A Day Stroll Along Tamsui Old Street: Exploring the Beauty of the Tamsui River as Depicted by Literary Giants

Text & Photography / Chen Guanxin, MOOK Travel Life Network

 

Whether it’s the rows of delicious street snacks by the river mouth that satisfy every food lover, or taking a walk along the old street where historic and modern buildings stand in harmony, creating a unique blend of local charm, tranquility, and coordination—there are a thousand reasons to love Tamsui. In the early days, when the setting sun cast its dazzling glow, turning the brick houses, tile-roofed buildings, and foreign churches along the Tamsui River into a fiery red tapestry of splendor and serenity, painter Chen Cheng-po chose to rent a place on Chongjian Street just to be close to the Tamsui River. This also led to the creation of the much-coveted artwork “Sunset in Tamsui,” which later sold for NT$210 million at auction and is now highly sought after by collectors. Similarly, literary figures like Wang Changxiong and Japanese-style painting master Shizuya Kinoshita were inspired by the beauty of Tamsui, composing numerous popular and timeless pieces of music and paintings.

 

The Highest Auction Price for a Work by a Taiwanese Painter—Chen Cheng-po

The Red House in Tamsui, due to its elevated location, offers a panoramic view of the sunset over Guandu and the Tamsui estuary. It was a favorite gathering spot for Taiwan’s literati, dignitaries, and business elites in the early years, including renowned painters like Chen Cheng-po. However, it is most famous for Chen Cheng-po’s painting “Sunset in Tamsui,” created from the vantage point of the Red House overlooking the streets of Tamsui. This piece was sold for approximately NT$210 million at Sotheby’s Hong Kong “Chinese Contemporary Art” auction, setting the record for the highest price ever paid for a work by a Taiwanese painter.

The spot where Chen Cheng-po once painted while gazing at the sea is located at the right side staircase entrance of the Red House’s front courtyard. A fiery red brick building is set against the blue sea and sky to the left, delicately capturing the brilliance and tranquility of Tamsui’s sunset. Unfortunately, from the same viewpoint today, the once breathtaking scenery has been disrupted by subsequent construction, leaving only the distant spire of a Gothic-style building for comparison—otherwise, it would be hard to recognize this as the real-life location of Chen Cheng-po’s masterpiece “Sunset in Tamsui.”

 

The Former Residence of Japan’s Eastern Painting Master—Shizuya Kinoshita’s Home

Descending the stairs, you’ll find a late Qing Dynasty–style building—the former residence of Taiwan’s Eastern painting master Shizuya Kinoshita. Located at No. 2, Lane 2, Sanmin Street, this brick Western-style building no longer offers an unobstructed view of Tamsui’s stunning riverside scenery due to later constructions, but the Japanese-style gardens flanking the Red House and nearby residences still exude a serene and elegant charm. Especially when you pass through the alley behind the Red House and look down the stairs, it feels like stumbling upon a hidden paradise.

 

Originally named Genjūrō Kinoshita, Shizuya Kinoshita passed through Taiwan during a trip to China in 1918. Due to a fellow traveler falling ill, he stayed in Taiwan and rented a place at what locals called the “Three-Story House,” the current site. From the second floor of his residence, he could see the Guanyin Mountain and the mouth of the Tamsui River, so he often used the lush green hues of Guanyin Mountain and the changing seasonal clouds as subjects, paired with the tranquil, expansive views of the Tamsui River and the old street scenery, for his artistic creations. His paintings of Tamsui delicately capture the poetic and graceful essence of the Tamsui River—its mist, flowing water, wind, and shifting light and shadows throughout the day—evoking the delicate and emotive spirit of the river, akin to that of a young woman.