Yixian Park Introduction
Yixian Park, also known as the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, is located near Taipei Station. This compact park commemorates Sun Yat-sen. The Republic of China chose this site as one of the parks to honor the father of the nation primarily because it was where Sun Yat-sen stayed during his visit to Taiwan in 1913. This location was also where Taiwan's Governor-General, Saigō Jirō, met with Sun Yat-sen to discuss political affairs. The park is situated at No. 46, Section 1, Zhongshan North Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, bordered to the north by Civic Boulevard, to the east by Zhongshan North Road, and to the west by Taipei Station. Yixian Park covers an area of approximately 3,025 square meters, with its main building being the "Ume House," which occupies about 50 ping. The Ume House, named for the plum trees planted in its garden, was built in 1900 and originally served as a teahouse operated by the Japanese Daikan-sō. It was a renowned high-class teahouse during the Japanese colonial period in Taipei, located in Beimen-cho, often frequented by Taiwan's governors, business tycoons, and social elites. Geishas could also be summoned to entertain during events. The teahouse is a rectangular traditional Japanese building with a roof covered in old-fashioned dark-colored tiles. It is said that the teahouse once promoted performances by geishas from the Tsukasa tribe to attract visitors. The Ume House not only welcomed notable figures such as Sun Yat-sen and Hu Hanmin in the early 20th century, but it was also featured in the 1907 film "Taiwan Actual Conditions Introduction," directed by Takamatsu Toyoshiro, which highlighted performances by Japanese geishas from the Ume House as one of the twenty sights of Taiwan.
