Wanhua
Encyclopedia
Wanhua District known in Taiwanese as Bangka a.k.a Monga, is Taipei City
's oldest district. The district is home to historic buildings such as Longshan Temple, Taipei's oldest temple, and the Red House Theater
, the first and largest teahouse and playhouse in Taiwan. Taipei's oldest, but decaying, garment district is also here.
, has become home to many shopping centers and is popular among the younger generation. Central Wanhua is known for its historical sites (like Longshan Temple), traditional shopping, and local snacks. Southern Wanhua is mainly a residential area with a wide city park.
Wanhua District is divided up into 36 villages (里) and 722 neighborhoods (鄰). In recent years, the population in the district has been in decline. The district also has population aging
and obesity
issues compared to other districts. It also has a higher concentration of mainland Chinese.
kanji
萬華 (manka), which were coined for their phonetic resemblance to the Taiwanese name 艋舺 . In turn báng-kah is thought to be derived from an even older Austronesian
word bangca (bangka), meaning canoe
.
(also known as "Snake Alley"). The market once served snake and turtle delicacies, but changed its focus to seafood upon protest from animal and environmental groups. The area is also the site of Taipei's former "red light district
". The place has been largely cleaned up since prostitution
was outlawed in the 1990s, though prostitutes can still be readily found.
Ximending
(Hsimenting), another main attraction of Wanhua, serves as a counter-culture, trendy shopping center and as Taipei's main movie theater district.
Night market
s, a staple of Taiwanese culture, are everywhere. Night markets in the district include the Huaxi Street Tourist Night Market, Xichang Street Night Market, Guangzhou Street Night Market, Wuzhou Street Night Market, and Nanjichang Night Market. In addition, the district has many specialized streets that specialize in different items such as herbs, jewelry, hardware, and home furnishings.
The district is also home to three wholesale markets: the Taipei First Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable Market, Taipei First Poultry Wholesale Market, and Taipei Fishery Wholesale Market. It can be said to be Taipei's center for fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats.
and Xiaonanmen Line. The Taiwan Railway Administration
's Western Line has one station in the district (Wanhua Station
).
Important roads, highways, and bridges include:
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
's oldest district. The district is home to historic buildings such as Longshan Temple, Taipei's oldest temple, and the Red House Theater
Red House Theater
The Red House Theater , often called the Red Theater or Red Play House in English, is a historic theater in the Ximending area of Taipei, Taiwan. Built in 1908 during Japanese rule and designed by Japanese architect Kondo Juro, it was originally a market building but was used as a theater from...
, the first and largest teahouse and playhouse in Taiwan. Taipei's oldest, but decaying, garment district is also here.
Overview
Wanhua District was Taipei's first district to undergo economic development, but also has many old buildings and cultural sites. The district can be divided into three sections: northern, central, and southern. The northern area, including XimendingXimending
Ximending is a neighborhood and shopping district in the Wanhua District of Taipei, Taiwan. It was the first pedestrian zone in Taiwan.-Overview:...
, has become home to many shopping centers and is popular among the younger generation. Central Wanhua is known for its historical sites (like Longshan Temple), traditional shopping, and local snacks. Southern Wanhua is mainly a residential area with a wide city park.
Wanhua District is divided up into 36 villages (里) and 722 neighborhoods (鄰). In recent years, the population in the district has been in decline. The district also has population aging
Population ageing
Population ageing or population aging occurs when the median age of a country or region rises. This happens because of rising life expectancy or declining birth rates. Excepting 18 countries termed 'demographic outliers' by the UN) this process is taking place in every country and region across...
and obesity
Obesity
Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems...
issues compared to other districts. It also has a higher concentration of mainland Chinese.
Etymology
Wanhua is the Mandarin Chinese reading of the JapaneseJapanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
kanji
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
萬華 (manka), which were coined for their phonetic resemblance to the Taiwanese name 艋舺 . In turn báng-kah is thought to be derived from an even older Austronesian
Austronesian languages
The Austronesian languages are a language family widely dispersed throughout the islands of Southeast Asia and the Pacific, with a few members spoken on continental Asia that are spoken by about 386 million people. It is on par with Indo-European, Niger-Congo, Afroasiatic and Uralic as one of the...
word bangca (bangka), meaning canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
.
