Taiwan Today

What is referred to as Bopiliao Old Street today is actually Kangding Road, Lane 173 in Wanhua, one of the oldest districts in Taipei City. Framed on the southern side of Laosong Elementary School, as well as Kangding Road, Guangzhou Street, and Kunming Street, the Bopiliao Street area is dripping with 200 years of history starting all the way back in the Ching dynasty, running through the Japanese occupation to the post-WWII period after the Nationalist government retreated to Taiwan from mainland China. It is the most intact street within the previously walled city of Taipei from the Ching dynasty. Mi Fu-kuo, an architectural scholar, says Bopiliao was an important area during the Ching dynasty from which lumber shipped to Taiwan from Fuzhou in southern mainland China was sent to be stripped of bark before distribution. This is where the area's name derives from, since "bopi" literally means peeling off bark. The old buildings along the street also feature southern Chinese style arcades. During the Japanese occupation, new streets were created in a more orderly pattern, and on the southern end of the area a new roadway was opened, known today as Guangzhou Street. What resulted was a rare situation of a row of buildings bordered by streets on both sides. At the time, many stores thrived in the area and were critical to the wellbeing of the people. For instance, the "Sun Book Company," a printer and book-binding factory, bound books with thread in a traditional way. This business contracted out its work to many families in the area. The Weiling Altar, referred to more colloquially as Shihgonggui, is a place where shamans exerted their power to expel demons from ill children brought in by their parents. Meanwhile, at the intersection of Kangding Road and Guangzhou Street are many businesses selling coal and wood charcoal, henceforth giving the area the name "charcoal market." The movie Monga (Wanhua District pronounced in Minnan dialect) filmed in the area portrayed scenes from the local streetscapes in the 1980s. Although it didn't restore the entire Bopiliao Old Street area, it did bring back some famous old enterprises in the area such as the Xiuying Tea Shop, the Rixiang Travel Service, and the Fengxiang Baths. While the younger generation looks upon the scene set up for the movie as having an Old World flavor, it was unreal for the older locals. Mrs. Yeh once lived along Bopiliao Street. She missed the place where she grew up and wanted her son to see the remains of the area, but she discovered that things were totally different with many stores being changed, she said. She complained that the architectural structures in the area have not been well preserved and the street has been turned into a folk culture village. The Taipei City Government's Department of Cultural Affairs said that after undergoing renovation, Bopiliao Old Street will become a special arts and culture zone. Hopes are that a larger number of culture-related enterprises can be attracted to the area, which can also be rented out for scenes in movies or television shows. The current exhibit of "mixed arts" held in the area is another aspect of the renovation aimed at injecting a new life into this historic space.