Attitude at Taiwan Pride 2025: ‘Asia’s most progressive queer haven’
A thriving queer scene and epic Pride celebration in Taipei are proof that Taiwan is one of Asia’s best LGBTQ+ travel destinations, as Connor Clarke discovers
In partnership with Taiwan Tourism Administration
Standing in Taipei’s Café Dalida with an espresso martini in hand, not long after a 13.5-hour flight from London, I’m taken aback by the sheer amount of queerness that surrounds me. Pride flags hang from every venue, gay couples stroll by hand in hand, and drag queens top up their makeup at the bar. It feels like I’ve landed in a queer utopia, but a quick chat with the venue’s owner – the charming Alvin Chang, who instantly becomes a friend – confirms that our online search for “gay bars nearby” has brought us straight to the heart of the Taiwan capital’s LGBTQ+ scene: the Ximending district. What we’d soon discover is that this spirit of acceptance extends far beyond the boundaries of the city’s gay village.
We’re staying at the amba hotel in Ximending, which puts us a stone’s throw from the Red House. Built in 1908, this red-brick octagonal structure was Taiwan’s first public market. Today, it boasts almost 30 queer venues – including Café Dalida. The five-minute walk to our hotel takes us past shops, cafés and community centres, all catering to the LGBTQ+ community. We quickly learn that Mudan is the spot for a cocktail, Mr. Brownie for a quick snack, and VERSBLUE to meet a bear. We also stop for pictures at the rainbow crossing, haggle with street vendors, and pick up a blind box in designer toyshop Pop Mart (though we struggle to restrict ourselves to just one).
The hotel itself is minimalist and modern, offering a peaceful escape from the bustling area surrounding it. Jet lag means we discover just how alive Ximending remains at 4am, with busy night markets and plenty of restaurants still welcoming diners. This intel will come in handy over the coming days, as Pride events will likely keep us up until the early hours. It’s a pleasant surprise that Taipei feels so safe, even at this time of night. Mopeds are everywhere, but there’s not a phone snatcher in sight. A dinner at Jhu Jian, a chic restaurant where you cook your own meal in a hot pot, teaches us that many locals save their seats by leaving their phone out on the table.
“A place where visibility feels natural”
Admittedly, Taiwan wasn’t the first place that sprung to mind when I thought about the world’s best LGBTQ+ destinations. And yet, the small island off the coast of China has quietly become Asia’s most progressive queer haven. It is the first in the region to legalise same-sex marriage, the proud host of the continent’s largest Pride celebration, and home to a thriving queer community. It’s a place where visibility feels natural rather than radical, where society has chosen inclusion over intolerance.
It’s also a country steeped in LGBTQ+ history, as we discover on a walking tour hosted by the incredible Gordon Chen of MyTaiwanTour. We begin at 228 Peace Memorial Park, a serene stretch of greenery that holds a complicated place in Taiwan’s history (and, unexpectedly, in its queer story too). Chen explains that the park played a pivotal role in the fight for LGBTQ+ equality during the 1980s, serving as both a meeting point for activists and a discreet cruising spot for gay men at a time when visibility was non-existent, and dating apps hadn’t yet been invented. Today, in a symbol of progress, a rainbow-coloured gate marks the Changde Street entrance, proudly reclaiming a space that was once defined by secrecy.
As we wander along the park’s banyan tree-lined paths, we’re greeted by heavy rain, but it doesn’t dampen our spirits. Chen tells us about Chi Chia-wei, a pioneering activist who publicly came out as gay in 1986 at a press conference in a McDonald’s, becoming the first person in Taiwan to come out on national television. (He was jailed for five months that same year for robbery and has always claimed this was due to trumped-up charges.) There’s a stark contrast between hearing this story in such a peaceful setting, which feels indicative of Taiwan’s complicated political history, though it also serves as an important reminder that progress is always possible, especially in a world where hostility appears to be on the rise.
Taipei’s queer present
After learning about the city’s queer history, it’s time to experience its queer present – and nothing captures that quite like the Rainbow Bus. Its host, local drag icon Draggy Boo Boo (named after Honey Boo Boo of Toddlers & Tiaras fame), feels like a much-needed energy drink in human form at a point when my jet-lagged body has lost all sense of time. There’s no denying that spending an hour on the top floor of an open-air, double-decker bus driving around Taipei in the rain does not seem particularly appealing, but Draggy’s charm puts the weather firmly in the back seat. The Rainbow Bus is chaos, but in the camp and unforgettable way that I search for in any new country I visit.
As we veer through the streets of Ximending, past 228 Peace Memorial Park and into the Gongguan business district, Draggy grabs anything she can to stay upright as the bus jolts unexpectedly. We learn the meaning of local hand gestures, including “good boy” and “I love you” – with Draggy flitting between English and Mandarin to ensure everyone on board can understand. My face hurts from laughing. Solo passengers are as involved as those in groups – so much so that at first I think everyone on the bus already knows each other, but it’s just another sign of how welcoming Taiwanese culture is.
Taiwan Pride and the trans march in Taipei
“Taiwan Pride is just like Taiwanese people,” Draggy says, explaining what to expect from the celebration we’re due to attend the next day. “It’s all about caring and all about sharing. I think that’s the most special thing about Taiwan Pride – that people will offer you alcohol on the street, and even if they’re working, they’ll come out and shout things like, ‘We love you! We support you!’ They recognise you as people; they recognise you as individuals.”
Taipei’s annual event is a weekend-long celebration that sees parades, performances and parties take over the entire city. What began in 2003 as a modest protest with just a few hundred people attending has evolved into one of Asia’s most prominent LGBTQ+ events, attracting more than 150,000 attendees from across the globe.
