Sanxia Old Street: red-brick arcades, classic facades, and snack breaks

Sanxia Old Street is the kind of day trip that feels instantly different from Taipei: slower walking, heritage storefronts, and an easy ‘browse and snack’ rhythm. The street itself—Minquan Street—runs about 260 m and is lined with over 100 preserved historic houses.

The look is distinctive: red-brick arcade facades in a Baroque style that date to Japanese-colonial renovations begun in 1916. Sanxia was historically a Qing-dynasty trade hub for tea, camphor, dyed textiles and coal, and today it’s known for horn croissants and indigo-dyeing workshops.

Right beside the Old Street stands Qingshui Zushi Temple, founded in 1769. The current structure was rebuilt after World War II under the artist Professor Li Mei-shu, and its intricate carved stone pillars earned it the nickname the ‘palace of Eastern art’.

It’s free to enter and open daily from 05:00 to 22:00, so it’s easy to fold into your visit—pair the heritage facades of the street with the temple’s dense stone carving.

There’s no direct MRT to Sanxia. The usual approach is the TRA to Yingge Station followed by a local bus, or a bus from Taipei via Banqiao or Fuzhong MRT. The Old Street sits on Minquan Street in Sanxia District.

Because of the transfer, it pays to time your visit for a weekday morning—cooler, calmer, and easier for photos.

Go with one goal: slow browsing. Take your time, stop for snacks, and don’t overstack the day with too many far stops—budget 2–3 hours for the street and temple together. The reward is the relaxed mood.

Note the shop hours: Sat–Sun roughly 09:00–20:00 but Mon–Fri 10:00–19:30, and many shops keep shorter weekday hours. The famous horn croissant (niujiao) bakeries often sell out by afternoon, so go earlier if that’s on your list.

If you want a full day, combine Sanxia with Yingge’s pottery streets—the two together form the ‘Sanying’ craft area. It’s a satisfying ‘heritage + crafts’ contrast that still feels low-stress, and the transfer to Yingge is short.