Beimen Cheng'en Gate Introduction
The Taipei Old City has a total of five gates: East Gate (Jingfu Gate), West Gate (Baocheng Gate), South Gate (Lizheng Gate), Little South Gate (Chongxi Gate), and North Gate (Cheng'en Gate). These gates were built during the Guangxu era of the Qing Dynasty, during Liu Ming-chuan's period, to encourage merchants to invest in and build houses within Taipei City, forming streets and promoting development. The North Gate, also known as Cheng'en Gate, faces north and signifies "receiving heavenly grace." It is the only remaining Min Nan-style architectural gate in Taipei, and its important location makes it a landmark hub in the "West District" of old Taipei City. In the Qing Dynasty, it served as a core gateway from "inside the city" to "Dadaocheng." Thus, the West District gateway project centers around the North Gate, connecting surrounding historical sites from the Japanese occupation period, such as the "Railway Department," "Taipei Post Office," "Osaka Trading Company," and "Mitsui Warehouse," as well as the Qing Dynasty historical sites like "Futai Street Western-style Buildings" and "Machine Bureau." This creates a "spatial" historical site context and shapes the image of Taipei Station's forecourt as a national portal, linking Taipei Station to the North Gate's central axis. In recent years, with the rise of cultural heritage preservation concepts, the North Gate, originally planned to be demolished, has been preserved in its original form. It is now the only ancient city gate retained from the Qing Dynasty, making it one of Taipei's most precious national historic sites. Due to its earlier defensive function, it also serves as a historical testament to national defense.
