10 Shuanglian Blacksmiths Street
During the Japanese colonial era, Chifeng Street’s proximity to government offices meant it attracted many Japanese civil servants and Taiwanese workers. After the Second World War, auto parts dealers and hardware shops moved in, turning it into a major hub for second-hand auto parts in northern Taiwan, and earning it the sobriquet “Blacksmith Street”.
In the 1970s, the area faced decline as urban planning initiatives advanced and traditional industries waned. However, since 2010 revitalisation efforts by community organisations and art groups have breathed new life into the neighbourhood. Through street renovations, cultural tours, and mural art, Chifeng Street has re-emerged as a vibrant cultural spot, drawing in creative brands, curated lifestyle stores, vintage clothing shops, and cafés. Several well-known independent bookstores have also opened here, turning the street into a hotspot for the young creatives of Taipei.
Today, Chifeng Street blends tradition with modernity, retaining some of its old auto parts stores and hardware shops as reminders of its industrial past. At the same time, independent bookstores—such as Athena Books, Illumination Books, and Kimotsi—along with curated shops offering vintage fashion and handcrafted leather goods, attract artistically minded young people and contribute to the district’s unique character.
The local Chifeng Commercial District Sustainable Development Association continues to promote neighbourhood revitalisation through storytelling, heritage shop tours, and guided walks that explore the area’s history and evolution. Visitors are invited to stroll through Blacksmith Street, where past and present converge in a living story of cultural renewal.
