Wanhua District Administration Center, Taipei City.jpg
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

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, an iconic historic temple, and the Red House Theater, the first and largest teahouse and playhouse in Taiwan. Taipei's oldest, but decaying, garment district is also here.


Overview

As Wanhua District was Taipei's first district to undergo economic development, there are many old buildings and cultural sites. The large number of temples in this area is attributed to its prosperous past originating from the Qing era. The district can be divided into three sections: northern, central, and southern. The northern area, including Ximending, has become home to many shopping centers and is popular among the younger generation. Central Wanhua is known for its historical sites like Lungshan Temple, Qingshui Temple,
Qingshan Temple Qingshan () may refer to the following locations in China: *Qingshan District, Wuhan () * Qingshan District, Baotou (), Inner Mongolia * Qingshan Formation (), geological formation in Shandong *Xichang Qingshan Airport (), near Xichang, Sichuan ...
and Bopiliao Historic Street; traditional shopping; and local snacks. Southern Wanhua is mainly a residential area with a wide city park, also known as the Youth Park. Wanhua District is divided up into 36 villages () and 722 neighborhoods (). In recent years, the population in the district has been in decline. It also has a higher concentration of mainlanders. Nevertheless, this district continues to be treasured by many as it is representative of some of Taipei's richest historical cultures. An example would be the annual temple rituals held at Qingshan Temple, also known as the
Qing Shan King Sacrificial Ceremony The Qing Shan King Sacrificial Ceremony (青山王祭) is a centuries-old festival that is held annually in Wanhua, Taipei, Taiwan. It is held between the 20th and 22nd of October (based on Lunar Calendar) and is meant to celebrate the birthday of ...
. This is a grand religious fiesta and celebration that involves procession within Wanhua District for three consecutive nights.


Etymology

''Wanhua'' is the Mandarin Chinese pronunciation of , a name coined by the Japanese because of its phonetic resemblance to the area's former name in Taiwanese Hokkien (). Spellings used in English works circa 1900 include ''Banka'', ''Manka'' and ''Bang-kah''. The old Taiwanese Hokkien name possibly derives from an Austronesian word from one of the northern Formosan languages as '' bangka'' meaning " outrigger canoe". This is also attributed to the location of Wanhua, which is beside the
Tamsui River The Tamsui River (alternatively Danshui River, ) is third longest river in Taiwan after Zhuoshui River and Gaoping River, with a total length of , flowing through Hsinchu County, Taoyuan, Taipei and New Taipei City. It is located in northern pa ...
and was once a prosperous trading port.


History


Qing Dynasty

In the late Qing era, Hobe (modern-day Tamsui District) was the treaty port of northern Taiwan, whereas the trade was conducted at Bangka. Therefore, in 1862, the British Consulate succeeded in extending the limits of the port up the Tamsui River to include Banka, which was more than from the port. Bangka was the largest and most important city of northern Formosa, thoroughly Chinese, and, in the initial experience of missionary
George Leslie Mackay George Leslie Mackay 偕瑞理 or 馬偕 ''Má-kai'' (21 March 1844 – 2 June 1901) was a Canadian Presbyterian missionary. He was the first Presbyterian missionary to northern Taiwan (then Formosa), serving with the Canadian Presbyterian Mis ...
, intensely anti-foreign.


Empire of Japan

In the early 20th century, with a population of about 27,000, ''Banka'' was Taiwan's third most populous city, following the nearby suburb of '' Daitōtei''. Both cities were part of the ''Taihoku'' (Taipei) capital area but outside of the city proper, which was occupied mainly by the Japanese official class.


Republic of China

After the handover of Taiwan from Japan to the
Republic of China 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 northeast ...
in 1945, the area where Wanhua District covers now used to consist of Longshang District () and Shuangyuan District (). In 1990, the two districts merged and formed Wanhua District.


