Zhongzheng

Zhōngzhèng (中正) sprawls across central Taipei, serving as the political and administrative heart of Taiwan. It encompasses the former walled city of Taipei and features its remaining gates, most notably Taipei North Gate. The Japanese colonial era left an extraordinary architectural and urban planning legacy, including the neo-Baroque Taiwan Presidential Office Building, completed in 1919 as the Office of the Government-General; Taipei Zhongshan Hall, site of the 1945 Japanese surrender; Huashan 1914 Creative Park, established on the site of an old brewery and camphor refinery; Taipei Botanical Garden, dating to 1896; Mitsui Warehouse, recently redeveloped for tourism; 228 Peace Memorial Park, formerly Taihoku Park, with its many historic monuments; and Futai Street Mansion. The post-war era imposed new landmarks of political significance, most prominently the monumental Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and what is now known as Libery Square, but also Treasure Hill, a former illegal settlement transformed into an international art village.