Zhongyang Old Street is the most intact traditional commercial street remaining in Magong. The building stock took shape during the Japanese colonial period and continued developing through the post-war decades, leaving a physical record of over a century of commerce, food culture, and daily life in Penghu. The street runs no more than 150 m (490 ft), yet it compresses a cross-section of local life into a single lane: columned two-story shophouses, deep-red facades of long-running general stores, food stalls with afternoon queues, and a newer generation of cultural bookshops and craft workshops operating within the same old buildings. It is one of the most direct ways to engage with Penghu’s built history, whether on a first visit or a return trip.
What to See
Most structures on the street are two-story Western-style shophouses built from the 1920s onward. Preserved facade details — terrazzo surfaces, decorative window grilles, and carved shop-name plaques — document the construction techniques and tastes of the era. Some rooftops still retain tiles laid during the Japanese colonial period. The signage running along both sides of the lane, ranging from hand-painted lacquer characters to gold-leaf lettering from different decades, constitutes its own layer of commercial archaeology. In the evenings, amber streetlight falling on stone facades shifts the street’s character noticeably.
The local food on offer is part of the draw: cactus ice cream — produced from red-heart cactus cultivated in Penghu — is the old street’s most distinctive item, with a flavor that is sweet and sour, with a slight bitterness. Stalls serving fresh fish soup and oyster omelette represent the everyday diet of Magong residents. In recent years, newer cultural shops have brought in work by Penghu artists and locally grown produce, sitting alongside establishments that have been in the same families for generations.
Getting There and Nearby
Zhongyang Old Street is a 5-minute walk from Magong Bus Terminal; alternatively, any bus serving Penghu Hospital stops at the Penghu Hospital stop, from which the old street entrance is a 1-minute walk. For drivers, the nearest public car park is Magong City First Public Car Park, approximately 200 m (220 yd) away.
The surrounding area is compact and walkable. Magong Tianhou Temple (3 minutes) is the oldest Mazu temple in Penghu and a natural pairing with a visit to the old street. Siyan Well (3 minutes) is one of the earliest public water sources in Penghu’s recorded history. The Magong Harbor coastal walkway (10 minutes) provides views of working fishing vessels and the breakwater. The old street itself takes roughly 30–50 minutes to walk through; factoring in the nearby sites, a 1.5-hour block is comfortable.