Tri-Mountain National Scenic Area Headquarters

Shisanjian Old Street was once the busiest street and the main thoroughfare in Nanzhuang. In 1963, the torrential rain of Typhoon Gloria flooded the old street, and its business declined as the residents were forced to relocate.

In recent years, the old street has been revived when the young people returned home to apply their efforts, and the township office worked hard to secure funding for relevant refurbishment. There are many explanations for the name of the old street, and the most common ones are as follows. “Shisanjian” means “13” in Mandarin, and there are several stories regarding how the street got its name. One of the common stories is that an old man counted 13 shops while walking down the street.

When an old man walked past the street, he counted 13 shops, thus the name. Another one of them is that there were 13 buildings connected to each other on Old Street, so the residents named it accordingly. Shisanjian Old Street stretches across No. 60 and No. 144 of Zhongshan Road, and both its beginning and end are marked by red brick pillars. In addition, there are kerosene lamp-shaped streetlights on the street to recreate the atmosphere of coal mining at that time.

Besides the design of coal mining images, each store on the street has a wooden door plate, adding a rustic touch to Old Street. There are different images such as scissors, comb, iron plate, and Tai chi on the wooden door plates, symbolizing the former services the stores provided: barbershop, ironsmith, and fortune-teller.

These small yet exquisite symbols serve to identify various businesses and are a distinctive feature of Old Street. Not as well known as Osmanthus Alley, Shisanjian Old Street attracts fewer visitors. However, the resultant quietness gives Old Street a more nostalgic feel.

Although it is still under development, many unique stores have already been set up to sell soap, kiln-baked bread, and healthy steamed buns through the collective effort of like-minded individuals in the hope of promoting Nanzhuang’s food and culture. It is believed that with the addition of new ideas, Old Street will be touched with modernity.