Xin Nan Old Street Introduction
If Peace Old Street is like a mainstream song that continues to be sung today, then New South Old Street is the independent music of Dasi. It isn't overly bustling, yet it spreads a unique artistic and cultural atmosphere with a wonderful charm that's unforgettable once experienced. This beauty of the old alleys, exclusively for the literati, and the nostalgic charm of yesteryears await your visit to listen. New South Old Street, also known as Zhongshan Old Street, is merely 500 meters away from Peace Old Street. Unlike Peace Old Street, which is lined with numerous shops, New South Old Street has been a refined residential area combining politics, economy, and culture since the late Qing Dynasty and the Japanese colonial period. Various governmental institutions such as the Qing Dynasty's Land Reclamation Bureau, the county government, post office, elementary school, public hall, and Budo Hall congregated here, resembling today's Taipei's "Boai Special District." Residents here were either wealthy or influential; notable families included wealthy merchants like Jian A-Niu, Kato Yoshizaku, and scholar Lu Ying-Yang, all prominent figures of that time. The odd-numbered side of the old street was home to the wealthy, while the even-numbered side housed workers' quarters, warehouses, and residences, clearly reflecting the disparity between wealth and poverty. Compared to Peace Old Street, the facades of the buildings on New South Old Street are even more grand and luxurious, exhibiting a mix of Western and Chinese Baroque styles. Each archway seems to compete in its boldness. The most eye-catching establishment, "Jian Cheng Commercial House," was the residence of the affluent Jian A-Niu, with its Roma-style foreign signage, a brass-covered central dome, symmetrical gables, and Western-style columns, showcasing the family's immense wealth with a facade three times larger than typical shops. The adjacent archways of "Yong Chun" and "Xian Ji" belong to the Lu family's grand residence, featuring a magnificent peacock tail display on the gable, with intricately designed auspicious Chinese motifs like an Arowana, Qilin, and arts crafted in cut-paper and paste. It is said that the construction was covered with canvas at that time to prevent imitation of its architectural style. New South Old Street also honors distinguished families who migrated to Daxi, with hall names like "Wu Yi Jiu Zu" and "Long Tang Shi Di," expressing nostalgia for their hometown. Today, as the grandeur of wealthy families has declined and their descendants moved away from Daxi, the luxurious street houses remain, with only the facades still testifying to the glory of bygone days. Next time you visit Daxi, consider taking a turn into Zhongshan Road, discovering a story behind each house, and experiencing the former prosperity of Daxi.
