is specially sewn onto the heart area, symbolizing the hope that the warmth in one's heart can cook a dumpling.

Loopy
Address: 2F, No. 2-4, Lane 41, Chifeng Street, Datong District, Taipei City
Phone: 0934-026-955
Business hours: Sunday to Friday 13:00–20:00; Saturday 13:00–21:00

▲The name Wen Shi comes from “warm little things.” The renovation of a 60-year-old house allows customers to feel the warmth of objects in a retro atmosphere.

Wen Shi / Milly’s Life Goods Store (Taipei Main Station)
The lead type letterpress printing you read about in history textbooks can be experienced here firsthand！The name Wen Shi comes from “warm little things.” This shop renovated a 60-year-old house near Taipei Main Station, preserving the old building’s retro vibe. Stepping inside feels like traveling back in time.

The store mainly sells Japanese-style goods, with each piece of tableware personally sourced through direct contact with Japanese craftsmen. Among them, the hand-carved walnut wood tray by woodcarving artisan Kosuke Ozawa took considerable time and effort to make and is quite rare in Taiwan.

▲The miscellaneous goods and utensils in the store all exude a strong Japanese aesthetic.

With modern printing technology now widespread, most people gradually overlook the value of the written word. Wen Shi revives traditional lead type letterpress printing. In addition to admiring the related tools, customers can also select their own characters and stamp them, experiencing the printing techniques of the past. The shop says it hopes to help people reconnect with the weight of words through traditional stamp printing.

Next time you pass by Taipei Main Station, slow down and visit Wen Shi to browse Japanese goods and utensils, and experience the art of letterpress printing.

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