Dongmun_Gyeongbokgung Introduction
Dongmen, also known as Jingfu Gate, is the main entrance of Taipei City leading to Tongxi Port (now Songshan). It holds significant defensive responsibilities due to its direction towards Keelung, an important harbor in northern Taiwan. The street leading to Dongmen, known as "Dongmen Street," corresponds to today's Ketagalan Boulevard. Today, it is situated in front of the Presidential Office, making it a crucial route for many gatherings and parades, offering countless photo opportunities and making it perhaps the most familiar city gate for Taiwanese people. It serves as an important political and transportation hub in the area. Among the five city gates of Taipei City back in the day, Dongmen is the most intricately constructed. Named Jingfu Gate, its architectural structure resembles that of Beimen, built on a stone base with solid brick walls extending right up to the eaves, resembling an impregnable square fortress. Inside the double-bricked walls is a wooden structure. The roof adopts a simple and elegant "Xieshan" style with a sloping design on all four sides. The eaves are adorned with green glazed hollow flower bricks, adding to its sophistication. Unfortunately, it was later reconstructed into a palace-style city tower resembling those from Northern China, but the stone base and round archway are made of the original materials, with the archway being a semi-circular arch made from stone slabs and bordering decorated with thunder pattern motifs, retaining significant historical value.
