Discover Sanxia: Old Street, temples and Yuanshan

Sanxia brings together a historic commercial street, temple architecture and the landscape around Yuanshan. If you’re looking for hotels in Sanxia, you can first consider whether commercial history, architecture, local food culture or hiking on Yuanshan should shape your stay. The following places bring these different highlights to life.

History and architecture

Sanxia Old Street is also known as Sanjiaoyong Old Street and has been an important commercial street since the Qing dynasty. Sanxia Qingshui Zushi Temple offers another way to explore the area’s history: it was founded in 1769. After the temple fell into disrepair, Professor Li Mei-shu was commissioned in 1947 to direct the artistic design and technical aspects of its reconstruction. The temple’s history therefore spans both its 18th-century founding and its later reconstruction.

The main hall of Sanxia Qingshui Zushi Temple contains 20 elaborately carved stone columns. At the entrance to the main hall area are also three pairs of intricately crafted openwork columns. The temple also features a rare spiral coffered ceiling with a net-like pattern. Because it is difficult to preserve, incense is not burned in the main hall. The columns, ceiling and this rule offer a concrete insight into the temple’s design and preservation. The Li Mei-shu Memorial Museum collection also includes a guide to Qingshui Zushi Temple.

Old Street: art and food culture

Commoners Art Museum is housed in an old home in the middle of Sanxia Old Street that has been converted into a café. Its exhibition includes paintings by artists and dental instruments once used in the owner’s grandfather’s practice. In this way, artworks are displayed alongside objects from the owner’s family history.

Golden Ox Horn pastries and handmade douhua tofu pudding, considered a third-generation family tradition, are associated with Sanxia Old Street. Alongside its long history as a commercial street, the street is also known for a variety of cultural and culinary themes.

Yuanshan and the trail

Yuanshan rises south of the Dahan River floodplain, offers wide-ranging views and is a popular hiking destination in Sanxia. Points of interest along the Yuanshan Trail include the firefly path in Changchun Garden and Yuanshan Colorful Wall. The mountain thus combines scenic views with named landmarks along the hiking trail.

Indigo in Sanxia

Sanxia Indigo Park is at the foot of Yuanshan. From the end of Old Street, it can be reached via Lane 128 and Ren'ai Street; check the local route when you arrive. The Indigo Exhibition Center is next to the Sanxia History and Culture Museum. Indigo-dyeing lessons and DIY dyeing experiences are offered there. If either activity is important to your plans, check in advance whether it is available.

Planning your trip

One listed route to central Sanxia starts with a train from Taipei Main Station to Yingge Station. For the onward journey, the listed options are the Taoyuan Bus on the “Taoyuan–Sanxia” route, Bus 702 or the San-Ying Line MRT shuttle bus 981. Routes and service names may change, so check current operations before traveling.

Explore more destinations: Xizhi District, Pingxi District, Shuangxi District, Tamsui, Gongliao District, Xinzhuang District, Zhonghe District, Puzi City.

For the broader travel overview: New Taipei.