Before you is the North Gate, officially named Cheng'en, «receiving imperial grace». Notice how different it is from the East Gate: there is no palace pavilion here, just a solid block of stone and brick, more like a small fort. This is how all five of Taipei's gates looked when the Qing dynasty finished the wall in 1884.

1The main gate

This was the city's most important entrance. Officials travelled up the Tamsui River by boat, landed nearby and entered through this gate. It also faced the river mouth, the likely direction of any attack, so it had a fortified outer court in front to protect the approach. The Japanese demolished that court, along with the rest of the wall, in the early 20th century.

2Hidden and rediscovered

Of the gates left standing, three were rebuilt in 1966 in the style of northern Chinese palaces. This one escaped. But in 1978 a road overpass was built right beside it and hid it for almost forty years.

In 2016 the overpass was torn down and the gate came back into view, surrounded by a plaza.

Restoration work began in 2024; if you find it wrapped in scaffolding, that is why.

3What to look for

  • The 承恩門 plaque above the arch.
  • The windows: two square and one round, designed for keeping watch.
  • The stone blocks of the base, brought from the nearby hills.
Old photograph of the North Gate with its arch, the city wall on either side and a cart passing in front
The North Gate in the early 20th century, still flanked by remains of the wall.

Documented

The North Gate was completed in 1884 and is the only Taipei gate that keeps its original appearance; the overpass that had hidden it since 1978 was demolished in 2016.

Sources and credits

Bureau of Cultural Heritage, Ministry of Culture, listing for the Taipei city gates; Department of Cultural Affairs, Taipei City Government, North Gate Square project; Zhuang Yongming, «Old Streets of Taipei» (1991).

Photos:

  • Taipei's North Gate, grey stone and red brick, in an open plaza with lawns: 林先生, CC BY-SA 4.0.
  • Old photograph of the North Gate with its arch, the city wall on either side and a cart passing in front: Autor desconocido, Dominio público.

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