Stroll through the classic charm of old Taipei & savor 60-year-old pork knuckle rice

Text & Photos /25°C Blank Space

Transportation: Taipei Main Station MRT

For those who love old Taipei, simply wandering around the area near the train station can bring immense satisfaction. The old Taipei City from the Qing Dynasty had four city gates. Shortly after their construction, Taiwan was ceded by the Qing Dynasty to Japan, and the city walls were later demolished. Fortunately, the beautiful city gates have been preserved to this day. Except for the West Gate, which was torn down, the others remain standing.

Among them, the North Gate of Taipei City, also known as Cheng'en Gate, was the main gate of the Taipei Prefecture City at that time. It was built in the 10th year of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty (1884). It is currently the only city gate in Taipei that retains its original appearance and is also the world’s only surviving Minnan-style fortress gate, holding significant historical value as a national historic site. Seeing the North Gate truly evokes stories of the Qing Dynasty era, as if there were soldiers with simple topknots guarding inside the gate.

Across from the North Gate is a historic site I personally find incredibly beautiful and endearing—the Taipei General Post Office. Its predecessor was the "General Post Office" established by Liu Mingchuan. During the Japanese colonial period, it was relocated here, becoming the first post office built by Japan in Taiwan. Originally a wooden structure, it was destroyed by fire. In April 1928, the construction of the Taipei Post Office building, designed by Kuriyama Shunichi of the Taiwan Governor-General's Office Construction Department, commenced and was completed in April 1930. It is a four-story building, filled with the beauty of Baroque and classical architecture.

Every time I pass by here on the bus, I can’t help but take a second look. It reminds me of the modern buildings along Kyoto’s Sanjo Street. I feel the General Post Office is in no way inferior to those structures. Today, it still handles many postal services and is a national third-grade historic site.

The General Post Office with its beautiful floral decorations and carvings

Leaving the General Post Office, the play of sunlight on the building is dazzling, and somehow, you start to feel a little hungry.

Across from the General Post Office is an old pork knuckle rice shop, a 60-year-old establishment. Actually, I had only passed by the North Gate at around four in the afternoon—it wasn’t even mealtime yet, and I’m not even a big fan of pork knuckle. But when I walked by this old shop, Zheng Ji Pork Knuckle Rice, the aroma of the braising sauce was simply irresistible. Before I knew it, I was sitting under the arcade, pulling out an iron bench, and before five o’clock, I had already ordered a bowl of pork knuckle rice.

And then, me, who doesn’t usually like pork knuckle rice, ended up eating what I consider the best bowl of pork knuckle rice I’ve ever had in my life. The aroma of the pork knuckle, the flavor of the aged braising sauce, every part was tender and full of texture. The side dishes were simple, but they complemented the pork knuckle perfectly. Next door, a taxi driver ordered their Dongpo pork rice, which looked just as mouthwatering.

Next to the old pork knuckle rice shop is the stunning Futo Street Western-style Building. It is one of the only commercial buildings from the Japanese colonial period still standing in Taipei, built in 1910. The Futo Street Western-style Building has had many commercial tenants over the years. After the Kuomintang government came to Taiwan, it housed the People's Guide Newspaper Office, then was taken over by the military and became an interrogation room for the Garrison Command, losing its value as a commercial building. Later, it became residence for many retired military families. In 1997, it was designated as a municipal historic site, but in 2000, it was unfortunately destroyed by a major fire. Reconstruction began in 2004.

The Futo Street Western-style Building is uniquely constructed with a mix of stone and wood. Due to its substantial use of stone, it is also known as the “Stone House.” It features exquisite stone arch arcades, with a wooden interior structure and a roof modeled after the Mansard double-pitched roof style. The steeply sloped roof and prominent dormer windows give it a European aristocratic vibe, resembling a fairy-tale cottage.

Just walking here allows you to feel the atmosphere of different periods and eras of architecture, as if you’re sitting in a time machine—traveling from the Qing Dynasty to the Japanese colonial period, from government offices to commercial buildings, and then back to Taiwan’s classic pork knuckle rice. It’s a huge treat for travelers like us who are constantly seeking the essence of old times.

http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei Futo Street Western-style Building
No. 26, Yanping South Road, Guangfu Li, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City

http://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-tw/Taipei Prefecture City North Gate
Intersection of Zhongxiao West Road, Yanping North Road, and Bo’ai Road

http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei Post Office
No. 114, Section 1, Zhongxiao West Road

Zheng Ji Pork Knuckle Rice
No. 22, Yanping South Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City
 

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