The Bangka Park (also Mangka Park, Mengjia Park and Mengxia Park) () is a
park
A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...
in
Wanhua District
Wanhua District, known in Taiwanese Hokkien as Báng-kah khu and historically as "Monga" or "Monka", is a district in Taipei, Taiwan. It is Taipei's oldest district. The district is home to historic buildings such as the Bangka Lungshan Temple, ...
,
Taipei
Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the n ...
,
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
.
Name
Mangka Park (from
Taiwanese Hokkien
Taiwanese Hokkien () (; Tâi-lô: ''Tâi-uân-uē''), also known as Taigi/Taigu (; Pe̍h-ōe-jī/Tâi-lô: ''Tâi-gí / Tâi-gú''), Taiwanese, Taiwanese Minnan, Hoklo and Holo, is a variety of the Hokkien language spoken natively by about 70% ...
) or Mengjia Park (from Mandarin) is a transliteration of the word ''moungar'', a
Taiwanese aborigines
Taiwanese may refer to:
* Taiwanese language, another name for Taiwanese Hokkien
* Something from or related to Taiwan ( Formosa)
* Taiwanese aborigines, the indigenous people of Taiwan
* Han Taiwanese, the Han people of Taiwan
* Taiwanese people, ...
word for canoe or gathering place for canoe. It is used to be known as Park No. 12.
History
In 1738, the
Lungshan Temple of Manka
Bangka Lungshan Temple (also Lungshan Temple of Manka, Mengjia Longshan Temple) is a Chinese folk religious temple in Wanhua District (alternately known as Bangka/Mengjia), Taipei, Taiwan. The temple was built in Taipei in 1738 by settlers from ...
was constructed. In 1923, the land area in front of the temple was forested and named Mengxia Park. In 1956,
Taipei Mayor Kao Yu-shu () gave permission for
street vendors
A hawker is a vendor of merchandise that can be easily transported; the term is roughly synonymous with costermonger or peddler. In most places where the term is used, a hawker sells inexpensive goods, handicrafts, or food items. Whether stationa ...
to set up their stalls at the park. Since then, the park became the gathering place for the vendors and
homeless people
Homelessness or houselessness – also known as a state of being unhoused or unsheltered – is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. People can be categorized as homeless if they are:
* living on the streets, also kn ...
, which resulted a bad and dirty environment around the park. In 1992, Mayor
Huang Ta-chou
Huang Ta-chou (; born 7 February 1936), also known as Thomas Huang, is a Taiwanese politician who served as mayor of Taipei between 1990 and 1994. He chaired the Chinese Taipei Olympic committee from 1998 to 2006.
Early life
Huang was born in ...
allocated a budget to rejuvenate the area. In 1995, the
Department of Rapid Transit Systems held a public competition to carry out the planning and design to rejuvenate the park, which was won by ROW and Associates Architects. Later in an effort to preserve the area,
Taipei City Government
The Taipei City Government (TCG) is the municipal government of Taipei.
History
The Taihoku City Government was founded on 10 October 1920 in Taihoku Prefecture during Japanese colonial rule. The original city hall was located at the site of ...
planned to make urban renewal plan on the temple area, three major squares and lotus pond, and to create culture and art gallery, underground shopping center and underground
parking lot
A parking lot (American English) or car park (British English), also known as a car lot, is a cleared area intended for parking vehicles. The term usually refers to an area dedicated only for parking, with a durable or semi-durable surface ...
. The project was won by Weichuan Construction Company, Kailay Engineering Company, Fure-Lin Engineering Company and China-Ryoden Company. The permit for underground construction was issued in July 1998 and the groundbreaking ceremony was officiated by Mayor
Ma Ying-jeou
Ma Ying-jeou ( zh, 馬英九, born 13 July 1950) is a Hong Kong-born Taiwanese politician who served as president of the Republic of China from 2008 to 2016. Previously, he served as justice minister from 1993 to 1996 and mayor of Taipei from ...
on 24 February 1999. The park was officially opened in a ceremony officiated by Mayor Ma on 22 January 2005.
Architecture
The park features a dragon-shaped fountain.
Transportation
The park is accessible from
Longshan Temple Station
Longshan Temple (Bangka Commercial Zone) (), formerly transliterated as Lungshan Temple Station until 2003, is a metro station in Taipei, Taiwan served by Taipei Metro. The station is named for the nearby Lungshan Temple.
Station overview
The ...
of
Taipei Metro
Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), branded as Metro Taipei, is a rapid transit system serving the areas of Taipei and New Taipei City, New Taipei in Taiwan, operated by the State-owned enterprise, government-owned Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation ...
.
See also
*
Geography of Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is an island country located in East Asia. The main island of Taiwan, formerly known in the Western political circles, press and literature as Formosa, makes up 99% of the land area of the territori ...
References
2005 establishments in Taiwan
Parks established in 2005
Parks in Taipei
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