LITTLE SOUTH GATE (小南門)
This is my fouth birthday photoshoot and once again, a normal working day on my birthday. So, like the year before, i have 2 requirements that i need to consider in choosing my subject for my photoshoot, the location and the impressiveness. LITTLE SOUTH GATE (小南門) also known as ZHONGXI GATE (重熙門) LITERALLY MEANING “ GATE OF GREAT PROSPERITY” is just 2 bus stop ride away from my workplace. so checked to the proximity of the location. As to the impressiveness, allow me to share a little bit of background history of the place. LITTLE SOUTH GATE (小南門), was built in 1879. It's the only small gate of Taipei. The gate is located in Zhongzheng district at the intersection between Yanping South Road and Aiguo West Road. Similar in appearance to the East Gate and South Gate, despite being a little on the small side, the Little South Gate also faces south, (hmmmmm, isn’t that a little obvious? ) and was formerly an important road leading to Banqiao district and Zhonghe district. The Taipei City Wall was one of the last city walls to be built during the Qing period. Though only the gates survive, the original fortifications were extremely strong, with walls four meters thick five meters high and extending a total of four kilometers. Most Chinese walls have four gates, but the Taipei wall had five. Some say that the fifth gate—Xiaonanmen (Little South Gate)—was built especially for the convenience of the family of local tycoon Lin Pen-yuan in Banqiao, though this has never been proved. It is said that the reason for another gate in the south was due to the wealthy Lin Family of Banqiao, who donated funds for its construction to Taipei Prefecture in order to avoid Quanzhouese-dominated Mongjia. (Call it coincidence if you want, but the first photoshoot that I did on my birthday 4 years back which started this crazy tradition of mine is on the LIN’S FAMILY MANSION AND GARDEN in Banqiao. Well, surprise! Surprise!) Whatever the facts, Xiaonanmen is indeed a unique case. The gate was unfortunately destroyed by the Japanese along with the East Gate and South Gate, but after World War II it was rebuilt as a city wall tower in a northern Chinese palace style. Only the foundation endures from the original wall to continue watching over the city Taipei. Well, impressive enough, right?
