New Taipei City Travel

With its history of more than 300 years, Xinzhuang Old Street is a microcosm of Taiwan's contemporary history. Behind the bustling tourist night market, there are so many historic temples, quaint old shops, and alleys with historical traces hidden in them.Xinzhuang Dizang Temple, an important religious center filled with strong incense, was founded in the Qing Dynasty, so the temple has been around for a long time. It has not only held annual religious events in Xinzhuang but has also served as an important meeting point for all Xinzhuang people, where youth make new memories and the elderly look back at shared memories.From Zhongzheng Road it is about eight-minute minute walk to Xiangrenhe Bell and Drum Factory. With a history of more than half a century, this factory’s products are praised for their quality. Besides exhibiting various drums from other countries in the museum, the factory also displays the rare drum-making process, allowing visitors to experience the master's dedication to this traditional craft.You may also pay visits to Guangfu Temple, Fude Temple, Wenchang Temple, Ciyou Temple, Chaojiang Temple and other shrines and temples along the way. The name of Mishixiang stems from the dockworkers carrying bags of rice. The last step is the iron forging workshop, an old shop inside the Xinzhuang Temple Street, where knives are made the traditional way to this day. The store will also teach customers the correct way to use and maintain them!

Compared to the Xinzhuang and Wanhua districts, the Zhonghe district is considered an area which was developed much later; however, each area has its own past and its own story. If you slow down, you will realize that Zhonghe’s historical sites are very close to our lives. Visit traces of history hidden in the parks, discover the past and present of Zhonghe district, and then visit the temples toward the mountains to pray for future peace.Located in Zijiang Park, the Mizuho Pond is a municipal monument with a rectangular-shaped main building which is supported by Tuscan columns. Completed in 1929, it is part of the Banqiao waterway system, connecting the development of the Banqiao and Shuanghe areas, and greatly improving the water quality in the Banqiao area, making it an important historical landmark in the modernization of Taiwan’s sewage systems. The Yuanshan Park, which was expanded in 2018, has a long slide, a grass skating field, a zip line, and various other facilities, making it a great place for families to visit. On top of that, there is also a municipal monument: The remnants of the Haishan Shrine. This shrine was built in 1938, when the Japanification policy was implemented in Taiwan. At present, there are remains of stone walls, stone stairs, torii gates, and air-raid shelters at the Haishan Shrine, which are worth exploring when visiting the park.The Yuantong Temple was built in 1927, and is an architectural mix of traditional Taiwanese, Japanese and Western styles. It is one of the famous temples of the Caodong school in the north of Taiwan, which was featured in the classic movies “Brother Liu and Brother Wang on the Roads in Taiwan” and “The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber.” Behind the temple are several hiking trails connecting various different hiking routes in the Zhonghe area.。Huaxin Street is the most diverse street in Taiwan when it comes to Southern cuisine; it is home to many descendants of soldiers and residents who moved from Yunnan to Myanmar and Thailand for retirement, so almost all restaurants on Huaxin Street offer Burmese, Yunnan and Thai food, such as shredded baba, coconut chicken, noodles in fish soup, curry chicken, spicy pho, shredded chicken noodles, and pea fritters. Many signboards are even written in Burmese, and the staff of these restaurants speak it as well!Xingnan Road crosses National Highway No.3 with two side roads, one leading to the White Horse Temple, which is dedicated to Shakyamuni. The name of the White Horse Temple is derived from the first temple built after Buddhism was introduced in China, the White Horse Temple in Luoyang, which is a temple practicing Pure Land Buddhism.The other road, which goes uphill, leads to the Hongludi Nanshan Fude Temple. This local temple, which is more crowded at night than during the day, is without a doubt the most popular temple of the God of Wealth in northern Taiwan. From the temple, you can look down at the million-dollar night view, and plan out your future self!