Mingzhi Academy, Taishan, Taipei

The Mingzhi Academy 明志書院 in Taishan District is the first academy in northern Taiwan, it was established in 1763 during the Qing Dynasty. The academy had two branches: One in Taishan, one in Hsinchu. Taishan's Mingzhi Academy was divided into 4 branches by the end of 18th century: Taishan, Tamsui, Sinjhuang and Sanchong. In 1875 the land belonging to Mingzhi Academy was divided in two, and the second part was given to Manka's (today known as Wanhua's) Xuehai Academy 學海書院 (source). The Hsinchu branch was demolished during the Japanese occupation, today's Migzhi Academy is therefore the last one remaining. What we see today is just a small part of the former complex, that was originally much larger. The building was slowly decaying throughout the 20th century up until 2003, when the bricks nearly collapsed. The local government finally decided to renovate and rebuild what was left later that year, and in 2005 the renovation works were completed (source).

Here are some of my photos from January 2013:

A front shot (the door featured Lunar New Year spring couplets).

This is one of the most beautiful swallowtail roof's I've seen in Taipei.

The main entrance.

A detail on the bricks.

The main room inside the building.

A small altar with lots of bamboo in pots.

The front yard is small, but neat.

The building as seen from the other side of the road.

I'm not sure about the opening hours, but I guess, if you arrive during the week throughout the day, you will be able to enter. There was a woman inside, when my wife and I arrived, but she was not asking us anything. We were free to walk around and take photos. There is a small exhibition inside in the two smaller rooms on each side next to the big main room. The exhibition is in Chinese, and shows the history of the academy, the building, as well as the renovation works. To get to know how to find the Mingzhi Academy, check my Taishan overview post and follow the instructions.

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▷ RELATED INFORMATION

• Pinyin: Míngzhì shūyüèn
• Related website: Wiki-CH
• My useful tips: Transportation in Taipei

▷ RELATED POSTS

• Upper Taishan Temple
• Lower Taishan Temple

Always double check my information before use, blogging is just my free time activity; I can't be held liable for any loss, damage or discomfort occurred as a result of using my travel guides | Romanization in Taiwan

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Bu-Cheng-Shih-Sz Yamen, Taipei

The Bu-Cheng-Shih-Sz-Yamen 布政使司衙門 inside the Taipei Botanical Garden in Zhongzheng District is the old administration building and residence of the former provincial governor during the Qing Dynasty. The Qing established Taipei as the capital of their Taiwan Province in 1885 (until the 1895 Japanese invasion). The building commonly known as Yamen 衙門 was built in 1889, but not at the present site - its original location was in northern Zhongzheng. It was relocated to the present site between 1932 and 1936 during the Japanese occupation in order to make space for a Public Hall (公會堂). The former public hall building is today known as Zhongshan Hall. Just like the Yamen, it's a very unique and historically significant building (source).

An old photo of the Yamen shows how large the complex used to be.

Today's Yamen (which has been transformed into a museum) is just a shrunk down version of the former building, and its location in the middle of the Taipei Botanical Garden makes it a rather peripheral occurrence. It used to stand in the very center of Taipei in the late 20th century. You can see some old photos of the building here.

Here are some of my photos from July 2012:

A side view of the current Yamen.

Lots of visitors at the main entrance.

The Yamen (as it stands today) is a largely wooden structure.

The main yard after entering the premises.

This is a small exhibition, that explains the history of the building.

The inside was very cool and dark.

Unfortunately there wasn't much written in English.

The main hall is very large.

An old wooden door on display.

The view out.

An old wall at the back of the building.

A hallway with a small exhibition on related artifacts.

A view on the Yamen from outside.

An old photo of the North Gate and Yamen in the distance (photo source).

The Old Yamen is very easy to find. Go out at Xiaonanmen MRT Station Exit 3 and walk to the Botanical Garden. Once inside, keep right and you'll eventually end up at the building in about 5-10 mins.

