[ Japanese Occupation ]
In 1894 ( the 20th. year of Kwang Xu ), Sino Japan 
War ignited. It did not last long before Qing Dynasty 
realized unable to match Japan and finally signed 
the Treaty of Shimanoseki to cede Taiwan, Penghu 
Archipelago to Japan 
In 1895 ( the 28th. year of Meiji, Japan ), Japanese 
Imperial troops landed from Keelung and came into 
Taipei. The dynasty changed and Taiwan was to face 
the on-coming Japanese Meiji, Daisei, and Showa 
Dynasties. The Japanese soldiers were so proud of 
having their own first colony and too much believed 
that their Sun Flag would never fall.
So, they began constructing more and more glorious 
buildings in Taipei according to what they may think 
as a hundred years blueprint. On the other hand, the 
Dadaocheng residents seemed not loser. They were 
busy making money as usual and used the money to 
build their traditional buildings because they knew 
they belonged here and actually were the lord of this 
land after all. 
The prosperity lasted. And by the year 1945 when 
Japan returned the sovereignty of Taiwan back to 
China, Dadaocheng remained still as the political 
and economical center of Taiwan all way long.

[ Deehua Street ]
The present Dihus Street was actually three streets in line called North Street, 
Central Street, and South Street in the years of Qing Dynasty. 
In 1911 ( the 34th. year of Japanese Meiji Dynasty ), Taipei City Administration 
reformed and the 3 streets were combined into one and entitled Yonglo Street 
having a total length of 1300 meters.  Shops owners renovated their buildings 
into Baroque style to welcome another prosperous era of age. These Bargoque 
style buildings were well conserved untill nowadays even though the street 
changed name as Dihua Street with the Government and Dynasty changed 
again.  The Dihua Street are devided into four sections from south to north in 
order. Many wholesalers in Taiwan have their branches here .
In the first section, started from Nanjing West Road, are exporters / importers 
dealing with cloth business. In the second section, well known as the Temple of  
Hsiahai City God there, are wholesalers dealing with traditional Chinese herbal 
medicine. In the third section, started from Minsheng West Road, are shops and 
companies selling dried fruits and food. In the fourth section are some tradational 
old business like; seeds, bamboo containers, and lantern etc. 

[ The longest street ]
At first, Yanping North Road was an cragged and anfractuous path before 
1911 when Taipei City Administration reformed during Japanese Occupation. 
Then, it was leveled ,extended straight, and entitled Taiping Street.
More and more people moved in to build shops. Shortly, the street became 
the most vibrant one in Dadaocheng and were acknowledged as Chinese 
Pride comparing with Ximen Street located west to the Taipei Castle and 
filled with Japanese. Now, Yanping North Road is devided into nine sections 
with the 1st. section started from North Gate and the 9th. section ended 
at Shirzu. 

[ shops and streets ]
In 1851 ( the 1st year of Xien Feng ), a merchant man Lin Lan-Tien who had been living 
in Keelung harbour; aware of family safety from pirate; moved to Dadaocheng and built 
three shops in the central section of the present Di-hua Street.. That was the first shop 
in Dadaocheng. Two years later, fightings for harbour benefit had happened between 
immigrants in Mongga once and again . In a climactic battle, Tongan immigrants were 
defeated by the Sanyee  immigrants and were expelled from Mongga. The losing side 
following their grand old man Lin Yo-Zao moved northwards through Dadaocheng to 
Dalongtong and yet were rejected by the people there. They can not but backtrack to 
Dadaocheng and were  recepted by the earlier comer Lin Lan-Tien.  Together, they built 
up shops and harbour. In the following years, more and more immigrants from Xinzhuang 
and other places came to join them. And shops were opened to sell tea, cloth, rice and 
household commodities. The street then extended to three sections long by the names 
of South street, Central street, and North street which were now combined into one and 
entitled Di-hua Street. Years later, the residents in Dadaocheng were lucky enough to 
take over business from Mongga where river water was over sanded. In 1860 ( the 10th 
year of Xien Feng) , the Second Opium War came to an end with Chinese Qing Dynasty 
forced to open more harbours to international trading. The residents in Dadaocheng were 
eventurally benefited.  Many foreign companies set up offices here and a number of local 
people became wealthy. They extended business to Hongkong, Fuzhou, Shanghai, and 
Tienjing, and where there was a sealine through there was their business.

[ Tea trading ]
In 1865 ( the 4th. year of Tong Chi during Qing Dynasty), An English by the name of  
John Dodd came to Taipei with tea seedlings he brought from Anxi, Chuanzhou county. 
He loaned money to local farmers with tea seedlings for them to plant and then buy back 
their tea leaves to make Oolong tea, It was really flavoured and more than that is the tea 
soup itself could display brown, gold, yellow, green, and red colors. When Qeen Elizabeth 
first tasted, Her Majesty said "what an oriental beauty". Then the name "Oriental Beauty" 
spread and orders placed from all over the world. Dadaocheng was the collection center 
and many international companies set up branches here to export tea. The prosperity 
of tea trading continued from Qing Dynasty to Japanese Occupation.

[ Buildings of western style]
In 1882 ( the 8th. year of Kwang Xu), Sino-France tension heightened. The Qing government
began to construct Taipei Castle on location between Dadaocheng and Mongga. In 1885 
( the 11th year of Kwang Xu ), when the Sino-France war came to an end, Qing government 
promoted Taiwan to SHENG level; like a state in US; and Liu Ming-Tsuan was the first Chief 
Commissioner of Taiwan. He conducted a lot of construction in Dadaocheng aimed to make 
it an international city. And then, Dadaocheng replaced the position of Tainan and became the 
political and economical center of the island. New buildings of western style showed up one 
after another in Guei-Der Street for more and more foreigners to town.