Stunning from the moment you board—Old Town Sightseeing Bus transformed into a traditional fabric shop

By MOOK Scenic Spots Chen Wenlin | Compiled and Reported
 
Following Taipei’s double-decker sightseeing buses and themed MRT train cars, Taipei has once again launched an eye-catching Old Town bus. The Green 17 route bus has been transformed into the latest sightseeing bus, featuring three uniquely themed carriages centered around the old town's distinctive industries such as fabrics, tea, and traditional Chinese medicine. These not only take passengers to iconic spots like Longshan Temple, Ximending, and Dihua Street, but also allow them to snap photos and check in within the distinctive carriages, immersing themselves in the textures and beauty of bygone eras while enjoying an in-depth exploration of the old city’s charm.

To provide convenient public transportation and highlight the Old Town bus route, the Tourism and Travel Bureau specially transformed the Green 17 bus into an Old Town sightseeing bus. With strong visual imagery, the exterior of the bus features a vintage, eye-catching brick-red color, adorned with uniquely styled text art, and outlined in white lines tracing historical landmarks of the Old Town such as Beimen, Ximen Red House, Xia Hai City God Temple, and Mengjia Longshan Temple. The interior is designed around three main themes: tea, traditional Chinese medicine, and the fabric market. Drawing inspiration from local century-old establishments such as “Qian Yuan Herbal Medicine Shop” with its unique traditional medicine culture, the “Yongle Market Fabric Shop” popular in the 1950s and 60s, as well as century-old teahouses “You Ji Famous Tea” and “Xin Fang Chun Tea Shop,” the design creates a powerful sense of spatial dislocation using "real-life settings."