Wan Nian Building (萬年商業大樓) has been a Ximending institution since it opened in 1973: a slightly worn five-storey commercial block on Xining South Road that has become Taipei's main address for otaku culture. Dozens of tiny independent shops are crammed onto its floors, selling anime figures, gunpla model kits, trading cards, cosplay costumes and props, and military surplus gear — the kind of specialist stock you won't find in a mall designed for foot traffic rather than collectors.
Most of the serious model and figure shops cluster on the fourth floor, while the basement runs a cheap food court and the upper floors hold an old ice rink, a billiard hall and a karaoke MTV. The building looks dated next to Ximending's flashier malls, but that's part of the appeal — it rewards browsing rather than rushing, and dedicated collectors can spend hours working floor by floor.