From Parts to Arts:

Turning waste into gold

“Many people think that the neighborhood’s transformation is a result of its old businesses going into decline,” says Morgan Chen, borough chief and head of the Chifeng Street Commercial Association. “In reality, the neighborhood’s new look has emerged from the different life goals of the children and grandchildren of the original owners of those businesses.” 

Chifeng Street’s business community began developing in the 1960s–1970s. The widening of nearby Chengde Road caused a large number of automotive parts businesses and car audio stores to relocate to Chifeng Street, where they formed a cluster. There, mechanics would tear down old engines to find good parts that they could reassemble and resell. In effect, they turned waste into gold, giving rise to the “Scrap Street” nickname. 

Chen is an enthusiastic narrator of the street’s vibrant and nearly legendary history. She tells us that some of its experienced mechanics would listen to engines with a stethoscope to diagnose the cause of their breakdowns. Others would go overseas to buy parts, identifying them by sight even when they didn’t speak the local language. Hard work and tenacity laid the foundation of the trades-focused neighborhood. 

The older generation is also highly regarded for its supportiveness. She says that local business owners have long encouraged their employees to strike out on their own, and this solidarity has helped knit the business community together. 

Morgan Chen, borough chief and head of the Chifeng Street Commercial Association, united residents and shopkeepers to steer the neighborhood through an existential crisis.

Traditional businesses and trendy shops harmoniously intermingle throughout the Chifeng Street neighborhood. Mr. Li, pictured, runs a shop selling computerized embroidery machines. His family has been in the neighborhood for generations.

Morgan Chen treats the neighborhood’s older generation like family: her every meeting with them is punctuated with smiles and laughter. This unairconditioned secondhand car parts store exemplifies the industriousness of the neighborhood’s early residents.

An artistic and cultural transformation

But over the years, Chifeng Street acquired a reputation for being messy and run down. Fortunately, a long-term effort by the community to improve the environment provided an opportunity to change that. 

When Chen became borough chief, she pushed for the establishment of better drainage infrastructure, and renovations to Jiancheng Park and Xinzhongshan Linear Park to beautify these public spaces. 

In addition to working on the physical infrastructure, she also looked to culture and the arts. Exhibitions and events reshaped memories of the old businesses into new cultural symbols by, for example, using scrap parts to create installation art. This has transformed people’s impressions of “Scrap Street” and enabled residents to reclaim a positive view of their community. 

Old-fashioned buildings, carefully arranged storefronts, and a profusion of plants give the neighborhood around Chifeng Street a distinctly Taiwanese vibe.

Chifeng Street’s arty atmosphere attracts tourists and locals alike!

An arty environment

The changes to the neighborhood’s vibe have enticed young entrepreneurs to locate here. 

Bookstores, cafes and “select shops” have popped up along the side streets, comfortably intermingling with the older businesses. Kimotsi Bookstore is a case in point. A neighborhood bookstore and coffeeshop, it has a casual, readerly atmosphere that encourages patrons to turn down the volume and unwind while they enjoy a cup of coffee. Espace Rouge is another. Occupying the former premises of a bookbinding company, the gallery and shop retains many of its old machines and tools. These are set alongside contemporary arty knickknacks, creating an elegant cultural space. Such local shops give the neighborhood a cultured atmosphere and hint at a more idealized lifestyle ahead. 

As Chen puts it, Chifeng Street’s greatest allure is its interpersonal connections. “It has a good energy that stirs your passion for life, and like a spring breeze, spreads feelings of courage and hope. 

Sipping Coffee and Reading in an Old Building: Kimotsi Bookstore

Kimotsi Bookstore’s name derives from the Japanese-era name for the district. Ranked in the Best 10 for the 2025 Taipei Architecture Renovation Award, the shop’s interior space has a reserved and tranquil feel. The counter and tables are topped with Taiwanese serpentine, and the front of the bar is decorated with the silhouette of northern Taipei’s mountains. The books on sale lean to Taiwanese history and culture, photography, and chorography, creating a reading landscape closely tied to its location. 

The Chifeng Street commercial district is home to several other bookstores besides Kimotsi, among them Athena Books, Illumination Books and Poetry in Life. Interestingly, they don’t compete with one another. Kimotsi manager Tsai Shu-ting explains that they carry different books and have different images, so each has its own customers, creating an “economies of agglomeration” effect.