We finally made it to the Pokémon Center in Xinyi — Taiwan’s flagship Pokémon store — and it definitely lived up to expectations.
Located inside the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Xinyi Place on Level 3, the store is easy to access by either escalator or lift. We entered through the Level 1 department store, took the escalator up, and walked towards the end of the floor — you can’t miss it. The space is bright, colourful, and incredibly busy.
We visited on a Monday evening around 6pm, and it was still packed. With the recent launch of the Pokémon Pokopia game, several demo consoles were available for visitors to try. However, they appeared to be in Chinese, so we didn’t give them a go. There were also organised queues managed by staff, which kept things moving smoothly despite the crowds.
One fun highlight was a temporary counter offering free stickers if you completed a short questionnaire. There was also a Chinese word search activity around the store where you could collect an exclusive sticker — limited to one per person. Thankfully, I was able to recognise the Chinese characters, which helped us complete it! They also offer a birthday gift if you visit during your birthday month, though sadly it wasn’t ours.
The store itself is very well stocked. If you can’t find something on the shelves, the staff are happy to check the back stock for you. Popular plush toys like Eevee were temporarily sold out on display, but staff quickly replenished them. My daughter ended up buying at least eight small plush toys, each costing around £11. Some of these designs are quite difficult to find in UK shops, which made it even more exciting.
There is also a range of exclusive Taiwan merchandise, including keychains, trading card games, lanyard badge holders, and more. You will also find Pokémon Ga-Olé machines, capsule toy (Gashapon) machines, and even a coin exchange machine to make things easier. The store also sells Pokémon-themed plastic carriers for your purchases. Safe to say, I left with a very happy child!
Since we spent over NT$2000, we were eligible for a VAT refund, which can be processed at the VIP Centre. Do note that there is a 20% handling fee deducted from the refund amount. You will need your passport, and the refund must be claimed on the same day as your purchase.
The store is open daily from 11:00am to 9:30pm. On weekends, a ticketing system may be in place to manage crowd entry. It is conveniently located near Taipei City Hall Station (Exit 3), about an 8–10 minute walk away, and also within easy reach of Taipei 101.
If you are a Pokémon fan visiting Taiwan, this is definitely a must-visit spot.
Also check out our post on the Japan Pokémon Center Osaka!
Leave a Reply