Inside TaipeiA Local Field Guide

Neighborhoods

Dadaocheng and Dihua Street

Old Taipei's merchant street, a matchmaker god and the best sunset by the river.

Dadaocheng (大稻埕) is old Taipei's merchant quarter on the Tamsui River. Its spine, Dihua Street, is lined with long, restored shophouses selling dried goods, Chinese medicine and fabric, with cafes and design shops tucked into the restored buildings. It is a calm, walkable half day: shop, visit the matchmaker god, and finish at the river for sunset.

  • MRT Beimen Station (Green Line, G13) for the south end; Daqiaotou Station (Orange Line, O12) for the north end
  • Best time afternoon, ending at the wharf for sunset
  • How long half a day

Getting there

Take the Green Line to Beimen Station (G13) and walk north into Dihua Street, or start at the north end from Daqiaotou Station on the Orange Line (O12). Beimen is one stop from Ximen on the Green Line. Walking the length of Dihua Street between the two is the classic route.

What to see

Dihua Street (迪化街). Dadaocheng was a trading hub from the late Qing dynasty, and Dihua Street still trades: dried mushrooms, nuts, tea, herbs and medicinal goods, sold from deep, narrow shophouses. In the weeks before Lunar New Year, Section 1 becomes the city's big New Year market, crowded with shoppers stocking up on snacks and festival food.

Xiahai City God Temple (霞海城隍廟). A small, very busy temple on Dihua Street, in Dadaocheng since the 1850s. Many visitors come for Yue Lao (月下老人), the Old Man Under the Moon, who is said to tie couples together with a red string; people come to ask him for a partner, and the advice is to be specific. Expect it to be crowded and smoky with incense, especially at weekends.

Yongle Market (永樂市場). The fabric market building on Dihua Street, where floors of small stalls sell cloth by the meter. It is a fun look at a working trade even if you are not buying.

Dadaocheng Wharf (大稻埕碼頭). A few blocks west, through the river wall, is the old wharf that made the district rich. Today it is a riverside plaza and bike path on the Tamsui River, and it is one of the best places in central Taipei to watch the sunset.

Where to eat

Two MICHELIN Bib Gourmand picks (2026) make good bookends to a Dihua Street walk:

  • Mai Mien Yen Tsai (賣麵炎仔), at No. 106, Anxi Street, in the lanes just off Dihua Street (nearest MRT: Daqiaotou, O12): a third-generation noodle shop serving traditional Taiwanese breakfast noodles. Michelin notes the crispy braised pork is available only after 10:00.
  • Da-Qiao-Tou Tube Rice Pudding (大橋頭老牌筒仔米糕), at No. 41, Section 3, Yanping North Road, near Daqiaotou Station: a family stall serving steamed sticky rice with pork since 1973. It opens in the daytime only.

→ Taipei dishes to try

A short walking order

  1. Start at Beimen Station (G13) and walk north up Dihua Street, stopping at the Xiahai City God Temple and Yongle Market.
  2. If it is morning, detour for breakfast noodles at Mai Mien Yen Tsai.
  3. Keep going north past the shophouses toward Daqiaotou for tube rice pudding.
  4. Cut west to Dadaocheng Wharf for the sunset.

Good to know: the weeks before Lunar New Year are Dihua Street's busiest and most festive time, but also its most crowded. On an ordinary weekday it is easy and relaxed.

→ All neighborhoods · Zhongshan · Taipei's temples

Sources

Dihua Street's trade and New Year market from the Taipei Times and TVBS. Yue Lao at the Xiahai City God Temple from the Taipei Times. Restaurants from the MICHELIN Guide 2026 Bib Gourmand list: MICHELIN Guide: Mai Mien Yen Tsai, MICHELIN Guide: Da-Qiao-Tou Tube Rice Pudding. Station codes from the Taipei Metro station list. Checked October 2026.

Questions

Which MRT station is closest to Dihua Street?

Beimen Station (Green Line, G13) for the south end of Dihua Street, and Daqiaotou Station (Orange Line, O12) for the north end. Walking from one to the other covers the whole street.

What is the Xiahai City God Temple known for?

Its matchmaker god, Yue Lao, the Old Man Under the Moon. Visitors come to ask him for a partner. The temple has been in Dadaocheng since the 1850s.

When is the Dihua Street Lunar New Year market?

In the weeks before Lunar New Year, when Section 1 of Dihua Street fills with stalls selling New Year snacks, gifts and festival food. Exact dates are set by the city each year.