Dadaocheng (大稻埕) is one of Taipei’s most compelling historic neighborhoods and best places to explore on foot. Dihua Street (迪化街 or Dihua Old Street) is the area’s main thoroughfare and considered the oldest street in Taipei.
While Wanhua and Ximending attract most visitors to Taipei’s historic core, Dihua Street and Dadaocheng are just as rewarding for travelers interested in history, food, and traditional culture.
Dihua Street is lined with shops selling dried goods, medicinal herbs, and other traditional products. It’s a great place to find traditional souvenirs like lanterns and ceramics or buy tea in Taipei.
The area also features some interesting temples, traditional street foods, and great cooking classes.
In this article, I’ll guide you on a walking tour of Dihua Street and the surrounding area, hitting all the coolest spots on the way.
Quick Visiting Tips for Dihua Street
- Location: Dihua Street runs through the historic Dadaocheng neighborhood in Datong District, between the Tamsui River and Ningxia Night Market. The street stretches about one kilometer from here in the south to here in the north.
- Access: Reach the southern end from Beimen MRT on the Green Line (6 minutes walk), Taipei Main Station (10-15 minutes), or Zhongshan MRT on the Red Line (14 minutes). Reach the northern end from Daqiaotou MRT on the Orange Line (4 minutes).
- Best Time to Visit: Late morning (after all the shops open) and afternoon. Evenings are dead, but there are a few cool bars. A few shops close on Sundays or Mondays, but most are open every day.
- Time Needed: 1 hour to stroll the whole street and check a few shops. 2-3 hours for more shopping and deeper exploration.
- Lunar New Year: The street hosts the city’s most bustling 年貨 (LNY products) market for three weekends before LNY.
- Guided Tour: I recommend this Dihua Street Walking Tour. I tried this tour once years ago and learned a lot of cool information about the street and its historic buildings. There are also some free walking tours of Dihua Street.
- Taipei Fun Pass holders get discounts at over a dozen shops on Dihua Street. Read about the pass here.
Top-10 Must Sees on Dihua Street
For quick visitors, here are some must-dos on Dihua Street. I’ll cover each of them, and many others, in the walking guide below.
- Dadaocheng Visitor Center: Rent traditional clothing
- Traditional dried goods shops: The street’s signature experience
- Yongle Market: Historic fabric and food market
- Yao De Herb Shop: Traditional herbal drinks
- Xia Hai City God Temple: One of Taipei’s most important
- Taiyuan Asian Puppet Theatre Museum: Traditional puppetry exhibits
- Wang Tea: Tea shopping and roasting room
- Lao Mian Cheng Lantern Shop: Traditional lanterns
- Dadaocheng Cisheng Temple: Temple-side food stalls
- Evening Visit: Bars and sunset at Dadaocheng Wharf
A Quick History of Dadaocheng
Twatutia, as Dadaocheng is pronounced in Hokkien, was once the second largest city in Taiwan after Tainan, the original capital in the south. It lies just north of Taipei’s original settlement at Wanhua.
Originally an area of rice cultivation during the Qing Dynasty, the name Twatutia means “large square for drying rice and grain.”
Tea traders began setting up shop here in the mid-19th century, and the area soon became an important center for the tea trade.
After the port of Tamsui was opened to foreign trade, Twatutia developed into Taipei’s main commercial dock and prospered by the late 1800s. Most goods entered Taipei through Twatutia Wharf, and Dihua Street grew into a bustling center for tea, medicine, fabrics, and dried goods.
During the Japanese colonial period (1895–1945), the neighborhood continued to grow as part of Taipei.
When the KMT arrived after World War II, they renamed the area Dadaocheng and called its main artery Dihua Street, after the former name of Ürümqi in China.
Today, a variety of architectural styles remain on and around Dihua Street, including traditional Fujian-style buildings and the Baroque revival facades popular during the Japanese period.
Many century-old businesses are still operating today, alongside cafés, craft shops, and boutiques in beautifully restored historic buildings.
Temples, museums, and traditional foods complete the experience of exploring this historic Taipei neighborhood.