Later in the evening, we arrive at the trans march. The neon lights of the shopfronts and billboards are so bright, you could believe it’s still daytime if you didn’t look skywards. Even more colourful are the flags people are draped in and the homemade placards that almost everyone seems to be holding.
As far as the eye can see, people are flooding the streets: tens of thousands have shown up to support the trans community. It’s a powerful gathering that winds through the city streets with drums, banners and bold declarations of identity from all involved. While there’s protest in the air – some signs demand a simplified procedure for gender recognition; others call for increased visibility of trans people – there’s also a clear appreciation of what Taiwan offers LGBTQ+ people. This is a community that exists defiantly in a part of the world where this kind of celebration is rare, and it’s clear that’s not taken for granted.
“There’s something about [Taiwan Pride] that feels different”
The near-constant rain we’ve been experiencing doesn’t let up during the main Pride parade the following day, but the Londoner in me carries on unfazed. Wearing a gauche poncho and with a Taiwanese umbrella in hand (which I’m told is a must-buy for any tourist, as Taiwan is famous for making quality brollies), a quick and easy metro journey takes us to Taipei City Hall.
I’m not sure what strikes me more: the wave of intense humidity sweeping over my body or the sense of safety and togetherness that surrounds me. Taipei has all the hallmarks of a typical Pride event, with commercial floats and music by the world’s biggest pop divas playing from every speaker. But whether it’s the children handing out rainbow stickers or the strangers walking arm in arm, there’s something about this event that feels different. It doesn’t feel like a Pride that’s trying to win people over, but one that’s truly highlighting the beauty of our differences.
That said, it’s quickly clear that Draggy’s mention of people offering you alcohol in the street was an understatement. Barely 15 minutes after walking with the crowd, we’ve been offered shots by three different people. Our tour guide Chen – who we adore so much that we have spent every day of our trip together – confirms this is an unofficial tradition of Pride celebrations in Taipei, but insists there’s no pressure to drink if you don’t want to… but it would be rude not to, right?
Taipei nightlife is “easily some of the best in the world”
As we haven’t had the time to get a proper meal, we head to the 7-Eleven – Taiwan is home to literally thousands of branches of the convenience store chain. It effectively has all the commodities of a typical supermarket, with the added facility that you can cook yourself a meal there and then. I’m not quite ready to admit how many lunches and dinners we’ve had there, but tonight it’s just some instant noodles.
Entertaining us this evening with a showcase of the continent’s finest drag is WERQ, with performances from international headliners including Drag Race stars Pangina Heals and Eva Le Queen. The venue is so busy that it’s almost impossible to move, and the queens collect their tips using a net on an extended stick in a manner reminiscent of a church-style offering. Alvin from Café Dalida is the event’s curator, and the queens all flock to hug him when he gets emotional at the crowd’s response to it.
It’s one of several major Pride club nights that dominate the weekend, and another we find ourselves at – Woof, an event mainly for bears – takes place in what can only be described as an arena being used as a nightclub. Thousands of people pack the dance floor, and the air is thick and hot. The music vibrates through my entire body as laser beams shoot across the room at rapid speed. Like many things in Taiwan, it’s the best kind of sensory overload. In all honesty, I had no idea what to expect from nightlife in Taipei, but it’s easily some of the best in the world, and I say that with experience.
Cooking, culture and beyond
Not many activities seem appealing the day after a Pride celebration, but taking a cooking class at CookInn is a rare exception to the rule. Under the guidance of Diana Chan, a talented chef and gay icon in the making, we’re guided through the process of making bubble tea and dumplings from scratch – the latter are, of course, rainbow-coloured.
Over the next two hours or so, Chan shows us the meticulous process of making dumplings, and I can’t help but think what an inconvenience my clumsiness is at a time like this. The filling ending up all over the table is proof of that, but Chan turns from teacher to saviour in a matter of seconds. No question is too silly and no mistake too careless for her, who makes it feel like we’re cooking with a friend (I’m grateful because my culinary abilities begin and end with pasta). The result? The best meal we’ve eaten during our time in Taiwan.
About a 10-minute drive from Ximending is Dihua Street, the oldest street in Taipei. It’s easily the prettiest area we’ve visited so far, with shops lining the narrow roads and the smell of incense thick in the air. Markets offer the chance to make your own jewellery, while others sell homegrown tea. A quick meal at the aptly named Rice & Shine gives us yet another flavoursome taste of Taiwanese culture, making our short but very sweet visit to the area all the more worthwhile.
Experiencing natural wonders… and one last drink
Despite the weather’s best efforts to hinder our trip, there’s still one thing left to experience: Taiwan’s incredible natural wonders. Despite the elements, we take a modest 15-minute climb up the famous Elephant Mountain Trail, which we’ve heard about from several locals over the past few days. Several falls and one pair of white trainers ruined later, we’re greeted by a gorgeous view of the city. The tip of Taipei 101, Taiwan’s tallest building, is shrouded in mist but not enough to stop it serving as a beacon for our final meal in Taipei – at Din Tai Fung.
Located in the skyscraper, the now-global chain serves Taiwanese food made to order. Guided to our table by a robot, we’re spoilt for choice by a menu that I could spend days staring at. We settle on various types of dumplings, bao (buns), noodles and rice, which are easily among the best we’ve ever tasted – all for just £15 per person.
We can’t leave the island without one final visit to Café Dalida, which we now know to be the beating heart of Taipei’s LGBTQ+ community. Alvin’s reputation as the “mother” of the area is clearly well earned. “I feel like Café Dalida is my living room,” he tells us. “A lot of friends will come to visit me so we can have a chat, have a drink together – no pressure, just relaxed.” Our final espresso martini of the trip in hand, one thing is clear: if this bar is the community’s living room, then Taiwan is its home.
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