Taiwan Day 152: Retro Taipei - Jan. 30, 2014

It's Chinese New Year's Eve and I went to Dihua Street to buy some 'Chinese' candies to celebrate the Year of the Horse. From Taipei Main Station, I transferred to the Tamsui Line and alighted at Zhongshan Station. I passed by the Zhongshan Metromall and all of the stores were closed. I already expected this since Lunar New Year is a holiday in Taiwan. I got lost finding Dihua Street and it was a good thing that I always bring my Taipei Metro Tourist Map whenever I travel. I don't have a smartphone so I can only rely on this map to survive.

The area in Zhongshan Station was not new to me as I already encountered this place when I went to MOCA Taipei in Taiwan Day 106. While walking I also saw the covered stalls of Ningxia Night Market and I remember my Memories of Taste Buds in Taiwan Day 113. Now I'm getting familiar with the streets of Taipei!

When I reached Dihua Street, it was like Manila's Divisoria. There were lots of vendors selling in the street and also old buildings. Based on my research most buildings here were built during the Japanese Colonial Period. Since I don't know much in architecture in my opinion I don't find any 'Japaneseness' in the old buildings that I saw.

I've read in blogs and in TripAdvisor that there are too many people in Dihua Street during Chinese New Year but I didn't encounter too much people. The reason might be that most Taiwanese were already done shopping in Dihua Street. Another reason might be the time that I went in that place. It was around 10:30am when I reached this place so the crowd may not be too large in the morning.

I was able to have a taste test in the food that the vendors were selling like the sweetened preserved meat but the price was expensive. I tried to explore first the area before starting to buy. When I reached the stores at the end of the street. I went back to buy some Malao or Rice Crispy. The price was 50 NTD for 100g. I just get two rice crispy for each flavor and the total price of my rice crispies were 200 NTD.

I also bought assorted candies. The lady vendor told me that I can try them but I don't have time anymore. I just grabbed two candies for each kind and put it in the large transparent plastic that was given to me by the vendor and it was weighed. The total cost of my candies was NTD 110.

I also visited Dadaocheng Wharf as it was few tumblings away from Dihua Street. Dadaocheng was an important transport hub during the early days of Taipei. This was where the goods were dropped by merchants and then later sold in Dihua Street.

Tomorrow, I will distribute the rice crispies and the candies that I bought from Dihua Street. I believe that this will bring a sweet and harmonious relationship to all of my friends in TIGP and also good luck to me this Year of the Horse.

Happy Chinese New Year to everyone!

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Taipei Flower Test Center

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Broadwood Park

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Wuling Farm (武陵農場)

SYS kawazu sakura

Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village

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Shibafen Yoshino Sakura

Hope River

Dongfang Temple

Tianyuan Palace

Neicou Stream Trail

Orange Garden Cafe

Yangming Park Visitor Information Center

Yangming Park Service Center Bus Stop

Huashan Road

Qianshan Park

Zhongshan Hall Entrance

Tenglong Sakura Farm

Flower Test Center Shōwa Sakura

Neihu Creek Trail

Shulin Land Office

Xióng Kōng Cherry Blossom Forest

Lung Yen Sakura Forest

Yangming Park cherry stream

Yangming Park fountain

CKS Memorial Hall Tairyō sakura

Wugu District Tianyi Road

CKS Memorial Hall yaesakura

Loving Farm

Yong Long Farm

Zhongbaling Sakura Road

Sun Link Sea

Tai'an Police Station

Cherry Hill Slope

Hsinchu Park

Taipei 101

Kāng Gào Kēng Creek

New Garden City

Broadwood Park

Tianyuan Palace backyard

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Alishan Ranger Station

Alishan House

Alishan Police Station

Alishan Forest Railway

Alishan Station

Alishan Entrance

Alishan Gou Hotel

Alishan Magnolia Garden

Wulai tour

Wun Chang Elementary School

Bishanyan

Sanzhi Sansheng Trail

Sakura Series - Taiwan

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Orange Garden Cafe

Sansheng Trail

Tenglong Sakura Farm

Yangming Park Cherry Stream

Yangming Park Fountain

Flower Test Center

Broadwood Park

New Garden City

Yinghua Park

Pingjing St. Lane 42

Yangmingshan Visitor Center

Taipei 101

Tianyuan Palace backyard

Sakura Series - Japan

Kamonyama Park

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Shinko Park

Minato-mirai 21 area

Tokyo Tech Suzukakedai Campus

Onda River

Tenryuji

Byodoin

Kiyomizudera

Himuro shrine and Yakushi-ji Temple

Hōryū-ji Temple

Nara Park attractions

Tokyo Tech Ookayama Campus

Sumida River

Tsuruma Park

Gion

Maple Series

Taipei Aowanda

Shimen Dam

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Aowanda

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Taoyuan Valley Garden

Fushoushan Farm

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MRT birdman

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Tulips Festival

2018 Taipei Lantern Festival

City of Azaleas

Linji Huguo Temple

Nanjichang Night Market

Gudetama Chef restaurant

Dalongdong Bao'an Temple

Shilin hollyhocks

Ningxia Night Market

Ximending graffiti

Discovery Center of Taipei

Chunghwa Postal Museum

Double-Decker Bus

Shilin Cold Balls

Jingimoo

GomanMango

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Fire and Ice Dumpling

Opium Fen-Yuan

Ichiran Ramen

Liu Shandong Beef Noodles

hydrangea flowers

National Palace Museum

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Dāoxiāomiàn beef noodles

Presidential Office Building

Yongkang St. and Elephant Mountain

CKS and SYS Hall

City tour

Beitou ramen

MRT Monopoly Game

Winter city tour

Zhicheng Park

Shilin Plum Blossom

Art museums

Shopping in Taipei

Summer desserts

Qingtiangang

Qixingshan hiking

2015 Calla lily

2016 Calla lily

Beitou tour

Beitou-Zhuzihu tour

NTU

Confucius Temple

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Puppet Museum

Fantasy Ice World

2016 Bread Show

Strawberry picking

2015 Rose Garden

Modern Toilet

Shilin Night Market

NASA Exhibit

Raohe Night Market

Longshan Temple

2013 Taipei Zoo

Maokong Gondola

Lupin flowers

Taipei 101 day visit

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Tiger Mountain

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Taipei Story House

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Chrysanthemum Show

Miramar Ferris wheel

Miniatures Museum

Archery

1600 Pandas

Wulaoguo hot pot

Upside Down House

2016 101 Fireworks

New Taipei

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Elephant Rock SUP/kayaking

Meteor Garden school

Tamsui Pumpkin Tunnel

Shifen Waterfall

2017 Sand Sculpture

Dragon Caves

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2016 Kite Festival

Pingxi Crags

Bitou Cape

2016 Sand Sculpture

2015 Christmasland

Juming - Jinshan

Houtong - Pingxi

Sandiaoling Waterfall

Jiufen foodtrip

Guanyinshan hike

Yehliu Ocean World

2014 Kite Festival

Pingxi Rail tour

Jinguashi tour

Vigor Kobo Pineapple

British Consulate

Yehliu Geopark

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firefly watching

Yingge Ceramics Street

Jiufen tour