What does Chiang Kai-shek’s secret escape tunnel look like?
Text/Xiaomitong
Pictures and texts: Reviewer-Sun Lu, production-Qiqi Susi
Audio: Narrator-Xiaomitong, production- Sai An Su Xixi
Cover image: TimeDepot.Twn/Shutterstock
Friends who have been to Taipei should be familiar with the Grand Hotel. It is located on an independent hill in Shilin District. It is a Chinese palace-style building with red walls and gold tiles. It is surrounded by mountains and green shade behind it, making it very comfortable.
As Taipei’s signature attraction, it attracts tourists from all over the world. People are coming and going, but it is a pity that the stones in this mountain cannot speak, otherwise the stories will not stop telling.
Round Mountain Hotel at dusk
Picture: Charliegarciar/Shutterstock
Round Mountain is the first gentle slope in the Taipei Basin. It is said that because of the feng shui like a dragon, the ancient The name is called Dalong Mountain.
Although I don’t believe in Feng Shui layout, this place in Yuanshan is indeed full of interesting things.
It is indeed a very good Feng Shui location
Picture: Google Map
The first anecdote is related to Zheng Chenggong, the surnamed master of the country. It is said that there is a carp spirit living in the Keelung River at the foot of Yuanshan Mountain. Zheng Chenggong led his troops by boat along the river and passed here. The carp spirit's practice caused waves and hindered the movement of the warships.
Zheng Chenggong then took out his sword and threw it into the river to suppress the evil. After the carp spirit was stabbed, he never dared to cause trouble again. This area of water is therefore named "Sword Pool". It is said that every fifteenth day of the lunar calendar, you can see the sword inserted in the water still shining.
In fact, Guo Xingye never left Tainan during his military campaigns in Taiwan. It is only because of these fabricated stories that he is loved by future generations. But the fabrication was chosen at the foot of Yuanshan Mountain because of the excellent Feng Shui here.
The picture shows the sword of Jiantan Temple on the former site of Yuanshan. In 1937, the Japanese expanded the Taiwan Shrine and forced the temple to be relocated.
Picture: Wikimedia Commons
Tan Temple was originally moved to the site where Dajia Elementary School is today. Later, due to the establishment of the school, it was moved to the current site of Dazhi, which is Beianli North, Zhongshan District, Taipei City. No. 6, Lane 805, An Road.
Picture: Wikimedia Commons
During the Qing Dynasty, the area around Taipei became a tea producing area, and business flourished. Many wealthy people took a fancy to Yuanshan’s Feng Shui and built Western-style buildings here. mansion. The French Embassy also intends to move here and has purchased a piece of land early to prepare.
However, the signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki changed Taiwan's fate. The dragon-veined treasure land of Yuanshan was immediately favored by the newly arrived Japanese governor. He did not hesitate to put pressure on France and used all means to overcome all difficulties. Yuanshan's land rights were seized and they were going to be used to make a big move - to build the Taiwan Shrine.
The Japanese government allocates special funds for worship, and the gods worshiped must be related to the Japanese emperor or royal family.
The Taiwan Shrine built on Maruyama Mountain at that time
Picture: Wikimedia Commons
There is really a Japanese royal family who has connections with Taiwan, and he is the emperor of Meiji The uncle's name is Prince Kitashirakawa Nohisa.
After the signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki in 1895, Prince Nengjiu personally led troops to take over Taiwan. However, he contracted malaria within a few months and died of the disease in Tainan.
Subsequently, Prince Nengjiu's death from illness was deified and he became the god of Taiwan during the Japanese occupation. In 1901, the construction of the Taiwan Shrine started with the support of the then Governor Kodama Gentaro and was completed in October of the same year, covering a total area of about five hectares.
Old photos of the shrine
Picture: Illustrations from the 1936 edition of "Taiwan Travels" compiled by Kumajiro Nishihara
The overall view of the shrine, with its structure divided into three floors from bottom to top On the platform, the main hall is located at the highest point, the middle is the worship hall, and the lowest level is the torii gate and the display area for bronze statues of sacrificial animals.