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▷ RELATED INFORMATION

• Pinyin: Bù zhèng shǐ sī Yámén
• Related website: Wiki-CH
• My useful tips: Transportation in Taipei

▷ RELATED POSTS

• Botanical Garden Herbal Museum
• Museum of Drinking Water

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▷ BLOG NAVIGATION: Taiwan>> Taipei Travel Page>> Zhongzheng District>> Bu-Cheng-Shih-Sz-Yamen

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Dadaocheng Wharf, Datong, Taipei

The Dadaocheng Wharf 大稻埕碼頭 (sometimes also spelled as Tataocheng Wharf) in Taipei's Datong District is one of Taipei's old harbors, which flourished in the second part of the 19th century, because it connected Tataocheng, an old part of Taipei famous for trade with tea, with other important commercial centers in the region, such as Hong Kong (source). After the railway connection with Keelung was completed in 1891 (source), Dadaocheng's Wharf lost importance in the early 20th century, and has remained in decay most of that period. A few years ago the Taipei City government decided to restore the area's former glory. A park and bicycle routes were laid out in 2005, and locals began to rediscover this part of the Old Taipei once again (source).

The best way to visit the wharf

If you want to visit the Dadaocheng Wharf, I recommend you to go to Daqiaotou MRT Station and go out at Exit 1. Cross the busy road and then turn right. Walk straight for a while and go up to the Taipei Bridge. From there you'll have a nice view over the wharf, but you will also be able to see Xinzhuang, Sanchong, and parts of Banciao. You can take some great photos from that spot. After that you can walk down to the river along the bicycle route and slowly approach the wharf's central part.

Here are my photos of the Dadaocheng Wharf from December 2012:

This is a photo of Tataocheng taken from the Taipei bridge.

This is the path down to the river side park.

A small temple surrounded with thick trees offered elders shelter from the hot sun.

Left the bike lanes, right pedestrian way.

It would be great to see more trees here.

A look back at the Taipei Bridge.

Banciao's Neo Sky Dome in the distance.

This is closer to the central part of the wharf.

Another small temple for the older residents.

Lots of trees offer shadow here.

Crossing a small overpass.

A small pier with docked ships.

The central part of the Dadaocheng Wharf.

This gate allows cars and scooters inside - a very Taiwanese solution.

A nicely paved area.

This is where bikers take a rest.

A local enjoying the beautiful view.

Dog on a bike - no rarity in Taipei.

This part is more like an old park full of thick trees... and a temple.

There is sadly a lot of concrete in the park as well.

The road to Wanhua.

A big parking space for the less active citizens.

This is the entrance to the wharf as seen from the old Guide Street.

The Dadaocheng Wharf is the perfect getaway for those travelers, who want to take a break from the usual hustle and bustle of central Taipei. The area is also great for those, who have to kill time, but don't know where to go. There are a lot of benches for you to rest, and the breeze along the river can be quite pleasant on warmer days. If you're walking around Tataocheng or Dihua Street, a visit to the wharf is a must.

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▷ RELATED INFORMATION

• Pinyin: Dàdàochéng mǎtóu
• Related website: Taipei City government
• My useful tips: Transportation in Taipei

▷ NEARBY SITES

• Baoan Temple
• Tataocheng

Always double check my information before use, blogging is just my free time activity; I can't be held liable for any loss, damage or discomfort occurred as a result of using my travel guides | Romanization in Taiwan

▷ BLOG NAVIGATION: Taiwan>> Taipei Travel Page>> Datong District>> Dadaocheng Wharf

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Lower Taishan Temple, Taishan, Taipei

The Lower Taishan Temple 下泰山巖 in Taishan District was built in 1875 by Huang and Tsai, two members of the older Upper Taishan Temple. They believed, that for many elders the old temple is too far, so they decided to place the newer one near the Taishan Old Street. The temple was thoroughly renovated in 1912 during the Japanese occupation. Although it looks quite new, it's actually over 130 years old (source).

Here are some of my photos of the temple:

Red lanterns.

The beautifully decorated entrance.

Another view.

Inside the main hall.

My wife and I went to the top floor.

A detail from the roof.

A view down on the market place.

Freshly fried sausages made this boy salivate.

A view up.

The whole area near the temple is one of Taishan's oldest parts.

If you want to get to know how to visit Lower Taishan Temple and other interesting sights in this district read my article Images of Taishan. Read also my post about Upper Taishan Temple.

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▷ RELATED INFORMATION

• Pinyin: Xià Tàishān yén
• Related website: Homepage
• My useful tips: Transportation in Taipei

▷ RELATED POSTS

• Baoan Temple
• Xingtian Temple

Always double check my information before use, blogging is just my free time activity; I can't be held liable for any loss, damage or discomfort occurred as a result of using my travel guides | Romanization in Taiwan

▷ BLOG NAVIGATION: Taiwan>> Taipei Travel Page>> Taishan District>> Lower Taishan Temple

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