Jinshan Old Street 金山老街

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Jinshan Old Street (aka Jinbaoli Old Street 金包里老街 Jīnbāolǐ lǎojiē) is a popular historical street in Jinshan District of New Taipei. The most famous delicacy here is duck, but you can also find other traditional Taiwanese snacks among the numerous shops and restaurants here. It is definitely worth a stop on your trip to Taiwan's Northern Coast. 

Background:
The first people to live in the Jinshan Area were plains indigenous peoples. The name "Jinabaoli" comes from the Chinese transliteration of the indigenous name of the place.
Chinese people began to settle here during the late Ming Dynasty, coming mainly from Fujian, and even more came to settle here during the Qing Dynasty. 
During the Japanese occupation of Taiwan, a road was built to connect Jinshan to Keelung and Tamsui, making it easier for people to visit. This road was improved in the ROC period to become provincial highway 2. 
Jinshan now has a population of about 22,000 people. 
Currently Jinshan Old Street is a popular place to visit for day-trippers from Taipei. 

Hours:
All day until about 7 PM.

Price:
Free

How to get there:
By Car/Scooter: From Keelung, take provincial highway 2 north along the coast until you reach Jinshan. The old street is right in the middle of town and there is free parking on the side of the road not far from the old street.
By Bus: There are buses that leave from Taipei City Hall station to Jinshan hourly. The ride takes about an hour. 
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Map:
​Please see below:

Our Journey:
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I have been to Jinshan Old Street about three times, and I have enjoyed my experience there every time. It is a decent sized old street that is popular and full of food options. You will not regret a trip here as a tourist. 

The main temple here is the Jinbaoli Cihu Temple (慈護宮 Cíhùgōng) which is a Matsu temple that dates back to the Qing dynasty in 1809. 

The temple was started when local fisherman found what they thought to be a natural statue of the goddess Matsu in a nearby cave. They later raised money to build the temple. Currently it is one of the largest temples in Jinshan and the religious center of the area. 

Another view of the temple with a green onion pancake shop in front.

Traditional Taiwanese dried snacks being sold on the old street. 

There is another temple at the center of the old street called Guangan Temple (廣安宮 Guǎng'ān gōng) which is dedication to Guangyin Pusa, the Guangshen Holy Emperor, and other Gods. One history of the temple states that early settlers from Yilan during the Qing Dynasty were attacked in Jinshan by indigenous peoples. Therefore they erected this temple to mark that this was their territory. 

Right in front of the temple is the most popular duck restaurant on the old street. The lines are long, so you know it must be good.

There are also a surprising number of toy stores here.

In addition there are also a number of children's clothes for sale. 

A shop selling traditionally cooked meat.

More photos of the old street in the gallery above. 

Once you have eaten your fill at the old street, you can trot on over to Jinshan Beach, which is actually a nice beach when there is good weather. 
​There are also many public hot springs in the area. 

Thanks for reading! For our full guide to Taiwan's northern coast, click here. 

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