Taiwan Travel Journal 2024.06.08 台灣旅行日記 (大稻埕)

Dadaocheng was once the tribal land of the Basai people, one of the Pingpu aboriginal groups. In 1851, Han settlers arrived to do business and established shops in the area. Because residents created large open spaces to dry rice and grain, the area became known as Dadaocheng (大稻埕), which translates to “Big Rice Wharf.”

After the opening of Tamsui Port in 1860, Dadaocheng flourished into a bustling commercial hub in Taipei, primarily trading tea and cloth. Its rise was closely tied to the development of Taiwan’s tea industry. Around that time, British businessman John Dodd came to Taiwan to inspect camphor production sites but unexpectedly discovered that the region was well-suited for growing tea. He introduced tea seedlings from Anxi, Fujian, with plans to build a tea factory in Bangka. However, due to the extreme xenophobia and frequent conflicts among the locals in Bangka, he was forced to relocate the factory to Dadaocheng in the north.

Soon after, many foreign and Fujianese tea merchants followed suit, establishing tea factories in Dadaocheng. This resulted in two major economic centers: Bangka in the south and Dadaocheng in the north.

During the Japanese colonial period, Japanese merchants pushed back against foreign influence and shifted their focus to markets in Japan and Southeast Asia. However, after World War II, Dadaocheng gradually lost its function as a river port due to the siltation of the Tamsui River. At the same time, Taiwanese tea struggled to compete with Ceylon black tea, leading to the area's decline.

Although its role as a commercial wharf is no longer the same, Dadaocheng’s charm endures. Its stunning Baroque buildings, traditional Minnan houses, red-brick Western-style architecture, tea shops, herbal medicine stores, fabric vendors, street snacks, and more continue to attract visitors. Today, Dadaocheng has been transformed into a vibrant area where people come to relax and enjoy the blend of history and modern leisure.

大稻埕原為平埔原住民巴賽族的所在地，1851 年漢人開始遷至此經商並開設店鋪，因居民在此地設立大片曬稻穀的空地，平時則為農產品交易場所，故以大稻埕為名。

1860 年淡水開港後，大稻埕成為臺北商業貿易的重要之地，以茶葉與布料的貿易為主。大稻埕的崛起與茶葉發展的歷史息息相關，當時英國商人陶德來臺考察樟腦產地，意外發現臺灣極適合種植茶葉，遂引進福建安溪茶苗，原本想在艋舺興建製茶場，但艋舺人極度排外，衝突不斷，迫使他將製茶場設置在北邊的大稻埕。

之後陸續很多的洋行來或福建茶商來這邊設茶廠，形成「南艋舺，北大稻埕」兩大經濟中心。

日治時期後日商抵制洋行勢力，轉而以日本與東南亞為主要市場。戰後大稻埕因淡水河淤淺逐漸失去河港功能，且臺產茶葉不敵錫蘭紅茶的競爭，大稻埕逐漸沒落。

現今雖然碼頭功能不復當年，但大稻埕華麗的巴洛克式建築、傳統的閩南房、明亮的紅磚洋樓、茶行、藥行、布行、小吃等都是吸引遊客的亮點，大稻埕已轉型為民眾休閒遊憩的去處。

Dihua Street Ten Buildings 迪化街十連棟

Dihua Street Ten Buildings is a Baroque-style, two-story structure consisting of 10 connected buildings (even-numbered 348 to 366 on Section 1 of Dihua Street). Completed in 1912, it was once a bustling center of commerce. During its peak business period, six families operated businesses there—five of them ran rice mills, and one operated a sewing thread factory.

In the early days, when land transportation was inconvenient, goods were primarily transported by water. Each 100-kilogram bag of rice was shipped to the Taipei Bridge Pier and then delivered to nearby rice mills using human-powered wagons for sale or OEM processing. The convenient access to water transportation attracted the rice milling industry. The back doors of the buildings faced the Tamsui River, making rice shipping efficient. Rice was milled and processed in the rear sections of the buildings, while the finished product was displayed and sold at the front, facing Dihua Street—a busy thoroughfare with heavy foot traffic.

After World War II, food rationing was introduced, and rice came under the control of the Food Bureau. As a result, the rice milling business declined. Though the Ten Buildings have been passed down through several generations, their original appearance and function have largely faded.

In recent years, the buildings were converted into residential spaces, but the arcades on the facade of the original structures have been preserved. Today, they stand as iconic architectural features that reflect Dadaocheng’s historical charm.

