A first look at Dadaocheng, a historic neighborhood famous for its 19th-century shophouses, tea trade history, and vibrant blend of old and modern culture.The first glimpse of Taiwan on this journey is not a convention centre. It is Dadaocheng, situated near the Tamsui River. Before Taipei became a global city, its story was written along this river.
Dadaocheng, which is traditionally said to mean “rice fields”, began as a small settlement and grew into a commercial centre along the Tamsui River. By the 1850s, trade and migration were transforming the area, and after Tamsui opened to international trade in 1860, Dadaocheng developed into one of northern Taiwan’s most important trading districts, particularly for tea. Today, its historic streets and enduring charm have made it a popular destination for visitors.
Among its historic streets and local businesses, the city reveals a side of itself that has little to do with PowerPoint presentations, exhibition halls or meeting-room capacities. Yet this is where a journey focused on Taiwan’s MICE industry begins. That choice says something about how the destination is thinking about business events.
A successful conference still depends on the fundamentals — venues, hotels, transport, technology and connectivity. But increasingly, those are only the starting point. What happens before the first session and after the final presentation can be just as important in shaping a delegate’s experience of a destination.
Over five days, the 2026 MEET TAIWAN Tour took me through Taipei, Taichung and Taoyuan, combining the 2026 Asian MICE Forum with convention and exhibition venues, high-speed rail journeys, cultural experiences, creative spaces, food, nightlife and outdoor activities.
What emerged was a picture of a MICE destination trying to answer a more interesting question: What makes people want to come to Taiwan for a business event — and what makes them want to experience the country once they are here?
Starting with the destination, not the conference
Dadaocheng provides an unlikely opening chapter to a MICE story.
It’s not easy to know where to begin — with the area’s history, its charm, or its architecture, which dates back to the days when settlers arrived. The traditional way of living, craft shops, traditional shophouses and bookstores provide a perfect place to explore.
Dried petals of Rose, Jasmine, Lavender are featured in an activity at a traditional Chinese herbal medicine shop in Dadaocheng.
The experience offers something that cannot be reproduced by a conference livestream.
It provides context. Before the business programme begins, visitors encounter a part of Taipei’s history and everyday culture.
The next morning, the journey moved directly into the business-events industry with the opening of the 2026 Asian MICE Forum.
Then came the first transition that would become a recurring feature of the journey: leaving Taipei by Taiwan High Speed Rail and heading south to Taichung. Taiwan’s High Speed Rail, opened in January 2007. The train can travel at speeds of up to 300 km/h, making it convenient to travel along cities in Taiwan.
Taichung: beyond the convention hall
Taichung City, located in central Taiwan, is the second-largest city in Taiwan. Its total population is around 2.85 million.
The visit to the Taichung International Convention and Exhibition Center (TICEC) provided a look at the city’s growing events infrastructure. TICEC has hosted over a hundred events since its launch in early 2026.
Taichung International Convention and Exhibition Center located in the Shuinan Economic and Trade Park in Taichung features a museumbrary (Musuem + Library), an innovative cultural complex, and green spaces that aim to connect nature and industry.
The next day brought another change of pace with an exceptional tea-drinking experience with tea tasting at CHI CHA SAN CHEN. This concept store branch is reconstructed from a 40 years old building as another way to preserve and live with history. The space is ideal for small meetings and craft activities.
We tasted different roasts of Li Shan Oolong Tea, selected from 2,000-2,200 meters of Li Shan region of Taichung, Taiwan.
CHI CHA SAN CHEN concept store, is reconstructed from a 40 years old building as another way to preserve and live with history.
After the refreshing tea culture experience, we took the high-speed rail network, travelling to Taoyuan. The less than hour journey then moved back into the business-events landscape with a visit to Messe Taoyuan and Hengshan Calligraphy Art Center.
Messe Taoyuan covers approximately 76,000 square metres and can accommodate events for between 100 and 2,000 people. It includes a Grand Hall, while its banquet facilities can accommodate up to 180 tables at once.
Hengshan Calligraphy Art Center is Taiwan’s first public museum dedicated to the art of calligraphy. The center presents the rich heritage of Chinese calligraphy through contemporary exhibitions, architecture and cultural experiences. For international visitors and MICE travelers, it offers a distinctive window into Taiwan’s artistic traditions—where classical calligraphy meets contemporary creativity and design.
The sequence itself is revealing. Exhibition hall. Tea. Art.
