North Gate Taiwan

Also known as Cheng En Gate, North Gate opens out to the main road that leads to Tataocheng, which is known as Tatung District today. North Gate is two stories tall and is made of thick walls. There are look-out windows located on the second floors. The archway of the gate bears the placard which says Cheng En Gate.

In 1875, the construction of walls around the Taipei city was ordered by Shen Bao Chen, the Maritime Minister. The project was completed in 1884.

At the time when Taiwan was under the Japanese rule, most of the gates including East, South Gates were completely destroyed. The North Gate escaped any damage and still preserves its former style. North Gate is the only Ching dynasty gate in Taipei which exists in its original state.

North Gate was an important passageway for the officials in the Ching Dynasty, and it from the same gate that the Japanese had marched towards the city in 1895.

Even though the historic gate successfully evaded the Japanese offensive, North Gate today has to survive the tribulations accrued for being located in the middle of a traffic mess; further it is surrounded by rampant construction around it.