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UCEL Individual Report

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18 views5 pages

UCEL Individual Report

Uploaded by

wingfish1201
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Name: Ho Kwan Wing SID: 20182494 Class code: CCCU4003-CL05

Question number: 2 Number of words: 499


The Five Cultural Spots
1. Jiufen Old Street

This is a mountain town located on a hillside in the Ruifang District, it has a thriving

gold mining history, the oldest theatre of Taiwan is also built there. The old street is

mainly formed by Kishan Street, together with some roads and alleys. Visitors can eat

nostalgic snacks, go to the teahouses, enjoy views with mountain, sea, and red lantern

light. The unique staircase style old building has a landscape like the setting of the

Japanese animated movie “Spirited Away”.

2. Fort San Domingo

The main castle ‘San Domingo City’ was originally built by the Spaniards in 1629 and

it experienced nine different occupation eras. It was once used as a British Consulate.

Another building on the east was once the Consul’s residence. It is now a National Grade

I listed building and a museum of antiquities. Visitors can see some English antique

furniture inside, the design of buildings, and enjoy the sunset view from its archway.
3. Houtong

A village is located in the hill behind the Houtong Station in Ruifang District, which

used to be the largest town in coal mining industry in Taiwan. Although the village is now

known as a cat colony, the large amount of mining sites is still kept. Visitors can take a

ride through the coal pits, visit the coal museum to learn about the mining history, taste

the lunchboxes of miners and local snacks in front of the station.

4. Sanxia Indigo Dyeing Centre

It located on Sanshia Minquan Street which was once a concentration of cloth-

dyeing workshops during the Qing Dynasty, the word ‘dyeing workshop’ remains on the

exterior of the building now. Visitors can try handicraft experience like towel dyeing, as

this centre aims to preserve and promote the declining traditional culture of blue dyeing.

5. Pingxi Old Street

This old street located along mountain slope and railway, with many old alley

houses built. It differs from other street because traditional strip houses are maintained

as well as some Japanese-style stores added since the Japanese Occupation Era. The

most famous activity on this street is to walk on the railway to put on the sky lantern.

Tour Introduction
People who love history and antiques might be interested in going to New Taipei

City, as numerous historical monuments are preserved despite the development of the

city. The vast number of old streets also maintain spaces for promoting traditional or

ancient cultures of Taiwan.

One of the most well-known old streets is the Jiufen Old Street, where fully filled

with nostalgic items such as traditional street food, teahouses, City God Temple, and

previous movie posters from the oldest theatre of Taiwan. People can also rent some

kimono to wear, and then walk under orange light given by red lanterns at night to enjoy

the full nostalgic atmosphere. While on the other old street, the Pingxi old street, sky

lanterns with people’s wish for happiness flying all over is the most famous view. The old

streets have become a popular place for both locals and foreigners, making the city

archaic but lively.

Fort San Domingo is a historical icon of Taiwan, the nine political flags outside the

main castle represent a testament to its complicated occupation history. The museum

inside displays several life photos of the British, while the buildings themselves exist as

early Victorian Tudor-style red brick arcade houses, together with an ancient city gate of

the Qing Dynasty in the southern area of the site. As a result, a city full of history and

historic mixed cultures is depicted by the historical remains.

Besides visible historic relics, some cultural heritages are also devoted to the old
feeling of New Taipei. For example, the indigo dyeing centre in Sanxia is built for cultural

conservation of blue dyeing. Although most people never wear blue-dyed clothes

nowadays, the technicians are trying to transform the traditional technique and items to

a vintage style artwork, rather than a daily necessity. This change helps in promoting old

culture of Taiwan, and at the same time, it creates a new market in the art industry.

Another unmissable spot for nostalgia lovers is Houtong, where people can visit the

hill village, the old train station, and some mining sites. These places, as well as the

transporting bridge and coal pits, symbolize a prosperous society in the past, and the

coal museum further shows the rich history of New Taipei in mining industry. Besides,

elements like the sound of train, the taste of miners’ lunchboxes, and the view of

railways are forming a typical old-times vibe of Taiwan, which make the city more

attractive with its overall nostalgic atmosphere.

The above cultural spots chosen for the historical nostalgia tour, coupled with other

relevant sights, signified that a developed city can be old. New Taipei City need not be

completely modern, but to keep its traditions in a stylish way. People may consider going

to some small towns or rural districts of other countries to learn their local features, but

New Taipei is the city where most of its past is preserved for people to experience,

instead of being vanished. Hence, the uniqueness of this city is evident.

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