Picture: Wikimedia Commons
In the Taiwan Shrine, the tablet of Prince Noku of Kitashirakawa Palace is juxtaposed with the tablet of Amaterasu. His death anniversary is also designated as the main worship day of Taiwan Shrine. , a grand ceremony will be held, and Taiwan will have a day off on this day every year.
As a result, Maruanshan rose from a wealthy area to become the most noble spiritual holy land of Japanese imperialism. Taiwanese people who were assimilated by Shintoism came to worship at Maruanshan. The number of people who worshiped Maruanshan increased from a few thousand at the beginning. Soon there were nearly 100,000 people.
Old photos of the festival
Picture: Wikimedia Commons
After Japan was defeated in 1945, Taiwan returned to the embrace of China, and the shrine symbolizing the emperor’s rule was quickly demolished (it was also demolished Also demolished were the Lushun Shrine in Northeast China and the Chosun Shrine in Gyeonggi Province).
Yuanshan did not return to loneliness because of this. On the original site of the Taiwan Shrine, under the chairmanship of Soong Meiling, a hotel dedicated to receiving foreign guests was built. It was originally named "Taiwan Dunmu Friendship Club", and its first manager was Kong Lingwei, the second daughter of the Kong family.
Nowadays, photos of the reception of major foreign guests are hung in the Grand Hotel.
Picture: The Grand Hotel
The Grand Hotel was not what everyone sees today. The main structure of this building was taken from the original Japanese shrine building and used again and again.
The shrine torii serves as the hotel entrance, and the shrine management office becomes a pool villa in the atrium. The main body of the hotel was finally completed as a Chinese-style three-story building. The antique Chinese design and decoration were amazing at the time.
Parts of the buildings of the Taiwan Shrine continue to be used as annexes of the Marriott Hotel
The picture shows foreigners sunbathing in front of the swimming pool
Picture: Qiu Hui Bunko
A still from "The Stewardess" released in 1959. At that time, the hotel door (the first generation) was still a Japanese torii gate
The newly completed fellowship house is for senior officials and foreign guests, the highest level It can be regarded as US President Eisenhower who visited Taiwan in 1960. The most lavish guest was the King of Saudi Arabia who visited Taiwan in 1971. All tips given to service staff were Rolexes.
Therefore, if any readers have ever visited the Grand Hotel and seen the old photos displayed on the wall, they will know that all the photos before 1973 were taken in the third-floor hotel.
Initially the Grand Hotel had only three floors
Picture: The Grand Hotel
We now see the fourteen-story Grand Hotel, completed in On October 10, 1973, it is a landmark building in Taipei. But at that time, people could only overlook the beautiful scenery from a distance, and it was difficult to enter. As an international reception venue for high-ranking officials, the Grand Hotel is still open only to dignitaries.
Until 1998, due to financial difficulties, the Grand Hotel decided to open it to the general public.
The current one was rebuilt in 1973
Picture: totogo1015/Shutterstock
Mi Tong will accompany you readers to visit the Yuanshan Hotel.
Picture: Jack Hong/Shutterstock
Standing in front of the hotel door, please look back first. You can have a panoramic view of the beautiful scenery of Taipei Basin, which is very charming no matter day or night. . Along the winding Keelung River, Songshan Airport, the gateway to northern Taiwan, is on the left, and planes fly across the sky from time to time.
First look at the Fokker 50 passenger plane preparing to land at Songshan Airport
Picture: TimeDepot.Twn/Shutterstock
Picture: Botond Horvath/Shutterstock
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After everyone has enjoyed the natural scenery of this Feng Shui treasure land, we can turn around and enter the lobby to blow in the air conditioning.
Welcome to the Grand Hotel
Picture: Kobby Dagan/Shutterstock
Entering the lobby, you will be greeted by a bright red color, which is specially designed for the Grand Hotel. The drink made in the hotel is only available in this place, and its name is "Yuanshan Red". The festive colors are particularly eye-catching against the Chinese palace lanterns.
The special internal color "Yuanshan Red"
Picture: Millet Bucket
Palace lantern details
Picture: Millet Bucket
Please look up at this time. Above the center of the lobby of Yuanshan Hotel is a three-story caisson in the shape of a plum blossom. The caisson is based on red and uses gold to depict 23 dragons playing with beads and 16 phoenixes flying into the sky, symbolizing "dragons and phoenixes present auspiciousness and good fortune."
