The city shines brighter at night — three city gates outside the North Gate will regain their historic charm in July

▲ The century-old historical sites — the East Gate, South Gate, and Little South Gate —will undergo a nighttime lighting restoration project and are expected to officially light up by the end of July, restoring their century-old splendor. The photo shows a simulated nighttime view of the East Gate (Chientan Gate) after the lighting restoration. (Photo provided by Taipei City Department of Parks and Recreation; the same applies to the following images.)）

Travel Center / Compiled Report

The nights in Taipei City are about to get even more beautiful. Following the launch of the Western Gateway Lighting Environment Revitalization Project on Christmas Eve 2016, which illuminated the North Gate, Railway Museum, and North Gate Post Office, the Taipei City Department of Parks and Recreation is now set to carry out a nighttime lighting restoration project for three additional city gates — the East Gate, South Gate, and Little South Gate. These gates are expected to be relit by the end of July, showcasing their renewed grandeur as Taipei prepares to host the Universiade this July.

▲ A simulated nighttime view of the Little South Gate (Chongxi Gate) after the lighting restoration.

Huang Liyuan, director of the Department of Parks and Recreation, said that the East Gate, South Gate, and Little South Gate, built around the same time as the North Gate, are all key nodes in Taipei's historical development. From an urban aesthetics perspective, the project will integrate the subtle, hazy glow of the city with these three ancient gates, presenting a light art experience that transcends day and night.

▲ A simulated nighttime view of the South Gate (Lizheng Gate) after the lighting restoration

Xu Yu-chien, the architect responsible for the planning and design, explained that the three city gates will use high-color-rendering spotlights with varying intensities to highlight the sculptural textures of bracket sets and the layers of painted designs, enhance the red pillars, and capture the imagery both inside and outside the city walls, evoking memories of the people and flow of traffic from the past.