The Old City Gates of Taipei 台北市舊城門

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The City Gates of Taipei are some of the most iconic landmarks in the city. Originally, five gates and a city wall were built here in the Qing Dynasty. Now only four gates remain, and only the North Gate remains in its original form. Now the city gates are popular landmarks, and you can also learn more about the old city walls and the history of the city at the Taipei Discovery Center in Taipei City Hall. 

Historical Background:
Taipei's city walls were originally planned for construction in 1879, soon after Taipeh Prefecture was established under the Qing Dynasty. However, it was found that the soil was too soft to support the enormous weight of the stone gates and walls, therefore construction was delayed until more stable ground was found to build the walls. The walls were finally completed in 1884.
The length of the wall was 5 KM and included five gates: the East Gate (Jingfumen 景福門), West Gate (Baochengmen 寶成門), South Gate (Lizhengmen 麗正門), Auxiliary South Gate (Zhongximen重熙門), and North Gate (Chengenmen 承恩門). 
During the Japanese era in Taiwan, in 1904 the walls of Taipei were destroyed after less than 30 years, and Taipei was re-planned into the capital of Taiwan. 
After the ROC took control of Taiwan, the government rebuilt the East, South and Auxiliary South Gates. Only the North Gate has kept its original appearance from the Qing Dynasty. 
From 1976 to 2016, Taipei's north gate was partially covered by an overpass. Originally during the construction of the Zhongxiao Overpass, the North Gate was planned for demolition. However after the protest of scholars, the North Gate was preserved. After the Zhongxiao overpass was demolished in 2016, a small park was erected near the north gate to commemorate this historical edifice. 

Hours:
City Gates: 24/7
The Discover Center of Taipei is open from Tuesday to Sunday every week, from 9 AM to 5 PM,

Price:
Free

Tours:
You can also join the Classic Taipei Landmarks Day Tour on TripAdvisor here.
You can also search for tours on Klook here, or KKday here​. 

Hotels in Taipei:
We have stayed at and recommend Ximending Amba, which is within walking distance of Ximending shopping district (book on Booking.com here, Hotels.com here, Tripadvisor here, Expedia here, Kayak here, Trip.com here, or Agoda here).
We also have stayed at and recommend and Fu Chang Hotel in Ximending, which is within walking distance of Ximending shopping district (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, or Agoda here).
​We also have stayed at and recommend the Yuanshan Grand Hotel, once the tallest building in Taiwan and still the most grand (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, or Agoda here).
Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Booking.com here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation in Taiwan.
Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.

Just to let you know, if you book using the links above, we get some commission at no cost to you, and you can help support our blog. Some of the Klook links may not work if you are using an Ad blocker. 
You can click here to receive $5 USD on your first Klook purchase. 


How to get there:
By MRT: I recommend the MRT system or Ubike, or walking. You can walk to all the gates in about two hours or so. The Discover Center of Taipei can be reached by Taipei City Hall station. You can purchase a discount easy card to use on the MRT from Klook here or KKday here. You can also book an MRT travel pass on Klook here.
By Car Scooter: You can try to visit by car or scooter but there is really nowhere to park or stop along the side of the road. Looking for scooter rental in Taipei? You can search on Klook here or KKday here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or  KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here.  
By Bicycle: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan's landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can use Taiwan's many Youbike sharing stations, or search for rentals on KKday here, and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. You can also book a Sunset Riverside Bike Ride and Historical Tour, 4 Hour Cycling in Taipei, Ultimate 8-Hour Cycling City Tour, or Taipei City Bike Tour with Night Market Experience on TripAdvisor here. 
For more information, check out our Taiwan transportation guide here. 
​
Map:
Please see a map of the locations covered in this blog below:

I will start off this blog by introducing the existing city gates one by one. 

South Gate (Lizhengmen 麗正門)

Taipei's south gate lies in the middle of the road on Aiguo East Road. It is kind of inaccessible to pedestrians, and acts more like a road ornament. It is almost exactly the same as the auxiliary south gate. 

View closer inside the south gate. There is no way to get to the top. 

Auxiliary South Gate (Zhongximen重熙門)

The auxiliary south gate is just a few hundred meters down the road from the south gate., and looks pretty much the same. 

Another view of the south gate.

View of the south gate from below. 

East Gate (Jingfumen 景福門)

Taipei's East Gate is also in the middle of the road, at the intersection of four major roads: Ren'Ai Road, Xinyi Road, Ketagalan Blvd., and  Zhongshan Road.

There is not really any way to get there safely as a pedestrian.

Closeup on the east gate. It is a bit larger than the two south gates. 

Closeup on the roof ornaments. 

Right in front of the East Gate is the presidential palace. 

North Gate (Chengenmen 承恩門), also known as Beimen

Beimen or Taipei's North Gate is the most popular and easy to get to gate. Also it is the most pedestrian friendly. There is a crosswalk leading to it, and it is surrounded by a small park. 

From 1976 to 2016, Taipei's north gate was partially covered by an overpass. Originally during the construction of the Zhongxiao Overpass, the North Gate was planned for demolition. However after the protest of scholars, the North Gate was preserved. After the Zhongxiao overpass was demolished in 2016, a small park was erected near the north gate to commemorate this historical edifice. ​

View of the large, wide crosswalk leading to the north gate.

Reflection of the gate from across the street. 

Here next to the gate are many historical explanations and displays. 

Looking down to road facing away from the north gate.

A miniature map of the walled city of Taipei near the north gate.

Discovery Center of Taipei - ​Taipei City Hall ​台北探索館

The Discover Center of Taipei is open from Tuesday to Sunday every week, from 9 AM to 5 PM, and provides one of the best exhibitions and visual histories of Taipei that you can find anywhere. I would even say your tour of Taipei's old walled city is not complete until you visit this place.

There are also different films here that are shown on a daily basis. 

Here there is a 3D replica of modern Taipei, overlain with a drawing on glass of old Taipei. Also you can see an old map drawing of Taipei. 

View of Taipei from Qing Dynasty to present day.

Another view of the different layers of time. 

Models and history of Dadaocheng. For our full blog on Dadaocheng, click here. 

Original name plate from the Taipei North Gate.

Original stone foundations of the Taipei City Wall. 

Cross section of the old city wall. 

Probably Japanese era map of Taipei. 

Map of the original old city. 

Map of Dadaocheng. 

Map of the Taipei Basin. 

More displays of early Taipei.

Another view of the glass 3D model.

Display of Tamsui and others. 

More photos of the Taipei Discover Center above.

You can also join the Classic Taipei Landmarks Day Tour on TripAdvisor here.
You can also search for tours on Klook here, or KKday here​. ​

You can also look for more activities in Taipei such as Rock Climbing, Surfing, Speedboat Surfing, Diving, Snorkeling, Cooking Class, Glamping, Motorcycling, Strawberry Picking, Professional Photo Shoot, Body Relaxation SPA, Night Tour, Calligraphy Workshop, and more on Klook here or KKday here. 

Check out our guide to Taipei’s Old Streets here. 

Check out our Taipei Museum Guide here. 

Also be sure to check out our full guide to Taipei here. 

You can also check out our full travel guide to Taiwan here. ​

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