East Gate_Jingfu Gate

The East Gate, also known as Jingfu Gate, was a vital thoroughfare connecting Taipei City to Xikou (present-day Songshan). Facing Keelung, an important port in northern Taiwan, it bore a significant defensive responsibility and held great national defense importance. At that time, 'Dongmen Street' within the city, which led to the East Gate, is today's Ketagalan Boulevard. Today, situated directly in front of the Presidential Office, it has become a compulsory route for many rallies and demonstrations, bringing countless media opportunities to the East Gate. It can be said to be the city gate most familiar to all Taiwanese people, and it has undeniably become a significant political and transportation hub in this area. Among the five city gates of old Taipei City, the East Gate was the most meticulously crafted. Its plaque reads 'Jingfu Gate'. Its architectural structure was very similar to the North Gate, both featuring sturdy brick walls extending directly from a stone base up to the eaves, resembling an impregnable square fortress. Inside the double-layered brick walls was a wooden structure. The roof was a 'Xieshan-style' (hip-and-gable roof) with four slopes, simple and grand. Beneath the eaves, it was adorned with green glazed hollow floral bricks, making it very elegant. Unfortunately, it was later similarly rebuilt into a Chinese northern palace-style gate tower. However, the stone platform and the round archway are original materials, and the gate opening is a semi-circular arch constructed from stone strips, with the frame preserving thunder pattern decorations, still possessing considerable historical value.