迪化街十連棟是 10 棟 (迪化街 1 段 348 至 366 雙號) 連續排列在一起的巴洛克式二層樓建築物，於 1912 年建造完成，在商業興盛時間，這裏主要是六大家族經營商業的店面，其中五家是碾米廠，一家是縫衣線工廠。

早期陸地交通運輸不便，全靠船隻載運貨物經由水路運輸，每袋百斤重的稻米船運至臺北橋碼頭，再以人力皮車搬運至附近碾米廠買賣、代工或代銷，吸引碾米業聚集於此。店家後門近淡水河，方便稻米船運，建築物後段碾米加工精製，碾完的米擺置店前 (面臨迪化街，大量人潮流動) 銷售。

二次大戰後，食物開始實施配給制，所有稻米收歸糧食局管制，碾米廠事業不如往常興盛，十連棟建築歷經數代傳承，原有風光不再。

近年在改建成住宅大樓後，保留舊屋的立面騎樓，成為大稻埕歷史風貌的特色建築物。

Across street from Dihua Street Ten Buildings
迪化街十連棟對面

We walked along Dihua Street until we reached Dadaocheng Wharf. Along the way, we were captivated by the Japanese-style and imitation Baroque-style buildings, featuring alternating red brick and washed stone façades—architectural influences from the Meiji Restoration. At the same time, we were also drawn to the unique shops, delicious street food, and charming tea houses that line the street… We couldn’t take our eyes off them.

我們沿著迪化街，一直逛到大稻埕碼頭廣場。一路被紅磚及洗石子交替受明治維新影響的日式及仿巴洛克風的建築吸引，同時也被這條街上有趣的物品、食品、茶行⋯讓我們目不轉睛。

Section 1 of Dihua Street, Yijin and Daoshi
迪化街一段，義進、稻舍

Li Ting Xiang bakery was founded in 1895. The first-generation owner, Li Tengfei, learned the craft of cake-making in Dadaocheng and returned to his hometown of Luzhou to open a bakery. Because the aroma of freshly baked cakes often wafted from the Li family’s veranda (tingzijiao), he named the shop Li Ting Xiang. The second-generation owner, Li Yuantan, expanded the business by opening a store on Dihua Street in 1951. Now in its fifth generation, the bakery continues to focus on preserving the brand and values of traditional Taiwanese pastries. In 2000, the Dihua Street store was renovated as part of a brand transformation effort.
李亭香餅店創立於1895年，第1代李騰飛在大稻埕習得製餅手藝，回家鄉蘆洲開餅店，因為李家的騎樓（亭仔腳）常飄出餅香，於是命名為李亭香。第2代李淵潭在1951年擴展至迪化街上開店，至今已至第5代，以台灣傳統糕餅的品牌和價值為主軸，2000年將迪化街門市改裝來改造品牌。

In 2020, Rice & Shine was officially registered as a historical building in Taipei City. It was formerly the Yixing Rice Milling Factory and has since been transformed into the Rice & Shine Restaurant. The operating team restored the old building, preserving the historical legacy of the rice shop. Through rice-based cuisine and cultural experiences, visitors are invited to recall and connect with the history of rice mills from the past.
稻舍於2020年公告登錄為台本市歷史建築，前身是「益興碾米工廠」，現今為稻舍食館，營運團隊把乘載米行歷史故事之老屋空間重新修復，透過米食餐飲文化體驗，讓遊客回憶起過往碾米工廠的歷史故事。

Luban Bar opened in 2018. In addition to selling wine, it also features the owner’s wood carvings. The bar is called “Luban” because the owner’s first love was a girl nicknamed Ludan (meaning marinated egg).
魯蛋茶酒館2018年開幕，除了賣酒外，也賣老闆的木雕作品，至於為什麼叫做『魯蛋』，是因為老闆初戀喜歡的女生就叫做魯蛋。

Fu Coffee 孵珈琲洋行

During the Japanese colonial period, Dihua Street was considered a commercial area for Taiwanese living outside the city center. When opening a shop or conducting business, the shop’s name was often directly engraved on the outer wall. Li Ganxiang is a typical example. It is a well-known brand on Dihua Street famous for producing sesame oil. The traditional method of making oil relied heavily on manual labor, which became unsustainable when the founder passed the business down to the second generation. Today, a café called Wonderful Time Dadaocheng operates in this location.
日治時期迪化街算城外台灣人的街，開店做生意都把店名直接刻在外牆上，李甘香就是典型的代表。李甘香是迪化街上知名的製麻油的老字號。傳統製油方式靠的是手工，辛苦又吃力，在創始人傳到第二代時就無以為繼了。現今是一間文青咖啡廳"美好時光大稻埕"在此。

The Lins Wagashi was founded in 1953. It is based on the belief that food should be natural, nourishing, and made with homemade fillings. The shop uses Taiwanese agricultural products to create authentic Japanese-style wagashi.
滋養豆餡鋪創立於1953年，以食物天然，最宜滋養以及餡料親製的信念，用台灣農產品製作出最日式的和菓子。

ADOLE 皮件行

Strawberry Daifuku 草莓大福

Gao Jian feels like an old-fashioned grocery store, filled with all kinds of vintage kitchen utensils—bamboo bags, bamboo baskets, handmade steamers, and more. The variety was dazzling, and we spent some time browsing through it all.
高建桶店像是古早的雜貨店，在這裏有各式舊時廚房器具、生活器皿，竹編包、竹籃、手工蒸籠... 令人眼花撩亂，我們逛了一陣子。

