Yuan Shan Grand Hotel Introduction
The Grand Hotel, established in 1952, features a fourteen-story palace-style building majestically situated on the slopes of Yuanshan. It faces the Keelung River to the front, leans against Yangmingshan to the back, gazes at Songshan to the east, and overlooks Tamsui to the west. The hotel's grand exterior with red pillars and golden roofs symbolizes the beauty of Chinese art and serves as one of Taipei's iconic landmarks, known worldwide. It is the best choice for both domestic and international visitors for leisure stays or business conferences. The beauty of Yuanshan lies in the magnificent Chinese-style architecture and the opulent classical ambiance, while its mystery is rooted in legendary historical contexts and tales of secret passages. The tranquility of Yuanshan is highlighted by its distance from the bustling city and its proximity to elegant scenic spots. The century-old Golden Dragon, originally a copper dragon located in front of the Taiwan Shrine, was preserved in its original form during the expansion of the Grand Hotel and is now perfectly displayed in the Golden Dragon Restaurant. In a renovation in its 76th year, it was plated in 24K gold, notably possessing three claws, which distinguishes it from the traditional four or five-clawed dragons in Chinese culture. The plum blossom coffer in the center of the Grand Hotel's lobby ceiling features a plum blossom design, with five golden dragons circling a pearl, symbolizing "five blessings coming to the door": around the coffer, there are 23 golden dragons and 16 phoenixes, with "3" homophonically suggesting "rise" and "16" accompanying the large plum blossom for "prosper," indicating continuous prosperity. The plum blossom coffer symbolizes the auspiciousness of dragons and phoenixes, carrying profound implications. The flying eaves and brackets of the roof reflect ancient Chinese civilization. A row of stone beasts sits atop the protruding flying eaves, while a type of tiled beast ornament known as "chiwei" is placed between the ridge and the vertical eaves. Below the roof, the luxurious yet intricately powerful bracket structures showcase some of the most remarkable aspects of Chinese architecture. The large floor-to-ceiling glass windows at the main entrance of the Grand Hotel are elegantly composed, but upon closer inspection of the patterns on the door, one can find four hidden ancient characters reading "Long live the Republic of China," which reflects the historical context during the reconstruction of the Grand Hotel and the designer's creativity. At the entrance steps before the Stone Guardian Arch, a large stone stele stands inscribed with cursive writing by Mr. Yu Youren, featuring four vigorous characters "Jiantan Shengji." After thorough verification, these characters express that the entire Yuanshan is indeed a sacred place, which has helped maintain the Grand Hotel's esteemed status for a century.
