Xinzhuang Temple Street Shopping District Introduction
Xinzhuang means "newly developed street village," and it has a history of over 300 years, dating back to the late Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty when Xinzhuang Miao Street began to flourish. Xinzhuang is the earliest town in the Taipei Basin and benefitted from the convenient shipping system of the Tamsui River Basin, earning the reputation of "Xinzhuang Port with a thousand sails and a marketplace aglow with thousands of lights" during the Qing Dynasty, once becoming the third largest and most prosperous city in Taiwan. Immigrants from various regions brought their hometown beliefs to Xinzhuang to make a living, making Xinzhuang the area with the highest concentration of century-old temples among the many old streets in New Taipei City, thus earning the name Xinzhuang Miao Street. The Xinzhuang Miao Street business district, protected by numerous deities, contains ancient temples that have witnessed the rise and fall of Xinzhuang over the centuries, representing an important cultural heritage of New Taipei City. Among them, Guangfu Temple is designated as a national historic site; Ciyou Temple, Wusheng Temple, and Wenchang Temple are designated as municipal historic sites, all serving as important religious centers in the Xinzhuang area. While strolling around Xinzhuang, visitors might consider entering the temples to light incense and pray for family safety and national prosperity. The rich historical flavor of Xinzhuang Miao Street, filled with the aroma of incense, lies deep within its essence, with century-old alleys and shops such as Rice Market Street, Theatre Alley, and Ironworking Lane exuding the unique scents and sounds of the old streets. At night, Xinzhuang Miao Street transforms into a lively night market, featuring mouthwatering stalls offering dishes like spring rolls, Mongolian barbecue, minced pork rice, and red yeast rice dumplings, with steam and tempting aromas rising in front of the ancient temples, where every stall offers finely crafted flavors that stand the test of time.
