MRT Danshui Line MRT Jiantan Station: Shilin Cixian Temple

Shilin Night Market (士林夜市) has long been a must-see attraction for oversea tourists. At its heart sits the elaborately embellished Shilin Cixian Temple (士林慈諴宮), a place of worship with a history intimately intertweaved with that of the surrounding market. In former times, because of its proximity to the Keelung River (基隆河), then a key transportation highway, peddlers would bring their agricultural and fish produce from the surrounding country and gather on the temple yard. Trading would start before sunrise each day and run well into the evening, creating a flourishing market that trades day and night. The market is centered at the temple and surrounded by four major roads: Danan Rd. (大南路), Dabei Rd. (大北路), Dadong Rd. (大東路), and Daxi Rd. (大西路), literally the“Grand South/North/East/West Road.”This was the earliest planned urban market area to take shape in north Taiwan, and today many century-old shops are still in place plying their trade.

The temple, which has been declared a Historic Relic of the Third Rank, has a classic south Fujian-style (閩南) layout. It was built to house Mazu (媽祖), the Goddess of the Sea, who is flanked by her two subordinate generals. They are the work-of-art created by master craftsmen in the era of the Qing Dynasty's Guangxu (光緒) emperor (1875-1908). Across the beam above the doorway of this majestic and sumptuous complex is a large, peeling old tablet that indistictively reads“In the year of Showa...” (昭和某年).

MRT Yuanshan Station: Along Zhongshan North Road, Dalongdong Baoan Temple

The area by Yuanshan Station is rich in historical sites. Starting from Zhongshan N. Rd. (中山北路), visit the Yuanshan Site (圓山遺址) archaeological digs and move on to Linji Huguo Zen Temple (臨濟護國禪寺), Taipei Story House (臺北故事館), and Lin An-tai Historic House (林安泰古厝). Then, head south along Zhongshan N. Rd., and spend time at Zhongshan Presbyterian Church (中山基督長老教會), SPOT-Taipei Film House (台北之 家), and other spots of interest.

In 1901, the Japanese built Taiwan's highest-ranking Shinto shrine, the Taiwan Shrine (臺灣神社), in where the Grand Hotel (圓山大飯店) now stands. The Chokushi Kaido (敕 使街道; Imperial Envoy Road), today's Zhongshan N. Road, connects the shrine to the old Taipei city. Later, in 1914, the Tudor-style mansion that houses today's popular Taipei Story House was completed on the shrine's grand approach. It was built by Dadaocheng tea merchant Chen Chao-jun (陳朝駿) as his private villa. Sun Yat-sen was once a guest here.

Next, walk west from MRT Yuanshan Station into Dalongdong (大龍峒), and you will see the Taipei Confucius Temple (臺北孔廟), Teacher's Residence (老師府; also called Chen Yue-ji Residence; 陳悅記祖宅), and Baoan Temple (保安宮), the leading cultural lights of Taipei. Dalongdong was long famed for cultural distinction and success in the imperial exams:“Every ten steps a licentiate (county-level degree holder), every hundred steps a provincial graduate”(十步一秀、百步一舉).

Baoan Temple, now over 200 years old, is a Historic Relic of the Second Rank. Its main god is Baosheng Dadi (保生大帝), the God of Medicine. In the early 20th century, two master craftsmen were entrusted to conduct major refurbishment; the complex is divided from the middle, with the left and right side assigned to each master for a friendly competition. If you pay attention, you can see how the two sides differ; the woodcarvings reflect the two masters' different styles. In recent years, the temple has undergone a major overhaul, with modern preservation techniques used alongside meticulous old-time temple architecture methods to faithfully restore the true historical look of the complex. The magnificent results garnered the site a UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Award for Cultural Heritage Conservation in 2003.

