I revisited Sanxia a few months ago and found a lot has changed, mostly for the better. The old town is now surrounded by thickets of modern apartment buildings. Bilingual signs and maps point visitors toward the main sights.

The town's most famous place of worship, Zushi Temple (祖師廟), remains a must-see. Others far more qualified than me regard it as a pinnacle of religious art in Taiwan.

Finding the temple is very easy. It's open 4 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day.

At first you may think the shrine is overrated. Patches of crudely painted concrete are visible, as is some messy wiring. But if you go over the wood and stone carvings column by column and inch by inch you'll be won over. In addition to the usual dragons and sages, there are crabs and other crustaceans, fish, owls, elephants, and a whole orchestra of musicians. The gold-leaf ceiling of the central chamber, where incense is offered to Zushi, is exceptionally ornate. Zushi, which means 'divine progenitor', is the godly name of a 13th-century government official honoured for his bravery at a time when the Mongols were invading China.

The temple was established in 1769, rebuilt in 1833 and flattened during fighting between Japanese forces and Taiwanese militia in 1895. Rebuilt again in 1899, a major renovation effort was begun in 1947 under the supervision of Li Mei-shu (李梅樹, 1902-1983), a Japanese-educated former mayor and acclaimed painter.

Since Li's death, progress on the temple has been stymied by a dispute between the management committee, which has preferred to use cheaper semi-finished decorations imported from the Chinese mainland, and those who back Li's policy of employing local master carvers and artists.

Li's son manages a museum that showcases several of the artist's finest works. The Li Mei-shu Memorial Gallery (李梅樹紀念館), located on the first floor of a modern building at No. 10, Lane 43, Zhonghua Road (中華路), is worth visiting. Admission is just NT$50. The gallery is usually open weekends and holidays only, 10.00 a.m. to 5.30 p.m., but groups can visit on weekdays if they make a reservation at least 10 days in advance. To do so call (02) 2673-2333 or fax (02) 2673-6077.

It's possible to walk to the gallery from the temple. Look at one of the bilingual maps for directions.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, Sanxia's economy was driven by the region's natural resources — camphor, coal, tea, and timber. Indigo dyeing was a major industry. But when trucks and trains began replacing riverboats as the main means of shifting goods around north Taiwan, Sanxia was soon eclipsed by upstart towns like Taoyuan.

You can learn a bit about Sanxia's history in the Sanxia Historical Relics Hall (三峽歷史文物館, open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Mondays), a stone's throw from the temple.

Minquan Street, the thoroughfare I found in a memorable but depressing state a decade ago, has been reborn as a touristy “old street.” It's also reverted to the name it bore when it was the town's business hub: Sanjiaoyong Street (三角湧老街).

Several of the redbrick Baroque-style shop-houses are more than a century old, but they look as good as new thanks to the 2004-2006 government-funded renovation.

In keeping with the declared doctrine of “original architecture, original materials,” hundreds of mud bricks were made from scratch so internal partitions could be rebuilt. Sagging roofs were straightened. However, residents were permitted to build additional floors so long as facades were preserved and the classical appearance of the street maintained.

The results are certainly impressive and the street is thriving once again.

HOW TO GET THERE

Several bus services link Taipei with Sanxia, including No.. 275 and 908, both which run frequently to/from Jingan MRT Station. Buses between Sanxia and Taoyuan go via Yingge which is useful if you want to visit the latter town's famous ceramics museum.