Pingxi Old Street Introduction
Pingxi Old Street has an old-fashioned charm, with traditional houses built along the gently sloping hillside and beside the railway. It is also the famous location from the popular Taiwanese film "You Are the Apple of My Eye," where the main characters release sky lanterns to make wishes. Most nearby businesses are traditional grocery stores, hardware stores, and food stalls, reflecting the simple daily lives of local residents. The classic mountain town railway experience brings a unique sound to Pingxi Old Street, with the "rumbling" of trains passing over the towering railway bridge above. This century-old coal mining town still retains traditional linear street houses and shops styled from the Japanese colonial period, giving the street a subtle Japanese aesthetic. Attractions like the Eight Immortals Cave at Guanyin Rock and the air raid shelters from the late Japanese colonial period, along with the Peace Bell, are also great spots for exploration. Pingxi Old Street offers many popular local Taiwanese snacks; don't forget to buy some to taste, as they will certainly make you feel like you got your money's worth. During the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month, sky lanterns are said to have been invented by Zhuge Liang during the Three Kingdoms period, initially used to convey military messages. In the past, when mountain bandits roamed the area, sky lanterns served as signals to report safety. In the 1990s, the Pingxi area designated sky lanterns as a signature folk activity, helping the region find a new tourism path amidst population decline. Today, the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival has become an important celebration of the Taiwanese Lantern Festival, known as "Sky Lanterns in the North, Firecrackers in the South," and has frequently appeared in international media, making it the most representative festival event in New Taipei City.
