Shuangxi

Shuāngxī (雙溪) is a rural district in the mountains of eastern New Taipei, named for the confluence of Mudan Creek and Pinglin Creek at the heart of the old settlement. The district’s coal seams, part of the Mushan Formation, were among the highest quality in Taiwan, with gold and cinnabar sources also found in the surrounding area. This mining wealth once supported theaters, hotels, and a thriving market; the old street along Chang’an Road preserves fragments of that era, including the Lin Yi He Hall, a traditional medicine shop founded in 1874. Traditional residences like the Lian Juren Residence and Zhou Family Residence survive from the Qing dynasty, testaments to the wealth generated when Shuangxi served as a waypoint on the Tamsui-Kavalan Trails between Taipei and Yilan.