Old Wanhua Temples and Markets

The Qingshui Temple in Taipei is identifiable by the towering, intricate stone dragon pillars that flank its entrance. Founded in eighteen sixty-seven, it honors the Buddhist monk Qingshui Zushi. During the construction of the current…

The Bangka Qingshan Temple features a roofline crowded with intricate, multi-colored ceramic dragons that seem to fight for space against the sky. Built in eighteen fifty-four, the temple houses the Qingshan King, a deity brought across…

The red brick archway decorated with two stone dragons marks the entrance to the Huaxi Street Night Market. Established in the late fifties, this was the first tourist night market in Taiwan. It once earned fame as Snake Alley, where…

The most distinctive feature of Lungshan Temple is the pair of bronze dragon columns guarding the front hall, their scales so intricate they seem to ripple in the light. Founded in seventeen thirty-eight by settlers from Fujian, this…

Herb Lane is a narrow alleyway in Taipei that retains the original layout of an old tea plantation. Merchants once used this path to transport crates of oolong tea from the surrounding hills to the bustling docks at the riverside. While…

The red brick arches and exposed wooden beams of the Bopiliao Historical Block stand apart from the glass towers of modern Taipei. This collection of buildings preserves the layout of a Qing Dynasty commercial street, where merchants once…

Xinfu Market stands out for its unique horseshoe-shaped floor plan, a design intended to maximize ventilation and light for vendors. Built in nineteen thirty-five, the structure functioned as the first modern public market in Taipei during…