Sanxia Old Street

　　Sanxia Old Street is best preserved along Minquan Street, Heping Street, Ren’ai Street, and Zhongshan Road, with Minquan Street being the old commercial street from its prosperous past. To this day, it still retains the complete commercial shopfronts dating back to the Japanese colonial period. The former name of Minquan Street was “Sanzhengyong Street,” which has been an important commercial street in Sanxia since the Qing Dynasty. Many goods and commodities were traded here. During the Japanese colonial era, the street underwent urban planning improvements—the roads were widened, and eaves, arcades, and drainage systems were upgraded, transforming it into a neat and modern street. At that time, the street was lined with businesses such as dyeing shops, lumber mills, and tea houses, while new Western-style buildings began to spring up, showcasing the vibrant history of Sanxia. Next to Minsheng Road, located in the center of Sanxia Town, stands the Qingshui Zuoshi Temple, built in the 34th year of the Qianlong reign. The temple enshrines Qingshui Zuoshi and is usually bustling with worshippers. Alongside Longshan Temple in Wanhua and Bao’an Temple in Dalongdong, it is known as one of the three major temples in northern Taiwan. The temple is renowned across Taiwan for its exquisitely detailed carvings, earning it the title of the “Oriental Art Hall,” and is also considered a classic example of traditional Taiwanese temple architecture.