Beimen Cheng'en Gate Introduction
Taipei's ancient city has a total of 5 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). They were built during the Guangxu era of the Qing Dynasty, under Liu Mingchuan's period, to encourage merchants to invest in the construction of 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 preserved Minnan-style city gate in Taipei. Its importance is that, in modern times, it is the landmark hub of the "Western District" of old Taipei City. During the Qing Dynasty, it served as the core entrance from "within the city" to "Dadaocheng." Therefore, the Western District gateway plan centers around the North Gate and connects with surrounding historical sites from the Japanese colonial period, including the "Railway Bureau," "Taipei Post Office," "Osaka Commercial Company," "Mitsui Warehouse," as well as Qing Dynasty era buildings like "Wutai Street Western-style House" and "Machinery Bureau," forming a historical site context that resembles a "surface" layout. It also creates a national gateway image for the area in front of Taipei Station, linking the axis from Taipei Station to the North Gate. In recent years, with the rise of cultural heritage preservation concepts, the North Gate, originally planned for demolition, has been preserved in its original form. It has become the only ancient city gate among the five that retains its Qing Dynasty appearance and is one of Taipei's most precious national historic sites, also serving as a historical testament to its early defensive function.
