Ceramics Old Street

About this place

The Ceramics Old Street is the heart of Yingge, a town on the Dahan River in New Taipei City, known for porcelain and art shops. Red-brick houses and stores full of pots, cups and small figures line the street, drawing people to shop and to see the craft itself. Local accounts say ceramics began here about 200 years ago, when Wu An came from Guangzhou to become the first potter in the area. The brick maker Chen Kun then moved in, and together they made it the centre of Taiwan's ceramics industry. The town's name comes from a nearby rock shaped like a bird, with legends of its own. The street has a large red building called the Old Street Pottery Hall, and a huge jar covered in mosaic is its landmark. Shops show teaware and pots, and some let you shape a piece yourself. A short walk away is the Yingge Ceramics Museum, opened on 26 November 2000, covering traditional pottery techniques, the development of ceramics in Taiwan and an area where children can play with clay. The quarter is 0.6 km in a straight line south-west of Yingge station and 19.9 km south-west of Taipei Main Station, so the train is the easiest way. Some pieces are costly and fragile, so take care with children and have purchases well wrapped. The museum closes on the first Monday of each month. Sanxia is close enough to combine.