Sankengzi Old Street, also known as Sankeng Old Street, is located in Longtan District, Taoyuan City, Taiwan. The scope is roughly the core of the settlement at Yongfu Temple. In the old days, residents would gather there in the early morning or at dusk to wash clothes. The old street is narrow on the outside and wide on the inside. Sankengzi is a traditional Hakka settlement, and  is the earliest area developed in Longtan District; that’s why it is also known as "Longtan First Street".

Sankengzi is an authentic Hakka village. In the past, Sankengzi was one of the most prosperous piers on the river. It was the first street in Longtan area to develop commercial activities. However, due to the construction of Shimen Reservoir, the water level of Dahan River was reduced, making it impossible for boats to sail through. After that, land transport replaced water transport, and the commercial function of Sankengzi gradually declined. Sankengzi Old Street retains the traditional Hakka characteristics, and it is also a filming location for "David Loman (大尾鱸鰻),” a 2013 Taiwanese comedy film, and "Love Together (愛讓我們在一起)" a 2011 Taiwanese TV drama.

The origin of Sankengzi can be traced back to the development of Longtan in the period of Emperor Kangxi's reign during the Qing Dynasty, and it was not until the ninth year of Emperor Qianlong’s reign (AD 1744) that Han people moved here. The area is a fluvial terrace, with three rivers infused into the Dahan River and three pits on the ground, which is the origin of the Sankeng place name.

When you walk into Sankeng Old Street, you can see the so-called "black and white wash," which is where the women used to wash their clothes. The narrow and curved Sankeng Old Street makes it difficult for cars to pass through. This kind of street and lane is one of the characteristics of a Hakka village; the streets are deliberately designed to curve, so that robbers know they cannot easily get away. The short old street retains the old veranda style architecture, and the specialty shops sell Hakka specialties such as steamed vegetable glutinous rice buns, steamed mugwort glutinous rice cake, brown sugar ginger glutinous rice balls, and orange marmalade.

If you walk to the end of the old street, you will reach the core of the settlement of Sankeng Old Street - Yongfu Temple, which was built in the 56th year of Emperor Qianlong’s reign. At present, the main emperor, the lord, and the priest are also the center of faith for the local residents. In addition, the Daxi Yuemei to Longtan Sankeng Waterfront Sightseeing Corridor takes the Daxi, Shimen, Dazhen, and the Longtan Sankeng Old Street as the end points. You can experience the multiple characteristics of the scenery, the farmland and the culture of the old street.

Featured building:

Qing Qian Di | 青錢第

Built in 1895, Qing Qian Di is a traditional Hakka building. The ancestor who lived in this building were surnamed Chang and was a local merchant. During the famine, they privately issued "green money" as a disaster relief for local residents and because "green money" was very creditable at the time and can be exchanged everywhere, the emperor commended his charity and gave him the title of "Qing Qian Di" to honor him.

Longtan Sankeng Chuansheng Xinji Store |龍潭三坑川盛信記商店

Built in the Qing Emperor Qianlong to Xianfeng years, this is a traditional Qing era veranda-style street house. The building is made of earthen walls and the structure of the house is a hard-shelled structure of the load-bearing wall. It’s a traditional Hakka settlement of northern Taiwan that was built in the early days and is well-preserved. In 2003, it was registered as a historic building in Taoyuan City.