Also read about the similar Sanfong Central Street in Kaohsiung and the oldest market street in Taiwan, Anping Old Street in Tainan.
Dadaocheng & Dihua Street Orientation & Access
Dadaocheng is not an official district but a neighborhood within larger Datong District (大同區).
As such, there is no official border, but what most people consider to be Dadaocheng is bordered by the Tamsui River to the west, Minquan W. Road to the north, Chongqing North Road Sect. 2 to the east, and Beimen (North Gate or 北門) to the south.
The traditional heart of Dadaocheng is much smaller though, and focused on the area nearest to the Dadaocheng Wharf (大稻埕碼頭).
Search for Mikkeller Taipei, a craft beer bar, to find the southern end of the street, and this is where we started our walking tour.
I include the option to visit Dihua Street in all of my Taipei itineraries.
Dihua Street section 1 runs north (parallel to the river) all the way to Minquan W. Rd., and it is worth walking it in its entirety. Beyond Minquan W. Rd. it becomes Dihua Street section 2, which I won’t cover in this article.
There you can also find Yansan Night Market (延三夜市), while Ningxia Night Market (寧夏夜市), one of the most popular night markets in Taipei, is to be found just east of Dadaocheng.
Southeast of Dihua Street, Jiancheng Circle (建成圓環, here) was a large circular market dating to the Japanese colonial period that was closed in 2006 after two major fires, and is now a park.
If you’re walking from Beimen or Taipei Main Station to Dihua Street, it’s worth stopping for a quick look at Ri Xing Foundry (日星鑄字行, here, note the limited opening times), the only remaining type foundry in Taiwan.
This is one of the best places to get custom stamps made in Taiwan – you can find others in my Taiwan souvenir guide.
Where to Stay in Dadaocheng
If you are planning your Taipei trip and wondering where to stay in Taipei, Dadaocheng hotels and Dihua Street hotels are fine choices in the center of it all.
Not only can you have access to Dihua Street, Ningxia Night Market, Beimen, Taipei Main Station, and more, but some of these hotels are housed in beautiful historic buildings with a vintage atmosphere. Here are my recommendations.
Budget
We Come Hostel Great location between Taipei Main, Beimen, Ningxia, few steps from start to Dihua Street. Highlyrated, dorms or doubles. (see on Agoda / Booking / TripAdvisor)
Jian Shan Hotel Cute vintage style rooms with cement and red brick, historical atmosphere, decent prices for doubles practically hostel price, on Guisui street a few steps from Dihua. (see on Agoda / Booking / TripAdvisor )
Mid-Range
OrigInn Space Housed in a historic building owned by Lin family at entrance to Dihua street, nostalgic atmosphere, every room decorated with vintage items. (see on Agoda / Booking / TripAdvisor )
The Door Inn Minimalist style, white & gray, some rooms with balconies offering views over Dadaocheng, northern end of Dihua Street (see on Agoda / Booking / TripAdvisor).
Luxury
Palais de Chine Hotel One of Taipei’s finest hotels and home to the only Michelin 3-star restaurant in the city, Palais de Chine is within walking distance of Dihua Street (see on Agoda / Booking / TripAdvisor ).
Dihua Street during Lunar New Year
If you want to see Dihua Street at its most lively (and crowded!) then come in the weeks leading up to Lunar New Year, which usually takes place in late January or February in Taipei.
At this time, half of Taipei’s residents seem to flock there to purchase goods for the holiday, such as dried treats, mullet roe, and Lunar New Year decorations.
The road becomes incredibly crowded, especially on weekends, and most shops set up additional stalls and hand out free samples in front of their businesses at this time.
As this is the peak of winter in Taiwan, there are lots of tummy warming foods on offer and warmth produced by the crowds.
Dihua Street Walking Tour
I’ve developed the following Dihua Street walking tour based on multiple visits. You probably won’t be able to visit every place I mention in one visit, so pick and choose.
Every stop I mention is indicated on the below map.