Tourism and shopping

Near the famous Lungshan Temple is the Snake Alley Night Market. The market once served snake and turtle delicacies, but changed its focus to seafood upon protest from animal and environmental groups. The area is also the site of Taipei's former
red-light district A red-light district or pleasure district is a part of an urban area where a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, and adult theaters, are found. In most cases, red-light districts are particu ...
.
Prostitution Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in Sex work, sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, n ...
was outlawed in the 1990s although prostitutes can still be readily found. Today, the night markets are famous among both tourists and locals alike as they present a wide array of local delicacies at affordable prices. Ximending, another main attraction of Wanhua, serves as a trendy shopping center and as Taipei's main movie theater district. Night markets, a staple of Taiwanese culture, are everywhere. Night markets in the district include the
Huaxi Street Tourist Night Market Snake Alley (), also known as Huaxi Street Night Market or Huaxi Street Tourist Night Market () is a market in Wanhua District, Taipei, Taiwan. The market is located near the Bangka Lungshan Temple as well as other night markets located on Gua ...
, Xichang Street Night Market, Guangzhou Street Night Market, Wuzhou Street Night Market, and Nanjichang Night Market. In addition, the district has many specialized streets that specialize in different items such as herbs, jewelry, hardware, and home furnishings. The district is also home to the
Huannan Market The Huannan Market ( zh, t=環南綜合市場, s=环南综合市场, first=t, p=Huánnán Zònghé Shìchǎng) is a marketplace in Wanhua District, Taipei, Taiwan. History The discussion on the construction of the new building of Huannan Marke ...
, Taipei First Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable Market, Taipei First Poultry Wholesale Market, and Taipei Fishery Wholesale Market. It can be said to be Taipei's center for fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats. Other tourist attractions including
Heritage and Culture Education Center of Taipei City The Heritage and Culture Education Center of Taipei City () is located in the historic Bopiliao area in Wanhua District, Taipei, Taiwan. Architecture Most of the buildings in the area are historic buildings which feature architectural style fro ...
,
Qingyunge Art The Qingyunge Art (QYG Art; zh, t=青雲閣, s=青云阁, first=t, p=Qīngyún Gé) is a cultural center in Wanhua District, Taipei, Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of t ...
,
Wanhua Lin's Mansion The Wanhua Lin Mansion () is a historic mansion in Wanhua District, Taipei, Taiwan. History The construction of the mansion started in 1932 and completed in 1935. It used deep foundation and reinforced concrete in its construction process wit ...
and Ximending Mazu Temple.


Education


Medical Institutions

*
National Taiwan University Hospital The National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH; ) is a medical facility located in the Zhongzheng District of Taipei, Taiwan. It started operations under Japanese rule in Daitōtei (today's Dadaocheng) on 18 June 1895, and moved to its present ...
, Bei-Hu Branch *Taipei City Hospital, Chinese Medicine and Kunming Branches *Renji Hospital *Xiyuan Hospital *Wanhua Hospital


High schools

*Huajiang Senior High School *Dali Senior High School *Liren Private High School


Junior high schools

*Wanhua Junior High School *Shuangyuan Junior High School *Longshan Junior High School *Dali Junior High School *Liren Private Junior High School


Elementary schools

*Xinhe Elementary School *Shuangyuan Elementary School *Dongyuan Elementary School *Dali Elementary School *Xiyuan Elementary School *Wanda Elementary School *Huajiang Elementary School *Ximen Elementary School *Laosong Elementary School *Longshan Elementary School *Fuxing Elementary School *Guangren Elementary School


Other schools

*
Taipei Korean Elementary School 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 nor ...
(타이뻬이한국학교)Home
Taipei Korean Elementary School 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 nor ...
. March 14, 2008. Retrieved on September 21, 2015.
*Wanhua Community College


