Beimen Cheng'en Gate Introduction
Taipei's Old City has a total of five city 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 were built during the Guangxu era of the Qing Dynasty under Liu Mingchuan, encouraging merchants to invest in the construction of houses within Taipei City, leading to the development of streets and vibrant economic activity. The North Gate, also known as Cheng'en Gate, faces north and signifies "receiving heavenly grace." It is the only remaining Min Nan-style city gate in its original form in Taipei. Its crucial location serves as a landmark in modern-day Taipei's "West District" and, during the Qing Dynasty, was a vital gateway from the "inner city" to "Dadaocheng." Thus, the West District Gateway Project centers around the North Gate, linking it to surrounding historical sites from the Japanese colonial era such as the "Railway Bureau," "Taipei Post Office," "Osaka Trading Company," "Mitsui Warehouse," and Qing Dynasty-era buildings like "Futai Street Western-style Mansion" and "Machinery Bureau." This forms a "plane-like" historical attraction context and creates the image of a national portal at the plaza in front of Taipei Station, connecting the Taipei Station to the North Gate axis. In recent years, the North Gate, which was originally slated for demolition, has been preserved due to the rising awareness of cultural heritage preservation. Thus, the North Gate remains as the only ancient city gate from the Qing Dynasty that has been maintained in its original form, making it one of Taipei's most treasured national historic sites, and due to its historical defensive function, it stands as a witness to national defense history.