MRT Shuanglian Station: XiaHai ChengHuang Temple, Dihua Street, Qianqiu Street Stores

From MRT Shuanglian Station, a 15 minutes walk leads you into the bustling heart of the old Dadaocheng community. Though the walk is a little long, it is quite rewarding, allowing you a leisurely look at what was once the most bustling and flourishing area of Taipei. The area first rose to prominence as a riverport market town in the 1860s, during the Qing Dynasty, flourishing well into the 20th century. History is on the grandest display on three old streets parallel to the Danshui River (淡水河): Guide St. (貴德街), Dihua St. (迪化街), and Yanping N. Rd. (延平北路).

Guide St. was once known as“tea street,”home to tens of tea shops. Today, walking along the narrow street lined with arcade buildings with raised foundation, you will experience the history of the tea street unfolding before you. The raised foundations were the answer to the flooding of this lowland by the nearby Danshui River. Guide St. was perhaps once Taipei's most fragrant street, with rich aromatic scents of roasting tea leaves and dried jasmine flowers used in floral teas spread on factory floors.

Dadaocheng grew rich by the export of tea, and was home to many of Taiwan's richest men, who built mansions that are today official city heritage sites. Prime examples are the Koo family residence (大稻埕辜宅), customarily called the Koo Family Salt Hall (鹽 館), at No. 9, Lane 303, Guisui St. (歸綏街303巷9號), and the Chen Tian-lai Residence (陳天來故居) at No. 73 Guide St. (貴德街73號), home to Jin-Ji Tea Co. (錦記茶行). Both were created in the 1920s during the Japanese rule (1895-1945), and feature Neo- Baroque designs. Public entry is not allowed currently. From Lane 86 of Xining N. Rd. (西 寧北路86巷), walk west and you'll see a row of shoulder-to-shoulder two-story red-brick shophouses, called the Dadaocheng Qianqiu Street Stores (大稻埕千秋街店屋). Inspect the unusual cement drainage pipes, which sport bamboo-joint shapes. A short alley trip then brings you to Dihua St., where among the many attractions is the old post office, thoroughly renovated just last year, Japanese-built and called the“Taipei South Street Post Office”(臺北南街郵便局). Each Chinese New Year, the Dihua St. shops bustle in the shopping spree of traditional New Year goods and the post office cannot afford to be idle but deliver the goods for the joyous New Year.

Dihua St. is Taipei's only preserved“Old Street”(老街), and a wonderful living portfolio of architectural styles from the end of the Qing Dynasty down to the present. The neo- Baroque and neo-Renaissance facades popular during Japan's Taisho and Showa periods are found on the combined warehouse/retail/residential south Fujian-style shophouses and the two-story Western-design buildings. In addition to the intriguing architectural landscape since Taiwan's turnover to Chinese rule after WW II, Dihua St. has remained Taiwan's key emporium for fabrics, Chinese medicines, and regional specialty goods, creating an unbeatable combination of shopping and history-tourism opportunities.

Another not-to-be-missed Dihua St. icon is XiaHai ChengHuang Temple (霞海城隍廟), another Historic Relic of Third Rank, constructed in the mid-19th century as Dadaocheng took shape. Inside is the Old Man Under the Moon (月下老人), the Chinese Cupid, attracting many singles to receive his blessings.

MRT Bannan Line MRT Ximen Station: The Red House

Today's Ximen Station is located where the Ximen (West Gate) Traffic Circle (西門圓 環) used to be. It is named after Taipei's old city wall, West Gate (西門). The Japanese tore the old gate and walls down, and created the traffic circle. It slowly developed into a commercial district, and eventually evolved into the youth-oriented shopping and entertainment Ximending (西門町) district of today.

The Red House (西門紅樓) is a heritage site located almost right beside Ximen Station. Opened in 1908, this was Taiwan's first modern public market, designed by Japanese architect Juro Kondo. The structure has two conjoined sections; groceries were originally sold in the cross-shape section, books and antiques in the two-story octagonal section at the front. Today, the complex is a center for the cultural-creative arts, with a rock-and-roll venue and artist boutiques in the cross, and a cafe and theater in the octagon.

