Getting lost in Dadaocheng is a must. Taipei’s oldest commercial quarter runs along the Tamsui River and carries its history without making too much of a fuss — Qing-era trading houses, Japanese-period tea warehouses, and the Xia Hai City God Temple that has been organising the neighbourhood’s spiritual calendar since 1859. The neighbourhood surrounding Dihua Street has evolved well beyond its tourist-street reputation: Ri Xing Type Foundry, Taiwan’s last surviving type foundry, operates here alongside Kuo’s Astral Bookshop, a design-forward independent, and tea merchants in beautifully preserved shophouse architecture. Avoid the weekend tourist crowds and plan for weekday mornings or afternoons.
A short walk away is Chifeng Street in Zhongshan, once known as Iron Street for its automotive-parts dealers and scrap metal shops. It makes for a rewarding afternoon detour; the old buildings are still standing, but what’s inside them are now vintage clothing stores — some surprisingly good shopping at Mitty Goods — retro photography studios, and artisanal coffee shops that take their craft seriously. The retro-modern tension of this neighbourhood feels genuine.
