Following the Breath of the Old Street – Dihua Street

This is Taipei's oldest street, built in the 1850s, and it was once a thriving commercial hub due to maritime trade. Among the houses with red brick walls and wooden pillars, traditional herbal medicine shops, tea stores, and fabric shops lined the street. The aroma of herbs wafting from the shop thresholds and the sunlight streaming in made it feel as if you had stepped into another era. Near the South Gate, I discovered the Dadaocheng Visitor Center, which is over 100 years old. On the second floor, visitors can experience wearing a qipao (traditional Chinese dress), and the third floor features a recreated old classroom, offering a glimpse into the past. Walking a bit further, I came across the Xia-Hai City God Temple. Built in 1859, this small shrine is filled with deities of revelation and is particularly famous for housing Yue Lao, the God of Love. The bustling scene of people praying for love was truly memorable.