MRT Taipei Main Station: Futai Street Mansion

Futai Street Mansion (撫臺街洋樓), built in 1910 by a Japanese corporation, is a stand- alone Western edifice unique to its period. It is built as a mansion, but intended to be used as a store. The design is a combination of wood and stone, with the first level made of high quality stone from Qilian (唭哩岸) in today's north Taipei and the second level and roof trusses are made of wood. The Mansard-style roof and three dormer windows, one large and two small, add to the sense of height and stateliness.

MRT Zhongxiao Xinsheng Station: Huashan 1914 Creative Park

The heritage facilities at Huashan 1914 Creative Park (華山1914文化創意園區) were originally part of a brewery complex established in the city's heart during the Japanese era. Because of the land's expense and pollution problems, production was eventually transferred elsewhere. The site, today, is a priceless window into the city's industry and everyday working life during the days of yesteryear. It is a rare open-space gem presented in the middle of the city for public recreational

use.

Three sections of the Huashan complex, the tower area (M1 Building cluster), plum wine facility (E3 Building), and smokestack were declared city historical relics in 2003. The most striking features of the tower are its gables and wooden windows along with the lab-testing tables and other industrial-era relics left intact. The tower stands in a cluster of buildings, and their differing heights seems like dancing skylines. The Administrative Office building (行政大樓), tower, and Huashan Square (華山廣場) area is open, with no fence or wall surrounding them. In the afternoons and evenings, people gather here to seek some open space, and the flow of vehicles on Bade Rd. (八德路) magically becoming a tableau of urban landscape art.

MRT Xindian Line MRT Jingmei Station: Jiying Temple

Jingmei Jiying Temple (景美集應廟) is the only historical temple in Wenshan District (文山區). It is surrounded by the Jingmei Night Market (景美夜市), with the two combined into a distinctive scene. The temple's back leans against Mt. Jingmei (景美山), and before flows the Jingmei Stream (景美溪), two powerful elements in creating optimal temple fengshui. The red-colored railings at the front hall are in traditional Qing Dynasty style; though many such authentic elements are lost when temples undergo renovation, Jiying Temple has held on to its true historical appearance. A great day-trip combo—coming by MRT to visit a temple that has maintained its original good looks and then filling up on authentic traditional Taiwan snacks.

MRT Xinbeitou Line MRT Xinbeitou Station: Beitou Hot Springs Museum

The old area of today's Beitou (北投) was one of the first developed areas in Taipei. There are ample of hot-springs and heritage sites, making a visit to Beitou Hot Springs Museum (北投溫泉博物館), Puji Temple (普濟寺), Taiwan Folk Arts Museum (北投文物館), or other cultured destination an enticing option. At the entrance to this historical area is the 90-year-old Beitou Park (北投公園), a mere five-minute walk from MRT Xinbeitou Station, delicately dressed up with a circular fountain and arched stone bridge in the simple and unaffected old style.

Flowing down from the higher slopes through the shady green park is Beitou Stream (北 投溪). Sometimes wisps of steam can be seen wafting up from the hot-spring waters. The Beitou Hot Springs Museum and Beitou Branch of the Taipei Public Library (北投圖書館 ), are connected together by a wooden walkway, giving a good sense of Beitou's pleasant contrast of old and new and the strong local sense of community. The attractive building housing the Beitou Hot Springs Museum was opened long ago by the Japanese as the Beitou Public Bath; today the museum displays the original ancient Roman-style men's bath on the first floor, especially beautiful at dusk when the sun's rays pierce through the stained glass. The large tatami room on the second floor is suffused with the earthy fragrance of straw. Though there is bathing here no more, there is much to enjoy for visitors as they soak up the local history, in a place where Crown Prince Hirohito and Sun Yat-sen once came to refresh their spirits.