Sanxia, Taiwan: A ghostly day trip from Taipei

There is an old street in the heart of Sanxia, a township on the outskirts of Taipei, that is undeniably creepy, reputedly haunted, yet also picturesque.

Locals tell stories of being afraid to walk too far down the street when they were children after hearing from their families of ghost sightings and other encounters emanating from the underworld. 

Store owners today regale tourists with legends of former tenants having experiences with the deceased, like the time the owner of a coffin shop had a dream about a man he had never met. The next day, the story goes, a family came to buy a coffin, carrying a picture of the same person who had appeared in the owner’s dream the night before. 

A history of death

Once home to stores selling coffins, many locals say MinQuan is haunted. At night it has an especially eerie feeling.

Coffins are the main reason the road, known as MinQuan, is thought by many locals to be haunted.

Around 100 years ago, MinQuan Old Street had a thriving funeral business with merchants selling caskets made of wood sourced from the thick, tropical forests nearby.

The funeral shops are no more. Yet the cobblestone street and the stunning buildings that once housed the coffin shops remain. 

And these structures, with their brick archways, baroque accents, ancient wood beams and ornate carvings (characters carved on the buildings show the names of the occupants who once lived or worked in them) exude a tangible nostalgia for the past.

The street, while short (it’s only about 200 meters long), is lined with stores selling everything from handmade soap and jade jewelry to Chinese calligraphy brushes and lacquered wooden boxes.

Treats, cakes and teas

Frank Chen sells pu’er tea in his shop on MinQuan. He also teaches about the tea in a nearby university and willingly shows visitors photos from his frequent trips to the Chinese province of Yunnan where the tea is grown.

There’s also no shortage of Taiwanese treats to sample. For the adventurous, a shop called Jiu Pin Ziang (visit their blog here http://9top.blogspot.com) specializes in pig’s blood cake, which consists of pig’s blood baked with salt and sticky rice and then coated in peanut flour and topped off with cilantro.

For those who want more than one slice, entire blocks of pig’s blood cake can be purchased for take away.

The store also offers an herbal tea called xian cao, which, according to the women selling it, was consumed by “soldiers in ancient times who needed more stamina.”

Other local foods that can be found include the delightfully sweet and very popular bull-horn shaped pastries filled with flavors such as chocolate, green tea and banana (www.kissbread.com.tw/.)

The fruity bubble tea or a kiwi slush at ice cream shop Pao Pao Bing are also worth a try. For a great view of the nearby Sanxia river, enjoy your tea or slush on Pao Pao Bing's patio.

Zushi Temple

Zushi Temple, another attraction in Sanxia, was constructed in the late 1700s and is considered one of the most ornate temples in Taiwan.

Minquan Old Street isn’t the only attraction Sanxia has to offer. Only about a five minute walk away is Zushi Temple, considered one of the most ornate temples in the country. 

Constructed in 1769, Zushi (sometimes spelled Tsushih) has had a tumultuous past. An earthquake knocked it down in 1833. Then, after it was rebuilt, war broke out between China and Japan, and the Japanese destroyed it.

In 1947, Li Meishu, a Western-educated artist and native of Sanxia was asked to lead the third refurbishment, which is still standing today.

Li was criticized by many for the length of time it took him to complete the renovation as some sections are still not totally finished. Yet the result is dazzling.

Hand-carved columns, statues and wooden beams surround colorful and ornate altars featuring different deities.

There are incredible layers of detail and intricacy in every touch.

Visitors who travel to the temple on the sixth day of Chinese New Year celebrations (the date changes depending on the lunar calendar) can take part in the Pigs of God festival, during which a gigantic pig is sacrificed and offered to the Gods to ward off evil spirits and ghosts.

getting there from Taipei

Public Transportation
Kuo-Kuang bus from Taipei Guiyang Street to Sanxia.
Taipei Zhong-Hua Road bus to Sanxia station.
Tucheng Subway Line, depart at Yongnin Station, transfer to Taipei bus (blue 43 line) or Taipei Bus/Capital Bus (916 line) to Sanxia station.
Bannan Subway line, get off Hsinpu Station, transfer to Taipei Bus (910 line) to Sanxia station.

Driving
Take the Second Northern Freeway, exit to Sanying Interchange. Continue straight along Zhong-San Road, signs will indicate exits for Sanxia.

Originally from Hot Springs, Arkansas, Lara moved to Shanghai to work as a journalist in 2008. Before that, she wrote for CNN International in London.

Read more about Lara Farrar