Taipei Audio Tour: From Scholars to Statesmen in Da’an District

Stops on this tour

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   National Taiwan University College of Medicine

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   You can’t miss it-look for the huge, sandy-colored building with rows of small square windows rising high above the palm trees, just across from the bustle of downtown…Read moreShow less

   You can’t miss it-look for the huge, sandy-colored building with rows of small square windows rising high above the palm trees, just across from the bustle of downtown traffic. Now, let me take you back to the late 1800s. Picture Taipei-no MRT, no neon glow, just muddy lanes and wooden carts rattling through rice paddies. Right here, the seeds for Taiwan’s medical future were being planted! The first spark? In 1895, during Japanese colonial rule, clever folks set up a hospital in Dadaocheng-nothing too fancy, but it quickly transformed into the "Taiwan Governor-General’s Taipei Hospital," which later launched a medical training institute. Imagine hopeful young students learning medicine, armed with little more than determination, in a city barely beginning to modernize. As decades ticked by, the school morphed through names and eras-Taipei Medical Professional School, Taipei Imperial University-each new title like a badge, marking Taiwan’s transformation. Fast-forward to 1945, World War II ends, and Taiwan returns to Chinese rule. The hospital and school join National Taiwan University, becoming the College of Medicine. Slowly, they began to add department after department-pharmacy, nursing, dentistry. If you were to list every major medical advancement in Taiwan over the last century, odds are it sprang from these very doors-anesthesia, urology, emergency medicine, even gleaming new research institutes. But here’s my favorite twist: in 2007, a local legend-Terry Gou, the founder of Foxconn, decided to dig deep in his pockets and donate a cool NT $15 billion (imagine that as nearly half a billion dollars today) to build a world-class cancer center right here. Just goes to show, some dreams come with a jaw-dropping price tag-and a new hospital wing! The cancer center opened in 2019 and now stands as a beacon of hope, sporting his mother’s name for good luck. So next time you pass by a white-coated doctor downtown, chances are, they’ve pounded pavement (and maybe their head against a textbook or two) right here. Alright, ready for the next stop? Taipei Mayor is just an 8-minute walk heading east.

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   Taipei Mayor

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   Look to your right for a low, charming wooden house with a tiled roof and a few red lanterns hanging out front-it sort of feels like an old teacher’s cottage, tucked under the…Read moreShow less

   Look to your right for a low, charming wooden house with a tiled roof and a few red lanterns hanging out front-it sort of feels like an old teacher’s cottage, tucked under the trees. Alright, picture this: It’s 1940, and instead of all this city noise, this place was where the big shots of Taipei-back then, the mayor-kicked off their shoes after a long day bossing folks around. Built by the Japanese government, it started as the official residence of the Taipei governor, and after World War II, it passed right on to the city mayors, each moving in (except for one guy, Wu Bo-xiong, who apparently preferred his own digs-can’t blame him, the rent must’ve been wild, even way back then). From secret strategy sessions over endless cups of tea, to the sound of kids running across these tiles, this house has seen it all. But here’s a plot twist: Since 1994, it opened its doors to the public, swapping politicians for painters, poets, and just about anyone with a creative bone. Imagine what you could dream up after a stroll under these shady trees! Once you’re ready, head west for 12 minutes to get to 中正紀念堂.

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   Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall

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   If you glance to your right, you’ll spot a massive, bright white building topped with a royal blue octagonal roof and an orange dome-it looks like something straight out of a…Read moreShow less

   If you glance to your right, you’ll spot a massive, bright white building topped with a royal blue octagonal roof and an orange dome-it looks like something straight out of a movie, and you really cannot miss the giant flight of stairs leading up to its entrance. Now, welcome to the mighty Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, or as the locals call it, Zhongzheng Jinian Tang. This is Taipei’s version of “go big or go home”-a whopping 250,000 square meter complex, with a main hall so tall you’d need about 23 giraffes standing shoulder to shoulder to reach the top. Imagine rolling up in 1975 with a plan for a shiny international business center... only for those plans to get bumped for something even flashier after Chiang Kai-shek passed away. The government decided, “Nope, we need a memorial!” and with about 15 billion old Taiwan dollars-more than a billion in today’s US dollars-they got to work. The project was so massive, they had committees for committees, all to make sure nothing here was done halfway. This place has always been a stage for big entrances. Picture world leaders rolling in, the military putting on a show, and crowds gathering for everything from performances to protests. And yes, there are protests-this plaza’s seen students sitting in with paper lilies, calling for democracy, and people flinging eggs at statues in ways I don’t recommend trying yourself. Architecturally, you’re standing in the middle of symbolism central. The building is decorated in blue and white, echoing the national emblem-the “blue sky, white sun.” There are 89 steps going up, one for every year of Chiang’s life, just in case you forgot who they’re honoring here! The eight-sided roof is a classic nod to good fortune, and the central avenue faces the west, towards China-subtle, right? Head inside (well, when you have time), and you’ll see a giant bronze statue of the Generalissimo himself, looking like he’s about to break into a lecture on good conduct and democracy. The main doors are colossal bronze beasts themselves, weighing 75 tons! And don’t miss the changing of the guard ceremony out front, which draws quite the crowd-unless it’s raining, because even guards don’t like soggy uniforms. Around the hall are sprawling gardens, koi ponds, and the white-arched gateway out front. That gate used to say “Great Centrality and Perfect Uprightness” in Chinese, but nowadays, it says “Liberty Square.” There were more debates and drama over those four characters than I’ve seen at most Taiwanese family dinners, which is saying something. Oh, and fun fact: This spot made it onto the “Amazing Race” TV show-so go ahead, take a victory selfie, you’re standing at a world-famous finish line. If you’re ready to keep exploring, our next stop is 大安區 (臺北市). Just head northeast-it’s about a 31-minute walk, perfect for stretching those legs! Interested in a deeper dive into the history, management office organization or the architecture and landscape? Join me in the chat section for an insightful conversation.

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