Mengjia Park Introduction
Mengjia Park is located next to Longshan Temple, formerly known as "Wanhua No. 12 Park." Surrounded by Guangzhou Street, Heping West Road, Sanshui Street, and Xiyuan Road, it covers a vast area and is a culturally distinct folk park developed by the Taipei City Government with an emphasis on art. The park features numerous culturally significant designs, such as the dragon-shaped sculpture on the eastern side, symbolizing auspiciousness in Chinese feng shui, and the boat-shaped sculpture on the western side, reflecting the early transportation methods of local ancestors who primarily used canoes for transport, crossing rivers, and trade. The Mirror Pool blends Chinese feng shui principles, with the viewing platform arranged according to the positions of the Big Dipper stars, and incorporates elements of lighting and water dance, presenting daily water dance shows. The temple square located on the northern side of the park extends from the Longshan Temple and features a zodiac design that combines traditional Chinese constellations with the Western zodiac, embedded with over two thousand small stars that emit various colors of light at night. The park's U-shaped "Cultural Art Gallery," constructed with reinforced glass and enamel panels with a unique roof tile design, not only provides pathways and resting areas but also serves as a venue for various exhibitions. Mengjia Park is an essential municipal construction project for the city government’s initiative to "transform the axis and recreate the western district." The park and the adjacent Longshan Temple have become significant historical, cultural, and religious attractions in Taipei City, expected to drive further development in the city’s western area, invigorate the local economy, reshape international tourist destinations, and restore the grandeur of Mengjia over the past two centuries.
