Tamsui Zhongjian Street Introduction
Chongjian Street is the first commercial street in Tamsui, where many notable figures from the political, financial, and educational sectors have made their homes. Originally a historical street stretching five to six hundred meters, it was established as a stairway community in accordance with the mountainous terrain, serving as the main street during the Huwei Street era. From the late 19th century to the mid-20th century, it thrived and is the best street for tourists to experience the charm of Tamsui’s hillside town. While the bustling Zhongzheng Road is widely recognized as the Tamsui Old Street, the real “old” street of Tamsui is Chongjian Street, located right behind the Fuyou Temple on Zhongzheng Road. Chongjian Street was originally called Jiukan Street, referring to the nine shops established by Fujian immigrants, and it has a history of over 200 years as the earliest developed commercial street in Tamsui. Just a temple's distance away from the lively Zhongzheng Road, it possesses an elegant and tranquil atmosphere. The cobblestone path gently ascends, showcasing century-old houses following the slope. As the commercial functions have shifted, Chongjian Street has transformed into an emerging cultural and creative attraction, where quaint old houses meet vibrant murals that tell the stories of Tamsui’s past. Visitors can enjoy a vintage date at the romantic alley of Dr. Wang Chang-hsiung and painter Lin Yu-chu, raising their hands together with the Eyes of the Sky on Fuyou Temple, gazing at the picturesque beauty of the Tamsui River and Guanyin Mountain, writing their own "When I Open the Window of My Heart."
