Dihua Street (迪華街) is said to be Taipei's oldest wholesale district. It's lined with over 100-year-old shops selling dried shrimp, shark fin, dried mullet roe, Chinese herbal medicine, Chinese tea, dried fruit, and more. Recently, a growing number of tasteful businesses, including cafes and restaurants renovated from old buildings and shops selling Taiwanese contemporary art, have joined forces, creating an intriguing intersection of old and new. It's reminiscent of the wholesale district between Higashi-Nihonbashi and Kuramae in Tokyo, where retro and modern styles intertwine.

A Wholesale District Where Long-Established Dried Goods Stores and Modern Cafes Intersect

Start walking along Dihua Street 1st Section from around Nanjing Road. This neighborhood is enjoyable just strolling around, with stylish cafes and souvenir shops alongside dried goods wholesalers. After a while, you'll come across Yongle Market, a famous fabric market. The market and surrounding area are packed with craft stores that will delight handmade craft lovers, including fabric stores selling Taiwanese floral fabrics, known for their red and light blue floral patterns, and specialty stores for lace and Tyrolean tape. The vibrant colors and beautiful patterns of Tyrolean tape, featuring patterns from Taiwan's indigenous tribes, really appealed to my craft-loving friend. She bought a ton of them, saying, "This, that, that."



Next to Yongle Market is the bustling Xiahai City God Temple. The temple is filled with people praying to the enshrined god of love, Yue Lao, who is said to grant love. Inside the temple, you receive sweets and incense, which you then offer to Yue Lao. When praying to Yue Lao, you are supposed to provide detailed information about your partner's appearance and personality (if you have a crush on someone, that person; if not, your ideal partner). This is why everyone spends a long time praying. Those who believe will surely be saved.




Browse the art gallery and shop at the daily necessities store

After your lengthy prayer for love, continue on and discover some unique paper crafts! Curious about who makes them, I asked at the art gallery where they're displayed, "Dianhua Wenhua Art," and they told me that the art is called PEPAKURA and was planned by paper designer Kain Chang. They come in around 10 different designs, including pandas, birds, deer, monkeys, and bears, and are apparently popular as fun-to-make interior decor items. In Taiwan, there's a long-standing custom of burning paper money (money to be used in heaven) and elaborate paper crafts like the deceased's house or car as memorials at funerals. Perhaps this custom led to the pop art of PEPAKURA.



Dihua Street is home to a store selling everyday items like strainers, steamers, plastic bags, and iron frying pans. I always end up just browsing, but I always end up buying something at Yongxing Farm Tools Factory. As the name suggests, this store sells farm tools like hoes and sickles, as well as wooden kitchen utensils, iron pots, baskets, and colanders. They offer a wide variety of high-quality everyday items at affordable prices, so I often end up buying a lot. This time, I brought home a bento box made of bento wood, a wooden tray, and a wooden spoon.



By the way, many stores in the wholesale district only accept cash. If you love shopping, be sure to check your wallet before heading out.


Next time, we'll take the subway to a hot spring and the beach.

>>【Vol.1】 A stroll through Taipei's morning markets, sampling local cuisine from breakfast to Xiaolongbao and sweets
>>【Vol.2】A stroll through Taipei's morning markets. If you come to Taiwan, you should definitely buy some dried noodles, which make a great souvenir.
>>【Vol.4】A day trip to a hot spring just 30 minutes by subway from Taipei Station, and a stroll around a seaside book cafe
>>【Vol.5】Papaya juice in the tropical country of Taiwan! Wandering around Tainan's retro streets and renovated architecture


＜DATA＞
Yongle Market No. 21, Sec. 1, Dihua Street, Taipei City
Xiahai City God Temple No. 61, Sec. 1, Dihua Street, Taipei City
Classical Culture and Art No. 178, Sec. 1, Dihua Street, Taipei City
Yongxing Agricultural Tools Factory No. 288, Sec. 1, Dihua Street, Taipei City
*The published data is from March 2017. Please check for details.


Interview and photography by Mori Yukiko
Her book "Edo Everyday Goods" (Heibonsha), which connects the Edo period and the present through tools, was published in Taiwan in May 2016 as "Edo Everyday Goods" (Nichigetsu Bunka Publishing). After the book's release, she became engrossed in Taiwan during her first visit, and has since visited Taiwan frequently. Thanks to Taiwan fever, my interest in learning Chinese, which I had once given up, has been revived, and this spring I even went on a short study abroad trip to a university in Taipei.