Taiwan is an ecologically diverse country, with many species of plants, trees, insects and animals. But situated in the heart of the country lies one of Asia’s biggest and best zoos – Taipei Zoo.
Also known as “Muzha Zoo,” the Taipei Zoo is a leader in conservation, education and research on animals. If you’re planning to make a trip to Taipei, this is definitely worth checking out.
Constructed on 165 hectares of land, the Taipei Zoo has plenty of things to do, animals to see and tours to take. Let’s see what makes this zoo the best in Asia.
RECOMMENDED: A Local’s Guide to Taipei City
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Taipei Zoo History
This zoo has a long and rich history, dating back to 1914 under the Japanese rule. Back then, it was actually called the Maruyama Zoo. Though the name has been changed since, the name of the old zoo still lives on with the current zoo in Sapporo, Japan.
Prior to being a public park, the zoo was owned by a citizen named Mr. Oe. In the following year, the Japanese government purchased the zoo and opened it to all citizens.
Just a few short decades later, the zoo was passed on to the Taipei City government after the Japanese had fallen in WWII. Since then, the zoo had remodeled several times while remaining a public park.
Over the years, several exhibitions opened and the zoo became increasingly famous within the heart of Asia. It features animals from rain forests, domestic wildlife, African wildlife, including species from various regions over the world.
Plus, there’s an exhibition for Chinese pandas! There are only 24 zoos (in 21 countries) around the world that have these rare and precious animals.
How to Get to Taipei Zoo?
Like with all tourist attractions in Taipei, getting to Taipei Zoo is convenient and simple. As long as you’re able to get to an MRT station, it’ll be cheap to reach this destination.
So how do you get to Taipei Zoo? From any MRT station in Taipei, transfer to the MRT Brown Line and head south to the last stop on the line. You’ll want to get off at Taipei Zoo MRT Station.
From Ximending
Many of my readers opt to stay in Ximending, so here’s a quick guide to getting to the zoo from Ximen District. In this district, you’ll probably need to take the Blue Line.
If you’re able to get to Ximen MRT Station, walk down to the Blue Line transfer station. Do not take the Green Line unless you’re heading to Ximen MRT Station.
Take the Blue Line to the Brown Line transfer station at Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT Station. Take the next train and exit Taipei Zoo MRT Station.
From Taipei 101
Because 101 is close by, it’s a great idea to visit both attractions on the same day. After checking out the Taipei 101 observatory, head back to the Red Line at the Taipei 101 MRT Station.
Head towards Tamsui, but you’ll want to get off at Daan MRT Station and transfer to the Brown Line. On the brown, head towards Taipei Zoo MRT Station and exit.
Recommendation for Taipei Zoo
After getting to the Taipei Zoo MRT Station, it’s a fairly straightforward path to the entrance of the zoo. Just follow the signs and you’ll be there in no time.
However, I recommend entering Taipei Zoo from the back (south) entrance.
The zoo was built on a hill. You can take the front entrance and check out the zoo by walking uphill, or you can enter from the back (top of the hill) and walk down.
To enter Taipei Zoo from the back entrance, you’ll want to take Exit 2 at Taipei MRT Station. Turn right and walk 5 – 10 minutes to the entrance of the Maokong Gondola Ride.
Now it does cost some money to take the Gondola, but it’s well worth it! Also, you have two options for the ride. I always pick the cart with the clear, see-through glass bottom.
On your way to the zoo, you’ll get a good look at all the forest green right beneath your feet. It’s awesome, but not recommended for those afraid of heights!
Now that you’re on the gondola, do not take the ride all the way to the top! If you do, you’ll end up at Maokong (cat mountain), which is pretty cool in itself, but not where you plan to go.
The ride will take a total of 4 stops. The first stop being the front entrance of the Zoo. However, you want to get off at the second stop, which is the south entrance of Taipei zoo.
From there, you’ll see many signs directing you to the south entrance. Chances are, there will be a ton of people heading there or congregating nearby. When in doubt, follow the crowd in Taiwan.
Exhibitions & Animals at Taipei Zoo
From the moment you walk in, there are signs guiding you to all the main exhibitions of the zoo. Pick, choose and decide where you want to go first. But if you’re not a planner, casually strolling down the path makes a lot of sense.
There’s some pretty cool attractions here. You can check out penguins in their habitat. There’s even a reptile house, insectarium, a exhibition for koalas (Australia section) and an exhibition for nocturnal animals.
If you’re traveling with young kids, make sure to check out the Children’s Zoo inside the park.
My favorite part of the zoo is the Asian Tropical Rainforest section. It’s where the top picture was taken at. Born and raised in the suburbs, it’s totally unique and not something I see everyday – or ever.
There aren’t as many animals in this section compared to other exhibitions of Taipei Zoo, but there sure are a lot of cool plants and trees here…
There’s much more to see in the zoo than just plants. I mean, it is a zoo after all. Perhaps the coolest animal that I saw at this zoo were these Asiatic Black Bears.
They’re indigenous to Asia and don’t look anything like the ones we have back home in the USA (other than the fact that they’re black). It’s amusing because they actually have teddy-bear ears!
In the Taipei Zoo, you have all your typical zoo animals plus more. If I could I would show every picture I ever took in the zoo but it would just take too much time.
Everything from elephants to tortoises, red pandas, thousands of beautiful butterflies (Taiwan is the butterfly kingdom) and much, much more. It’s worth checking out every exhibition in here especially if you don’t have a zoo nearby home.
The Panda House
The Panda exhibition is one of the most popular attractions at Taipei Zoo. That’s because only a handful of zoos in the world actually have these majestic and somewhat silly animals.
In 2008, China gifted Taiwan two pandas for the Taipei Zoo as a peace offering. It’s what the mainland Chinese call the “panda diplomacy.” They’re affectionately named Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan. And now, they have a baby – Yuan Zai!
Thanks to these new pandas, the zoo was able to draw over 30,000 visitors per day. So it only made sense to build them a house and private exhibition.
This attraction is so popular that you need tickets (yes, within the zoo) to get into the panda house. As a zoo visitor, you’re only allowed to enter in the panda house once. So go next to the house, pick up a ticket and wait in line to get in.
It’s worth noting that these pandas are protected by a glass wall. They take good care of these rare animals and it’s probably best this way. I guess…visitors won’t be able to throw anything at them?
Definitely check this out if you’re not in the lucky few cities that actually have zoos with pandas. How often do you get to see these majestic creatures anyway?
Hotels Near Taipei Zoo
The zoo is located in Wenshan District. Though this district feels a bit disconnected from the city center (Xinyi), it’s actually next door. Literally, the adjacent district.
Staying in Wenshan area may not be as convenient to walk around, but as long as you stay close to a MRT station, transportation to other Taipei attractions shouldn’t be a problem.
Still, I would recommend staying in Xinyi District because it’s close enough, but offers the liveliness and fantastic night life that make the city so great. Here are our favorite accommodations near Taipei Zoo:
If you’re still unsure about where to stay in Taipei, check out our guide on the best areas in Taipei. We break down the best districts of the city according to the type of traveler you are. Like shopping? We’ve got a district for you. How about food? We have a recommendation for you too!
Other Taipei Attractions:
- Elephant Mountain Hike
- Chiang Kai-shek Memorial
- Daan Forest Park
- Taipei 101 Observatory
- Beitou Thermal Valley
- Dahu Moon Bridge Park