In the midst of bustling Taipei lies a historical oasis where clusters of shops and homes are a reminder of what was once “the most important port in northern Taiwan.” What might be a little-known piece of history to non-Taiwanese is set to change with a series of walking tours introducing the region that is offered in English and Japanese.
The tours are held by Taipei Walking Tour in the Dadaocheng (大稻埕) and Dalongdong (大龍峒) districts, about 10 minutes north of Taipei Railway Station by car. Throughout May and June, a number of themed tours and workshops on topics such as Taiwan’s puppet culture, Xiahai City God Temple’s (霞海城隍廟) daytime and nighttime processions, and a roadside banquet on Dihua Street (迪化街) will be offered for NT$200 and NT$400. The tours and workshops are held mostly on the weekends leading up to the festival at Taipei Xiahai City God Temple, beginning on June 8.
In the past two years, veteran interpreter Joey Ho (何良正) has witnessed a growing interest among young people in Taiwan’s history.
Photo courtesy of Taipei Walking tour
“It could be the Internet that attracts young people to come and listen. Before, it seemed like young people weren’t interested in history. But through our efforts, they are starting to be concerned about this place, Taiwan’s history, its relics and old streets.”
With roughly 20 people following tour guide Johnny Cheng (程華生), the Dadaocheng heritage tour began with a stroll under the red arcade facade reminiscent of European architecture. Many of these former shops were built in the late 19th century, which coincided with Japanese occupation of Taiwan from 1895 to 1945. As a result of the marriage of European-Baroque, Japanese and Minnan (Southern Fujian) architectural styles, the buildings lining the streets are distinctly unique to Taiwan.
Prior to the tour, Kelly Hsiao (蕭凌雲) said she knew little about Dadaocheng’s history as a prosperous riverside town. Hsiao runs a hostel and was looking for recommendations to travelers other than the usual shopping and night market experience.
Photo: Jenny Peng
“When you visit Europe [and] stay in a hostel, they provide so many free tours or walking tours... [B]ut in Taiwan... we don’t have so many local activities to join for foreigners.”
Hsiao doesn’t know any other English-language walking tours available, and she thought it was “sad” that Taiwan’s history wasn’t easily accessible to non-Taiwanese.
One of the surprise stopovers was a tour led by a descendant of Lin Lan-tian (林藍田), one of Dadaocheng’s first settlers. Lin’s residence, built in the mid-1850s, is an example of Minnan architecture, designed for doing business. It’s unusually long depth is broken up into three sections. Supplies would arrive in the rear, while living corridors were in the middle and the front was a shop.
“It’s a legacy,” said Scott Lin (林宗志). “The spirit and wisdom of that legacy is something we’re trying to pass on to future generations.”
Although Scott Lin’s ancestors made a living selling mixed goods and offering fortune telling services, the shop has become a modern tea house, hinting at Dadaocheng’s past as a renowned tea processing center. Today, however, dried goods and Chinese herbal medicine are the two most common businesses in the neighborhood, according to Cheng.
The two-hour tour also included stopovers at Ci Sheng Temple (慈聖宮) and Xia Hai City God Temple.
Though attracting non-Taiwanese was the original goal of organizers, the majority of participants on Sunday were Taiwanese.
Yang Jei (楊乃傑) said he enjoyed the tour.
“I am Taiwanese, but I never knew this part of our history.”
For comprehensive information about the tours in Chinese, Japanese and English, visit: www.taipei-walkingtour.tw.
That US assistance was a model for Taiwan’s spectacular development success was early recognized by policymakers and analysts. In a report to the US Congress for the fiscal year 1962, former President John F. Kennedy noted Taiwan’s “rapid economic growth,” was “producing a substantial net gain in living.” Kennedy had a stake in Taiwan’s achievements and the US’ official development assistance (ODA) in general: In September 1961, his entreaty to make the 1960s a “decade of development,” and an accompanying proposal for dedicated legislation to this end, had been formalized by congressional passage of the Foreign Assistance Act. Two
Despite the intense sunshine, we were hardly breaking a sweat as we cruised along the flat, dedicated bike lane, well protected from the heat by a canopy of trees. The electric assist on the bikes likely made a difference, too. Far removed from the bustle and noise of the Taichung traffic, we admired the serene rural scenery, making our way over rivers, alongside rice paddies and through pear orchards. Our route for the day covered two bike paths that connect in Fengyuan District (豐原) and are best done together. The Hou-Feng Bike Path (后豐鐵馬道) runs southward from Houli District (后里) while the
President William Lai’s (賴清德) March 13 national security speech marked a turning point. He signaled that the government was finally getting serious about a whole-of-society approach to defending the nation. The presidential office summarized his speech succinctly: “President Lai introduced 17 major strategies to respond to five major national security and united front threats Taiwan now faces: China’s threat to national sovereignty, its threats from infiltration and espionage activities targeting Taiwan’s military, its threats aimed at obscuring the national identity of the people of Taiwan, its threats from united front infiltration into Taiwanese society through cross-strait exchanges, and its threats from
March 31 to April 6 On May 13, 1950, National Taiwan University Hospital otolaryngologist Su You-peng (蘇友鵬) was summoned to the director’s office. He thought someone had complained about him practicing the violin at night, but when he entered the room, he knew something was terribly wrong. He saw several burly men who appeared to be government secret agents, and three other resident doctors: internist Hsu Chiang (許強), dermatologist Hu Pao-chen (胡寶珍) and ophthalmologist Hu Hsin-lin (胡鑫麟). They were handcuffed, herded onto two jeeps and taken to the Secrecy Bureau (保密局) for questioning. Su was still in his doctor’s robes at
RSS