Qidong Street Japanese Houses
Encyclopedia
Qidong Street is located in the Zhongzheng District of Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...

, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

. During the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....

, Qidong Street was a major lane for transporting rice from the Taipei basin to harbours along the river. Prior to the construction of the Taipei City Walls, one could travel from Mengjia (today's Wanhua District) past the East Gate area and along Qidong Street which joined Bade Road, leading to Songshan, Nangang, and eventually Keelung
Keelung
Keelung City is a major port city situated in the northeastern part of Taiwan. It borders New Taipei and forms the Taipei–Keelung metropolitan area, along with the Taipei and New Taipei. Nicknamed the Rainy Port for its frequent rain and maritime role, the city is Taiwan's second largest seaport...

.

Qidong is a thoroughfare of venerable age, spanning the Qing Dynasty, the Japanese Colonial Era, and contemporary times. The group of dwellings, located in the center of a residential district for city officials, housed Japanese civil servants and later provided housing for Republic of China central government figures. The buildings feature distinctly Japanese architectural features and their overall layout remains largely complete, a state rarely seen in the current day. The house at #11, Lane 53, Qidong Street is particularly well preserved with original porch, doors, and interior spaces as well as a sculptured garden. In addition, Taipei is home to approximately 2,000 wooden structures built during the Japanese rule of the island between 1895 and 1945, as well as some 4,000 trees that have been growing in their surrounding gardens since that time.
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