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Dadaocheng & Dihua Street

Old Taipei – Still alive Today!

dihua street
Dihua Street was erected in the mid-19th century

If you are into photography, history, or are wanting to buy traditional gifts, Dihua Street must be on your list of places to visit in Taipei. 

classic Chinese musician
A woman plays a traditional Chinese musical instrument among one of the restored buildings

The Dadaocheng neighborhood and Dihua Street is where you can peak into Taipei’s colorful past. This part of Datong District 大同區 is rich in history like no other parts of Taipei. Here, you can see ancient buildings, shops that sell traditional products such as Chinese medicine and pottery, as well as quaint tea houses and restaurants.

taiwanese man and woman
Dadaocheng is a popular destination for Taipei locals – young and old

Table of Contents

  • Facts about Dihua Street and Dadaocheng
  • How much time should you plan to visit Dihua Street?
  • What are the main attractions in Dadaocheng?
  • Popular things / gifts to buy in Dadaocheng
  • Places to eat on Dihua Street
  • How to get to Dadaocheng and Dihua Street?
  • Pictures of Dadaocheng Area
  • Related Content

Facts about Dihua Street and Dadaocheng

  • Dadaocheng 大稻埕 is also called Twatutia, which is a transliteration of the Taiwanese Hokkien Tōa-tiū-tiâ .
  • Dadaocheng was an important trading port in the 19th century – especially for tea. The wharf area is still there today, by the Tamsui River, and it’s one of the most popular places in Taipei to watch the sunset.
  • Dihua Street 迪化街 has a few buildings that are more than 100 years old.
  • Dihua Jie (jie means street in Chinese) was constructed in the 1850s.
  • It is Taipei’s most historically diverse street in terms of architecture due to Mainland Chinese, European, and Japanese influences.
taipei tourist attraction dadaocheng
Dadaocheng is still a major historical tourist attraction and shopping area
dihua street buildings
On Dihua Street, there is a mixture of old southern Chinese architecture, Western-style trading companies, and Baroque facades. On this picture, the “ten consecutive buildings” 迪化街十連棟, at the northern end of Dadaocheng.
dihua jie restaurant
Today, the area has undergone massive revitalization with old buildings given new life and modern shops bringing in new energy – without breaking the old vibe of the hood.
traditional chinese goods
Traditional goods are still sold on street-level premises. You can find everything from Chinese medicine, herbs, spices, incense, dried fruit, temple goods

taiwanese girl on dihua street

Ruby and I spent an entire afternoon in the Dadaocheng neighborhood in the fall of 2020, and most of the pictures in this article are from that day. We started our day in the northern part, at 迪化街十連棟 which translates as “ten consecutive buildings” and walked all the way to Beimen, Taipei City Wall North Gate.

dadaocheng taipei
Local shopkeepers keep the original atmosphere of old Taipei well alive
In the early 20th century, European settlers were living here

How much time should you plan to visit Dihua Street?

We walked around for about 4 hours and we only saw the main sights along the road. You could very easily spend 2-3 days exploring the entire area of Dadaocheng, as there are so many little art shops, stores, temples, parks, cafes, street food. It’s a good idea I think to start in the north and make you way south. This way, you will arrive near Taipei Main Station, from where you can catch an MRT train to your next destination.

chinese temple money
A man folds and stacks joss paper, also known as ghost money

What are the main attractions in Dadaocheng?

In my opinion, Dihua Street and the back alleys are the main attractions in themselves. Even if you were to not walk into any store, you would feel like you’ve crossed a massive open air museum. Still, there are so many specific attractions and sights. Here are the main ones:

  • Taipei Xiahai City God Temple
  • Yongle Fabric Market
  • Dadaocheng Wharf
  • Ten Consecutive Buildings
  • Dadaocheng Cisheng Temple
  • Taipei City Wall – North Gate
  • Dadaocheng Theater (above Yongle Market)
taipei xiahai city god temple
Taipei Xiahai City God Temple

Popular things / gifts to buy in Dadaocheng

  • Chinese medicine
  • tea
  • traditional Chinese cake
  • Chinese lanterns
  • pottery
  • paintings
  • Buddhist items
old chinese farming tools
A store specializes in ancient farming tools, knives, and bamboo accessories.
Taiwanese tea
Taiwanese tea is sold everywhere in this neighborhood.

Places to eat on Dihua Street

While here, make sure to try Tong An Le restaurant! It’s a nice little teahouse which serves set meals with pork balls soup. Pork in broth is the local specialty here, and Tong An Le’s take on it is exceptional. The set meal comes with veggies, rice, fruit, and tea.

dihua street restaurant
Set meal at Tong An Le Restaurant

Ruby had the set meal and as usual I stole half her food. I had black coffee and it was on the light side, but flavorful. We also got some traditional Chinese cakes and they were honestly the best I’ve ever had! I’m not a fan of those cute little things, I’m more of a dirty brownie kinda guy, but they were good!

tong an le restaurant
Tong An Le restaurant interior

Name in Chinese: 同安樂
Address
:
242, Section 1, Dihua St, Datong District
Phone: 02 2557 6939


How to get to Dadaocheng and Dihua Street?

If you wish to walk Dihua Street from north to south, which I recommend, then you can take the MRT and get off at Daqiaotou Station 大橋頭站. From there, it’s a quick 200m on foot to the “entrance” and the first sight you’ll see on your right are the ten consecutive buildings, which are some of the most photogenic in the area.

Courtyard on Dihua street
Courtyard on Dihua Street

Pictures of Dadaocheng Area

Classical Chinese orchestra
Live Chinese classical music by the Ten Consecutive Buildings, in the northern part of the neighborhood
Taipei people
Selfie time!
迪化街台北
Alcohol & Tea Shop
taiwanese couple take a selfie
A Taiwanese couple takes a selfie in front of City God Temple
taipei street vendor
Some vendors set up shop temporarily on street corners to sell their wares
taiwanese kid and grandma
Many locals flock here to grab a bite at one of the many street food stalls
dadaocheng neighborhood 2020
Saturday and Sunday are busiest in Dadaocheng
taipei matchmaking temple
A girl prays at Xiahai City God Temple. The temple is famous for its matchmaking powers.
taiwanese girl praying
More incense burned in the hope of finding Mr. Right
Taipei Xiahai City God Temple
Inside City God temple
Yongle Market
Yongle Market

taiwanese grandfather and grandson


Related Content

  • Taipei Temples
  • Taipei Memorials and Museums
  • Tainan City Travel Guide
  • Jiufen Travel Guide

Filed Under: Taipei Tagged With: Attraction

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ugo taiwanese secrets websiteI’m the weirdo behind this site. I’ve been living in Taiwan since 2000, so basically I’ve spent half my life here. I have a big passion for everything Formosa and I’ve been working on this website since 2008 to share the beauty of Taiwan with the world! Read more about me.

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