Mikkeller Craft Beer Bar
Mikkeller Bar Taipei is one of the best craft beer bars in Taipei. This Danish brand is one of the biggest craft beer names in the world.
Housed in a cool quintessentially Dihua Street building, they carry a huge range of beers and have a cool second-floor mini beer hall with long communal table.
The bar is right at the southern entrance of Dihua Street (here), so it makes for a good landmark to find Dihua Street when arriving from the south.
Dadaocheng Tourist Information Center
For information and a great English map of the area, start your Dihua Street tour at the the tourism bureau-run Dadaocheng Visitor Center (大稻埕遊客中心, here), which is across from the large Yongle Market.
Check the maps here, ask for info, or even rent a traditional qipao for free for taking photos on Dihua Street. These are very popular, so you need to book it online in advance. Find out more about renting qipaos and kimonos in Taiwan.
A.S. Watson & Co. Building
ASW is a 100+ year-old building at the corner of Dihua Street and Lane 32. The building once housed Taiwan’s first Western pharmacy, A.S. Watson and Co., but is now home to a few cute craft & souvenir shops, a café, bookstore, and very cool bar.
One of those shops, Small Arts Courtyard (小藝埕, here) is run by ArtYard, a project devoted to breathing new life into numerous buildings in the Dihua Street Area. You may notice a few other other ArtYard establishments on the Dadaocheng map.
On the second floor, ASW Tea House (9 AM to 6 PM, here) is an elegant, British-themed tea shop.
They do all-day breakfasts, but I went for the Tea Set, which includes a pot of Ceylon tea (which can be upgraded to a variety of select Taiwanese teas), butter scone with cream cheese, and snowball cookies (NT340). The cute window-side tables have a great view down on Dihua Street.
In the evening, the tea house becomes Watson’s Bar (7:30 PM to 12:30 AM, closed Monday and Tuesday) and features a selection of whiskeys and local craft beers from 55 Street Craft Beer.
On the 3rd floor, Antique Bar 1900 is one of the coolest cocktail bars in the city. Designed to look like a turn-of-the-century European bar, you can come here to enjoy a fine selection of absinthes and Irish whiskeys. The staff dress accordingly and even use an old time cash register.
Yongle Market
Yongle Fabric Market (永樂布業商場, here) is a Dihua Street institution. Dating to the Japanese colonial area, the fabric market remains the largest in Taiwan. But there’s more than just fabric to see here.
The first floor of Yongle Market houses a small food market. At the entrance, people line up to purchase oil rice (you fan or 油飯), which parents customarily give away to family and friends to celebrate their child’s one-month birthday.
There are a few other food stalls with traditional foods inside and outside. Note that Yongle Market is closed on Sundays, while the food market is closed on Mondays.
The second floor is the actual fabric market, while the third floor is where people can take their fabric to be tailored.
The 8th floor houses cultural exhibitions (currently there is one on traditional Taiwanese puppet theater), while Dadaocheng Theater can be found on the 9th floor.
On the south side of Yongle Market (on Minle street 民樂街), there is a collection of tasty, local eateries. Yongle Tainan Fried-Spanish Mackerel Thick Soup (永樂台南土魠魚羹, here) serves a specialty common at night markets in Tainan that I love: thick stew with breaded, deep fried mackerel strips.
Next door, Minle Swordfish Rice Noodle Soup (民樂旗魚米粉) is another popular option.
At the front of Yongle Market, watch for Yanji Xingren Lu (顏記杏仁露), which specializes in traditional almond and shaved ice desserts.
For vegetarians, watch for the Buddhist swastika denoting a vegetarian lunchbox shop on the north side of Yongle Market – it’s here on GoogleMaps. Find more vegetarian restaurants in Taipei here.
On the backside of the Yongle Market, Yao De Herb Shop (姚德和青草號, here) is a photogenic Chinese herb shop dating to 1946. I found the chilled aloe vera tea (蘆薈茶) tasty and refreshing.
They also serve perotis tea (茅根茶), bitter herbal tea (苦茶), and Taiwanese herbal tea (青草茶). There’s a similar business next door, but with a less beautiful shop.
