Nov. – Dec.
(Chrysanthemum)
Location:Chiang Kai-Shek Shilin Residence
About Shilin Residence
Located
in Shilin District of Taipei City, Taiwan, Chiang
Kai-Shek Shilin Official Residence served as the last residence of the former President Chiang
Kai-Shek and his wife Madam Chiang for over 25 years from 1950 through 1975
before his death on April 5th, 1975. Shilin Official Residence was off-limit to
the public until 1996, and the two-storey grayish blue Main Mansion is now
fully opened to the public from January 27th, 2012.
Occupying an area over 1,300
square meters, the Chiang Kai-Shek Shilin Residence is designed of 2 areas,
including the main mansion and botanical gardens. Chiang Kai-Shek Shilin
Residence was the venue where a number of important decisions were made, including
the decision to hold Taiwan’s first county-level election in 1950, and also the
reception venue for many distinguished foreign guests include the U.S.
Presidents; Dwight Eisenhower, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Richard Nixon, as well as
the foreign heads of Korea and Vietnam.
The two-storey mansion is
comprised of 2 sized living rooms, the reception hall and a recreation room on
the ground floor where the presidential couple enjoyed their free time for
movies. The master bedroom and Madam Chiang’s drawing studio on the second
floor house more than 5,000 original artifacts were off-limits to visitors
until Janauary 27th, 2012. Today, visitors may make advance reservation online
to see the precious collection and living area of Chiang Kai-Shek and Madam
Chiang.
The Shilin Official Residence
is not only an excellent site where histories are revealed for visitors to
learn the real history of Taiwan, but also the perfect spot for horticulture as
Shilin Residence has a number of gardens, including both Chinese and Western
style. The inner garden features Chinese style garden, bridges, fountain,
pavilion, bamboo, and hibiscus, while the outer garden is comprised of Western
style architectures and gardens include XinLanTing – where birthday
celebrations of Chiang Kai-Shek were held, Victoria Chapel – where the
presidential couple go on Sundays and held wedding ceremonies of the first
family, European and Rose gardens – a wide array of flowers and plants, as well
as an outdoor square for music and recreations. With rich horticulture, Shilin
Official Residence holds a number of flower shows each year such as
chrysanthemum, orchid, plum blossom, and rose making it a popular spot among
both local and international travelers.
Shilin Residence Chrysanthemum Show
The Chrysanthemum Show at Shilin Residence was held from 1950s-1975 to
celebrate Chiang Kai-Shek’s birthday on October 31st. The show restored in
fall, 2002, and is now the largest chrysanthemum show in Taiwan, held around
November till December each year.
Directions to Chiang Kai-Shek Shilin Residence:
By Bus:
Take bus no. 220, 255, 260,
or 304 to Taipei Private Taibei High School stop, and then enter Shilin
Horticultural Experiment Branch to Shilin Residence.
By MRT:
Take MRT Danshui Line to
Shilin Station. Turn left at Zhongshan N. Rd. after exiting from exit 2 of MRT
Shilin Station to Shilin Residence.
