Wanhua District

Wanhua District (Chinese: 萬華區; pinyin: Wànhuá Qū), known in Taiwanese Hokkien as Báng-kah khu (Chinese: 艋舺區) and historically as "Monga" or "Monka", is a district in Taipei, Taiwan. It is Taipei's oldest district. The district is home to historic buildings such as the Bangka Lungshan Temple, an iconic historic temple, and the Red House Theater, the first and largest teahouse and playhouse in Taiwan. Taipei's oldest garment district is also located in the district.

Wanhua was the first district in Taipei to undergo economic development; as such many of the buildings and cultural sites in the region are older than those in surrounding districts. The large number of temples in this area is attributed to its prosperous past originating from the Qing era. The district can be divided into three sections: northern, central, and southern. The northern area, including Ximending, has become home to many shopping centers and is popular among the younger generation. Central Wanhua is known for its historical sites – including Lungshan Temple, Qingshui Temple, Qingshan Temple and Bopiliao Historic Block – traditional shopping, and local snacks. Southern Wanhua is mainly a residential area with a wide city park, also known as the Youth 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. It also has a higher concentration of mainlanders. Nevertheless, this district continues to be treasured by many as it is representative of some of Taipei's richest historical cultures – for example, the annual temple rituals held at Qingshan Temple, also known as the Qing Shan King Sacrificial Ceremony. This is a grand religious fiesta and celebration that involves a procession within Wanhua District for three consecutive nights.

Etymology

Wanhua is the Mandarin Chinese pronunciation of Banka (Japanese: 萬華), a name coined by the Japanese because of its phonetic resemblance to the area's former name in Taiwanese Hokkien (Chinese: 艋舺; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Báng-kah). Spellings used in English works circa 1900 include Banka, Manka and Bang-kah. The old Taiwanese Hokkien name possibly derives from bangka (bangka), the Austronesian word from one of the northern Formosan languages for a kind of "outrigger canoe". This is also attributed to the location of Wanhua, which is beside the Tamsui River and was once a prosperous trading port.

History

Qing Dynasty

In the late Qing era, Hobe (modern-day Tamsui District) was the treaty port of northern Taiwan, whereas the trade was conducted at Bangka. Therefore, in 1862, the British Consulate succeeded in extending the limits of the port up the Tamsui River to include Banka, which was more than 10 miles (16 km) from the port. Bangka was the largest and most important city of northern Formosa, thoroughly Chinese, and, in the initial experience of missionary George Leslie Mackay, intensely anti-foreign.

Empire of Japan

In the early 20th century, with a population of about 27,000, Banka was Taiwan's third most populous city, following the nearby suburb of Daitōtei. Both cities were part of the Taihoku (Taipei) capital area but outside of the city proper, which was occupied mainly by the Japanese official class.

Republic of China

After the handover of Taiwan from Japan to the Republic of China in 1945, the area where Wanhua District covers now used to consist of Longshang District (龍山區) and Shuangyuan District (雙園區). In 1990, the two districts merged and formed Wanhua District.

Tourism and shopping

Near the famous Lungshan Temple is the Snake Alley Night Market. The market once served snake and turtle delicacies, but changed its focus to seafood upon protest from animal rights groups and environmental groups. The area is also the site of Taipei's former red-light district. Prostitution was outlawed in the 1990s although prostitutes can still be readily found. Today, the night markets are famous among both tourists and locals alike as they present a wide array of local delicacies at affordable prices.

Ximending, another main attraction of Wanhua, serves as a fashionable shopping center and as Taipei's main movie theater district.

Night markets, a staple of Taiwanese culture, are widespread in the district and 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 streets in which traders specialize in items such as herbs, jewelry, hardware, and home furnishings.

The district is also home to the Huannan Market, 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.

Other tourist attractions include the Heritage and Culture Education Center of Taipei City, Qingyunge Art, Wanhua Lin's Mansion and Ximending Mazu Temple.

Education

Medical Institutions

• National Taiwan University Hospital, Bei-Hu Branch
• Taipei City Hospital, Chinese Medicine and Kunming Branches
• Renji Hospital
• Xiyuan Hospital
• Wanhua Hospital

High schools

• Huajiang Senior High School
• Dali Senior High School
• Liren Private High School

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

Other schools

• Taipei Korean Elementary School (타이뻬이한국학교)
• Wanhua Community College

Transportation

Wanhua is served by Longshan Temple and Ximen metro stations of the Taipei Metro. The Taiwan Railways Administration's Western Line has one station in the district, Wanhua Station.

Important roads, highways, and bridges include:

• Provincial Highway 1 (台一線)：Zhongxiao Bridge, Zhongxiao Road West (忠孝橋、忠孝西路)
• Provincial Highway 3 (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)

Notable natives

• Hannah Quinlivan, actress and model
• Kingone Wang, actor, singer and host
• Lin Chia-lung, Mayor of Taichung (2014-2018)
• Yang Kuei-mei, actress

Movies filmed in Wanhua

• Dust in the Wind (1986), a film by Hou Hsiao-hsien.
• Dust of Angels (1992)
• Rebels of the Neon God (1992), a film by Tsai Ming-liang.
• Exit No.6 (2007)
• Miss Kicki (2009), starring Pernilla August.
• Monga (2010), starring Ethan Juan and Mark Chao.

See also

• District (Taiwan)

References

External links

• Official website (in Chinese)