Zhongli Old Street Riverside Trail, Xinjie Riverside Trail Introduction
The construction period for the old street bridge is expected to last until December 31, 2029. The duality of urban greenery: the Old Street Creek and the New Street Creek pave a quietly flowing path for everyday life. When you stroll along the Old Street Creek and New Street Creek, you will find that the cityscape can actually be gentle and poetic. These two creeks serve as the green harmony of Taoyuan, quietly playing the rhythm where nature intertwines with humanity in everyday life. Old Street Creek: A pathway that reconnects people with nature, originating from Longtan, flows north through Pingzhen, Zhongli, and Dayuan, and is named after its passage through Zhongli Old Street, making it an important river of Zhongli City. The Old Street Creek trail is approximately 5.2 kilometers long, starting from the Bazizhen Riverside Park in Pingzhen and extending to the Huanbei Road in Zhongli, connecting Xinshi Park, Riverside Park, River Education Center, and the historic Xinguang Fude Temple along the way. It is more than just a green belt in the city; it resembles a tranquil passage in daily life. Here, egrets and rice buntings occasionally fly by, surrounded by the quiet greenery along the banks. Every step can let you momentarily escape the busy reality and return to a pure rhythm. No wonder the Old Street Creek trail attracted over 10.53 million visitors in 2024, becoming the fifth most popular leisure and tourism spot in Taiwan. Not only does the riverside feature abundant greenery, but it also merges environmental education with historical memory. From the local beliefs at Xinguang Fude Temple to the urban revitalization of the Old Street Creek Covered Bridge Memorial Square, every step feels like flipping through a gentle and tranquil city walking journal. Along the route, one can catch glimpses of the tassel trees swaying in the wind, children playing on the slides, while the Hsingnan Weir quietly guards the rhythm of the creek water, steadily irrigating 40 hectares of farmland in Zhongli and maintaining the ecological balance of the watershed. New Street Creek: Hidden within the flow are the past and present of the city. If the Old Street Creek resembles an elderly storyteller, the New Street Creek is like a quietly pulsing vein of water in the city. The New Street Creek flows through Longtan, Pingzhen, Zhongli, and finally to the Dayuan District before reaching the sea, with the main flow spanning approximately 29 kilometers, and its downstream estuary is the famous Daping Ding bird-watching area. The New Street Creek trail is nearly 8 kilometers long, starting at the Shuimei Bridge on Dazhen Road in Zhongli and ending at the Mantingfang Bridge on Section 3 of Longgang Road. Along the way, it passes cultural sites such as Renhai Temple, New Street Elementary School, and Zhongli Art Park, making this path not just a hiking route but also a riverside corridor traversing time and culture. In spring, large amounts of mountain cherry blossoms bloom on either side, giving the entire trail a soft pink filter; an unintended glance may even bring you face to face with egrets or yellow wagtails. When you walk on these two trails, you will understand that healing can be quite simple. Like the Old Street Creek and New Street Creek, they are not loud, nor stunning, yet at a certain moment, they help you regain your ability to be with yourself.
