A walk in historic Taipei: Monga Area

I recently bought a book called "慢城台北" which translates into "Slow city, Taipei". Slow and Taipei? It seems to me that those 2 words should never belong in the same sentence, not to mention a title! But yest, amidst all the people, food stands, uneven building structures and chaos in Taipei, there is much history to be explored. The author explores 25 historic buildings and streets of Taipei. I decided to retrace his steps in the 艋舺 Monga area and beyond this past Sunday. As people shop away at the annual sale at the Fuxing Sogo department store, I once again avoided the crowd and went on another walking adventure to discover my city.
It's funny how one can look at things from a different perspective. I have seen most of these buildings before, but never really gave it a second thought. However, the more I learn about it, the more I become interested. I'm sure a lot of people think that I'm crazy to spend 3 hours walking around looking at buildings, but for me it's an eye-opening discovery experience.
I took the MRT to the National Taiwan University Hospital station which takes me to my first stop.

1. The National Taiwan University Hospital: Old Site

This building was built in 1916 and still serves as

a hospital today. The magnificent red color of the bricks isn't overpowering and makes the building stand out to its surroundings.

Below shows the decoration of fruits on the building.

Courtyard: a nice area for patients to walk about.

2. The Control Yuan of Taiwan

Built in 1915, the Control Yuan was used as an area government building during the Japanese colonization. The architecture is in the Baroque style. For more information on its architecture go to http://www.cy.gov.tw/build/index.html

3. Zhongshan Hall
Built in 1936, it used to be called the Taipei City Public Auditorium under the Japanese rule. The building used steel-concrete which makes it resistant to fire, earthquakes, and typhoons. It was renamed "Zhongshan Hall" under the KMT rule. Today it is used as a venue for concerts and cultural and official events.
http://english.zsh.taipei.gov.tw/MP_119062.html
Outside on the plaza, there were many teenagers practicing skateboarding and riding their bikes on a Sunday afternoon. A good use of public space?
4. Longshan Temple

The name Longshan temple directly translates in "Dragon Mountain Temple." The original temple was built back in 1738. However because of earthquakes, storms as well as termite infestations it has gone under several renovations. The temple that stands today was rebuilt in 1919 and finished in 1924. Longshan temple was originally a Buddhist temple, however, throughout the years it has incorporated many Taoist deities. The grounds of the temple is rather spacious. It includes 3 halls: The forehall, the main hall, and the rear hall which was added at the end of the 18th century. Not only does Longshan temple serve as a center of the people's religious beliefs, it is also an architectural masterpiece. Longshan temple was given the honor of "second grade" historical site in 1985.

It was nearing 5pm in the afternoon, the sky was getting dark. I was expecting Longshan Temple to be relatively less rowdy than usual. But boy was I wrong. There people lined up to pray. Long tables of snacks and food were laid out (my favorite was a box of Mr. Donuts). It was hard to get a good picture of anything because of the crowd. There were tourists at the same time trying to get a good look at the beautifully crafted temple.


5. Bo Pi Liao

Alright, so I know the name Bo Pi Liao probably doesn't make much sense. But this historical area which is a few blocks down from Longshan temple is a crucial center in the development of Taipei. The very first stores and medical clinics in Taipei were all set up in this area. Today one can still see the remnants of the architectural structures. The city government has also created some reproductions of the old storefronts that used to stand and operate on its exact spot. It was almost like walking down the streets of Taipei decades ago...

The Main Entrance

Poster of an old Taiwanese movie

Reproduction of a Street Food stand

After hours and hours of walking and site-seeing, needless to say I was exhausted. However, I couldn't help feeling jubilant at the same time. I had just had a great tour of the city thanks to a great book and my 2 legs. The best part is discovering new things about the city that I had never noticed before. There is still much to see and learn, but Sunday's excursion was a great starting point!