In Wen Lin Road (which runs north-south, adjacent to the MRT line) is the big Eslite store. This is split into three sections: the cafe the stationery store and the bookshop. The cafe is totally hip and stylish, serving a limited but well thought out menu and interesting drinks. The designer crockery and cutlery just ooze cool and it's a great place to go to after the market as it brings you sharply back to the 21st century. The stationery store is my favorite in Taipei and if I calculated how much money I have parted with here I would probably rip up my credit card. Some of my more memorable buys here include a Chinese character rubber stamp set, TinTin stationery, handmade paper, tasteful greetings and birthday cards, gift boxes ? If you share my stationery fetish, this is the store to visit. The bookshop, further down the road has a good magazine section, a superb children's book department, with some toys, and a selection of other books in English. There is a reasonable cookery department with some fascinating cookbooks like Traditional Taiwan Food: good reference books for foodie people like me who try to identify all the street food they see. This is a challenge and when I've used only my imagination, quite frankly I'm not keen on what I think I see, so positive identification is reassuring.

Walking in a northerly direction after crossing Chung Chen Road along Wen Lin road (towards Chishan MRT) on the right hand side are, several bakery shops selling the ultimate in wedding biscuit gift boxes, all beautifully displayed, a branch of Working House, some furniture stores, and a pet bird shop where, if I'm wheeling my son past, we always have to stop and look at all the budgies, mynah birds, finches and love birds competing for airspace. Next to this is a bike shop which sells electric bikes, a curious electric scooter that looks like it's from Teletubby land, as well as some more familiar kids?and adults?cycles. If you cross Wenlin Road here at the lights and walk down Mei Lun street you'll be back into tunnel market. If you carry on down Wen Lin Road back towards Chung Chen Road take a left into lane 513 past more food stalls, there is a notions shop selling beads, craft items, ribbons and some great craft kits for older children to make stuffed toys , it's well worth a visit.

Elaborate and fake

If you stay on Wen Lin Road you'll arrive at a stall that sells every conceivable hair restraining product from ties, bands, novelty hair-grips, slides or barrettes for children, to more elaborate hair bands with fake hair attached for adults. Further along a is section of the street market where you can perch on plastic children's chairs and enjoy a manicure, pedicure and threading (a process using an entwined length of thread to rub your face to remove blemishes and facial hair) for a fraction of the salon price.

Enough of the shops! Time to go to the park and just a five-minute walk down Chung Chen Road will bring you to Chung Shan North Road. Turn south and cross over into Fulin Road to the main entrance to the gardens of the former residence of Chiang Kai Shek. The Shihlin Residence gardens include a nature trail, an orchid house, a cafe (of sorts), a fish pond with food for sale (my kids love this) a supply of NT$10 coins necessary) and at any given time at least three wedding photo shoots taking place. I love watching the brides walking around with their wedding dresses held up to stop them getting dirty because they often wear the clompiest trainers or sports shoes underneath which, although intensely practical, looks bizarre. To me this is a Taipe-ism (yes I made up this word to describe something that is very Taipei). It's not uncommon for happy couples to go for several photo shoots in lovely parks and beside Taipei landmarks, but I once saw one taking place outside TGI Fridays in Tienmu which I found hard to relate to. The average price of such photo shots is NT$30,000; probably justifiable since the clothes look like they cost several arms and legs too!

Running free

The park is beautifully maintained and at this time of year the flowers are stunning. It's an absolute delight to visit and very safe for children. I let my son run free once we are inside and he just delights at being let off the leash! There are fountains, a wooden stage area, good for crawling babies and plenty of running space.

Walking past Moss Burger east along Fulin Road you pass a fabulous artists supplies shop, packed with everything a budding Michelangelo could ever need, stacked on two floors. Further along, cross the minor road beside the stone statue shop and you are at the entrance to the very landscaped Shuanshi park. Triangular in shape, it has a network of paths and pagodas with bridges over a large pond, even a cave, waterfall and secret tunnel. Last time we were there at dusk we saw several night herons and some ducklings. This is a great place to take a picnic or, if you cross over Fulin Road to the north side, just before the park, stock up on steamed buns from the busy outlet right on the corner.

If, leaving the MRT, you were to take the opposite direction, west down Chung Chen road and turn south along Wencheng Street, you would come across B&Q, Hola and Taipei Sea Life to the left and the Astronomical Museum to the right. Wherever you are based in Taipei, Shihlin is well worth a visit and the bonus is it's easily accessible by public transport

Practical Information
Tunnel Market is on the north side of Chung Chen Road, west of Wenlin Road (look for the striped umbrellas)
Eslite books, caf?and stationery plus Hess bookshop (Wenlin Road / South side )
Street market and Working House (Wenlin Road / North side)
Shihlin Residence gardens (Fulin Road, main entrance, and Chung Shan N. Road, side entrance)
Shuanshi Park (Fulin Road)
Note: The area described in the article is known simply as Shihlin is not to be confused with Shihlin District, one of Taipei's ten administrative areas and which covers a much larger area, including Tien Mu.