Xitun (West District) is the modern commercial heart of Taichung, the district that replaced the old downtown as the city's centre of gravity from the 1990s onwards. It holds the Seventh Redevelopment Zone with the National Taichung Theater, the high-rise hotels and luxury malls around Top City and Mitsukoshi, and a row of expensive restaurants and tea shops.
It is functional rather than charming, with wide avenues and big buildings. But it is where you find the city's design and architectural showpieces, and where most international hotels are located.