Taipei Prison Wall Ruins Introduction
The designated historic site "Taipei Prison Wall Ruins" is located on the side wall of the telecommunications bureau on Jinan South Road in the Da'an District. It was initially built around the 1910s during the Japanese colonial period when anti-Japanese resistance movements arose throughout Taiwan. In response, the Japanese rulers constructed large-scale prisons in Taipei and Tainan, with Taipei Prison serving as a concrete witness to the history of modern correctional administration in Taiwan. Today, only a few high walls remain on the north and south sides, but they still evoke a heavy and oppressive atmosphere. The layout of Taipei Prison is radial, which was a trend among prisons in various countries during the 19th century. It is surrounded by high walls primarily made of stones sourced from the dismantled Taipei City Wall of the 1910s, mostly composed of andesite and coral stone, materials that were transported from quarries near Dazhi and Neihu during the late Qing Dynasty's Guangxu period. They were first moved to the banks of the Keelung River and then shipped via the Tamsui River to the Herngou Wharf. Today, it holds significant historical value as a historic site.
