The key points for an English tour of Taipei's Grand Hotel 台北圓山大飯店英文導覽5重點

The predecessor of the Taipei’s Grand Hotel in Yuanshan was the Taiwan Hotel, established in 1945, which was originally located on the site of the Japanese Shinto Shrine during the Japanese colonial period. After World War II, the Republic of China needed a luxurious hotel to host visiting foreign dignitaries, so they chose to build a two-story hotel at this location known as the Dragon’s Tail Den.

圓山大飯店的前身是台灣大飯店，設立於1945年，原址是日治時期的台灣神社。在二戰結束後，當時中華民國需要一個豪華的飯店招待各國元首來訪，便選在這個龍尾穴建了一個兩層樓的飯店。

On October 10, 1973, the newly constructed 14-story Chinese palace-style hotel, designed by architect Yang Zhuo-cheng, was completed. The Grand Hotel in Yuanshan then became a landmark in Taipei at that time.

在1973年10月10日，由楊卓成建築師設計新建的14層樓中國宮殿式飯店落成，圓山大飯店便成為當時台北市的地標。

內容目錄

Taipei’s Grand Hotel -The main gate.大門

When the main building of the Grand Hotel in Taipei was completed, it coincided with a diplomatic crisis for the Republic of China. Many of our diplomatic allies were severing ties with us in favor of recognizing the People’s Republic of China. That’s why the architect placed the ancient characters “Long Live the Republic of China” on the front gate as a special message, praying for divine protection for the Republic of China.

在台北圓山大飯店主大樓蓋好時，正是中華民國面臨外交的困局，很多友邦和中國建交與我們斷交，所以建築師在大門上特意寫上古字「中華民國萬歲」來祈求天佑中華民國。

The Grand Hotel in Yuanshan has three “many.” 圓山大飯店有三多

There are a lot of pillars in the lobby, a total of 144, and they are coated with a specially mixed paint called “Yuanshan Red,” which gives them their vibrant red color.

柱子多，大廳的柱子共有144根，並漆著虹牌油漆特調的「圓山紅」。

There are plenty of lanterns; the lobby is adorned with 75 lanterns, and what’s remarkable is that each lantern is decorated with a unique design.

燈籠多，大廳掛了75的燈籠，絕妙的是每一面的燈籠都畫著不一樣的圖案。

There are many dragons; a few years ago, a guest from Australia asked the hotel staff how many dragons there were at the Grand Hotel in Yuanshan. The staff didn’t know the exact number, so he decided to count them himself. After counting for 7 days and still not finishing, he had to check out. When asked how many dragons he had counted in total before leaving, he replied, “More than 220,000!” So, there are over 220,000 dragons at the Grand Hotel in Yuanshan.

龍多，幾年前有位澳洲來的客人問飯店人員圓山飯店共有幾條龍? 飯店人員也不知道有幾條，所以他決定要自己來數，數了7天還沒數完就要退房了，在退房之前員工問他一共數了幾條？他回答是22萬條！因此圓山飯店的龍是22萬條以上。

The main hall’s coffered ceiling.大廳藻井

In the hotel’s lobby, there’s a central plum blossom coffered ceiling. In ancient times, since houses were made of wood, architects would create coffered ceilings as a precaution against fires. It’s like having a water pool on the ceiling, symbolizing water’s ability to control fire and serving as a prayer for the safety of the building.

飯店大廳中央有一口梅花藻井，因為古時的房屋為木造的，建築師怕火災就會建藻井，就好像一座水池在天花板上，象徵水克火，來祈求房屋平安。

The coffered ceiling at the Grand Hotel features a plum blossom design with a central motif of five golden dragons surrounding a dragon pearl, accompanied by a circle of bats, symbolizing the concept of “Five Blessings Arriving at Your Doorstep.” Inside the coffered ceiling, there are 23 golden dragons and 16 phoenixes. The number “3” sounds like “rise,” signifying continuous advancement, and “16” alongside the large plum blossom represents prosperity at every step of the way.

