Bopiliao Historical Block and Film Artefacts Exhibition Taipei

It was time to leave Taipei. But there was a place I really wanted to see before heading to the airport. Actually, I learned of a lot of cool places to see, just before leaving. So I’ve already made up my mind that I want to come back.

It looked like a nice day from the hotel.

Packed up, I ordered an Uber.

I had really enjoyed my 10 day stay at Green World Jian Pei.

The uber arrived pretty quickly, and it was only a short trip to the Wanhua District.

The streets were very quiet, so it only took about 10 minutes to reach the place.

Bopiliao Historical Block

At its peak during the late Qing Dynasty period (late 1800s), Bopiliao was one of the busiest and most prosperous commercial areas in Taipei, home to various merchants and was one of the major areas for the coal trade. During the Japanese occupation (1895-1945), new urban planning relegated the thoroughfare to a back alley as new roads (Guangzhou St in this example) were constructed to connect various parts of the city together in a more cohesive manner. This new connectivity within the city diminished the relevance of the area and it fell into disrepair. In the early 2000s, the Taipei City government worked to restore the historic architecture of the area and established the Heritage and Culture Education Center to protect the legacy of the area.

Guide to Taipei

This historical site looked amazing.

Everything was so clean, and in such beautiful condition. There was attention to detail, even in the floor tiles.

I was lucky enough to stumble on an exhibition of a famous director.

Film Artefacts Exhibition of Director Lee Hsing

Often hailed as “Father of Taiwanese Cinema,” LI Hsing was born in Shanghai in 1930. He became interested in the theater in high school, which led him to study drama in college until he relocated to Taiwan in 1949.  In 1950, he made his screen debut as an actor while continuously performing on stage and in 1959, the Taiwanese-language comedy, Brother Wang and Brother Liu Tour Taiwan (Parts 1 & 2, co-directed by LI Hsing, ZHANG Fang-xia and TIAN Feng), launched his directorial career successfully. 

Director Li Hsing once said: “The road may seem long, but steadily and slowly, you always manage to reach the end. One must finish what one has started.” Up until now, he persists on going forward, steadily, and takes one step at a time.

Everrich Group

The exhibition was stunning, and so well done. I felt I really didn’t know very much about Taiwan, and especially Taiwanese cinema.

It was an immersive education.

After viewing the exhibition, I continued exploring the Bopiliao Historical Block.

The whole place seemed like such a creative hub. And I stumbled on another mini-exhibition looking at the Taipei Film Festival.

The area was so quiet, with hardly any tourists around. It was a joy to explore.

I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw this sign…

It was hot, and I hadn’t had my first coffee, so I headed back in search of a place that was open so early.

In this historical district, you could almost imagine what life was like 100 years ago.

I headed away from the Bopiliao Historical Block.

As I headed past some markets, there were some strange food flavours.

It was only about 10 minutes walk, pulling my suitcase, until I found the coffee place.

Coffee: Stand Up

I was optimistic, and I wish I could say the coffee was good.

Unfortunately, it was way too milky.

I still drank it, and ordered an Uber. Time to go…

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