Caisson in the lobby
Picture: Millet Bucket
Let’s reveal it first:
Dragon is the most prominent theme of the Grand Hotel . Not only are the caissons centered on dragons, but there are also columns, cornices, brackets, etc. According to the hotel guide, there are more than 200,000 dragons in one city.
(I feel personally that this number was randomly picked out, after all, there are dragons everywhere).
There is a two-story high platform directly below the caisson in the hall, with large orchid baskets placed on it, which is a good choice for tourists to take photos.
Randomly photographed, orchids in Yuanshan Hall
Picture: Millet Bucket
On the left is the cafeteria and coffee bar, which often have live music performances; on the right The restaurant "Yuanyuan" is famous for its Jiangsu and Zhejiang flavors. The most famous one on the menu is Soong Meiling's royal dessert "Red Bean Pancake". This snack was not available to the public before. In addition, under the care of Kong Lingwei from Shanxi, Yuanyuan's Shanxi pastries are also very distinctive.
There are also some foods that Soong Meiling loves.
Picture: Millet Bucket
Picture: Black1950/Shutterstock
The introduction to the hall is complete, please. Moving to the stairs, there is a huge bronze sculpture "Zhou Gong making rituals and music" hanging between the first and second floors. Climbing up the stairs, the second floor is divided into two wings: one wing leads to the guest room area, and the other wing leads to the Hong Kong-style restaurant "Golden Dragon Hall".
Picture of Duke Zhou’s Rites and Music
Picture: Millet Bucket
Picture: Eduardo Firman/Shutterstock
We went to the Golden Dragon Hall and passed through the cloister When you arrive, you will see a small shop selling souvenirs from the Republic of China and a photo wall filled with photos of celebrities. There is a feeling of a time and space tunnel here, connecting scenes of history in the past.
Discover Gong Li? Picture: Millet Bucket
After looking at the old photos, I walked through a door and saw a fountain in the shape of a golden dragon. A stream of clear water spits out from the high dragon head, and there are lucky coins thrown in by tourists into the pool. This rare three-clawed golden dragon has a much longer history than the Yuanshan Hotel. It is one of the relics left from the former Taiwan Shrine.
The golden dragon left behind by the Taiwanese shrine
Picture: Millet Bucket
The golden dragon is in the lower left corner of the old photo
Picture: Internet
On the right side of Jinlong is a Hong Kong-style restaurant. From the window of the restaurant, you can see the Taipei Basin. During the day, you can view the scattered high-rise buildings; at night, you can enjoy the brilliant lights. In the restroom near the Golden Dragon Hall, there are many imitations of ancient paintings from the National Palace Museum in Taipei hanging. There are anecdotes circulating in the restrooms, where calligraphy and painting artists from mainland China once claimed to have discovered ancient paintings that were authentic.
If any readers have been here more than ten years ago, they may have heard another episode. That is, the Grand Hotel is not a "five-star" hotel, but a "five-star hotel". That's because Chiang Kai-shek was most taboo about the word "five-star", so he refused to participate in the hotel star rating and had to create his own "plum blossom level".
Round Mountain Red inside and out
Picture: YingHui Liu/Shutterstock
Last year, the Grand Hotel launched a special guided tour, which requires first Make an appointment and gather in the lobby on the second floor when the time comes.
The hotel tour guide will take us to an ordinary wall next to the souvenir shop and start explaining. In the past, dignitaries gathered at the Yuanshan Hotel. In order to allow for quick evacuation in case of an accident, the designer once secretly designed two secret passages in the hotel. They were not even included in the design drawings and only a few people knew about it. But after decades, the accident did not happen. As a result, the secret passage was shelved and gradually became deserted.
It was not until last year that Yuanshan Hotel repaired the secret passage on the west side and opened it to the public.
A secret passage appears
Picture: Millet Bucket
So when we, a group of tourists, were stuck in a traffic jam in a dead end, a wall suddenly opened, and a cold and wet person hit us. In the musty air, a hidden staircase appeared in front of me.