圓山飯店的藻井是梅花造型的，梅花中央有5條金龍環繞著一顆龍珠，旁邊圍著一圈蝙蝠，象徵著「五福臨門」;藻井內有23條金龍，16隻鳳凰，取其「3」的諧音「升」為步步高升，「16」伴隨大梅花「發」，則有一路發的含義。

The Centennial Golden Dragon.百年金龍

This golden dragon originally resided within the Taiwan Shinto Shrine as a copper dragon. You can see that it’s depicted as a three-clawed dragon, as in Chinese history, dragons during the Tang Dynasty were often depicted with three claws. Over time, this representation evolved into four-clawed and five-clawed dragons. Japan had once sent envoys to China during the Tang Dynasty, and they brought back the dragon imagery of that time to Japan. However, Japan gradually isolated itself from the world, cutting off contact with China, so the Japanese dragon imagery remained rooted in the three-clawed design.

這座金龍原本是在台灣神社裡的一隻銅龍，可以看見他為三爪龍，在中國歷史中唐朝的龍為三爪龍，之後慢慢演變為四爪龍、五爪龍，而日本曾在唐朝時派送過遣唐使至中國，便把當時龍的形象帶回日本，之後日本逐漸閉關自守，斷了和中國的交往，所以日本的龍停留在3爪龍。

During World War II, the U.S. military bombed the Taiwan Shinto Shrine, resulting in the destruction of the entire structure, with the exception of this copper dragon, which remained unscathed. As a result, after the construction of the hotel, this dragon was relocated to its current location, which happens to be the Dragon’s Tail Den. Later, when the Golden Dragon Ballroom was built, the copper dragon was covered with gold leaf, giving it the appearance it has today.

在2次世界大戰時，美軍轟炸了台灣神社，當時建築都毀了，只剩下這隻銅龍完好如初，因此飯店蓋完後便遷來此處，而此處正是龍尾穴的穴眼。之後蓋金龍廳時，便將這銅龍鍍上金箔，才有了今日的模樣。

The mysterious East and West passageways.神秘的東、西密道

To ensure the safety of the government and foreign dignitaries at the time and to allow for a quick escape in case of danger, a secret arrangement was made to construct two hidden tunnels. She discreetly enlisted the help of an American-German engineer who had experience in building bunkers during World War II for this project.

為保護當時政府及各國元首的安全，讓危險發生時讓各國政要能快速離開飯店而建。她秘密的請了一位曾經參與二次世界大戰碉堡建造的美籍德裔工程師參與建造這兩條密道。

The East secret tunnel is 76 meters long, equipped with explosion-proof lighting along the way, and consists of 84 steps. The exit leads to Miss Kong’s former residence.

東密道全長76米，在沿途裝有防爆燈，共有84個階梯，出口是通往孔二小姐的故居。

The West secret tunnel, on the other hand, stretches for 85 meters and has a total of 74 steps. The exit leads to North Peace Park.

西密道則長85米，共有74個階梯，出口則是通往北安公園。

Both the East and West secret tunnels are 2 meters wide and 2.2 meters high, with winding pathways that spiral downward. This design reduces the risk of being shot by pursuers from behind. The uneven surface on the tunnel’s ceiling is intended to enhance sound absorption, minimizing the chances of being located by listening for sounds.

東、西兩條秘道，皆為2米寬，2.2米高，向下盤旋彎曲的走道，是降低被後頭追兵用子彈射傷的機會，密道頂部的凹凸不平的牆面，是為了加強吸音效果，可以減少被聽聲辨位。

What’s particularly unique about the West secret tunnel is that it includes a 20-meter-long concrete slide.

Closing remarks.結語

The Grand Hotel Taipei is the first five-star hotel in Taipei. If you have the chance to visit Taipei, you must stay here for a night and experience the world-class service and luxury it offers. The Grand Hotel Taipei will definitely not disappoint you.

台北圓山大飯店，是台北第一間五星級的大飯店，來台北有機會一定要來這裡住一晚，享受國賓級的服務與尊榮享受。台北圓山大飯店一定不會讓你失望的。