Jinshan Old Street

Jinshan Old Street used to be a busy and commercial street in the Qing Dynasty days (1644-1912). Today, the shops sell taro cakes, red-hearted sweet potatoes, egg rolls and many other local and traditional delicacies which make great gifts as well. The street still retains some of the old stone mansions and a century-old rice stores complete with square rice containers and weighing scales, as well as a traditional pharmacy with its hundreds of drawers and jars filled with healing herbs. During the reign of the Yongzheng emperor in the mid-18th century, many families emigrated from Quanzhou across the Strait and set up shop here, creating a thriving business street of 1 Km long, divided into High Street and Low Street, and stretching as far as the Cishan Temple, now 300 years old. In the days of the Qing Dynasty, these merchant houses with their cool and shady arcades, in what was then called Jinbao Village, formed the market street on Taiwan's north coast where agricultural produce, fresh seafood, and daily and luxury wares were traded. Today, only a few merchant houses in the southern Min (Fukiennese) style remain, some with western-style facades added during the Japanese period, along with several wooden residences and brick buildings behind the Cishan Temple, and the 200-year-old Qifeng Residence. Even though the glory days have passed, the common way of life endures until today. The Jinshan morning market runs much like a hundred years ago and is wonderful place to buy produce of the season, such as red-heart sweet potatoes, jump-stone taro, water bamboo shoots, red arrow bamboo shoots and other local vegetables. In recent years, Jinshan Old Street has seen a revival. The old rice store, traditional apothecary, and sundry stores have been joined by new specialty stores that add to the local flavor of the Old Street. These new eateries, drinks stores, and craft shops make this street worth your visit