A View of Hengyang Road in Taipei

Before the main business hub in Taipei moved east during the 1970s, Hengyang Road enjoyed several decades of prosperity. The buildings on the street were constructed in the European renaissance style. The washed granolithic finish on the walls and decorative additions made of clay all testify of the grandness it used to enjoy.
During the Qing dynasty, the east section of Hengyang Road used to be called Shifang Street and the west section, Ximen Street. During the Japanese occupation, it was changed to Rongding, with the implied hope it would become a prosperous area. From the intentional renovation of the Liu Mingchuan era, through the Japanese occupation, and up to the 1950s and 1960s, it was Taipei’s primary commercial street.
The left side of the picture shows the Tenth Credit Cooperative of Taipei, which was built in 1927. It is now known as the Chengnei branch of the Taiwan Cooperative Bank. Due to the elegant style of architecture, this building has been listed as a historic monument by the Taipei city government.