Jin Shan Old Street is Fantastic!!

(classB 心輔系101級497010040 楊雅筑 Ruby)
Jin Shan is at the northern part of Taiwan. It is famous for the abundant fish, a lot of sweet potatoes, popular hot springs, and hospitality of people there.
Jin Shan Old Street is a place with both traditional and modern things. It has a lot of special qualities that we will be attracted to. First of all, there are many historic buildings on the street. Some of them are Japanese, and some are Min-nan style. Those buildings teach us some special Min-nan culture, such as the porches(騎樓/亭仔腳). The porches are the special invention of the Min-nan people. It is because it sometimes rains cats and dogs suddenly in this area. It is really inconvenient for people who want to go shopping. As a result, the Min-nan people created the porches which can provide places to protect people from rain.
When we step into the street, we can experience totally different atmosphere. We can see modern things like the doll-catching machines and some old things, such as the old children toys and the traditional snacks. Moreover, because many people at Jin Shan live on farming, there are also some shops selling traditional farming tools. It is fun to learn how to use those tools.
Secondly, there are many famous shops on the street. The most famous one is the shop which sells “boiled ducks.” The ducks are put into the boiling water until it is cooked. Then, some salt is put on the skin of those ducks. Most visitors will go to eat the duck. This shop is in front of the temple which enshrines the Kai-Jang King(開漳聖王). What should we do to order the dishes? The way to have the dishes is very easy. Just take the dishes you want by yourself. It’s really interesting when you want to get one dish in a crowded place. It seems that you have to “rob” the dishes. You must doubt how to pay the bill. Don’t worry. The shopkeepers will remind you to pay.
Most of the famous products of Jin-Shan are sold in the street. You can see the sweet potatoes, taros, and fresh fishes sold on the street. Every product is produced by the local people, so the qualities are guaranteed.
At the end of the street is a public bathing house which provides hot spring. Everyone can relax in the hot spring. The most wonderful thing is that the hot spring cost just a little money. You can enjoy the hot spring like in the luxurious hotel and you only need to pay much less.
I like the Jin-Shan old street very much. Not only the traditional buildings but also the atmospheres fascinate me. Whenever I go to there with my family, we would have a lot of fun. We go to the conventional grocery store at the beginning in the street to buy something special. The grocery store sells some special cakes such as the pineapple cakes (鳳梨餅), and the bean paste cakes(綠豆糕). We can experience the conventional taste of those desserts. When I walk on the street, I can slow down my pace and relax myself, and forget about the busy life in the city. The old street is a good place to think about the true meaning of life because of the leisure air in the street.
How to get to Jin-Shan? Here is the traffic information for tourists:
By car:
1. from Keelung(基隆)→ Drive along the Ji-Jin Highway(基金公路) and then drive through the Wanli.(萬里)
2. from Taipei(台北)→ Drive along the Yang-Jin Highway(陽金公路)
3. from Tamsui(淡水)→ Drive along the Deng-Hui Avenue(登輝大道) and then go through Sanchih(三芝)、Shyrmen(石門)
By bus:
1. Huang Jia Bus(皇嘉客運)
2. Guo Guang Bus(國光客運)
3. Ji Long Bus(基隆客運)
4. Dan Shui Bus(淡水客運)