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COMPASS MAGAZINE, OCTOBER 2001. VOL. 8 ISSUE 10

Still Alive and Breathing (Continued): Rediscovering attractions and bargains at Taiwan's one and only fashion outlet mall

By Douglas Habecker

Continuing along Szuchuan Road (View La Cite Map) and "A" block, the ELLE store (A05) exclusively sells Elle-brand leisure clothing, including swim suits and underwear for men, women and children, towels and bags. A couple stores further on is an outlet (A07) for German Odbo brand clothing--very hip-looking fashions dresses, boots, belts and bags that come in either black or white. On the corner next to that is a 24-hour Family Mart.

From the above-mentioned Diana store, one can also head away from the road and up "A" block, first coming to the Chi-Er Small Products Store (A21) next door. This fascinating little place sells all manner of exotic products from places like Nepal and Southeast Asia, including leather and brass products, clothing and jewelry. On the next corner is the men's clothing branch of the earlier-mentioned Liyaku store, selling 291295-brand fashions for younger men, plus shoes, jackets and bags. Around the corner is the Sanei store selling the colorful, pastel skirts, blouses and sweaters of the Japanese INE brand. Next to that is another Liyaku store (A18) for male Japanese hipsters, with plenty of ties, shirts and suits by Kenzo, N. Masako, Pazzo, and Tete Homme. A few stores down, upscale jewelry can be found at the Shao Ya Jewelry Store (A14).

The "E" section is an island of buildings in the heart of the mall. While the side facing "A" block is vacant, the other side has a few must-sees. On one corner is a beautiful flagship store for the local Rose House chain of European-style teahouses, complete with a genteel European atmosphere, plenty of Western-style teas and other nice touches. On another corner is swanky-looking S.T. Dupont store (E08),

selling the upscale French company's mens' suits, belts, ties, lighters, pens and other accessories, at discounts averaging about 50 percent. In between these two places is the Kansas Jeans Store (E07), with tons of cut-rate jeans and shirts by Lee, Wrangler and IBS.

Over the months ahead, new stores are expected to fill some of the vacant shops, providing even more shopping diversity. Clearly, recent troubles have not marked the end of La Cite. Besides the fact that there are still plenty of great places offering great prices and brands, the mall is simply a wonderful place to hang out and pretend you're somewhere else. During quiet afternoons and evenings, it is not unusual to see visitors by themselves or in small groups, relaxing by fountains or on benches, enjoying the quiet atmosphere and ambiance.

With so much going for it, there is little doubt that La Cite will not be disappearing any time soon.

GETTING THERE: The easiest way to get to La Cite from Taichung Kang Road is to turn onto Hankou Road (which becomes Tunghsing Rd. on the other side of Taichung Kang). Go about 50 meters up Hankou and turn left onto Szuchuan Road, the next main road. The entrance to La Cite is immediately visible on the left and the basement parking entrance is about 30 meters past that.

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