USTDC

Photo of USTDC courtesy of Les Duffin

Friday, January 22, 2010

Temple Next To (Former) President Hotel

John Quinn sent this shot from his recent Taipei visit.  He said this temple used to stand next to the President Hotel.  The hotel is gone now, but the temple is still there.


[The following photo was added to this post.  See Misty's comment below.]


 


9 comments:

Bill said...

Does anyone know what happened to the hotel? Thought I heard it was destroyed by fire.

MIsty said...

It was closed in the early '90s. By then there were much better and more modern hotels in Taipei and the business customers had moved across town (and to China). It was knocked down and replaced by an office block roughly the same size.

The temple is not the old temple. That was also knocked down and rebuilt. The new temple is really quite impressive.

Misty said...

Here's the old Temple in '76.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/207/459089618_7994a67cca_b.jpg

(Don this is my photo go ahead and use it if you want)

Don said...

Thanks, Misty. I added your photo to my original post.

Bill said...

Misty do you know anything about the many Guest Houses and furniture stores that were on Lin Sen as the military left in 1979?

Often wondered if any of those businesses survived.

Thanks in advance for you info..also have appreciated your many bits of info on many subject you have told us about on this blog over the years.

MIsty said...

Bill, yes I do.

The furniture stores are all gone. They did not survive for long. By the mid '80s hard-wood had become expensive and they were fewer skilled furniture makers.

The guesthouses didn't last long either although the big hotels survived through the '80s because Taiwan economically was doing very well. The problem, as I understand it, is that big hotels like the President had rooms that were just too small, celings not high enough for current regulations.

Another thing to consider is that the business districts in Taipei developed about this time and they are located across town and more recently in Neihu.

So what's left in this area? Some of the tailors are still there. A couple of the coral/jade stores are still there and the Imperial Hotel is still going strong. It is also still the bar district a.k.a The Combat Zone. Some of the bars are exactly like you might remember them but business is tougher now. If you go intend to visit Taipei then let me know and I'll map out the bars you should visit.

titojohn said...

The famous furniture maker, Ricardo Lynn of Shilin is still in business. Ricardo Lynn had a concession in the Navy Exchange complex, and a large showroom in Shilin. Lynn's furniture made in the 70's now commands premium prices these days on Ebay and some of the antique furniture sites.

John

Ken D said...

While I doubt that I will get an answer, I must ask: Is this the President Hotel that was in Time way back when? The one that is some distance from downtown? The one with the famous picture in TOME magazine of a G.I. soaking in a tub with 2 girls washing him? If so I have BTDT and it was very nice indeed.
Please answer
Ken David aka gullyfoyle38@gmail.com
Thanls

titojohn said...

Ken D,

The President Hotel referred to in this article was located at #9 Teh Hwei Street, Taipei, near the U.S. Navy's Headquarter Support Activity East Compound.

I don't recall the picture that you're referring to; it most likely was taken in Peitou. Those kinds of thing went on regularly there. (or so I have heard.)

John