Address: 1-6, Alley 29, Ln 205, Zhongxiao E Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市忠孝東路四段205巷29弄1-6號)
Telephone: (02) 8771-4498
On the Net: www.wretch.cc/blog/figure21
COUNTRY MUSIC
You’ll find an encyclopedic selection of CDs by Taiwan’s indie rock bands in White Wabbit’s (小白兔) two record stores. On is located near Shida on Pucheng Street, the other inside The Wall (這牆) off Roosevelt Road.
Address: 1-1, Ln 21, Pucheng St, Taipei City (台北市浦城街21巷1-1號)
Telephone: (02) 2369-7915
Address: B1, 200 Roosevelt Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市羅斯福路四段200號B1)
Telephone: (02) 8935-1454
On the Net: www.wwr.com.tw
If there are small children or new parents on your gift list, consider giving them Chen Mingchang’s (陳明章) recently released Taiwanese Children’s Songs (陳明章的台灣囡仔歌). Chen, a former member of groundbreaking group Blacklist Studio (黑名單工作室), takes traditional Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese) nursery rhymes and poems, as well as his own lyrics, and sets them to original music. The two-disc set is packaged with a beautifully illustrated book, sheet music and a pamphlet with explanatory notes in English. Taiwanese Children’s Songs is NT$599 in Eslite’s music stores or NT$429 at books.com.tw (mail order only).
THE LITTLE THINGS
Gift-hunting for a typophile? Then take a trip to Ri Xing Typography (日星鑄字行) near Taipei Main Station. The tiny factory houses the last complete set of traditional Chinese character molds for lead-type casting in the world. Ri Xing is open to visitors for a few hours each week (call ahead to confirm hours or check Ri Xing’s Web site). Individual lead type can be purchased for NT$1 to NT$80 per piece.
Address: 13, Ln 97, Taiyuan Rd, Taipei City (台北市太原路97巷13號)
Telephone: (02) 2556-4626
On the Net: rixingtypography.blogspot.com
Yuan Soap (阿原肥皂)’s bath products are made using herbs grown in Taiwan. The company’s best-selling soap is soothing mugwort (艾草), which is also made with verbena, green tea and lemongrass, olive and grape seed oils. Individual soaps cost NT$250 or NT$300 per bar. Gift boxes with shampoo or washcloths are available for NT$500 to NT$1,580. One store is located in Sogo Department Store’s Zhongxiao branch.
Address: 9F, 45, Zhongxiao E Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市忠孝東路四段45號9F)
Telephone: (02) 7711-7110
On the Net: www.taiwansoap.com.tw
And, finally, every gift list is bound to have a sweet tooth (or two) on it. Make them happy with treats from Is Taiwan, Is Chocolate near Shida. The small cafe sells truffles by Taipei-based chocolate brand Henry & Cary, as well as fruit vinegar made in Taichung, gourmet coffee beans roasted in small batches and ground by hand in Kaohsiung and Italian-style pasta sauce made with locally-grown ingredients.
Address: 9-3, Ln 13, Pucheng St, Taipei City (台北市浦城街13巷9-3號)
Telephone: (02) 2366-1364
On the Net: www.istaiwan.com.tw
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