A new MRT line opened up recently in Taipei. According to the brochure from Taipei Metro that I picked up, it is called the Xinzhuang Line. It’s orange in color on the MRT maps and currently has 13 stops. It starts at Zhongxiao Station on the blue line and ends at Fu Jen University. According to the map, it will be extended to at least Huilong station for a total of 15 stops.

I rode the line as far as the Xinzhuang stop (one shy of the end), and it stayed underground the whole way. Everything was brand spanking new and shiny and clean. The platforms felt somewhat narrow to me, but that could be because every station had a solid wall with automatic doors running the entire length of the platform. I imagine this means that all of the new MRT lines in the future will be designed with these doors. I assume these doors are meant to increase safety – essentially to stop people and objects from falling onto the tracks. Perhaps there are other benefits to this design, but I have no idea what they could be.

I love it when new MRT lines open up. I know that I can get anywhere I want in Taipei by scooter, by taxi, and by bus. And some people even prefer buses. I get their point. You are above ground and you can see where you’re going. But me, I love the MRT and I am far more likely to go somewhere if I can get there by MRT. So this new MRT line opens up a brand new area of Taipei to explore, and I hopped on the line yesterday with that in mind.

The Taipei Metro is exceptionally good at providing information, particularly information in other languages. When I came across the map of the new line, I also saw the same map in a few other languages. I have no idea how many people show up in Taipei and wish there were MRT maps and brochures in Arabic or Spanish or Greek, but it’s great that they are there. This English brochure gives a detailed map of the entire MRT system, a map of Taipei city, information on using the MRT, and neighborhood maps surrounding each MRT station on the new line with suggestions on things to see and do there.

Using this brochure, I saw that there was an old street, a night market, and several temples at the Xinzhuang station. That seemed a good bet for an afternoon trip and off I went. The old street is a real treat. It’s a narrow and very long cobblestoned lane lined with interesting shops and temples. It’s easy to get to from the MRT station. You can pretty much just exit the MRT station and head south toward the river. The old street is so long that you can’t help but run into it. I used the map to plot a course so that I entered the old street at the far eastern end. The weather wasn’t great – rain was threatening and it was pretty cold – so there weren’t many people around. That was fine with me, and I strolled up and down the lane taking in the sights. Most shops were of the modern variety and they sold the same goods that you can get at any market in Taipei. But since the lane was narrow and cobblestoned, it had that pedestrian quality that makes things more pleasant. Cars and scooters were still allowed to drive down it, so you had to be on your toes, but it was pleasant.

It being late in the day, I didn’t have a lot of time so I didn’t explore as much as I would normally have done. I just took in the sights and admired the exterior of the temples rather than going inside to really check them out. Follow the old street long enough and you will reach the Xinzhaung Old Street Night Market. I settled myself at a table outside a corner convenience store and enjoyed a cup of coffee while snapping pictures of the pedestrian and scooter traffic at the busy intersection. The night market wasn’t in full swing. People were just beginning to set up their stalls and lay out their goods for the evening trade. I was there largely to play around with my new camera and when it started to get dark, I packed up and went on my way. I’ll have to return another time to take in the night market in full flow.

 

Tags: MRT, scooter, Taipei, Taipei Metro, Xinzhuang Line