Names of Taipei neighborhoods

Glad we have sorted that out. :laughing:

Completing the four gates, I like that. It’s like closure, and it’s actually five gates. Have we forgotten Xiaonanmen?

Speaking of MRT station names, Dongmen is misleading. The actual gate is nowhere near Dongmen MRT; it’s much closer to NTU Hospital station. Dongmen station should be named Yongkang Street. In fact, most people call that neighborhood Yongkang Street neighborhood.

Alternative names: Ding Tai Fung and Mango Ice

I think we should change all the street names. Remove all Chinese references. Any ideas for a new naming scheme? I’m leaning towards famous All Blacks. Zhongshan would become Colin Meads. Renai would be Ritchie McCaw.

It becomes more understandable after reading this:
http://talin5814.web.fc2.com/iwe_load/tomon.htm#:~:text=車站位於信義路下方,稱為「東門町」。&text=也讓探訪台北城,城門遺址附近的緣由。

The whole area was known as “Dongmenwai” (outside the East Gate) in the old days and there is the Dongmen Market and Dongmen Post Office close to the station.

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Street names starting with “Min” will go to the Barret brothers?

I think there’s four of them.

No one cares about Kane, give him like Guisui Street or something.

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Almost every city in Taiwan have the same street names.

Interesting read. The author had the same query as me. I’m all for preserving history, but Dongmenwai was a name from the Qing dynasty, and nobody gives a hoot about that now. Dongmen is just misleading.

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Yes. We do know that.

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More for you Chinese-reading history nerds:

1.萬華 舊名艋舺,亦作「蟒甲」、「文甲」、「莽葛」,為凱達喀蘭族語MOUNGAR之音譯,意指獨木舟及獨木舟聚集之地,其地濱河,土壤膏腴。初僅凱達喀蘭族在此居住,除射魚維生外,兼以所產苦茗、蕃薯等物,以獨木舟載運至淡水河上游新店溪,與漢人交易,遂得「艋舺」之名。

2.士林 舊名八芝蘭,康熙四十八年,陳賴章集團亦入墾此區。至清末,科名特盛,文風蔚起,改稱士林,取士子如林之意。

3.松山 平埔族錫口社的故居,日本人改為松山。

4.大安 由於(大灣庄),(灣)和(安)的諧音而得名

5.北投 平埔族的語言,北投就是指女巫。

6.內湖 位於台北盆地內側的盆地。

7.南港 因地處基隆河之南,有港可以泊舟故名。

8.文山 民國79年把景美區和木柵區合併為文山區。而景美區地名之由來乃因古人用木頭或竹子製作的大水槽稱作(筧)或(木見),在水槽尾端部份叫(木見 尾)、(筧尾),後來叫成(景尾),再改為景美。至於木柵區地名之由來,乃因漢人與原住民抗爭時代,漢人在景美溪邊興建木製的大型柵欄,防止敵人入侵。

9.信義 民國79年把松山區鐵路以南、及大安區和平東路以北獨立分出而來

10.中正 民國79年將古亭區和城中區合併為中正區。而古亭區地名之由來乃因由(古亭苯)這種裝稻穀的建物得名。或擊鼓示警的(鼓亭)而來。至於城中區地名之由來,是因為位於古台北城的城池中央。

11.中山 台灣光復後為紀念孫中山先生。

12.大同 由(大)隆(同)而來。

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This article has some interesting information about Taipei’s street names

Taipei’s street names are related closely to the geography of China, and an invisible cross helps organize the map.
The central point of this map is on top of the Executive Yuan at the corner of Zhongxiao and Zhongshan roads – this divides Taipei into four quadrants, and the names of roads within these quadrants loosely match their positions on a map of China.

If you look carefully at a map of Chinese place names in Taipei, you’ll see that they are mostly concentrated in the western part of the city, due to a phenomenon known as “short roads in the west and long roads in the east.” This is something Zheng Ding-bang (鄭定邦) (appointed as the deputy general manager of civil affairs, and was given the heavy responsibility of renaming the roads in Taipei) failed to pay attention to during his urban planning; When he renamed the city streets, the eastern parts of Taipei were largely farmland, and these country roads weren’t included in his master plan. Over time, Taipei expanded down to Jingmei, up past Yangmingshan, and east as far as Nangang.

