Zhongli Old Street Riverwalk, Xinjie Riverwalk Introduction
The construction period for the Old Street Bridge is expected to last until December 31, 2030. The duality of urban greenery: the Old Street Creek and the New Street Creek, pave a quietly flowing path in daily life. As you walk slowly along the Old Street Creek and the New Street Creek, you will discover that the city's scenery can also be as gentle as poetry. These two streams form the green duet of Taoyuan, quietly weaving the rhythm of nature and culture into everyday life. Old Street Creek: a pathway that reconnects you with nature. Originating from Longtan, the Old Street Creek flows north through Pingzhen, Zhongli, and Dayuan, and is named after passing through the Zhongli Old Street, making it an important river in Zhongli City. The Old Street Creek Trail is approximately 5.2 kilometers long, starting from the Bazizhun Riverside Park in Pingzhen and extending to the Huanbei Road in Zhongli, connecting Shinsi Park, Riverside Park, the River Education Center, and the historically significant Xinguang Fude Temple. It is not just a greenbelt within the city, but rather a tranquil passage in everyday life. Here, egrets and zebra doves occasionally glide past, and the surrounding greenery quietly envelops you. Each step allows you to momentarily escape the hustle and bustle of reality, returning to a pure rhythm. It's no wonder that the Old Street Creek Trail attracted over 10.53 million visitors in 2024, becoming the fifth most popular tourist and recreational destination in Taiwan. The riverside not only features lush greenery but also integrates environmental education and historical memory. From the local beliefs at Xinguang Fude Temple to the urban regeneration at the Old Street Creek Memorial Square, each step feels like flipping through a gentle and quiet urban walking journal. Along the way, you might catch a glimpse of tassel trees swaying in the wind and children playing on the slides, while the Xingnan Check Dam quietly guards the creek's rhythm, steadily irrigating 40 hectares of farmland in Zhongli and maintaining the ecological balance of the watershed. New Street Creek: between flows, it hides the past and present of the city. If the Old Street Creek resembles an elderly storyteller, the New Street Creek is like a quietly pulsating vein of water in the city. The New Street Creek flows through Longtan, Pingzhen, Zhongli, and finally out to the sea in Dayuan District, with the main stream measuring about 29 kilometers in length; the downstream mouth is the famous Dapingding Bird Watching Area. The New Street Creek Trail is nearly 8 kilometers long, starting from the Shuishou Bridge on Dazhun Road in Zhongli District and ending at the Mantingfang Bridge on the third section of Longgang Road. Along the way, you pass by cultural landmarks such as the Renhai Temple, New Street Elementary School, and the Zhongli Art Park, making this route not just a hiking path but a riverside corridor traversing time and culture. In spring, abundant mountain cherry blossoms bloom on both sides, casting a gentle pink filter over the entire trail; with a casual glance, you may even brush past an egret or a yellow wagtail. When you walk on these two paths, you will realize that healing can actually be very simple. Just like the Old Street Creek and the New Street Creek, they are not noisy or dazzling, yet at a certain moment, they help you rediscover the ability to be with yourself.
