臺北市政府文化局

Jingmei Old Street has a different air from the bustle of nearby Jingmei Night Market. In this serene environment, your pace naturally slows as you savour the moment. As you turn into Yuying Street’s Lane 57, you are greeted by nostalgic sight of military dependents’ houses. Perhaps your curiosity leads you to explore the area, and you meet the kindly neighborhood chief, who explains: 

“This used to be military dependents’ housing. When residents moved out, it became vacant space, and later on it was transformed into the Jingmei Neighborhood Activity Center.” 

He recalls how the buildings used to be piled high with garbage and how residents worked together to transform it into a hospitable activity center.

On closer inspection, one finds clever ways old things have been reused here: Flowerpots on low walls were once neighborhood speakers, and a row of decorations beside the main gate were fashioned from a notification lightbox used in the police station over fifty years ago. The Tsuchida-style manual water pump, used in the 1930s and 1940s when there were no electric water pumps, served as the best water source. Standing close by are century-old plum and breadfruit trees, silently accompanying every generation through countless years.

The activity center also provides communal dining and learning services, encouraging the elderly to get out of the house and to enjoy lifelong learning. Local mothers often cook their signature dishes to bring extra portions for the residents. Whenever someone has a birthday, everyone gathers to celebrate. Neighbors care for one another in these many different ways, each adding to the last, creating ever stronger bonds. The palpable affection in Jingmei Neighborhood is a collective effort that comes from everyone coming together.