Banqiao and Tucheng

This contents of this page have moved to Taiwanderful. Clicking on the links below will take you directly to the new site.

• Banqiao
• Lin Family Gardens
• Nanya Night Market
• Opium Fenyuan
• Viewing deck at Taipei County Government building

• Tucheng
• Chengtian Chan Temple
• Hiking trail to Tianshang Shan
• Qingshui Zushi Temple

The photos and some information can still be found below.

I have lived in Banqiao^[*] (板橋) and Tucheng (土城) most of the time I have been in Taiwan. They border each other in Taipei County (台北縣) southwest of Taipei. Both places changed quite a bit since I first arrived in Taiwan (in 1999), especially Banqiao. The most notable thing has been the construction of the new railway station in Banqiao (pictured below) and the railway line going from above ground to underground. The MRT line to Banqiao (Xinpu station 新埔站) opened in 2000. The Banqiao to Tucheng extension of the MRT opened at the end of May 2006. In the past few years there has been a seemingly endless amount of construction of new roads, buildings and bridges. The pictures below show Banqiao Station in 2002 and 2006. The road running through the middle of the photos used to be the railway line. I wish I had some photos from when I first arrived in Taiwan as the differences would be far greater.

Banqiao Railway Station, October 2002 (板橋車站)

Banqiao Railway Station, April 2006 (板橋車站)

The photo below shows the entrance to the Fuzhong MRT Station (府中站) in April 2006 before it opened. The station is at the site of the old Banqiao Railway Station. The railway line used to be above ground until the new Banqiao Station and underground railway line opened in 1999. Demolition of the old station began not long after that and the railway line was ripped up to become Xianmin Boulevard (縣民大道).

Fuzhong MRT Station entrance, April 2006

Lin Family Gardens 林家花園

scene inside the Lin Family Gardens

Chengtian Chan Temple 承天禪寺

Chengtian Chan Temple in the mountains near Tucheng

Three Buddha statues in Chengtian Temple

panoramic view from Chengtian Chan Temple

Hiking trail to Tianshang Shan 天上山步道

view of Taipei from Tianshang Shan

a view of Chengtian Temple from near the top of Tianshang Shan

David on Tianshang Shan

Qingshui Zushi Temple

Qingshui Zushi Temple

Nanya Night Market 南雅夜市

crowds at Banqiao's night market

vendor at Nanya night market

Banqiao Agricultural Park 板橋農村公園

Building in the Banqiao Agricultural Park

Opium Fenyuan 鴉片粉圓

Yapian Fenyuan store in Banqiao

• Opium Fenyuan -David's Formosa Photo Gallery

Banqiao Hotel in China

The photo above is of the Banqiao Hotel, but it's not in Banqiao!! It is in Yunxiao (雲霄), a small city in the south of Fujian Province, China.

I have used the Hanyu pinyin spelling of Banqiao in this web page. According to Tongyong Pinyin, which is the official romanisation system in Taipei County, the spelling is Banciao. Other spellings that may be seen are Panchiao, Banchiao, Banchiau and Pan Chiao.

• Banqiao Railway Station - David's Formosa Photo Gallery
• Banqiao - photoset at flickr
• Banqiao street names - in Chinese characters, Hanyu Pinyin (with tone marks) and Pinyin and English mix
• Most interesting photos tagged Banqiao @ flickr
• Weekend in 'Banciao' - Prince Roy
• Taiwan's amazing temples - David on Formosa
• MRT arrives in Banqiao and Tucheng - David on Formosa
• Banqiao - Taiwanease the Knowledge