Some of Taipei’s more esoteric food traditions are quickly disappearing, but the temple and surrounds offer an unmissable opportunity to slurp braised intestines and other old school treats.

The News Lens
Date: 2018/04/30
By: Olivia Contini

The story of Taipei’s rise to become Taiwan’s capital city begins in the Dadaocheng (大稻埕) neighborhood.

Seated on the banks of the Tamsui River, it was the city’s first trade hub from the mid-1800s. Walking down Dihua Street (迪化街), the oldest street in the district, is like walking through the past. The building facades are immaculately maintained, and reflect the foreign influence on the architecture – a stunning mix of European Baroque and Japanese Colonial style with the odd traditional Taiwanese carving of tigers and dragons. This iconic architecture marks Dadaocheng out from other areas of the city.

Dadaocheng is unique in that the area’s history has been preserved while allowing modernity to flourish in a near perfect balance. If you visit Dihua Street in the run up to the Lunar Festival you will be greeted with a sea of customers frantically buying traditional dry goods from the shops that line the street to stock their cupboards for the New Year celebrations. From tea, herbs and spices, to nuts, dried fruit and unmistakably odorous dried fish, these old-school outlets are a sensuous treat.

However, the conservation of these historical buildings hasn’t stopped a wave of hipster coffee shops and craft boutiques crowding in. Entering one of these traditionally tall and thin buildings allows you to simultaneously enjoy the vintage feel of the past while tucking in to a flat white or immaculately sculptured cappacino. Dadaocheng is fast fusing its historical roots with cool modernity.    [FULL  STORY]