Presidential Office Building of Taiwan, Taipei

The center of power of the Republic of China

It was quite a hot day last week, when I decided to see the famous Office of the President of the Republic of China (中華民國總統府). I took a walk from the Taipei Main Station and first saw the Shin Kong Life Tower, took some photos of it and moved on. A very kind young Taiwanese guy helped me with the directions. It was a long walk, but when I finally saw the building from afar, I was very happy. The closer I got, the more impressive it was. The roads around the buildings are wide and huge, like real boulevards. But they're not as full as elsewhere. Traffic is smoother there.

There's a lot of security around the area. Police on all corners, there were even some military vehicles parked nearby. Young men are guarding the building, they're armed and in uniforms. But there are also another kind of security, which look like secret service agents. They are positioned on many crucial points around the building and wear casual clothes with ear phones (just like in the movies). They look at everyone very suspiciously, but that's their job. I felt like a spy with my camera and frankly a bit intimidated. Firstly because of the impressive building and secondly, because of the huge security and how they looked at me. They're definitely serious, keep that in mind. When I saw all that, I thought it must be the most secured building in whole Taiwan and I wondered, how many snipers were pointed at me. I walked slowly with my DSLR and snapped only few photos. There weren't many tourists, I only saw one Japanese man. I soon went away from the building, walking down south, because I wanted to take photos from afar.

See my photos of the Presidential Office Building:

The Presidential Office Building of the Republic of China today is the former Governor General's Office during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan (1895-1945). It was designed by the Japanese architect Uheiji Nagano (長野宇平治). The construction began in 1912 and ended in 1919. During the WWII the building was heavily damaged. Since 1950 the building houses the President of the ROC.

The tower is 60m tall, which is 2m taller than the tallest church in Maribor.

The huge Ketagalan Boulevard nearby (凱達格蘭大道 Kǎidágélán Dàdào).

You can see the secret service agent and a photographer close to each other.

The Judicial Yuan (司法院) next to the President's office.

The Shin Kong Life Tower and army jeeps guarding the area.

The Presidential Office Building up front.

A close up on the tower and the main facade. The architecture has neo-baroque elements.

A statue nearby.

The Presidential Office building from afar.

The flag of the Republic of China: Long live its democracy and freedom!

I'm truly impressed with what Taiwan has accomplished so far, not only in terms of economical development, but also in terms of democracy, freedoms and human rights. It's a small country, but a very vibrant democracy. People, especially in the West, should not forget, how awesome Taiwan is. I hope my blog can be a little contribution to a better understanding between the West and Taiwan.

I hope you enjoyed my photos and impressions.

[Part of Zhongzheng][My TAIPEI page][My TAIWAN page][All photos by MKL, 2010]
[BUILDINGS in TAIWAN][Links: Presidential Building WikiTW]

Shin Kong Life Tower, Taipei

The second tallest building in Taipei

In 2010, Taipei's second tallest building.

Shin Kong Life Tower in its full grace.

The Shin Kong Life tower used to be Taipei's and Taiwan's no 1 building in the past (1993 - 1997), but now it's always in the shadow of Tuntex Sky Tower in Kaohsiung and of course Taipei 101 in Taipei. I haven't seen a huge density of high-rise buildings in Taipei, most of them are scattered around the whole city, not like what you see in Singapore, HK or Kuala Lumpur. And so a very tall building really stands out in Taipei City and so did the SKL tower for me. It's nearly 245m tall and it's located near the Taipei railway station. It's definitely not jaw-dropping like Taipei 101, but it's worth to mention, because it's one of Taipei landmarks. And through time, it grows on you. I have a plan to go on top one day and check the view of Taipei below.

[TAIPEI][Skyscrapers][My TAIWAN page][Source: Wiki][All photos by MKL, 2010]

228 Peace Memorial Park, Taipei

Former Taihoku park and Taipei new park

Part of my big tour of Taipei was strolling along the lovely 228 Peace Memorial Park in Taipei's old district Zhongzheng. It's full of palms and old trees and lovely pavilions built in old Chinese style. I really had a relaxing time here.

See my photos of 228 Peace Memorial Park here>>

[Link: 228 Incident][Photo by MKL, 2010]

Liberty Square, Taipei

One of Taiwan's most famous squares

On the photo above you can see one of the most popular tourist attractions in Taipei City. The big Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall (國立中正紀念堂), a huge 70m tall hall located in the Zhongzheng district, is the most dominant building at the Liberty Square (自由廣場). The whole area is full of colossal buildings, but this memorial hall is the most prominent one. It was completed in 1980 and dedicated to former president of the Republic of China: Chiang Kai-shek (蔣中正). In case you want to visit the square, exit at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall MRT Station and you're there. It's very easy to find.

He is a prominent, however not always cherished and liked historic political figure in Taiwan (actually important for all of China). Along with Mao Zedong and Sun Yatsen, he's probably the most influential Chinese political figure of the 20th century.

Near the CKS Memorial Hall are also the National Theater (國家戲劇院) and National Concert Hall (國家音樂廳) of the Republic of China, as well as the monumental Gate of Great Centrality and Perfect Uprightness (大中至正門). Liberty Square is huge and important and one of the main tourist spots of Taipei City. If you travel to Taipei, you surely need to see this amazing place.

Liberty Square from the air (from Google Maps).

The National Theater of the Republic of China in February 2010.

The Gate of Great Centrality and Perfect Uprightness at Liberty square in May 2010.

Read my posts about the buildings on Liberty square:

✰ My photos of CKS Memorial Hall, Feb 2010>>

✰ My photos of CKS Memorial Hall, May 2010>>

[My TAIPEI page][My TAIWAN page][All photos by MKL, 2010]