Yixian Park Introduction
Yixian Park, also known as the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, is located near Taipei Main Station. This small park was established to commemorate Sun Yat-sen. The Republic of China chose this place as one of the parks to honor the founding father primarily because it was the inn where Sun Yat-sen stayed when he visited Taiwan in 1913. This inn was also where Taiwan Governor-General Sakuma Samata held discussions with Sun Yat-sen about political affairs at that time. The current address is No. 46, Section 1, Zhongshan North Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, bordered by Civic Boulevard on the north, Section 1 of Zhongshan North Road on the east, and Taipei Main Station on the west. Yixian Park covers an area of approximately 3,025 square meters, and the main structure within the park is the "Ume House," which is about 50 ping in size. The Ume House, named after the "ume" trees planted in the garden, was built in 1900 and was originally operated as an inn by the Japanese Yamato宗吉. Ume House was a famous high-class inn in Taipei during the Japanese occupation, located in Beimen Town, frequented by Taiwan governors, business tycoons, and social elites, and geishas could also be summoned to entertain guests. The inn is a rectangular Japanese-style building with a roof covered in traditional dark black tiles. It is said that the inn used performances by geishas of the Takasago clan to attract visitors. The Ume House not only hosted prominent figures such as Sun Yat-sen and Hu Han-min in the early 20th century but was also featured in the film "Taiwan Actual Introduction," directed by the renowned filmmaker Takamatsu Toyojiro in 1907, commissioned by the Taiwan Governor-General's Office, highlighting the performances of Japanese geishas as one of Taiwan's twenty scenic views.
