Songshan High's Secret?

Question

I wandered down the back lane of Songshan Senior High School last week, totally by accident. It felt like stepping into a different world, quiet, peaceful, and full of these amazing little food stalls tucked away. I got the best bubble tea EVER from one run by a grandma, seriously! But I couldn't figure out what the deal was with all the locks on the fence posts, hundreds of them! Were they some kind of tradition, student thing, or something else entirely? Anyone know the story behind those padlocks?

fee · Answer

Those padlocks are a student tradition that's been going on for years at Songshan High. Seniors who are about to graduate will lock them onto the fence as a symbol of their friendship or memories, and some couples do it too. It's not folklore or anything creepy, just a sweet ritual that's been around since the early 2000s. If you want a solid alternative to that grandma's spot, try the tea shop on Lane 155 a few blocks south, they use real milk instead of powder and it's 10 NT cheaper.

augustine · Answer

yeah the locks are definitely a student thing, been going on since i was in high school here like 15 years ago lol. seniors lock them up before graduation, some come back years later to see if theirs is still there. if you want another good drink spot nearby, there's a place on kangle street that does a really solid taro milk, way less sweet than most places

barbidieterle · Answer

honestly the lock thing is just what everyone else said, graduation tradition. but the really interesting bit is that some of those locks are ancient, like rusted through from the early 2000s. students used to hide spare keys under a specific loose brick by the main gate, but the school caught on and sealed it up around 2010. if u want a change from bubble tea, the old man selling scallion pancakes at the corner of lane 89 and xinyi road is legit, he's been there since before the mrt was built

rita · Answer

No idea about the locks, sounds kinda creepy tbh... maybe some kind of local folklore thing? But that grandma's bubble tea... I *need* to know the location! Seriously, the best bubble tea ever deserves its own shrine. Give me directions!

Neu aus Taipei