Daan District, Taipei

History

The district is named after Daiwan village () that was once located near the intersection of present-day Xinyi Road and Fuxing S. Road. The name was changed in the 1800s (during the Qing era) to the more auspicious but similar-sounding "Daan" (大安; ).

In 1875, the setup of Taipei Prefecture put the village together with 下內埔 and La̍k-tiuⁿ-lê (六張犁), all of which are within today's Daan District. During the Japanese occupation of Taiwan, Daan village was merged with , , and .

In 1945, after World War II, after the island of Taiwan was ceded to the Republic of China and under the current rule by the Chinese Nationalists, the boundaries of Daan District were delineated around Daan village, from which it derived its name. Subsequent notable alterations occurred during the 1990s, shaping the district's configuration further.

Geography

Daan is bounded on the east by Guangfu South Road, Keelung Road and Heping East Road; on the south by Neipu, Fuzhou and Toad Hills, and the Xinhai and Zhuangjing Tunnels; in the west by Roosevelt Road, Hangzhou South Road, Xinyi Road and Xinsheng South Road; and in the north by Civic Boulevard. The district is bordered by Xinyi District to the east, Wenshan District to the south, Zhongzheng District to the west, Zhongshan District to the northwest, and Songshan District to the northeast.

Government institutions

• Industrial Development Bureau
• Maritime and Port Bureau
• Ministry of Science and Technology
• Securities and Futures Bureau
• Small and Medium Enterprise Administration
• Taiwan Intellectual Property Office
• Transitional Justice Commission

Education

Daan hosts three major national universities, contributing significantly to the educational landscape of the area. These universities serve as important centers for academic excellence, research, and intellectual development within the community: National Taiwan University (NTU), National Taiwan University of Science and Technology and National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU). The former two universities have strong engineering programs, NTNU has excellent research in the humanities and social sciences, and NTU also has a highly regarded medical school located in the Zhongzheng District.

The National Taipei University of Technology, National Taipei University of Education and Affiliated Senior High School of National Taiwan Normal University are also in this district.

For learners of Chinese as a foreign language, Daan hosts a number of popular language centers including the Taiwan Mandarin Institute (TMI), NTU's International Chinese Language Program and NTNU's Mandarin Training Center.

Shopping

Daan has numerous shopping areas. The district boasts a selection of upscale boutiques, designer stores, and luxury retailers. On Zhongxiao East Road, Dunhua South Road and neighboring alleys, there are clothing shops, restaurants serving world cuisines, and major department stores including three branches of the Pacific Sogo Department Store, Breeze Center, and the Ming Yao Department Store, as well as the original 24-hour Dunnan branch of the Eslite Bookstore prior to its closure in 2020. The East Metro Market runs underneath Zhongxiao Road between metro stations. Specialty markets include the Jianguo Holiday Flower Market, the Jianguo Holiday Jade Market, and the Guanghua Computer and Electronics Market.

Daan's most famous night markets are the Tonghua Night Market, in the east of the district, and the Shida Night Market in the west, near NTNU. Because of its proximity to NTNU and NTU, the Shida Night Market area is known as a student hangout and is filled with foreign restaurants and student-oriented bars. Yongkang Street, another popular restaurant area and home to the original Din Tai Fung restaurant, lies to the north of NTNU. Located near NTU is also the Wistaria Tea House, a quiet historic teahouse serving tea in the Gongfu style.

Residential

Daan is renowned for hosting some of the most coveted residential real estate in Asia, featuring properties that command premium prices clustered around the tree-lined Dunhua South, Anhe and Renai Road areas (known as the East District). As of 2009, Guangfu Road had the highest residential land value. In this area there are upscale fashion boutiques, elite retail shops and many of Taipei's renowned "lounge bars". A study conducted in 2020 by the Department of Land Administration found that among the 12 administrative districts in Taipei City, Daan District came out on top with an average price of NT$38.21 million per apartment, or approximately $1.2 million US dollars.

Other places of interest

Other notable places include the Daan Forest Park, which was built on land formerly occupied by military officers and their families, and the Taipei Municipal Library. The park occupies an area of 26 hectares and includes an amphitheater, concrete roller- and inline-skating rink, ponds, pavilions, paths, and two underground parking lots. The park also has a popular playground for children. Daan Forest Park was intended to play a similar role as other major city parks such as New York City's Central Park and London's Hyde Park, acting as the "lungs of Taipei city" and as respite for residents from the bustle of life in Taipei. Similar to the large parks of other cities, Daan Park is surrounded by high price luxury condominiums that fetch a premium due to their desirable views, some reaching the price of $400 million New Taiwan dollars (approximately $14 million US dollars) in 2012.

The Mongolian and Tibetan Cultural Center, Workshop of Advanced Academy of Agronomy and Forestry, Jut Art Museum, Taiwan Contemporary Culture Lab, Taipei Hakka Culture Hall, Wistaria Tea House, Mind Set Art Center, Nanmen Market, Wang Yun-wu Memorial Hall, and Fanglan Mansion, and many other tourist attractions are also located in Daan District. Museums in Daan District are Museum of Archives, Museum of National Taipei University of Education and Museum of Zoology.

Transportation

Daan is served by the Taipei Mass Rapid Transit, otherwise known as the Taipei Metro. The Wenhu line, Bannan line, Songshan-Xindian line, Tamsui-Xinyi line, and Zhonghe-Xinlu line all have stations in the district.

A total of fourteen stations are located in the district: Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall, Zhongxiao Dunhua, Zhongxiao Fuxing, Zhongxiao Xinsheng, Daan Park, Daan, Xinyi Anhe, Technology Building, Liuzhangli, Linguang, Dongmen, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Guting, Taipower Building and Gongguan.

Notable people

• Jolin Tsai (born 1980), Taiwanese singer-songwriter
• Jay Chou (born 1979) Mandopop singer and musician
• JJ Lin (born 1981) Singaporean singer-songwriter
• Dee Hsu (born 1978), Taiwanese singer, actress, and television host

References

References

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