Picture: Millet Bucket
This secret passage cannot be seen to the end at a glance. The four walls are curved and full of spikes. The tour guide explained that the spikes are silencer paint used in war, and Explosion-proof and fire-proof function. Half of the stairs are curved into a slide. The slide is only wide enough for one person to sit down or slide luggage.
It would be quite thrilling to slip all the way down. For safety reasons during the tour, the slide part is not open to experience.
Picture: Millet Bucket
Winding down the steep and slippery stairs, the dim lights made the atmosphere a little tense. The total height of this secret passage is 85 meters, and the drop is as high as a six-story building. However, because it is not straight, when you look back, the exit is gone, and there is no end in front, as if you have walked for a long time. After finally reaching the bottom, an iron gate was tightly closed. The tour guide said that behind the iron gate was the dense forest at the back of Yuanshan Mountain, so it could not be opened. Tourists stop here and can only return the same way after taking photos.
Returning from the entrance, everyone suddenly felt that the atmosphere of war suddenly returned to the feasting and feasting, which felt a bit unreal.
Picture: Kobby Dagan/Shutterstock
If you are still not satisfied, you can feel free to explore it again after finishing the secret tunnel tour. There is a "First Lady's Coffee" at the end of the second floor which is also a good place to go. It was once the venue where Chiang Soong Meiling enjoyed afternoon tea, and now special souvenirs are sold.
You may choose to stay at the Grand Hotel. You may also have the chance to visit the Presidential Suite of the Grand Hotel. There is a rare Kowloon wall screen inside, and the walls are full of authentic Chinese paintings collected by Chiang Kai-shek and Song Meiling. There is also the butler service used by US President Eisenhower, Chiang Ching-kuo's exclusive haircut, etc. These are all the grandeur of this place in the past. scene.
Reservations are available on the official website of the Grand Hotel
(Please go to the backstage to pay the advertising fee)
For general tourists, the guided tour of the Grand Hotel is just that. Sorry, we can actually see less than half of it. The Yuanshan Fellowship House behind the main building is not open to the public and can only be enjoyed by members.
The membership price of Yuanshan Fellowship House is about 60,000 RMB per year for individual membership, with an additional deposit of 30,000 RMB; the annual family membership fee is approximately 100,000 RMB, with an additional 30,000 RMB deposit. Each member also has monthly fees, minimum consumption, swimming pool cleaning fees, etc., which add up to a monthly consumption of more than 10,000 yuan. If you are not a high-ranking official, you can't even knock on the door.
The pictures on the official website look very "luxurious"
Besides, there are undeveloped attractions, such as the secret passage on the east side of the hotel and the small villa that Kong Lingwei used to live in. I won’t go into details here, I’ll leave it to the next article.
The tour in the hotel is over. Please don’t leave in a hurry when you come out of the hotel. There is still something to see through the parking lot. Go down from the hotel gate and quickly walk to the driveway, where you will find two stone lions on the left and right. This stone lion carving is different from other places. It seems to have a more domineering feeling. This pair of stone lions, like the golden dragon, are remnants of the former Taiwanese shrine and are also hundreds of years old.
The stone lion in front of the parking lot is actually the Komatsu dog from the Taiwanese shrine back then
Picture: glen photo/Shutterstock
There is also a bronze horse
At the corner of the parking lot from the driveway, there is a stone with an inscription standing on it. It is Yu Youren's cursive script, with the four characters "Jiantan Shengji" written on it. This stone tablet is also a relic of the Taiwan Shrine. Its original name was "Monument to the Presentation of Weapons." Yu Youren erased the original inscription before adding the word.
The source of the "Monument to the Weapons Offering" that was originally the Taiwan Shrine
Picture: National Taiwan University Library
Finally, "Yu Youren" in the parking lot of the Grand Hotel Calligraphy"
Picture: Xiaomi Bucket
As the "dragon vein" of Taipei, Yuanshan silently witnesses the flow of world affairs like smoke and clouds, quietly hiding touching stories. When the epidemic passes, if you have the opportunity to visit this place, please give Yuanshan a little more time and listen to her story.
The Bronze Bull of the Taiwan Shrine in exile
Picture: Xiaomi Bucket
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