Department of Cultural Affairs

The main gate of National Taiwan University

Originally the front gate of Taiwan’s highest institution of learning, Taihoku Imperial University, and a city landmark, the Main Gate of National Taiwan University is still regarded as a symbol of the island’s extensive colonization by Japan, and of the history of higher education in Taiwan. Designed by the Japanese colonial government’s civil engineering department, the structure was intimate in scale and simple in appearance. The central guardhouse allowed gatekeepers to control pedestrians and vehicles entering and exiting the campus’s main drive, lined with coconut trees. The structure was constructed with brown-faced bricks made in Taipei and stones from nearby Qili’an, giving it a distinctive local flavor.
The design of the gate was harmoniously coordinated with other campus buildings of that time period. The plaza in front of the gate has served for decades as a forum where young students have voiced their concern for the university and called for social reform..