Taipei Grand Hotel (Home of a Dynasty)

(Update 6/12/2020)

Photo taken from the southeast end of Chengde Road. In the background you can see the New Grand Hotel in an early stage of construction. (1970-71). Photo and caption by Mark Byerly

(Update 5/19/2020)

Photo is Taipei Grand Hotel in 1945. Built from burnt-down Japanese Shinto shrine. It was called ‘Taiwan Grand Hotel’ 台灣大飯店. ‘Taipei Grand Hotel’ was established in May 1952 and the main building was completed on October 10 (ROC national birthday), 1973. Not many people noticed the connection between the hotel’s completion and China’s cultural revolution (1966-1976) that it was these regional Chinese cuisine Masterchefs from China escorted to Taipei that made Grand Hotel in 1973 GRAND in structure, status and regional Chinese cuisines.

Taipei Grand Hotel Location Was Primarily Decided By Its Link To Songshan Airport

The Taiwan Grand Shrine was built as Taiwan Shrine in 1901 (Meiji 34) atop Jiantan Mountain 劍潭山in the Jiantan area of Taihoku (modern-day Taipei). Prince Yoshihisa and the Three Kami Deities of Cultivation were added as enshrined deities (祭神, saijin).

On April 12, 1923 Crown Prince Hirohito, who would become Emperor Shōwa three years later, embarked on a two-week tour of Taiwan. In preparation for his visit to the Taiwan Grand Shrine, Chokushi Road (勅使街道 Chokushi kaidō) (present-day Chungshan North Road) was created leading to the shrine.

The Taiwan Grand Shrine was elevated in rank to Grand Shrine in 1944 (Shōwa 19) when the kami deity Amaterasu was enshrined. Taiwan Grand Shrine was the tutelary shrine of Taiwan and the most important Shinto shrine in Taiwan.

The Governor-General of Taiwan designated October 28 as Taiwan Shrine Festival (臺灣神社祭 Taiwan jinjasai) and a public holiday throughout Taiwan. 

Lost in Destruction Many Taiwanese Family Memory  

My Hong family wedding at Taiwan Grand Shrine. 1930s. Grandparents are 2nd and 3rd from right, front row. @1930 by the age of my father who was also present in this wedding.

On October 23, 1944, prior to the Taiwan Shrine Festival, a passenger transport plane lost control and crashed atop the mountain where the Taiwan Grand Shrine was located. The accident and resulting fires destroyed the Torii ceremonial archway, stone tōrō lanterns, amongst other important structures.

On 18 August 1945 followed The Mystery Death of Subhas Chandra Bose

In late 1944 and early 1945 the British Indian Army first halted and then devastatingly reversed the Japanese attack on India. Almost half the Japanese forces and fully half the participating INA contingent were killed. The INA was driven down the Malay Peninsula, and surrendered with the recapture of Singapore. Bose had earlier chosen not to surrender with his forces or with the Japanese, but rather to escape to Manchuria with a view to seeking a future in the Soviet Union which he believed to be turning anti-British. He died from third degree burns received when his plane crashed in Taiwan. Some Indians, however, did not believe that the crash had occurred, with many among them, especially in Bengal, believing that Bose would return to gain India's independence.

The hotel main building was completed on October 10, 1973 during The Cultural Revolution. Top regional Chinese cuisine chefs were smuggled out of China, via Hong Kong and settled into KMT officers’ home. Some appointed headchef of hotel restaurants famously showcasing China’s Eight Great Cuisine. Taiwanese cuisine had no place in State Banquet until Lee Teng-hui’s presidency in 1988. This is covered in Chapter Four under 'Banquets fit for a president' in our book “A Culinary History of Taipei”.

A Perfect Escape Route By Boat and Military Aircraft Escort- Grand Hotel Underground Tunnels Link to Taipei Songshan Airport

On a pre-arranged visit to Grand Hotel Museum and Underground Tunnels – I saw Chiang KS’s secret escape slides. There were two, East and West and both ended in Keelung River. These were built to facilitate escape boats to ferry Chiang KS family and honorary hotel guests to Songshan airport within 10 minutes, followed by aircraft escort out of Taiwan. It was confirmed by the hotel staff Chiang had never used the slides.

Note:

1. Zhongshan South and North Road: There are two street sections in Taipei that an MRT construction is banned.
- Zhongshan South Road in the National Taiwan University Hospital area and Presidential Hall. It was the Chiang KS's Royal underground route that even today are not to be disturbed.
- Zhongshan North Road the section leading up to the Grand Hotel.

 Account Book 1958 . All in English.