MEANDER 1948

Taiyuan Road: Everyday Memories of Taipei’s Back Station

Where Taipei locals learned how to live

If you mention “Taiyuan Road” to older Taipei locals, they might pause for a second. But add “the Back Station,” and memories come rushing back. This is not a place featured prominently in travel guides, yet it quietly carries the everyday lives of countless families. From shopping for daily necessities and stocking supplies, to preparing for holidays, opening shops, and moving homes, Taiyuan Road has always been there.

The Back Station: a lifeline for everyday living

The area around Taiyuan Road came to be known as the Back Station largely because of its location. Closely connected to the railway system in the past, it allowed goods to move in and out efficiently. Over time, it naturally developed into one of Taipei’s key wholesale and distribution districts. What’s sold here isn’t luxury, but the small, practical things people use every day.

For many Taipei residents, childhood memories include being led by the hand through these streets. Mothers shopping for pots, grandmothers choosing glass jars, fathers picking up hardware tools. These ordinary purchases quietly supported the rhythm of daily family life.

Jewelry parts, glass jars, and containers full of possibilities

What keeps people lingering on Taiyuan Road are the shops selling jewelry materials, glass bottles, and all kinds of containers. Rows of earring components, glass jars in every size, and storage containers for different uses may look like warehouse stock, yet they hold endless possibilities.

Some come here for work, others simply want to refresh their home a little. As you walk, it’s easy to start imagining: “Would this look good in the kitchen?” or “This seems perfect for storing spices.” The charm of the Back Station lies in how it draws your attention back to the details of everyday life.

As holidays approach, the rhythm changes

Visit Taiyuan Road before Lunar New Year or major holidays, and the atmosphere shifts noticeably. Red envelopes, spring couplets, lanterns, and wrapping paper line the streets, as if the entire area is quietly preparing for every household’s celebrations. The Back Station feels especially lively and especially real at this time. Shop owners are busy restocking, while families carefully choose items for upcoming gatherings. Nothing here is for display—it’s all for living.

The value of the Back Station goes beyond price

If it’s your first visit, we recommend not rushing to buy anything. Take a walk and look around first.

You’ll find long-established shops specializing in jewelry and craft materials, stores dedicated to glassware and storage items, and household supply shops filled with pots, pans, and utensils. Before holidays, packaging and decoration stores are especially worth browsing, making it easy to gather everything you need in one go.

People often describe the Back Station as “cheap,” but what truly brings people back isn’t the price—it’s the rhythm. This is a place still serving everyday life, not in a hurry to change or to be seen. You’ll encounter shop owners from different generations, customers with different purposes, and a distinctly old-Taipei sense of practicality. It isn’t romantic, but it’s real.

Staying at MEANDER 1948: stepping straight into daily life

From MEANDER 1948, reaching Taiyuan Road doesn’t require any special planning. You can simply walk, observe the street, step into a few shops, and see how Taipei locals prepare for daily life. The Back Station doesn’t loudly tell its stories, but if you’re willing to walk slowly, it reveals the city in the most ordinary and honest way.