Qinglei Old Street: No Rice, No Problem? A Lively One-Day Old Street Getaway

By the MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network Editorial Team

Southern Houbi Township is one of the nation’s top golden granaries and the home of Taiwan’s champion rice. Endless stretches of lush green rice paddies form the most natural and realistic rural landscape. From transplanting seedlings, fertilizing, weeding, patrolling the fields, harvesting, and sun-drying the grain—year after year, the anticipation of a bountiful harvest continues. The story of "No Rice, No Problem?" documents the lives of these hardworking “doers” who have toiled their whole lives.

Due to the boost from the movie, Qinglei Village, now a household name, has become like a living rural museum, brimming with the warmth of countryside life. The rows of wooden old houses on Qinglei Old Street still retain their simple, original appearance, and the variety of old-time trades have also become a local highlight. That’s why Qinglei Old Street is also known as Bridal Street. The Taiwanese saying “a bridal dowry carried by a water buffalo cart” captures it best. As for “Rice Harvesting Meal,” it remains a shared childhood memory for the older generation in Qinglei. Popular in the 1940s and 50s, this was a thanksgiving meal offered to the heavens in gratitude for the harvest, then used to entertain relatives and friends who helped with the reaping. This once-fading tradition, revived through creative community-building efforts by farming youth, has rekindled nostalgia for the rural flavor, attracting many travelers looking to experience a wholesome rural lifestyle.

Qinglei Old Street
In the early days, Qinglei was an important resting stop along the main railway line. Back then, the old street was a bustling marketplace where all kinds of shops reflected the full spectrum of daily life. The lively and prosperous street scene earned it the title of Bridal Street. Strolling down this quaint old street feels like stepping through a time tunnel, immersing you in a century of charm.

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Kim Tek Heng Pharmacy
The Kim Tek Heng Pharmacy on the old street is the historic residence of the Ruan family. This building, over 240 years old, is a county-designated historical site. It's a Minnan-style shophouse with an attic structure, featuring simple and elegant construction filled with cultural character. The finely carved wooden windows, beams, and brackets still faintly reveal the charm of its past.