Wang Tea (Youji Ming Cha)
A few blocks east of Yao De Herb Shop, Wang Tea (有記名茶, here, closed Sundays) is one of the best places to buy tea in Taipei. This is the only tea manufacturer in Taipei where tea is roasted in the traditional manner, in baskets above hot coals, and you can even have a look at the roasting room at the back.
The tea shop dates to 1890, when the current owners’ great grandfather established it in Xiamen, China. He came to Taiwan in 1935 and establishing the current shop in 1949. They are known for their Baozhong and High Mountain oolongs, but sell several others at various price/quality points.
The tea shop faces Chaoyang Tea Park (朝陽茶葉公園), with several other tea shops around it.
See the end of this article for two more teas hops that I strongly recommend in the area, and learn more in my complete introduction to Taiwanese teas and my favorite traditional teahouses in Taipei.
Xiahai City God Temple
Dadaocheng’s most famous temple is Xiahai City God Temple (霞海城隍廟, here). You may be surprised at how small the temple is, but what it lacks in sizes it makes up for in importance to the local people.
The temple houses the Xia Hai Cheng Huang God (霞海城隍爺), which was brought over from Xia Cheng, Tong An County, Fujian province, China.
The city god is thought to protect the city, among other things, and there are numerous temples devoted to him in Taiwan and China.
The Xiahai City God’s birthday (the 14th day on the 5th month of the lunar calendar, usually around June in Taipei) is celebrated with a boisterous parade around the neighborhood, and is one of the most important temple festivals in Taipei.
Read about what is probably the noisiest and most dangerous festival in Taiwan, the Yanshui Fireworks Festival.
Interestingly, the reason many Taiwanese people come to Xiahai City God Temple these days is to pray for success in their romantic lives. In the last 20 years, the god of love, Yue Xia Lao Ren (月下老人), or simply Yue Lao (月老), who actually comes from a novel, has come to be associated with the temple.
To improve your love life, follow the below 13 steps, which are further explained in Mandarin here with photos.
1. Enter the door on the right and make a donation for a bundle of joss paper and three sticks of incense.
2. Go to the counter in the main shrine room and exchange the joss paper for a pack of offerings, including a lucky bracelet and paper, candy, and cake (first-time visitors only). They will give you a number to reclaim your joss paper later.
3. Light the three sticks of incense over the candles and carry them with you for the following steps.
4. Go to the incense cauldron outside and introduce yourself to the Emperor of Heaven (天公).
5. Return to the counter and get your joss paper back. Go to the main shrine and introduce yourself to Cheng Huang and Yue Lao. Tell them who your Mr. of Mrs. Right is. Don’t forget to promise them something in return after your love succeeds (locals bring a box of treats from their wedding for them).
6. Go to the room on the right and pray to 義勇公 (the tiger figure) for safety.
7. Pray to Cheng Huang’s wife (城隍夫人) for happiness, family.
8. Pray to Pusa (菩薩) for serenity and wisdom.
9. Return outside and place your incense in the cauldron.
10. Eat the cake with some “blessed tea” found outside.
11. Give the candy back to the counter for good karma.
12. Turn the red paper and string over the smoke from the incense in the cauldron 3 times, then keep it on you in the future (most put it in their wallet, while some people wear the string as a bracelet, if they aren’t embarrassed for others to know).
13. Leave your joss paper in the bin or on the offering table. The temple will burn it elsewhere on your behalf.
Just past Xiahai City God Temple, there’s another ArtYard place, called Artyard 67 (民藝埕), which sells some beautiful ceramics.
Taiyuan Asian Puppet Theater Museum
Next, we’re going to veer a little off Dihua Street to check out some cool spots nearby. Head west down lane 72, directly across from Xiahai City God Temple.
At the end of the lane, on Xining North Rd., you’ll see Nadou Theater (納豆劇場, here), which stages traditional Taiwanese puppet theater performances, though it might be a little tough to catch a show.
Next door to the theater, the Taiyuan Asian Puppet Theater Museum (台原亞洲偶戲博物館, entrance TWD 80) is the best place in Taipei to learn about this curious performance art form.
