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
​
Tours:
You can book a walking tour to Jinshan Old Street on Klook here or KKday here. ​

Activities:
Don't forget that there are many activities available along Taiwan's Northern Coast such as Wakeboarding, Surfing, Speedboat Surfing, SUP / Paddle Boarding, Diving, Snorkeling Kayaking, Canoeing, Water Biking,  River Tracing / Canyoneering, ATVing, Horse Riding, Archery, Tree Climbing, Glamping, Motorcycling, Motorbike Tour, Dragon Boat Racing, Shen'ao Rail Bike, and more on Tripadvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here. 

Hotels on Taiwan's Northern Coast:
We have stayed at and recommend ​Gold Mountain Ranch, which is a horse ranch and glamping destination in Jinshan. ​You can book a night at Gold Mountain Ranch on Klook here.  You can also check out our full blog on the ranch here. 
Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Booking.com here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation in Taiwan.
Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.

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.
If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or  KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here.  
Looking for scooter rental in northern Taiwan? You can search on Klook here or KKday here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. 
By Bicycle: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan's landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can use Taiwan's many Youbike sharing stations, or search for rentals on KKday here, and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. You can also book a cycling tour on TripAdvisor here. 
For more information, check out our Taiwan transportation guide here. 
By Bus: There are buses that leave from Taipei City Hall station to Jinshan hourly. The ride takes about an hour. You can purchase a discount easy card to use on the MRT and buses from Klook here or KKday here. ​You can also book an MRT travel pass on Klook here. 
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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. 

You can book a walking tour to Jinshan Old Street on Klook here or KKday here. ​

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. 

You can book a walking tour to Jinshan Old Street on Klook here or KKday here. 

​You can book a customized tour of Taiwan's North Coast on TripAdvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here.

Don't forget that there are many activities available along Taiwan's Northern Coast such as Wakeboarding, Surfing, Speedboat Surfing, SUP / Paddle Boarding, Diving, Snorkeling Kayaking, Canoeing, Water Biking,  River Tracing / Canyoneering, ATVing, Horse Riding, Archery, Tree Climbing, Glamping, Motorcycling, Motorbike Tour, Dragon Boat Racing, Shen'ao Rail Bike, and more on Tripadvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here. 

Check out our guide to Taipei’s Old Streets here. 

Check out our full guide to Taiwan’s Northern Coast here.

Also be sure to check out our guide to Taipei here. 

You can also check out our full travel guide to Taiwan here. 

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