Enjoying high renown in Taiwan, the Old Streets at Dasi cover mainly the three historical streets - Hoping Road, Zhongshan Road, and the Central Road. The Old Streets are not only huge in scale, but also their old architecture is well preserved.
It is a pity that the facades along the Central Road are few, without refurbishing. Dasi's Old Streets are a commercial area made up of shops and stores; its architecture is similar to other traditional shops in Tai wan. They are all "street houses", with shops in front and residences at back, narrow in width but deep in length in their layout. In 1919, during the Japanese colonization, the Japanese government enforced the "City Correction", a project similar to a city plan now; they tore down some of the buildings in Hoping and Zhongshan Road, as to fit the skyline. The residents then used arches to decorate the buildings, which became fads, making vivid and colorful. For ordinary homes, they would used red bricks for the facades; while the shops used European engraved stones arches and
columns, and over-ornate chisel patterns to imitate the Baroque facades. Although the river transportation declined and prosperity went astray, the Old Streets are well preserved, keeping their original scenes. Under the "Community Remake" project, people rejuvenated the Old Streets, integrating Dasi's cultural and historical charm, bringing people back to its glorious past!
The buildings on Dasi's Old Street are of single level architecture. Regarding architecture, the facades were made up with gables, arched stays, and alternated columns. The gable consists of the upper and lower parts. The upper part was mainly for decorative purposes, while the lower was used for hanging the shop's signboard. The materials of the gable of the facades were mainly red bricks, matching the decorations made with marbles, cement, color painted clay plaster, pasting, and ceramic tiles, etc. As the river transportation soared, it brought prosperity to the shops and merchants; people lived in a well to
do manner. Therefore, owners of houses liked to spend money on decorating their facades. In order to show their wealth, they would have eye-catching facades; likewise, they employed artisans to blend traditional patterns, such as flowers, birds, dragons, phoenixes, bats, calligraphy, toads, fruits, etc, on the chisels.The variety and richness of the patterns excels those on other streets. Further, the blending of Western Baroque style with Chinese and Japanese traditional patterns, the collages of the styles was energetic, giving a diversified and charming scene and blending European, Japanese, and Chinese architectural styles.
The decorations of the facades are as follows:
Local Patterns: imitations of animals, plants, and mixed patterns; normally their names represent something fortunate
Western Patterns: imitating classical Western architectural styles
Japanese Patterns: imitating Japanese' family and clan patterns
Mixed Patterns: blending of the abovementioned patterns
Further, the names of the shops, business items, establishing year, signatures, etc are all stylish; therefore, in the matters of design, artistry, interests, and symbolic meanings, Dasi's Old Streets are unique.
On Hoping Old Street, there are 76 buildings. Among the Old Streets (including Zhongshan and Central Road, it contains the greatest number of well-preserved "Baroque architecture" with diversified styles. Most of the facades were completed during 1918 to 1920, with a pro-Chinese architectural style. Although Hoping Old Street was the latest in its development, owing to its closeness to the harbor on the river mouth of Dahan Stream, it was the most prosperous and blooming of the three. The major architectural bodies on Hoping Street were mainly completed
during 1850 to 1860. Through many augmentations and rebuilding, they were all demolished in the Sino Japanese War in 1896. In 1918, during the City Correction, the buildings along
both sides of the road were torn down and became the facade
scene we now have. Further, people added the Foot Pavilion to the place, giving special characteristics to the architecture in Dasi.
In 1996, under the "Community Overall Construction" plan, people living in Hoping Street began to realize the glorious past of the place. They began to have consensus on and expectation of the historical monument. Under the endeavor of the inhabitants and pressure groups, a series of "Old Street Rejuvenation" works were launched, retrieving the ancient look and giving diversity to the Old Street. With the building of underground cables and wires, the beautification of the
sidewalks, and lightings, it made Hoping Old Street a cleaner and more complete place on its own. Now on this street, traditional woodcrafts, beans' fragrances, bamboo toys, sweet potatoes cakes, and coffee aromas weave a pleasant scene of the place, a unique culture the belongs to this street alone. Further, activities of different kinds add spice and life to this historical place.
 
The facades along both sides of Zhongshan Road are saturated with Western styles. Compared with Hoping Road, which is Chinese in style, Zhongshan Road is shorter, with less old buildings preserved; however, the old buildings are as concentrated as those on Hoping Road with a more glamorous appearance and look, making the place a resort of its own. In recent years, the "Image Commercial Circle" project is different
in its form and style; it is more fermenting, giving it another path for development. Walking along Zhongshan Old Street, you will find it more tranquil and elegant, when compared to the activeness and energetic lifestyle on Hoping Street. With the art and cultural activities, such as concerts, exhibitions, etc, sponsored by the inhabitants, it adds a more humanistic touch to the area.
The grandeur style of the buildings along Zhongshan Road has its history. During the Japanese colonization period, Zhongshan Road was a high-class residence of the rich and famous, scholars and officials; therefore, the architecture was lofty in styles. Regarding grandeur in architectural styles, the best should be Chiencheng Company, whose central roof was dome shaped, giving people an elegant and lofty look. The owner of this house was the affluent merchant of camphor and coal, Mr. A-Nu Chien. Seeing the house, we can trace the owner's taste. Further, there was one more characteristic of Zhongshan Road for its arrangement was clear-cut. On the side with a single number, it was the mansion for the rich and famous; most
of the buildings there were still well preserved, giving people space for reminiscence. On the side with plural numbers, there were warehouses, homes for common people, and labor quarters. Now, most of these buildings have been torn down for modern buildings. Blending old with new, modern with classical, the Old Street tells its history with its monuments.