Old farming tools and red wooden beds — a 60-year-old building in Old Street revives the grandeur of Taiping Old Street

▲Old Street Town (Photo / Courtesy of Old Street Town’s official Facebook page)

ReporterYan Xintong/ Interview & Report

Old Street Town is a backpacker inn located on Taiping Old Street in Douliu, Yunlin. It was built around 60 years ago during the Japanese colonial period. The caretaker says,“Old Street Town was constructed in 1958.”Preserving the original building structure and focusing on restoration and revitalization, it blends Japanese and Minnan architectural styles to create a uniquely distinctive time-traveling space. The owner, Guan Youren, also runs a Buddhist art exhibition hall — Capricorn Blessing Pavilion — which is located right next door to the Old Street Town backpacker inn.

Owner Guan says: In Japanese, the character “町” (machi) refers to an administrative division, which was later changed to “段” (dan) or “里” (li) after the retrocession. Naming the place “Old Street Town” is meant to connect the surrounding cultural history of the old street through this building, and to share with travelers the stories that once unfolded on this land.

Old Street Town has preserved many of the old items inside the house, such as the hinoki wood wardrobe and cabinet originally belonging to the previous owner. These were repurposed by carpenters into a bar counter, along with mirrors, wooden wardrobes, wooden desks, old dressing tables, and red wooden beds — all exuding a strong nostalgic charm, as if taking you back to your grandparents’ era.

▲Left: The second doorway. Right: The view seen through the peephole. (Photo / Courtesy of Old Street Town’s official Facebook page)

Push open the door to time — see a microcosm of Taiping Old Street’s history at Old Street Town

Owner Guan said he initially had no intention of opening a backpacker inn or youth hostel. He was just a stranger neighbor to this house called Old Street Town, knowing only that the owner’s surname was Wang, who had previously rented out storefronts to maternity clothing shops. The house itself had been vacant for many years, until 2014 when the banyan tree branches inside the old house blocked the signboard of the Capricorn Blessing Pavilion. That’s when Guan contacted the owner to discuss trimming the branches. When the owner, Mr. Wang (Wang Liangji), came to open the door, they discovered it was actually an old house filled with fascinating stories.

▲Left: A vegetable cupboard with carved floral patterns, used for storing meals and seasonings. It would typically hold ceramic vessels with water to keep ants, geckos, and cockroaches away. Right: Glass window with a pebble-pattern design. (Photo / Courtesy of Old Street Town’s official Facebook page)

After the death of the Wang family’s father, the house remained unoccupied for 18 years. The furniture inside included earlydressing tables,wardrobes,cabinets,vegetable cupboards, all made ofhinoki wood— high-end furniture of the time — along with everyday household items. These had not changed with the times, only covered in thick layers of powdery dust.

He recalled that what he saw at the time was a scene covered in gray dust... No one had even considered moving in. But at night, he felt a strong urge to renovate it and hoped to bring it back to life. Later, with help from locals and friends, all of whom were history enthusiasts from the retro-era, they decided to preserve the most valuable and meaningful items.

After more than three months of cleaning and organizing, with the help of many university students and exchange students from mainland China who loved old houses, they maintained the basic structure, removed wall fungus, repainted to create a lively atmosphere, and redid the plumbing and electrical wiring.

▲A rusty iron box filled with treasured memories. (Photo / Courtesy of Old Street Town’s official Facebook page)

Additionally, at Old Street Town, you can also admire items that once belonged to the original owner, Mr. Wang —The Life of Wang Jinsong、Farming Tools、Old Photos、Clothing、Suitcase、Old Taiwan Dollars、Vinyl Record Player、Books、、Kitchenware、Tin Cookie Boxand more. These items have been curated into a small exhibition,Through the family history of the Wangs, one can glimpse a social microcosm of Taiping Old Street’s development at the time.It has been very well preserved. Owner Guan believes that if such stories are pieced together regionally, they could almost recreate the former glory of the old street.

The biggest renovation at Laowu Ting involved manually removing the wooden partition where the bar now stands, right at the entrance. In terms of room layout, Laowu Tinghas only 3 rooms, accommodating up to 8 people. The options include a 4-person Japanese-style tatami futon shared room and a double room: the first-floor room—Zhuangrong (Dressing Room)—features an old vanity table, a red canopy bed, and usestatami mats produced in Douliu;the second-floor room—Rijū (Japanese Stay)—is a Japanese-style tatami futon shared room; there is also another room—Suiyue (Years)—which has a mirrored wooden wardrobe, a wooden desk, and a spring bed.

Yunlin is perfect for a nostalgic small-town getaway. Owner Guan says Laowu Ting offers free bicycles and suggested routes. Cycling through the streets and alleys allows visitors to get a closer feel for the local culture.

▲ Wang Family Old House preserves many photos that serve as snapshots of history. (Photo / Screenshot from Laowu Ting’s official Facebook page)

Laowu Ting
Address: No. 146-1, Chengding St., Douliu City, Yunlin County
Phone: (05) 5321 775 (Host: Daqing)
Facebook Page:https://www.facebook.com/Lao.Wu.Ding
Price: NT$500 per person
Note: To support environmental protection, please bring your own toiletries.