Tourism and Shopping
Near the famous Longshan Temple is the Huaxi (Huahsi) Street Tourist Night MarketNight market
Night markets or night bazaars are street markets which operate at night and are generally dedicated to more leisurely strolling, shopping, and eating than more businesslike day markets.-Geographical spread:...
(also known as "Snake Alley"). The market once served snake and turtle delicacies, but changed its focus to seafood upon protest from animal and environmental groups. The area is also the site of Taipei's former "red light district
Red Light District
Red Light District may refer to:* Red-light district - a neighborhood where prostitution is common* The Red Light District - the title of the 2004 album by rapper Ludacris* Red Light District Video - a pornography studio based in Los Angeles, California...
". The place has been largely cleaned up since prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
was outlawed in the 1990s, though prostitutes can still be readily found.
Ximending
Ximending
Ximending is a neighborhood and shopping district in the Wanhua District of Taipei, Taiwan. It was the first pedestrian zone in Taiwan.-Overview:...
(Hsimenting), another main attraction of Wanhua, serves as a counter-culture, trendy shopping center and as Taipei's main movie theater district.
Night market
Night market
Night markets or night bazaars are street markets which operate at night and are generally dedicated to more leisurely strolling, shopping, and eating than more businesslike day markets.-Geographical spread:...
s, a staple of Taiwanese culture, are everywhere. Night markets in the district include the Huaxi Street Tourist Night Market, Xichang Street Night Market, Guangzhou Street Night Market, Wuzhou Street Night Market, and Nanjichang Night Market. In addition, the district has many specialized streets that specialize in different items such as herbs, jewelry, hardware, and home furnishings.
The district is also home to three wholesale markets: the Taipei First Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable Market, Taipei First Poultry Wholesale Market, and Taipei Fishery Wholesale Market. It can be said to be Taipei's center for fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats.
Medical Institutions
- National Taiwan University HospitalNational Taiwan University HospitalNational Taiwan University Hospital started operations under Japanese rule in Dadaocheng on June 18, 1895, and moved to its present location in 1898. The Hospital was later annexed to the Medical School of Taipei Imperial University and renamed Taipei Imperial University Medical School Affiliated...
, Bei-Hu Branch - Taipei City Hospital, Chinese Medicine and Kunming Branches
- Renji Hospital
- Xiyuan Hospital
- Wanhua Hospital
Junior High Schools
- Wanhua Junior High School
- Shuangyuan Junior High School
- Longshan Junior High School
- Dali Junior High School
- Liren Private Junior High School
Elementary Schools
- Xinhe Elementary School
- Shuangyuan Elementary School
- Dongyuan Elementary School
- Dali Elementary School
- Xiyuan Elementary School
- Wanda Elementary School
- Huajiang Elementary School
- Ximen Elementary School
- Laosong Elementary School
- Longshan Elementary School
- Fuxing Elementary School
- Guangren Elementary School
Transportation
Wanhua is served by the Taipei Metro Banqiao LineBanqiao Line (TRTS)
The Taipei Metro Banqiao Line is a high-capacity underground line and is a major transportation route between Taipei and New Taipei. It runs from Ximen in western Taipei to Fuzhong in eastern Taipei, consisting of 6 stations and 7.2 km of track...
and Xiaonanmen Line. The Taiwan Railway Administration
Taiwan Railway Administration
The Taiwan Railway Administration is an agency of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications of the Republic of China responsible for managing, maintaining, and running passenger and freight service on 1097 km of conventional railroad lines in Taiwan...
's Western Line has one station in the district (Wanhua Station
Wanhua Station
Wanhua Station is a Taiwan Railway Administration station located in Wanhua, Taipei, Taiwan.-Overview:The station is divided into east and west buildings. The station entrance, lobby, and ticket counters are located in the west building. The station exit, parcel center, and offices are located in...
).
