What It Is

The last functioning Traditional Chinese (繁體中文) moveable-type foundry in the world. Founded 1969 by Zhang Jieguan's father; operated by Zhang Jieguan (張介冠) as the second generation. The shop holds approximately 120,000 individual copper molds across three complete typefaces: Song (宋體 — the serif style used in classical newspaper printing), Kai (楷書 — regular calligraphic script), and Black (黑體 — sans-serif). Before digital composition replaced hot-metal typesetting in the 1990s, foundries like this cast every character in every Taiwanese newspaper and book. This is the only one still operating.

Nothing is behind glass. Visitors receive a wooden compositing tray, walk through rows of shoulder-height wooden cabinets filled with hundreds of thousands of lead slugs, and physically retrieve characters — the same motion a newspaper compositor would have made in 1975.

Location

District: Datong (大同區)
Address: No. 13, Lane 97, Taiyuan Road (台北市大同區太原路97巷13號)
Nearest MRT: Beimen Station (北門站, Blue/Songshan-Xindian Line) — approximately 12-minute walk NW. Also reachable on foot from Zhongshan Station (~15 min) or Taipei Main Station (~15 min). Lane 97 entrance is easy to miss; look for it off Taiyuan Road.

Opening Hours

Wednesday, Friday, Saturday only — 10:00–17:00. Closed Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday, and public holidays. Closure notices posted to their Facebook page (facebook.com/rixingtypefoundry). Group visits require a reservation ≥2 weeks in advance via rixing.boostime.me; NTD 500 deposit.

Price Range

Admission: free.

Individual lead type characters (鉛字), sold by size:

  • Initial size (初號, largest): NTD 180 each
  • Size 1 (一號): NTD 100 each
  • Sizes 2–3: NTD 20–60 each
  • Sizes 4–6: NTD 5–20 each
  • English-script type, size 2: NTD 120; size 4: NTD 40

Custom stamp body (wood handle): NTD 100. Ink pad + drawstring pouch: NTD 100. A finished 2–4 character name stamp, complete with body and ink pad: approximately NTD 300.

Specific Items Worth Buying

Custom 2–4 character name stamp in Song (宋體) typeface — Staff locate your Chinese name (or romanized transliteration phonetically set in Chinese) in the size 2–3 drawers, mount the type into a wooden body, and stamp a test impression. The stamp arrives functional in a linen drawstring bag. Total: ~NTD 300.
Loose lead characters as desk objects — A 3-character phrase (a meaningful idiom, a name, a date) in size 1 (NTD 100 each) makes a low-cost, authentically weighted souvenir. Three characters: NTD 300. Often displayed in a shallow dish or mounted behind glass.
Number-series characters in size 4 (NTD 5–20 each) — birth year, address number, a significant date. Small milled lead slugs; unexpected, inexpensive gift.

Why It Is Unusual

The standard tourist circuit, design travel lists, and major guidebooks do not feature this shop. TripAdvisor carries only 30 reviews total for a business operating for over 50 years — low traffic is structural, not seasonal. It is located in a lane in Datong with no adjacent tourist node. The foundry appears on Atlas Obscura, meaning design-community visitors may know it; it does not appear in Lonely Planet Taiwan or any mainstream "Top 10 Taipei" format.

The foundry is an active collaborator, not a preserved institution. justfont (Taiwan's leading typography studio) published the "日星宋體貳號" digital typeface collaboration in March 2026, based on newly restored copper molds from Ri Xing. A crowdfunding campaign (WaBay platform, Jun–Aug 2025) drew 700+ backers on day one to fund further digitization. The shop also maintains an active Pinkoi storefront and Shopee listings (confirmed Jun 2026).

Verified currently open and trading: Aug 4, 2026 (active social media presence, confirmed product listings, 2026 typography collaboration).