Dadaocheng’s No. 207 Museum on Dihua Street: Admire the Stunning “Ginseng” in an Old House

“Terrazzo” is a shared memory in the lives of many Taiwanese. Upon entering the “Dihua Street No. 207 Museum” in Dadaocheng, many visitors’ first reaction is: “The floor in my grandmother’s house looked just like this!” This half-century-old house features terrazzo inlays of honey and ginseng, hinting at its past as a traditional Chinese medicine shop. Now, through exhibitions, the beautiful terrazzo craftsmanship, once hidden in ordinary homes and temples across Taiwan, is being brought to light.

Text and photos / Mirror Media Weekly

Dadaocheng is a living historical district, where every old building has weathered the passage of time, each with its own unique story. The red old house at the entrance of Dihua Street, with its gently curved façade and simple lines, stands out with distinctive character among the row of ornate, faux-Baroque street-front buildings.

The “Kwong Wo Tong Herbal Medicine Shop,” built in 1962, still bears the shop sign etched into its window grilles. Despite changing hands many times, it was taken over by Chen Kuo-tzu, founder of the “Taipei Story House,” and this year was reborn as the “Dihua Street No. 207 Museum”.

Before even stepping into the old house, the terrazzo design of “bees collecting nectar” on the ground outside already caught my eye. Stepping inside, the floor features the words “Old Mountain Korean Ginseng” along with an exquisitely carved ginseng root—making the building’s former identity as a traditional Chinese medicine shop unmistakable. On the second-floor floor is an English-word-patterned grape design, and the refined terrazzo workmanship, along with the elegant terrazzo stair railings, all showcase the artisan’s skill—this is also a key reason why the old house was designated a “historical building.” As such, the opening exhibition was the “Art Is Everywhere – Special Exhibition of Taiwanese Terrazzo.”

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