Wufenpu 五分埔

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Wufenpu is a wholesale clothing market in Xinyi District of Taipei, and the largest wholesale clothing market in Taiwan. It covers an entire city block, full of mostly wholesale clothing shops. If you are looking to shop for clothes on the cheap in Taiwan, this is the place for you.

Historical Background:
The area where Wufenpu stands was once tribal land for the Taiwanese plains aborigines. In 1769, five Chinese families from Fujian moved to settle in this area, converting it into farmland. Because of this, the area was named Wufenpu (literally five portion port) named for the five families that lived there in the Qing Dynasty, who needed five portions of goods from the Qing authorities (Wu 五 = five Fen 分/份 = portion), and 埔 pu which means a port or flat land next to a river (near the Xikou River and Keelung River).
During the Japanese era, an insane asylum was established here, which made outsiders look down upon the area. 
After WWII, Typhoon Ellen in 1959 ravaged Taipei, in what was known as the 87 floods (八七水災), which inundated much of the city. After this, the government built new homes for the many KMT military servicemen in what is now Wufenpu. Later on, these homes were sold to many families moving to Taipei from southern Taiwan, mainly from Changhua, who made clothes for a living. Wufenpu soon became one of the main areas for clothing production in Taiwan.
As labor costs in Taiwan increased, clothing production began to move to China and Southeast Asia. However, Wufenpu still held on as a major wholesale clothing market, with shipments coming now from China and Southeast Asia. It's also where many of the night market stalls in Taiwan get their inventory.
Improvements to Taipei's public transportation such as Taipei's railway being moved underground, and the opening of the blue line MRT, with access to Wufenpu via Houshanpi Station, Wufenpu retained its prowess as a convenient location for selling wholesale clothes. 
Today the Wufenpu roughly covers the square shaped area in between Songshan Road, Yongji Road, Zhongpu North Road, and Songlong Road, although there are many clothing shops just outside this area as well. 
The area can get busy on weekends and the alleyways are only big enough for about two people to cross at a time. 

Hours:
1:30 PM to 11:00 PM

Price:
Free

Tours in Taipei:
There are many tour that you can enjoy in Taipei that will take you to multiple destinations and arrange transportation. For more information, you can check out KKday here or Klook here, 
You can book a 2-hr Raohe Night Market Walking Private Tour with a Tour Guide, or Taipei at Night: Din Tai Fung Dinner & Raohe Street Night Market Guided Tour on TripAdvisor here, KKday here, or Klook here.

Hotels in Taipei:
I recommend staying at the Songshan Amba which is within walking distance of Raohe Street (you can book on Booking.com here, Agoda here, Hotels.com here, TripAdvisor here, Trip.com here, Expedia here, or Kayak here). 
We have stayed at and recommend the Yuanshan Grand Hotel, once the tallest building in Taiwan and still the most grand (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, or Agoda here). We have also stayed at and recommend the Grand Hyatt (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, Agoda here, or Hotels.com here) and Marriot (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, Agoda here, or Hotels.com here) which are all very high quality hotels in the middle of Taipei City.
Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Booking.com here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation in Taiwan.
Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.

Just to let you know, if you book using the links above, we get some commission at no cost to you, and you can help support our blog. Some of the Klook links may not work if you are using an Ad blocker. 
You can click here to receive $5 USD on your first Klook purchase. ​

How to get there:
By MRT: The shopping area is within walking distance of Houshanpi MRT Station, or Songshan MRT Station. You can also book an MRT travel pass on Klook here. 
By TRA Train: The shopping area is within walking distance of Songshan TRA Station. Book tickets via the normal train (TRA)  on Klook here.
By Car/Scooter: From central Taipei, take Zhongxiao East Road until you reach Houshanpi MRT station on the blue line. There is paid underground parking under Wufenpu Park. Scooters can park for free on the side of the road inside the market. Looking for scooter rental in Taipei? Click here or here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. 
If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or  KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here.  
By Bicycle: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan's landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can use Taiwan's many Youbike bike sharing stations, or search for rentals on KKday here, and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. 

Map:
​Please see below:

Our Journey:

I have been to Wufenpu countless times to buy cheap clothes and also to fix clothes. I have found that most of the clothes are catered to women, and there are even a few shops wholly dedicated to maternity clothing. In addition there are quite a few clothing shops for kids and men too. 

If you are looking for parking, there is paid car parking underneath Wufenpu Park that usually has spots. 

Otherwise the area is just a one minute walk from Houshanpi MRT station.

This is a shop that we have frequented many times to buy clothes for our kids. 100 NT per article of clothing. 
It is called Jiamei Children's Imported Clothing Store "佳美進口童裝批發."
Here is the link to the store on Google Maps: ​https://goo.gl/maps/KDZYm3JH8ARK4J5s9 

I usually approach Wufenpu from the west side. This was at 1:30 PM before some of the stalls had opened.

Inside the market are endless narrow alleyways to explore. I would compare it to Chatuchak
market in Bangkok. 

Peering down a dark alley.

Stalls opening up for the afternoon.

In the photo above, you will notice a T-shirt with the words "修改." This is the cheapest clothing repair shop I have found in Taipei. They do a really good job too.
It is called Xianyifang Clothing Repairs "五分埔鮮衣坊服飾修改"
Here is the link to the shop on Google maps: https://g.co/kgs/bDVu95

Another view of the alleyway with fewer people. 

Looking down another alley.

Shirts for 100 NT.

Another alley.

These alleyways are really narrow, sometimes only enough for one person to pass at a time. But that doesn't stop people from riding scooters in here.

Another wider street further north.

Another view of the same street.

There are also a few food stalls and restaurants around.

You will find the most food stalls in front of this temple near Wufenpu Park.

Wufenpu Park is also a nice place to relax and includes a playground and tennis courts.

You can also find more food options nearby at the Songshan City Link, aka Songshan Station.​

​Raohe Street Night Market 饒河街夜市

Just a short walk away is Raohe Street Night Market, a bustling night market in Eastern Taipei, and one of the most popular in the city. One could argue that Roahe Street is the best night market in Taipei, but this blog was not written to prove that debate. With a large assortment of great food and snacks, along with the usual night market cheap clothes and everyday items, along with close proximity to public transport, Raohe Street is a must-see destination when you come to Taipei. For our full blog on Raohe Street, click here. ​

Rainbow Bridge Bicycle Path 彩虹橋自行車道

The bicycle paths along the Keelung River near the Rainbow Bridge are some of the most accessible and fun places to go cycling in Taipei. There is also a bike rental shop under the First MacArthur Bridge (麥帥一橋) nearby. You can also try to rent a Youbike from a nearby station. Here you can enjoy some of the best scenery in Taipei, the nearby Roahe Street Night Market, and see the planes take off and land from Songshan Airport.
Check out our full blog on the Rainbow Bridge bicycle path here. 
​
You can book a 2-hr Raohe Night Market Walking Private Tour with a Tour Guide, or Taipei at Night: Din Tai Fung Dinner & Raohe Street Night Market Guided Tour on TripAdvisor here, KKday here, or Klook here.

You can check out our full guide to Taipei here.

Check out our Taipei Night Market guide here. 

You can also check out our full Taiwan travel guide here. 

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