National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall

Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, established in 1972, was designed by the renowned architect Wang Da-hong. Located in downtown Taipei, the memorial hall features a Tang-dynasty construction style and a colossal presence, stretching 100 meters on each side and surrounded by fourteen gray pillars.

The property includes a park area with camphor, flamboyant and cajuput trees, and an “Emerald Pond,” the perfect spot to view the skyscraper Taipei 101.

The memorial hall boasts Taiwan’s largest indoor auditorium, with seating for 2,500. The art galleries and exhibition rooms on the history of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen are also great attractions for art lovers.

Songshan Tobacco Plant

Songshan Tobacco Plant was built next to a train factory in 1940. Established on 19 acres of land, it specialized in producing cut tobacco, cigarettes and cigars.

Built by the Japanese military during World War II, the plant supplied tobacco products not only to the local Taiwanese market, but also to central and southern China, and Southeast Asia. Designed around the concept of an “industrial village,” it featured workers’ housing, a medical center and a nursery.

The plant was built in a minimalist, early Japanese modernist style using tiles and glass. The front of the facilities housed offices, while 19,800 square meters of floor space in the rear was dedicated to production, processing and packaging. Between 1947 and 1948, several tobacco brands were created and became popular among Taiwanese consumers. Around forty brands hit the market later and turned the tobacco plant into one of the most famous in Taiwan.

Flora can be seen throughout the property, attesting to its sobriquet as the “back garden of Taipei.” The facilities include both historical sites and historical buildings, in light of their significant role in the city’s development.

Huashan 1914 Creative Park

Located at the convergence of Zhongxiao East Road and Bade Road, Huashan Park was originally the Taipei Distillery, established in 1914. The distillery mainly produced Taibai liquor, made from cassava, which was highly popular in Taiwan at the time.

In the 1950s, the country saw a big growth in demand for rice wine. A number of fruit wines were also developed, as the distillery entered its golden era. In 1987, the distillery was moved to Linkou Industrial Park in order to reduce pollution inside Taipei City.

In 1997, the Taipei Distillery was transformed into the Huashan Arts District, thanks to the efforts of many members of the cultural community. In 2004, plans were introduced to integrate the art district with surrounding green spaces and redefine it as the Huashan Cultural and Creative Industry Center. In 2008, the new facilities were unveiled, and quickly became an important nurturing ground for artistic talent and non-profit organizations.

Huashan 1914 Creative Park features both outdoor arts spaces and indoor performance and exhibition areas. It boasts multifunctional exhibition rooms, a performance stage, an information center and spacious lawns. The park is devoted to facilitating filming and photography, creative markets, education, performances, entertainment and commerce, and serves to promote aesthetics, creativity, learning and leisure. Winning widespread recognition from both Taiwanese and international artists, it has established itself as a major center for cultural and creative industry.

Taipei Brewery

Located on Bade Road, the Taipei Brewery was Taiwan’s only beer manufacturer during the Japanese colonial era, enjoying a reputation on a par with Sapporo brewery of Hokkaido, Japan. Throughout its 83 years of history, the brewery has witnessed the development of beer industry and culture in Taiwan.

Initially, the brewery produced an annual volume of 1.56 million bottles of beer. By 1993, it had increased output to an impressive 144.72 million bottles per year. At its height, the brewery employed around 700 workers and boasted the most cutting-edge equipment. Its beer and wine products won widespread recognition in both overseas and domestic markets.

The equipment and architectural design of the brewery serve as a tangible history of its development in these years. The red bricks in the Red Chamber came from the same source as those of the Presidential Office. The facilities also feature equipment now extremely rare, including traditional open fermentation tanks, aluminum vats, and four copper malting kettles among ten still remaining in the world.

Due to its air and noise pollution, the production assembly was originally slated for relocation. However, because of its historical significance, the Taiwan Tobacco & Liquor Corporation decided to retain the vintage equipment and continue some production services. Now, the Taipei City Department of Urban Development is promoting the brewery as a cultural park centered on the theme of beer, integrating dining, entertainment, culture and tourism.

Taipei Xinyi Public Assembly Hall

44 South Village is located near the corner of Xinyi Road and Keelung Road. It was the earliest military dependents' village in Taipei. Established in 1948, the village got its name from its location just south of the No. 44 Munitions Plant. Due to its populace of poor workers and technicians, the village may be described as the military dependents' village most characteristic of a refugee settlement.

Soon it was filled to capacity, and in 1951, two additional subdivisions, 44 East and West Villages, were constructed to accommodate the burgeoning population.

Like most of the military dependents' villages in Taiwan, 44 South Village was constructed with wood, bamboo, lime and tiles. The buildings are lined up in a traditional fishbone formation.

With the increasing development of Xinyi District, the village’s residents were relocated in 1999. Some advocates and residents rallied for the preservation of these buildings. After years of effort, 44 South Village was listed as a series of historical buildings by the Taipei City Department of Cultural Affairs and renamed Taipei Xinyi Public Assembly Hall in October, 2003. The cultural complex combines an exhibition hall, a performance center and a community park.

Taiwan Railway Administration Taipei Railyard Bathhouse

Built in 1933, the Songshan Railyard, predecessor of the Taipei Railyard, was dedicated to the maintenance and construction of trains and tracks. During World War II, a number of Allied POWs from Europe and the U.S. were held here by their Japanese captors.

In an expansion project in the 1930s, the bathhouse was constructed to serve railway personnel. Water in the bathhouse was heated by steam from a boiler. It is still in service today.

The design of the bathhouse is said to be influenced by the Japanese branch of secessionist art, reflecting the fashion in global architecture in the 1930s.

The structure is made of steel-reinforced concrete and boasts a distinctive domed roof. The semi-cylindrical interior space has no pillars and features windows on both sides for plenty of natural light. This geometrically stylish bathhouse stands out as a significant example of modernist architecture in the history of Taiwan’s development.

The Neihu Quarry

When the original walled city of Taipei was built in 1882, a large amount of stones were needed to construct the wall and buildings. The andesite deposits in the mountains of Neihu were exploited for this purpose. Some relics can still be seen in today, including the old Taipei Prison wall next to the Chunghwa Telecom offices on Jinshan South Road.

In the Japanese colonial period, the quarry was named the Beishih Lake Quarry. Most of the stone exploited in the quarry was used to build roads, walls and sewerage.

Following World War II, the quarry was closed, as the use of stone was replaced by concrete, and society became more attuned to environmental protection. Now, it is officially recognized as a historical site. The original quarry included a workshop, ramp and rest area. 

Quarried stone was moved down the ramp and carried by oxcart to the Keelung River ferry. Mines closer to the river were exploited earlier than those farther away.

The entrance of the quarry can be seen at the end of Lane 136, Huanshan Road in Neihu District. Remains of the work sites can be found along the area’s hiking trails.