Vintage Taipei in Dadaocheng

This half-day walking tour offers a cultural visit to the history and main landmarks of Dadaocheng, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Taipei. You will also enjoy a unique experience in one of the oldest tea shops and see how a traditional tea ceremony is performed.

Dadaocheng was a thriving business district at the beginning of the last century that developed with the tea trade. The neighborhood maintains a large number of traditional shops and buildings, a fabric market and one of the most popular temples in the city. A walk through its streets offers the traveler a ticket to the Taipei of the past.

The streets of Dadaocheng breathe tradition. From its colonial Japanese brick buildings to the narrow alleys that lead to the pier, the entire area was designed as a starting point for the prosperous trading of the famous Taiwan’s tea, which reached its peak in the early 20th century. In this guided tour we will know the details of the rise and fall of this neighborhood.

One of these tea shops, run by the Wang family, moved to Taiwan from China in 1890. Their shop was their base for the export of tea to Southeast Asia. We will have the opportunity to visit Wang’s tea factory and discover the traditional way to produce and store tea. The store’s staff and our friendly guides will guide you through the basic types of tea (oolong, black, green, tieguanyin, etc.) and demonstrate how to perform a Taiwanese tea ceremony.

Browse a variety of authentic Taiwanese teapot sets and tea leaves and make a purchase if you like.

Currently, many young people have chosen Dadaocheng to open new businesses, so the area is experiencing a second youth with the opening of many design and art shops, as well as cafes and traditional tea rooms, and Dadaocheng has become once again one of the most vibrant areas of the city.

Dadaocheng wharf, once the most bustling trading center of Taipei with sailing boats, called bangka, coming in and out the Tamsui river carrying tea leaves and other species today is best known as Pier5 with its container-shaped bars and restaurants to relax, have a drink and enjoy the sunset. It’s also pleasant to ride a bicycle following the riverside.

Bangka 艋舺 are traditional small sailing boats used since ancient times by Austronesian people. It also gives its name to the oldest settlement in Taipei: Bangka, commonly known as Wanhua.