Minquan Old Street

About this place

Sanxia Old Street runs for 260 metres along Minquan Street in New Taipei City and is described as the longest preserved old street in Taiwan. Red-brick fronts with arches and columns line it, blending Western elements with Japanese and Chinese motifs, making it one of the finest old streets near the capital. The street began in the mid-eighteenth century, in a town once called Sa-kak-eng after a meeting of three rivers. The town became known for indigo dyeing from the early nineteenth century. The street burned in 1895 and residents rebuilt it. From 1916 to 1920 its fronts were remade in European style under Japanese rule. A major restoration finished in 2007 and won an international architecture prize that year. The street curves gently in an S with the land, with a shaded walkway and patterned floor under the arches. The fronts carry the names of merchant families and fine carving. A track down the middle once carried coal, camphor and tea. Shops sell indigo-dyed cloth, and umbrellas are sometimes hung above the street. The Zushi Temple, dating from 1769, is close by. The street is 19.5 km in a straight line south-west of Taipei Main Station and 2.8 km south-east of Yingge's old street, so the two are easy to combine. It gets crowded at weekends, and some shops close early on ordinary days. The temple is a place of worship, so dress modestly. Ask about ingredients at food stalls.