Yixian Park Introduction
Yixian Park, located near Taipei Main Station, is also known as the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall. This small park is dedicated to commemorate 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 the teahouse where Sun Yat-sen stayed when he came to Taiwan in 1913. This teahouse was also the venue for political discussions between Taiwan's Governor-General Sakuma Samata and Sun Yat-sen. The current address is No. 46, Section 1, Zhongshan North Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, bordered by Civic Boulevard to the north, Section 1, Zhongshan North Road to the east, and Taipei Main Station to the west. Yixian Park covers an area of approximately 3,025 square meters, with the main building being the "Mei House," which is about 50 tsubo in size. Named after the "plum trees" planted in the garden, the Mei House was built in 1900 and originally operated as a teahouse by Yamato Soji. The Mei House was a renowned high-class teahouse in Taipei during the Japanese colonial period, located in Beimen Town, frequented by Taiwan's governors, business moguls, and social elites, with entertainers available to enhance the gatherings. The teahouse features a rectangular Japanese-style architecture with a roof covered in old-fashioned dark black tiles. It is said that the teahouse once used performances by Geishas from the indigenous Takasago people to attract visitors. The Mei House not only hosted notable political figures like Sun Yat-sen and Hu Hanmin in the early 20th century but was also featured in the film "Taiwan Actual Conditions Introduction," directed by the well-known filmmaker Takamatsu Toyojiro in 1907, highlighting the performances of the Geishas from the Takasago tribe as one of Taiwan's twenty scenic spots.