LeeRihSheng was established in 1986 and specializes in wild mullet roe.
李日勝1986年成立，專營野生烏魚子。

Qingyuan Traditional Chinese Medicine Wholesale Store is located next to the post office.
慶源藥行中藥批發店，在郵局旁。

Dihua Street is part of Dadaocheng. Since the late 19th century, it has been an important distribution center in Taipei for groceries, tea, Chinese medicine, and textiles. It also hosts the grand Taipei New Year Market every year in celebration of the Lunar New Year.
迪化街商圈是大稻埕的一部份，自19世紀末以來一直是臺北重要的南北貨、茶葉、中藥材及布匹的集散中心，也是每年農曆春節規模盛大的「台北年貨大街」。

Yongle Market is located next to the Xia-Hai City God Temple on Dihua Street. The site was originally a garden, but in 1908, the Japanese built the Dadaocheng New Market here. In 1922, it was renamed "Yongle Market." A major reconstruction and expansion took place in 1933, resulting in eight bungalows that could accommodate more than 200 stores. At the time, it was the largest market in Taiwan.

Originally focused on selling food and snacks, the market gradually evolved due to the arrival of fabrics brought in by ship. A cloth market formed near Dadaocheng Pier, eventually becoming Taiwan's largest wholesale hub for imported fabrics. After World War II, with government support and manufacturers' efforts in research and development, it developed into a full-scale textile market—Taiwan’s largest center for fabric wholesale and retail.

The original market building was demolished in 1982 and rebuilt on the same site, with construction completed in 1985. In 2010, it was renamed "Yongle Fabric Market" to distinguish it from traditional markets.

永樂市場位於迪化街霞海城隍廟旁，這個位置原本是一座花園，1908年日本人在此建大稻埕新市場，1922年改稱「永樂町市場」，1933年大規模改築與增建，共八棟平房，可容納二百多家店面，是當時臺灣最大的市場。

原先販賣飲食小吃為主的市場，由於船舶帶來布料，大稻埕碼頭附近逐漸形成布市，成為台灣最大的進口布料批發地；戰後，由於政府的鼓勵及廠商的研發，這裡變成全台灣最大的布料批發零售中心。

原市場於1982年拆除，原地重建，1985年完工，2010年為與傳統市場區隔，改名為「永樂布業商場」。

Dadaocheng Theater is located on the 8th and 9th floors of the Yongle Market building and is dedicated to promoting traditional opera. The theater on the 9th floor hosts various performances, including Taiwanese opera, Peking opera, Nanguan, Beiguan, Hakka opera, and traditional storytelling or rap performances. The 8th-floor theater features regular puppet shows, Nanguan, and rap programs. In addition, various rehearsal rooms and other spaces are available for rent by performing arts groups.
大稻埕戲苑位於永樂市場大樓8、9樓，以推廣傳統戲曲為目標，九樓劇場辦理各項傳統戲曲如歌仔戲、京劇、南管、北管、客家戲、說唱等演出，八樓曲藝場則規劃常態性布袋戲、南管、說唱節目，各排練室等空間亦提供藝文團體租借使用。

Although the name of this building, constructed in 1917, is A.S. WATSON & Co., it is not affiliated with the well-known drugstore chain we know today. It was built by Mr. Li Junqi, a medicinal materials merchant who acquired the rights to use the Watsons trademark during the Japanese colonial period.

In the 1990s, the building was severely damaged by a fire that destroyed all of its internal wooden structures, leaving only the stone exterior walls. It was designated a municipal historic site in 2005. After years of dedicated restoration by Li’s descendants, the building has been returned to its former glory.

Today, it is rented to the 小藝埕 Art Yard team, who have preserved the original A.S. WATSON & Co. facade while transforming the three-story space from a former Western medicine shop into a cultural and creative hub. The building now houses cultural and creative shops, cafés, performance spaces, and a bookstore.

這棟1917年興建的樓房，房名雖是屈臣氏大藥房，但並非現在眾所皆知的連鎖藥妝店所擁有。它是藥材商李俊啟先生在日治時代取得屈臣氏商標權而興建的樓房。

1990 年代遭火災毀損, 內部木造結構全燒淨，僅剩下石材打造的外牆，於2005年列市定古蹟。經李氏子孫數年的努力下，這棟樓房已回復往日風貌。

現今租給小藝埕工作團隊，保留老屋「屈臣氏大藥房」的外牆，將三層樓空間從販售西藥轉變成文創概念聚集地，有文創小店、咖啡廳、文藝表演空間及書店。

The current Dihua Street Post Office was established in 1919 as the Taipei Yongle Town Special Post Office and has undergone several name changes over the years. Before 1946, the name "Taipei Yongle Town" was still in use. In 1994, it was officially renamed the Taipei Dihua Street Post Office.
今之迪化街郵局創立於 1919 年乃「臺北永樂町特定郵便局」，易名數次。1946 年之前一直使用「台北永樂町」地名戳，1994 年改稱「台北迪化街郵局」。