Important roads, highways, and bridges include:
- Provincial Highway No. 1Provincial Highway No. 1 (Taiwan)Provincial Highway No. 1 is a 464.693 km-long provincial Taiwanese highway that starts in the north of the country near Taipei Main Station and ends in the south at Fangshan, Pingtung County. It intersects with Provincial Highway No. 9 and No. 26. Before the freeway system is built in Taiwan,...
(台一線)：Zhongxiao Bridge, Zhongxiao W. RdZhongxiao RoadZhongxiao Road is a major arterial and provincial highway in Taipei, Taiwan, connecting the Zhongzheng district in the west with the Daan, Songshan, Xinyi, and Nangang districts towards the east...
(忠孝橋、忠孝西路) - Provincial Highway No. 3Provincial Highway No. 3 (Taiwan)Provincial Highway No. 3 is a 438.7 km-long provincial Taiwanese highway that starts in Taipei and ends in Pingtung. Also known as Inner-Mountain Highway , the road travels through the mountain towns in Western Taiwan and was the major route for the area until NH 3 was built.-Spur...
(台三線)：Huajiang Bridge, Heping W. Rd, Zhonghua Road (華江橋、和平西路、中華路) - Zhongxing Bridge (中興橋)
- Wanban Bridge (萬板橋)
- Huacui Bridge (華翠大橋)
- Guangfu Bridge (光復橋)
- Huazhong Bridge (華中橋)
Movies filmed in Wanhua
- Dust in the WindDust in the Wind (film)Dust in the Wind ) is a 1986 critically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful movie by Taiwanese filmmaker Hou Hsiao-Hsien.This film is based on co-screenwriter Wu Nien-jen's own experiences, and the final part of Hou's coming-of-age trilogy, the others being A Summer at Grandpa's and The Time...
(1986), a film by Hou Hsiao-HsienHou Hsiao-HsienHou Hsiao-Hsien is an award-winning film director and a leading figure of Taiwan's New Wave cinema movement.-Biography:...
. - Dust of AngelsDust of AngelsDust of Angels can refer to:*Dust of Angels , a 1992 Taiwanese motion picture*Dust of Angels , the soundtrack album of the same motion picture...
(1992) - Rebels of the Neon GodRebels of the Neon GodRebels of the Neon God is a 1992 Taiwanese film by Tsai Ming-liang. It is his first full-length film. It tells two stories of Taipei youth. One details alienated buxiban student Hsiao Kang and his troubled interactions with his family...
(1992), a film by Tsai Ming-liangTsai Ming-liangTsai Ming-liang is one of the most celebrated "Second New Wave" film directors of Taiwanese Cinema, along with earlier contemporaries such as Hou Hsiao-Hsien and Edward Yang...
. - Exit No.6 (2007)
- Miss KickiMiss Kicki-Plot:Kicki has, after several years abroad, returned to Sweden. Her 17-year old son - Viktor has been brought up by his grandmother and has a very distant relationship to his mother. In an effort to get reacquainted Kicki invites her son to join her on vacation in Taiwan...
(2009), starring Pernilla AugustPernilla AugustPernilla August is a Swedish actress, director and script-writer. Being one of Sweden's leading actresses and a long time collaborator with director Ingmar Bergman, she won the Best Actress Award at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival for her role in his The Best Intentions...
. - MongaMonga (film)Monga is a 2010 Taiwanese gangster film set in 1980s Taipei. The film stars Ethan Ruan from TV series Fated To Love You and Mark Chao, also features Ma Ju-Lung from Cape No.7 and Rhydian Vaughan from Winds of September...
(2010), starring Ethan RuanEthan RuanEthan Ruan was born on 8 November 1982. He is a Taiwanese actor and model. He is sometimes credited as Juan Ching-Tien or Ruan Jing-Tian. He rose to prominence in the Taiwanese drama Fated To Love You, and is the 2010 Best Leading Actor winner of the 47th Golden Horse Awards for his role in Monga...
and Mark ChaoMark ChaoMark Chao was born on 25 September 1984. He is a Taiwanese-Canadian actor, singer and model. Who graduated from University of Victoria, Canada. His agency is Prajna Works -Television series:-Films:-MV:* Crying Out by CoLoR...
.