This guide will introduce you to cute souvenirs to buy in Taiwan. Keep reading for ideas on what to bring back.
I’ve lived in Taiwan for years, seen many cute souvenirs, and noticed people often wonder what to buy. That’s why I wrote this guide.
7 Cute Souvenirs to Get While in Taiwan
Here are some cute items to look out for:
- Contactless cards
- Pokémon Center merch
- Din Tai Fung merch
- Other Taiwanese mascot merchandise
- Anime figures
- Plushies
- Other small items
The word cute is subjective, but I’ve based this list on what’s popular in Taiwan.
Let’s start with the first souvenir.
1. IC Cards
IC cards are contactless smart cards used for payments and public transportation in Taiwan.
Stores often sell limited-edition versions, which you can find at convenience stores like Family Mart and 7-Eleven. These special cards sometimes appear in random shops, too.
Some cards are 3D — figure- or plush-like versions with RFID chips inside. These sell out quickly because people often resell them at higher prices.
If you’re looking for rare cards, try Taipei Main Station’s underground mall or Shopee Taiwan.
Tip: You’ll need a Taiwanese phone number to use Shopee. Be careful, though — buying online can come with risks.
Not all IC cards work everywhere. For example, you can’t use iCash 2.0 cards to rent YouBikes.
I suggest checking guides for specific IC cards like:
If you’re considering ordering online, see this guide for more information on that. And this one to learn how to get a Taiwanese SIM card.
Here’s another place with neat souvenirs.
2. Stuff from the Pokémon Center
| Hours | Sun – Thur: 11 AM – 9:30 PM |
| Fri – Sat: 11 AM – 10 PM | |
| Address | 110202, Taipei City, Xinyi District, Songshou Rd, 110號 11號 新光三越台北信義新天地A11 3F |
As of 2025, the Pokémon Center has only 2 locations outside Japan: Singapore and Taipei. If you’re in Taipei, don’t miss the chance to visit.
Reservations aren’t needed unless it’s extremely busy. In the past, you had to speak to a staff member outside to get a number and time slot.
Their inventory changes, so the best items depend on your taste — and luggage space. Popular picks include keychains, notebooks, water bottles, and other small trinkets.
If they have Pokémon-themed tea and pineapple cakes, grab them. You’ll get a cute souvenir, a Taiwanese specialty snack, and local tea all in one.
Most of the merchandise has Pikachu and not its cuter variation, Mimikyu, but I suppose that’s subjective. Anyway, you’ll find the Pokémon Center
For more tips on visiting the Pokémon Center, check out my other guide.
Here’s another popular place you can get things from.
3. Din Tai Fung Merch
Din Tai Fung is a famous Taiwanese restaurant chain known for xiao long bao (soup dumplings). At their locations, you’ll find adorable merchandise featuring their mascot.
Items often include pens, statues, and pins. You don’t need a reservation to buy merch.
If you do want to dine, I suggest booking a table on KLOOK or KKday. This helps you skip hours of waiting in line — something common at Din Tai Fung locations.
Here’s other Taiwan-specific merchandise to consider.
4. Other Mascot Merchandise
Taiwan is full of cute mascots — they’re everywhere, even in politics. This gives you plenty of unique and adorable souvenirs to choose from.
For example, the Taipei MRT has mascots like Maji Meow and Shiba Says. You can find their merchandise in stationary stores across Taiwan and at MRT stations.
The Kaohsiung Metro has the KRT Girls, which are anime characters that are mascots for the MRT and LRT. They even have lore. They also have an orange cat mascot that I’ve never done research into.
To grab their merch, check out this gift shop: B1, No. 115, Zhongshan 1st Road, Xinxing District, Kaohsiung City.
Want more anime stuff? Keep reading.
5. Anime Figures
Anime figures are easy to find across Taiwan. If you’re not visiting Japan, this is a great place to get some.
Be careful, though. If you want authentic figures, stick to well-known stores like Good Smile Company. Smaller shops might sell fakes.
Here are some places (at least in Taipei) where I found anime figures:
- Wan Nian Building in Ximending
- Good Smile Company in the Syntrend mall
- Don Quijote: Known as Don Don Donki in Taiwan
You can also explore shops in the Syntrend Mall and the underground mall at Taipei Main Station. Just remember, not all figures there are guaranteed to be real.
You might want plushies, instead.
6. Plushies
You’ll find plushies of all kinds in Taiwan — big, small, real, or fake. Claw machines have plenty, but I don’t recommend them. You could lose a lot of money and end up with low-quality plushies.
At least in Taipei, the underground mall under Taipei Main Station has plenty of plushie stores. Ximending also has many plushie stores in the Wan Nian Building. I discuss this building in my Ximending guide.
At the moment, Chiikawa plushies are super popular in Taiwan. You’ll see these cute critters and their friends everywhere. Capybara plushies are also a big trend right now.
Looking for even smaller souvenirs? Check out the next section.
7. Other Small Things
Other ideas for small items you could get include:
- Keychains
- Magnets
- Stationary
- Socks
- Pet clothing
“Cute” means different things to different people, but Taiwan has no shortage of options. Check out stationary stores, Don Don Donki, and Daiso for cheap, adorable items.
Souvenir shops typically don’t charge much for Taiwan-related items. And you’ll literally see these everywhere if you go to Ximending.
Good luck finding souvenirs.