Shilin Official Residence, Former presidential residence and park in Shilin District, Taiwan
Shilin Official Residence is a former presidential home with parkland in Shilin District, Taiwan, combining Chinese and Western garden design. The site covers several hectares with ponds, walking paths, and a main building in traditional style that houses reception halls and private rooms open for viewing.
The site was completed in 1950 and served President Chiang Kai-shek and his wife Soong Mei-ling as their home after they moved from mainland China to Taiwan. It remained occupied until 1975 and gradually opened to the public in the following decades.
The name derives from the site's role as the administrative base of the president during his tenure, still visible in the formal reception rooms and ordered layout of the main house. Visitors often encounter wedding couples posing for photographs in the gardens, as the manicured flower beds and pavilions serve as a popular backdrop for traditional ceremonies.
Travelers reach the site easily from Shilin Metro Station and can choose between free garden access and guided visits through the main building. The best months to visit are spring and autumn, when flower displays are at their peak and the weather is comfortable.
An underground passage links the estate to the Presidential Office Building in central Taipei, a detail kept secret for many years. Former President Chen Shui-bian revealed the existence of the tunnel in a public interview years after the residence opened to visitors.
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