Why Is Taipei Called Asia’s Most Vegan-Friendly City?

Source: Taipei Times “Why Taipei is Asia’s top destination for vegans” (Jasmin Oertel, Feb. 13, 2018; original in English)

A single-serving vegetarian hot pot with vegetables at a vegetarian restaurant in Taipei — A vegetable hot pot set with rice at a vegetarian restaurant in Beitou District, Taipei. Photo: susan curry / CC BY 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Summary

Taipei’s plant-based dining is described as a mix of Buddhist tradition and Western wellness trends.
Buddhism is part of the background, but the article notes there is no strict ban on meat; eating less is seen as cultivating compassion and merit.
Using HappyCow data, it says Taiwan has over 600 vegan and vegetarian places, and Taipei has 57 fully plant-based restaurants, more than Singapore’s 46.
Examples include a restaurant described as Taipei’s first plant-based one, a venue run by a filmmaker, and an annual fair drawing about 3,000 visitors.
Vegan fashion brands are growing, while some advocates say supermarkets still lag behind cities like Hong Kong.

The street-corner storefront of a vegetarian bakery in Da'an District, Taipei — The storefront of Jade Pâtisserie, a vegetarian bakery in Da’an District, Taipei. Photo: 玄史生 / CC0 / Wikimedia Commons

Editors’ comment

This is a 2018 article, so its numbers may be dated. The Taiwanese magazine Taiwan Panorama (2023) cites roughly 6,000 vegetarian restaurants. Counting methods (which database, whether “fully vegetarian”) differ, so the two cannot be compared directly.

What stands out is that both the religious background and the new trends are discussed. Our What Is Taiwan’s Vegetarian Food? focuses on the former. We list venues only when official information is confirmed.

* This page is the editors’ summary of the article above, with our commentary. Please check the original for details and exact figures.