After the war, it was very common to use a name for Chiang Kai-shek, ( Zhongzheng, 中正) on streets around Taiwan; there are 192 in total, according to the Ministry of the Interior. Almost all metropolitan areas have a Zhongzheng road of some sort, usually right in the center of town.

Taipei almost didn’t have a Zhongzheng road. There is now one short street in Shilin district, but Shilin only became a part of Taipei in 1968. Central Taipei had a Zhongzheng road, but it was split and renamed to Zhongxiao East Road and Bade Road when Eastern Taipei was merged into the city.

Sources:

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Never thought about Taipei’s lack of a Zhongzheng Road. Interesting.

I’ve always wondered about Liuzhangli. Why is it “liu” or six? It turns out li was a unit for measuring land, so liuzhangli is literally six plots of land. Interestingly, there’s also a lesser known Sanzhangli (three plots of land) neighborhood near Elephant mountain. In fact, there’ll be a Sanzhangli MRT station when the circle line is completed.

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I always wonder why I recognize so many streets names from Taipei also in other cities. But not Zhongzheng.

I get off the bus at Sanzhangli bus stop regularly. It’s on Guangfu S. Rd, just north of Xinyi Road. It’s not close to Elephant mountain, so perhaps another three plots?

I was also wondering about Sanchong and Erchong. Is there an Yichong as well? After a bit of digging I found that it’s actually Touchong. To be accurate you have to add a “pu”, Touchongpu, Erchongpu, Sanchongpu. With the first being in today’s Xinzhuang where the settlers, I guess all Hakka, first started settling.

Found this on PTT

三重這個地名的由來是根據「地形」;簡單地說,其實就是一塊三層的河階地 : 一重、二重、三重這樣由下往上,基本上這樣的地形起伏是有點環狀的,最低 :的地方是在靠近蘆洲、五股那個方向。而蘆洲原本就是「長滿蘆葦的沙洲」, 從地形上來看可以算是「一重」。
無意間看到這篇 對於第一重的部份提供點新莊人流傳的看法供參考 過去在淡水河還可行船的時候 大部分的先民由新莊港上岸(就是現在新莊夜市那一帶) 開墾的順序也就新莊開始 有點類似同心圓由西向東 依序向外擴展 埔的意思是沖積平原 第一波擴張的範圍稱為頭重埔 也就是現在新莊的頭前地區
大致上的分界為 新莊街 |頭重埔|二重埔| 三重埔

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It’s the same three plots. According to Wikipedia, Sanzhangli borders Elephant mountain on the east and Guangfu S. Rd. on the west. So it’s got to be that whole Wuxing St. area.

To be accurate you have to add a “pu”, Touchongpu, Erchongpu, Sanchongpu. With the first being in today’s Xinzhuang where the settlers, I guess all Hakka, first started settling.

This reminded me of Wufenpu, the garment district near Songshan station. It’s the same pu (埔). Now the next question is, are there yifen, erfen, sanfen and sifenpus?

Also, continuing with the number thing and continuing further east. Are the more “du” apart from Wudu, Qidu, and Badu. I know there is Liudu (Baifu), but what about the lower ones, in the Xizhi area?

Just found there are Toudu, Erdu, Sandu, and Sidu in Yilan’s Dongshan Township. :slight_smile:

No idea about those du in Yilan, but the Xizhi to Keelung du are interesting. In Taiwanese, du is a measure word for “wall,” so Wudu is literally the fifth wall. Now apply that to the topography in the area, you’ll see that Keelung river meanders its way from Keelung down to Taipei. Wherever there’s a big bend in the river, it’s counted as a du. So the early settlers would refer to these places by numbers as they navigate on Keelung river, as in “Honey, a sampan has capsized and I’m stuck in starboard to starboard traffic here at Wudu, so it looks like I’ll be late for dinner. You and junior can start without me.”