The museum houses exhibits on not only Taiwanese puppet theater but other versions from around Asia. Note that the Taiyuan Puppet Theater closed for renovations in 2019 and hasn’t reopened yet. Check GoogleMaps to see if it has reopened when you go.
To learn more about Taiwanese puppet theater, see this article I wrote for Travel in Taiwan magazine introducing the Puppet Theater Museum in Huwei, Yunlin, the puppet theater capital of Taiwan.
One block closer to the river, Chen Tian-lai Residence (陳天來故居, here, formerly called Jin Ji Tea House or錦記茶行), is the baroque-style former residence of a tea tycoon, and worth a quick look for architecture fans.
Dadaocheng Wharf Container Market
A few steps north to the point where Minsheng W. Rd. meets the river, you can take Evacuation Gate #5 to reach Dadaocheng Pier Plaza (大稻埕碼頭, here), with access to the riverside path, ferries bound for Tamsui, and a number of little temples.
This is where all the goods traded in Dadaocheng once came in and left the city, and the place that is essentially the reason why Dadaocheng grew into what it is.
Come here for in the evening for the relatively new collection of food and booze stalls called Dadaocheng Wharf Container Market (大稻埕碼頭貨櫃市集), also called Dadaocheng Pier 5 or Pier 5 美食區).
In recent years, this has become one of the coolest places in Taipei to hang out at night. This is also the site of the popular Dadaocheng Fireworks Festival, which usually takes place in early August.
More Historic Buildings and Shops
To see a few more historical sights, follow Minsheng W. Rd. east all the way past Dihua Street and Yanping N. Rd. (延平北路).
Take a look at Xing Hua Ge Alcohol House (杏花閣大酒家, here) on the north side of the road, a last-of-its-kind institution where customers enjoy banquet meals and can pay extra for the company of women.
Facing it on the south side of the road are two identically named Bolero restaurants, who both claim to be the oldest continually operating Western restaurants in Taipei.
In their heyday, parents brought their daughters here to meet prospective husbands, and the young women could indirectly decline by ordering nothing but a drink. Come here for a Taiwanese retro eating experience.
A few steps further down, on the north side of the road, Sin Hong Choon (新芳春茶行, here), formerly Guji Tea Factory or 古蹟製茶廠) is a baroque building dating to 1934 that was once the area’s largest tea manufacturer, and is sometimes open to the public.
Back on Dihua Street, Du Hsiao Yueh Dan Zai Noodles (度小月台北迪化店, here) is the Taipei branch of the very famous danzai noodles shop from Tainan.
Continuing north, the section of Dihua Street between Minsheng W. Rd. and Guisui St. (歸綏街) is stuffed with traditional herb shops. You can also expect to spot controversial items such as bird’s nests, shark fins, deer antlers, and more, such as in the photo below.
Dixie Lane (迪士巷咖啡, here) is a cool jazz-focused cafe that sometimes has live jazz performances.
Chen Wey Tea House (臻味茶苑, here) is a particularly lovely little tea shop housed in an ancient residence. The tea leaves on offer are a little pricey but of exceptional quality, and free samples are offered.
There are also several incense shops around the intersection of Guisui Rd and Dihua Street, such as this one.
Northern Dihua Street
Venturing north of Guisui Street, Dihua street becomes a little quieter and feels less touristy, but the buildings and the business they contain are equally atmospheric. Many of the cafés, tea houses, restaurants, clothing shops, and dry goods businesses open into arresting, leafy internal courtyards.
Ho Hsing 1947 (合興壹玖肆柒, here) is a famous traditional pastry shop that does a variety of steamed breads.
Just after Ho Hsing, inBloom Together (印花作夥) is a cute shop with woven and canvas products including lovely purses and laptop bags.
Lao Mian Cheng Lantern Shop
At the far northern end of Dihua street section 1, just before it reaches Minquan W. Rd, Lao Mian Cheng Lantern Shop (here) is the best place in Taipei to buy traditional handmade and embroidered lanterns.
