Wanhua 萬華

Interesting Facts


Below are some interesting facts about Wanhua!

Fact No. 1

Did you know the district flower is actually Paeonia Suffruticosa (白牡丹)?

This is believed to be attributed to the Chinese song “白牡丹” which used this song to illustrate a young lady’s profound and unpretentious mind. Thus, this has been associated with Wanhua residents’ mentality of strength and determination amidst hardship.

Paeonia Suffruticosa
Chinese song lyrics

白牡丹,笑文文,妖嬌含蕊等親君,無憂愁、無怨恨,單守花園一枝春,啊‥‥‥‥單守花園一枝春。
白牡丹,白花蕊,春風無來花無開,無亂開、無亂美, 不願旋枝出牆圍,啊‥‥‥‥不願旋枝出牆圍。
白牡丹,等君挽,希望惜花頭一層,無嫌早、無嫌慢,甘願乎君插花瓶,啊‥‥‥‥甘願乎君插花瓶。

Fact No. 2


The district’s tree, announced during 2010’s Jia Na Festival (加蚋文化節 ) is Ficus Religiosa (菩提樹). This is also one of the most common trees in the Wanhua District because they are normally found within the vicinity of the numerous temples in the area.

Ficus Religiosa

Fact No. 3

During the SARS period in 2002, it is believed by the locals that the deity in one of the most famous temples in Wanhua, Chin Shan Gong(艋舺青山宮) played a crucial role in eradicating the disease in the estate. To calm the locals’ worries and anxiety over the disease, temple troupes carried out “Chin Shan King” Tour, which involved touring the entire Wanhua District for days. After the various ceremonies and rituals, the anxiety among the residents reduced. More importantly, residents became united to counter the disease together.


Qing Shan Gong

Fact No. 4


Herbal Lane is not opened on Sundays. Do you know why?

Herbal Lane 


This is because the stall owners have come to an unanimous agreement not to operate their business this day!

Fact No. 5


There is only one shop from the old Bopiliao Historic Block that remains operating today. That is Chang Shou Tea Shop operating at Nanning Road.

Tea with traditional rice cakes

Fact No. 6


While Wanhua may be a little old, the district’s health authorities have been promoting a healthy lifestyle through the implementation of various initiatives including smoke-free parks!




Fact No. 7


Wanhua has the greatest proportion of foreign female spouses in Taipei.

Fact No. 8


Due to the large number of temples in the region, it is common to find stores selling Buddhist or Taoist sculptures and related altar equipment. Old stores such as Laomingyu Incense Store (老明玉香鋪 ) is still present in the district and greatly respected by many locals.

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Ching Shui Tsu Shih’s Birthday

Ching Shui Tsu Shih’s Birthday

This celebration has been held annually since the construction of the temple over 100 years ago. In the past, performances known as “Ge Zai Xi” will be presented to the patriarch for a month and locals would cook “Pong Teng Ah”, prepare food such as sugar cake, yam ice, or present items like clayed dolls of Guan Gong. However, such activities are cancelled and today, the festival is significantly less massive.

Temple's Main Chamber

The celebration commences on 6th January of the Lunar Calendar, when people will visit the temple to enjoy the prepared food. Donation will also be encouraged and collected funds will be utilised to garner food ingredients so that food can be prepared for every visitor. The purpose of the celebration is therefore, also to provide food for the people, especially the needy. Other traditional Taoist rituals such as Dipper Worship (禮斗) will also be carried out. During this ritual, a large pale is filled with rice to signify good harvest, then a fan and a sword is inserted into the rice. They are all items to help build prosperity in the future.

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Youth Friendly Tour

Suggested Itinerary

-Arrive at Ximending in the evening
-Explore the Red House and its evening performances
-Shop around the area
-Take the metro to Longshan Station to enjoy an affordable dinner at Huaxi Night Market

Ximending

Ximending gets more entertaining as the evening wears on. As a youth, there is more to see in the evening than the daytime because more stores are open. There is a great variety of merchandise to buy but many stores sell the same product so be sure to compare prices before making a purchase.

Ximending

The Red House

If you want to buy something that is one-of-a-kind then the Red House is the place. After viewing the evening performances, you can head to the back of the Red House where many local designers make handmade goods such as silver jewelry or clothing.

The Red House

Huaxi Night Market

The food at Ximending may be a bit pricier due to its commercialized nature so take one MRT stop to Longshan Temple Station and try out the affordable Huaxi Night Market! There are four night markets in total in the Monga area of which three are interconnected, so you will be sure to find something you like to eat.

Nightmarket

Tips

Shopping at Ximending: As a tourist you may be approached by young high school aged boys asking if you're from Taipei. If you reply no, they will immediately move onto their story about earning money to pay for high school and ask you to buy their product which could be anything from a fan to a pencil. Beware of this situation and walk away because they are simply sales people.
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