For Taiwan’s MICE proposition, these do not necessarily need to exist in separate categories. They can become different chapters of the same delegate programme.
A different Taipei emerges
Back in Taipei, the focus shifted again. The itinerary included the Nangang Bottle Cap Factory, Taipei Music Center and Huashan 1914 Creative Park.
Nangang Bottle Cap Factory, now revitalized as POPOP Taipei, transforms a historic industrial site that was initially a factory into a creative venue for exhibitions, meetings, workshops and cultural events. The space has been particularly popular with local designers and offers coworking spaces, exhibition areas and conference venues across the renovated buildings. POPOP Taipei is located in Taipei’s Nangang district — one of Taiwan’s major MICE and technology hubs — and offers international visitors a distinctive alternative venue where industrial heritage meets contemporary design, creativity and urban culture.
Nangang Bottle Cap Factory, now revitalized as POPOP Taipei, transforms a historic industrial site that was initially a factory into a creative venue for exhibitions, workshops and cultural events. It is particularly popular among Taiwanese designers.
Then there is Taipei Music Center, which moves into contemporary culture. Taipei Music Center is a landmark dedicated to Taiwan’s pop music and contemporary creative culture. Also located in Taipei’s Nangang district, it combines performance spaces, exhibitions and cultural experiences within a distinctive architectural complex. The venue offers an event destination beyond the conventional meeting venue — connecting business gatherings with live entertainment, music culture and Taipei’s vibrant creative energy.
Winery from Japanese era have been transformed into a vibrant hub at the Huashan 1914 Creative Park.
And at Huashan 1914, heritage and creativity meet again. Huashan 1914 Creative Park is one of Taipei’s most iconic cultural and creative venues, transformed from a historic winery dating back to the Japanese era in Taiwan. Today, Taiwan Creative Industry Development has transformed the venue into a vibrant hub for exhibitions, performances, design, dining and cultural events.
With large green spaces and both outdoor and indoor exhibition spaces, it is particularly popular among the younger generation. On a Saturday, you can see locals gathering here for activities. For international brands, the spaces here provide a distinctive setting for brand activations and networking events — combining industrial character with Taipei’s contemporary creative energy.
The final view
The journey ended at Taipei 101 Observatory. Taipei 101 is Taiwan’s most iconic landmark and a global symbol of Taipei’s modern identity. Located in the heart of the Xinyi business district, it combines world-class architecture, premium dining, shopping and panoramic city views in one destination. For international MICE visitors, Taipei 101 offers a memorable setting for business hospitality, networking and city experiences—bringing together commerce, culture and Taipei’s distinctive metropolitan energy.
For international MICE visitors, Taipei 101 offers a memorable setting for business hospitality, networking and city experiences.
Below was the city that had been experienced in fragments: historic Dadaocheng, convention districts, creative spaces, cultural institutions, and the movement between cities. The skyline provided the big picture.
A clear view of Taipei on a sunny day from the Taipei 101 observatory. Siriporn Sachamuneewongse
More than a place to meet
There is a temptation when writing about MICE destinations to reduce them to numbers. How many delegates can the venue accommodate? How much exhibition space is available? How many hotel rooms are nearby? How quickly can delegates get from the airport to the convention centre?
These questions matter. But they do not tell the whole story. The more interesting question is what happens around the event. Can delegates experience something they cannot get at home? Can organisers create an itinerary that feels distinctive to the destination? Can a conference become a reason to discover a city rather than a reason to remain inside a venue?
Taiwan’s MICE proposition increasingly appears to be addressing those questions. Its high-speed rail network allows cities to be connected within one itinerary. Its convention and exhibition infrastructure provides the business foundation. Its cultural institutions, creative spaces, food and drink, heritage and outdoor experiences add layers around it.
The opportunity for organisers is to bring those elements together intelligently.
A delegate might begin the morning discussing business strategy, travel by high-speed rail in the afternoon, discover Taiwanese tea, visit an exhibition venue, explore a creative district and end the day beside the river.
The conference remains the reason for travelling. But it does not have to be the entire experience.
That thinking is also reflected in Taiwan BIZ Fun, a MEET TAIWAN platform designed to help business travellers extend their trips beyond the conference, with recommendations covering food, attractions, shopping, wellness and leisure experiences. It provides a practical bridge between the business event and the destination itself.
And perhaps that is the more interesting story emerging from Taiwan’s MICE ambitions: the future of business events may not be defined only by what happens inside the ballroom, but by what a destination gives people to discover once they walk outside it.