Right next to it, Yehjinfa Rice Story Museum (葉晋發商號, note the opening times) is a small rice museum which also sells some local products.
Nearby, Lee Cake (李亭香餅店, here) is one of the oldest continuously running traditional pastry shops in Taipei, which I learned about in the book A Culinary History of Taipei: Beyond Pork and Ponlai.
Vegan Ramen
For vegans, there’s an excellent vegan ramen place here called Mukuchi Kitchen (無口小廚), just a block off Dihua Street. I’ve described it in more detail here.
Further down Dihua street, Rice & Shine (稻舍食館, here) sells traditional meals in a historic Dihua street setting.
This is the furthest north we will go. The below sights are to the east of Dihua Street.
Starbucks Bao An Datong
It may seem strange to include a Starbucks on a Dihua Street walking tour, but this one is particularly gorgeous. Listed on GoogleMaps as Starbucks Reserve (星巴克典藏咖啡 保安門市, here), this may just be the most beautiful Starbucks in Taipei.
According to Sylvia, my MyProGuide guide, the building is a gorgeous example of a compromise between construction companies and those wanting to preserve old buildings.
The bottom three floors (now occupied by Starbucks) preserve the original red brick building, while a modern building housing Taipei City Hotel 台北城大飯店 (see on Booking / TripAdvisor) sits on top. You barely even notice the tall building on top from street level.
The original building was constructed in 1929 by Yeh Jin-Tu (葉金塗) of the famous Yeh family. Starting out in seafood, the company Jin Tai Heng Shang (金泰亨商) made a fortune on canned pineapple and came to be known as the “Pineapple King” (鳳梨王) of Taiwan. Note the pineapples paying homage on the building’s exterior. (Related: see my guide to Taiwanese pineapple cakes).
The interior of the Starbucks is gorgeously designed as well, and the views looking out past the exterior’s columns are majestic. Here are some other Starbucks housed in historic buildings in Taipei and across the country.
Dadaocheng Presbyterian Church
Around the corner from Starbucks, the Dadaocheng Presbyterian Church (“Ta Tao Cheng Presbyterian Church” on GoogleMaps, 台灣基督長老教會大稻埕教會, here) has an interesting story, also shared with me by Sylvia.
When the Taipei City Government’s bureau of cultural affairs made an attempt to have the beautiful old church designated as a historical structure to ensure its preservation, the owners tore it down within days, not wanting the restrictions that come with official designation.
The church sued the government and vice versa, and the church won in the end. They later rebuilt a similar church on the same spot, with a surprisingly large addition behind it.
Dadaocheng Cisheng Temple
Another Dadaocheng Institution is Cisheng Temple (大稻埕慈聖宮天上聖母, here), sometimes referred to as the Dadaocheng Matsu Temple. What makes this temple special and unique is not so much the structure itself, which has been moved in the past from a different location, but the collection of 40+ food stalls in its forecourt.
Here locals gather for breakfast or lunch to be enjoyed under two large banyan trees in front of the temple. In the past it was primarily (male) laborers and taxi drivers who dined here, but now all manner of people come for the traditional food and experience.
Lin Mao Sen and Lin Huai Tai Tea Shops
Owned by two competing brothers, Lin Mao Sen Tea Co. (林茂森茶行,here) and Lin Huai Tea (林華泰茶行, right next to it), are my two top recommendations for buying tea in Taipei.
They are next door to each other at the northeastern fringe of Dadaocheng.
Lin Mao Sen has a fancier shop, but both sell a very similar range of bulk Taiwanese teas, with similar price/quality levels, covering all the main popular Taiwanese varieties, with a minimum purchase of ¼ jin (斤, a traditional Chinese measurement), or 150g.
The workers in both shops speak English and can help you find what you need. These are my go-to shops for buying high quality, locally produced Taiwanese teas at a decent price, just don’t expect fancy boxes or packaging.
So that sums up my suggested Dihua Street walking tour! I hope you’ve found some useful information here. If you find something has changed, or feel I missed something great, please let me know in the comments below!