Things to Do & See 01 02 Dadaocheng 01 Taipei Lunar New Year Festival & This annual event is staged before the Lunar New Year, and is launched on Dadaocheng’s Dalongdong Dihua Street. There's a huge choice of Dadaocheng and Dalongdong are two history- traditional New Year foods, snacks, fresh rich neighborhoods deeply intertwined with food ingredients, and everyday household items. Crowds of people do their shopping Taipei’s development. After the opening of a th and grab food samples here. Other port and the start of trading in the 19 century, commercial districts nearby share the same Dadaocheng had soon become northern holiday atmosphere as well. A visit to one Taiwan’s key goods distribution center. In the is a great way for travelers from overseas Qing Dynasty, Dalongdong was known as a to immerse themselves in the Taipei Lunar New Year experience. cradle for imperial scholars. Local cultural life has been thriving for a century, with frequent folk celebrations and artistic performances bringing happiness and energy to the old neighborhoods! Audio Guide 1 Dihua Commercial District 03 Taipei Xia-Hai City God Cultural Festival This festival, spanning both sides of the Xia-Hai City God’s birthday (14th day of the 5th lunar month), is a fusion of religious ceremonies, street parades, music, markets, and exhibits. It also integrates the shops in the commercial district. The rich traditional 03 folk customs and unique local culture create a summertime festival of bustle in Dadaocheng. 61, Sec. 1, Dihua St., Taipei City (Taipei Xia-Hai City God Temple) www.tpecitygod.org 04 04 Taipei Valentine’s Day Chinese Valentine’s Day is the most romantic mid-summer happening in Taipei. Get out early, visit the Old Man Under the Moon (Chinese Cupid), get a taste of culture and creativity, experience heritage spots, and savor the unique fusion of old and new. Spend the evening by Dadaocheng Wharf listening to love songs, taking in the Taipei riverbank scenery, trying local snack treats and, capping off a night of sweetness, watching a fabulous fireworks show. 05 Yanping Riverside Park, Taipei City (between Evacuation Gate 3-5) 02 05 Baosheng Cultural Festival Tua-Tiu-Tiann International Festival of Arts This grand annual festival is held by Dalongdong A century ago, Dadaocheng was a thriving Baoan Temple. The god Baosheng Dadi’s district with many shops selling modern birthday is the 15th day of the 3rd lunar month, Western fashion and theaters. This festival and ceremonies and related activities are staged runs for a whole month each October. The in celebration of the event. Over two months highlight is a retro street parade for which there will be celebration activities including a the public is invited to dress up in 1920s street procession, folk-art troupe performances, garb. Innovative artistic performances etc. At the nighttime temple-courtyard fire lion are integrated with local culture and show, countless brilliant “beehive rockets” history, bringing back to life the scenes of are fired toward the sky, creating raucous, Dadaocheng in days gone by. mesmerizing scenes. 61, Hami St., Taipei City (Dalongdong Baoan Temple) Dadaocheng neighborhood www.baoan.org.tw www.tttifa.com 2 Touring Dadaocheng Dadaocheng Just a century-plus ago, Dadaocheng was a large rice-drying ground. In the mid-19th century, a river port was established here, and the site gradually developed into a wholesale distribution center, brimming with sellers of herbal medicines, tea, regional specialty goods, fabrics and rice. In recent years, ongoing urban regeneration campaign in Dadaocheng has brought new life to old houses and multi-generation family shops in this old neighborhood. The young generation is giving family-run enterprises new modern looks, and cultural-creative entrepreneurs are coming in, creating a showcase enclave of new-era design flair and innovation. Traditional Appliance Stores Dadaocheng is choc-a-bloc with shops selling old-time daily necessities. The waves of nostalgia and environmental protection have made them tourist favorites. Lin Feng Yi Shop, opened in 1906, is bursting with traditional handmade bamboo products, creating rich old-time flavors. At Gao Jian Bucket Shop, in business for 60-plus years, bamboo-woven appliances hang in the doorway. There’s also various wooden barrels Lin Feng Yi Shop piled neatly, plus bamboo containers, wood-made items, and other miscellaneous goods, all sold at friendly prices. The 150-year-old Zhumu Zaoka Shop resembles an old-time mom-and-pop sundries shop, filled with retro Taiwanese-style shopping bags and kitchen items, such as steamers. Most of these products are made from wood and bamboo, and you can even find bamboo woven toys here. The mixing of old-style goods with groundbreaking design attracts many treasure-hunting tourists. Lin Feng Yi Shop Gao Jian Bucket Shop Zhumu Zaoka Shop Gao Jian 214, Sec. 1, 