Ximending
Ximending ( Chinese 西門町 , Pinyin Xīméndīng , Taiwanese : Se-mêng-ting) is an international entertainment district in northeastern Wanhua District , Taipei in Taiwan . It is considered a popular destination with tourists, especially younger travelers to Taipei. Taipei's first pedestrian street had existed in Ximending since the late 1990s. This is where the Honglou Theater and "Tattoo Street" are located.
history
The name of the entertainment district "Ximending" ("Quarter at the West Gate") is derived from the name of an administrative unit during the Japanese rule (1895-1945). It originally comes from the old location of the area because it used to be in the western part of Taipei city . At that time it only consisted of a few streets, such as Chengdu, Xiningnan, Kunming and Kangding Streets. During an administrative reform in 1897, the area of Ximending was enlarged.
The Japanese later decided to build an entertainment district there similar to Asakusa , Tokyo .
Ximending was Taipei's most attractive entertainment district until the 1980s , after which it gradually fell into disrepair. After the turn of the millennium, it was revitalized with the construction of the Bannan Line ( Taipei Metro ) and the development of Zhonghua Boulevard.
Attractions
Ximen Honglou Theater
Ximen Honglou (Honglou Theater) is located on Chengdu Street. It was built in 1908 in the style of western influences. It was called Bajiaotang (" octagon hall") because of its octagonal shape , with each side of the building eight meters long. After the Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) the name was changed to Honglou Theater.
The theater has been owned by the city government since 1945, and in 1949 a businessman from Shanghai rented it to do business there. The theater was easily destroyed in a fire in 1990, after which the city government put it back under its own management. Now there are various performances such as plays, Beijing operas , modern dance, concerts.
Nishi Hongan-ji Temple
In Ximending there is a historical Japanese temple called Nishi Hongan-ji. During the Japanese colonial era, it was built in what was then Xinqiting (now Wanhua) with an area of 8,623 square meters. In the Japanese colonial era, it was considered the largest Japanese temple in Taiwan. Most parts of the temple were destroyed by fire in 1975. Today the temple is protected by the government as a historical relic.
Cinema Park
The current Taipei Cinema Park on Kangding Street was the premises of a Japanese natural gas company from 1934. In 2001 it was converted into a park and has been the largest green space in this area ever since. In 2009 the park was transformed into a "Cinema Park", a place that is open to culture and art. A variety of activities such as film festivals, open-air cinemas and collective art exhibitions are held here.
Further
The “Amerika-Gasse”, which is shaped by American culture, is located on Kunming Street and is one of the most popular tourist attractions. There are many small shops that sell American-style clothes and whose walls are decorated with a variety of graffiti.
In 2000, tattoo artist Lee Yaoming opened the first tattoo shop on Hangzhong Street. More followed - seven at weddings. The street has since been called "Tattoo Street".
There are many small bistros and snack bars in Ximending that offer specialties from Taiwan and also from mainland China.
