Pinglin Old Street Introduction
Pinglin, primarily known for its Baozhong tea industry, is located in the middle section of the North-Yi Highway. Before the North-Yi Expressway was opened, Pinglin served as an important transit point between Taipei and Yilan. The Old Street of Pinglin is approximately 200 meters long, centered around the local faith center, Baoping Temple. Along the street, there are tea shops, rice paper shops, snack stalls selling tofu, hardware stores, and more. The Pinglin District Office and the Pinglin Farmers' Association are also situated here. Both Baozhong tea and creative snacks found on Pinglin Old Street are deeply integrated with the local tea culture. In addition to classic items like Baozhong tea leaves and tea eggs, merchants cleverly incorporate Baozhong tea into various creative dishes such as tea rice dumplings, tea steamed buns, tea nougat, tea oil noodles, tea mochi, tea macarons, tea porridge, tea ice cream, and tea celebratory wine, each bite rich with the aroma of Pinglin tea. The tofu on the Old Street is also renowned, made with sweet mountain spring water to create smooth tofu with rich flavor. Visiting Pinglin Old Street allows you to savor tea-infused dishes and tofu, experiencing the charm of this tea region with your taste buds. Located at the heart of Pinglin Old Street, Baoping Temple was built in 1862 and is dedicated to Xuantian Shangdi, serving as the spiritual center of the Old Street. The street retains several century-old stone houses, built with stones sourced from the nearby Beishi Creek, using the "ren" and "ding" brick-laying technique, symbolizing the agricultural society's hope for a prosperous population. The strong aroma of tea on the street has attracted many swallows to linger, and their shadows between the eaves have become a characteristic of the Old Street, adding vibrancy and interest.