Transportation

Wanhua is served by Longshan Temple and Ximen metro stations of the Taipei Metro. The Taiwan Railways Administration's Western Line has one station in the district,
Wanhua Station Wanhua () is a station in Wanhua District, Taipei, Taiwan, served by Taiwan Railways Administration . Overview The station is divided into east and west buildings. The station entrance, lobby, and ticket counters are located in the west buildi ...
. Important roads, highways, and bridges include: *
Provincial Highway 1 The following highways are numbered 1. For roads numbered A1, see list of A1 roads. For roads numbered B1, see list of B1 roads. For roads numbered M1, see List of M1 roads. For roads numbered N1, see list of N1 roads. For roads numbered S ...
():Zhongxiao Bridge, Zhongxiao Road West () * Provincial Highway 3 ():Huajiang Bridge, Heping W. Rd, Zhonghua Road () *Zhongxing Bridge () *Wanban Bridge () *Huacui Bridge () *Guangfu Bridge () *Huazhong Bridge ()


Notable natives

*
Hannah Quinlivan Hannah Quinlivan (born 12 August 1993), also known as Jen Wu () and stage name Kun Ling (), is a Taiwanese Australian actress and model. Life and career Hannah Quinlivan was born in Taipei, Taiwan and raised in New South Wales, Australia. H ...
, actress and model *
Kingone Wang Kingone Wang (; born 5 May 1980) is a Taiwanese actor, singer and host. He was part of the boy band Comic Boyz and winner of Taiwanese Golden Bell Awards for Best Supporting Actor. He is the alumni of both National Chiao Tung University and C ...
, actor, singer and host * Lin Chia-lung, Mayor of Taichung (2014-2018) *
Yang Kuei-mei Yang Kuei-mei (; born 6 September 1959) is a Taiwanese people, Taiwanese actress and television host. She has had starring roles in ''Eat Drink Man Woman'', ''Vive L'Amour'', and ''The Hole (1998 film), The Hole''. Yang has received several awa ...
, actress


Movies filmed in Wanhua

* ''
Dust in the Wind "Dust in the Wind" is a song recorded by American progressive rock band Kansas and written by band member Kerry Livgren, first released on their 1977 album ''Point of Know Return''. The song peaked at No. 6 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 the wee ...
'' (1986), a film by Hou Hsiao-hsien. * ''
Dust of Angels ''Dust of Angels'' () is a 1992 Taiwanese crime film directed by Hsu Hsiao-ming, executive produced by Taiwanese filmmaker Hou Hsiao-hsien. It was entered into Directors' Fortnight at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival. "''An lah''" () is a Taiwanes ...
'' (1992) * ''
Rebels of the Neon God ''Rebels of the Neon God'' () is a 1992 Taiwanese drama film written and directed by Tsai Ming-liang in his feature film directorial debut. It stars Lee Kang-sheng, Chen Chao-jung, and Jen Chang-bin. Plot A young man, Hsiao-Kang, attends a cram s ...
'' (1992), a film by Tsai Ming-liang. * ''
Exit No.6 Exit(s) may refer to: Architecture and engineering * Door * Portal (architecture), an opening in the walls of a structure * Emergency exit * Overwing exit, a type of emergency exit on an airplane * Exit ramp, a feature of a road interchange ...
'' (2007) * ''
Miss Kicki Miss Kicki is a 2009 Swedish-Taiwanese co-production film. It was Norwegian–Taiwanese director Håkon Liu's first motion picture. Plot Kicki (Pernilla August) has, after several years abroad, returned to Sweden. Her 17-year-old son - Viktor (L ...
'' (2009), starring Pernilla August. * '' Monga'' (2010), starring Ethan Juan and
Mark Chao Mark Chao (, born 25 September 1984) is a Taiwanese Canadians, Taiwanese-Canadian actor and model. He made his television debut in the television series ''Black & White (TV series), Black & White'' (2009), for which he won the Golden Bell Award fo ...
.


See also

* District (Taiwan)


References


External links

* {{Authority control Districts of Taipei Taiwan placenames originating from Formosan languages