Yang Ming Shan Zhongshan Hall | 陽明山中山樓

Zhongshan Hall 中山樓, located in the picturesque mountains of Yang Ming Shan 陽明山, is an absolutely stunning piece of Chinese architecture. 

Chiang Kai-Shek 蔣介石 ordered the structure to be built to celebrate the 100th birth anniversary of Sun Yat-Sen 孫中山 in 1965.

Hsiu Tse-lan 修澤蘭, the architect who built this structure, was specifically asked by the former ROC president to construct the building at its current location in Yang Ming Shan because of good fengshui. It was a HUGE challenge back in the '60s because no one had ever built such a structure in the middle of a mountain with sulfur lying underneath. 

Basically what happened is that up to 6 levels underneath the surface of the building had to be blasted so that the sulfur wouldn't directly affect the building. They also had to be careful to use material that wouldn't get eroded easily.

Back in the day, the building used to hold political conventions when Taiwan was still under martial law. The national voting committee would meet at the place once every to discuss political events. The committee was abolished in the 1990's and now, the place is open for anyone looking to book event halls, activities, and even take wedding photos!

The guide took us to three other rooms: one was used for dining, one was used to greet officials, and the other was used as an office space. 

You can really see the blend of Chinese and Western cultures with the fireplace and the wooden chairs/ architectures. I really like the colors, the details, and the overall look, so I'm just going to let the photos speak for themselves. 

Zhongshan Hall is a hidden beauty in Yang Ming Shan. I don't think its that well-known because when I visited, only a handful of elderly Taiwanese people were there. It's open every single day with 4 guided tours. Visitors are not allowed to walk around the vicinity on their own. 

It's a shame that the 2nd and 3rd floor weren't open when I was there (it was undergoing renovation)...oh well, hopefully next time. If you visit, you can easily catch a bus to reach their from Taipei City. Though, beware that you will have to hike roughly 10-15 minutes from the gateway to the actual building. Entrance fee is normally $100 for adults. Since parts of the building was under renovation when I visited, the ticket was available for a discounted price of $80.

Fun fact: The building is featured prominently on the back of the NTD$100 banknote!

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