204, Sec. 1, 161, Sec. 1, Bucket Shop Dihua St., Taipei City Dihua St., Taipei City Dihua St., Taipei City (02) 2557-8734 (02) 2557-3604 (02) 2553-0482 3 Fabric Sellers In days past, Dadaocheng was northern Taiwan’s key wholesale and retail market for fabrics. Today, Yongle Fabric Market is still home to 100-plus fabric shops on its second and third floors, and it is the largest cluster of fabric sellers in Taipei. Here you can find traditional Taiwanese floral fabrics, fashionable simple-line woven fabric, and myriad other fabric types. There is a wide variety and prices are very reasonable. Experienced shoppers will buy fabrics on the second floor and have Yongle Fabric Market them made into custom-tailored qipao, curtains, carpets, and other items by master tailors on the third. InBlooom mainly sells everyday lifestyle items, specializing in printed fabrics featuring quintessential local Taiwan elements, creating such practical items as T-shirts, bags, placemats, book covers, and much more. Yongle Fabric Market 2 & 3F, 21, Sec. 1, Dihua St., Taipei City inBlooom 28, Minle St., Taipei City (02) 2555-1026 Audio Guides inBlooom Lin Wu Hu Ancestral House / Lao Mian Cheng Lantern Shop Chen-Wey Teahouse Opened a century ago, the age-old methods Built in 1851, and a fine example of Taiwan of lantern craftsmanship are still followed here. traditional Minnan (south Fujian) architecture, this Lanterns had a paper exterior and bamboo- is Dihua Street’s oldest townhouse. Worth noting strip skeleton. The paper was first painted then is that not a single nail was used in the structure, a protective oil covering was added, a process and that Lin’s descendants still reside in the rear that required a lot of time and labor. Today a section of the building, and welcome the public refined process is used, with the paper lantern to visit each Saturday. Chen-Wey Teahouse, a first semi-finished before Chinese characters or purveyor of fine Taiwan teas, occupies the shop designs are painted with a brush, and finishing space at the front. Lingering over premium tea in details are added. this richly historic place is a treat indeed. 298, Sec. 1, Dihua St., Taipei City 156, Sec. 1, Dihua St., Taipei City (02) 2557-8856 (02) 2557-5333 4 Touring Dadaocheng The Great ArtYard One of Dadaocheng’s great charms is the old heritage residences down along its lanes and alleys. One group of entrepreneurs has, one by one, conducted detailed restorations on local traditional townhouses. Starting with what’s now called ArtYard 32, ArtYard 67, ArtYard 197, and other locations have been added, creating collections of shops selling Taiwanese designer goods, local specialty agricultural products, etc., and giving old buildings new life. UBook Inside the ArtYard 32 is BUWU, a Taiwan design- brand outlet featuring bags made from fabrics Hakka Blue imprinted with colorful minimalist geometric patterns that match all attire. UBook creates customized laser-engraved goods; it engraves desired graphics on chopsticks and other wood items. Taiwan Bussan is a specialty vendor offering premium-quality agricultural specialties, foods, and handicrafts. BUWU Inside ArtYard 67 is Hakka Blue, purveyor of ArtYard 32 fashion-crafted Taiwan Hakka-theme daily- (inside the A.S. Watson & Co. Building) use items, such as the Hakka Mug set. Another 1, Ln. 32, Sec. 1, Dihua St., Taipei City bestseller, the Dumpling Set, consists of cute condiment containers shaped like Chinese ArtYard 67 dumplings. ArtYard 197 is home to Twine, a fair- 67, Sec. 1, Dihua St., Taipei City trade store focused on attire, accessories, and lifestyle sundries; and Fflavour, which sells fruits ArtYard 197 of all kinds and processed products from small farmers in Taiwan. 5 195~199, Sec. 1, Dihua St., Taipei City Urban Regeneration Stations As part of the city's URS (Urban Regeneration Station) campaign, old residences along Dihua Street and Section 2, Yanping North Road have been renovated, becoming homes for entrepreneurs and creators or used as public spaces, injecting new cultural vitality into the old community. URS44 – Dadaocheng Visitor Center The first floor here is now home to a full-service visitor center; the second and third floors are used for lectures and other activities. 44, Sec. 1, Dihua St., Taipei City (02) 2559-6802 (closed on Tuesday) URS127 The public can apply to use this cultural-arts space for exhibits, lectures, and other activities, and introduction to URS44 – Dadaocheng Visitor Center local culture and history is also provided. 127, Sec. 1, Dihua St., Taipei City URS155 – Tuan Yuan Dadaocheng Invites artists and the public to use local ingredients to cook and share creative cuisine together. 155, Sec. 1, Dihua St., Taipei City (02) 2552-0349 URS329 – Rice & Shine Once a rice wholesale location, in this century-old building URS329 – Rice & Shine you can now enjoy traditional local rice-based dishes.