The Architectural Beauty of The Grand Hotel
Plum Blossom-Shaped Caisson Ceiling
A plum blossom-shaped caisson ceiling hangs on top of the Hotel lobby. In the center of the plum blossom, five golden dragons circling a pearl symbolizes the arrival of five blessings. Inside the caisson ceiling there are 23 peripheral golden dragons and 16 phoenixes for the summoning of good fortunes: “Ascension to Eminence” and “Prosperity All the Way”. In Mandarin, the number “3” has a similar pronunciation to the Chinese word for “Ascension”. If said together with the Chinese word for “Plum Blossoms”, the number “16” plus a blossom will sound like “Prosperity All the Way”. The plum blossom-shaped caisson ceiling is thus a profound symbol for auspiciousness and success heralded by dragons and phoenixes.
Flying Rafters and Wooden Brackets
The flying rafters and wooden brackets on the roof edges are an embodiment of ancient Chinese civilization. On top of the vertical ridge of the roof is a row of squatting beasts occupying the protruding rafters. Resting between the main ridge and the vertical ridge of the roof are tiled ornaments shaped as owl tails. The splendid, exquisite yet powerful wooden brackets beneath the roof are the most awe-inspiring feature of the Chinese architecture, considering all its tangible or opaque elements.
West secret tunnel
Over the years, the Evacuation Tunnels have come across as very mysterious. Some speculate that they are secret passageways leading to the Presidential Office Building, while some others insist that they are connected to the Shilin Official Residence. In actual fact, they are emergency exit routes built during the Hotel refurbishment. Currently, the Grand Hotel is the only world-class hotel in the world with such a design. There is one Evacuation Tunnel on either side of the Hotel. The one on the East, measuring 67 meters, leads to Beian Park, and the one on the West, measuring 85 meters, leads to Jiantan Park.
Glass Doors in the Lobby
At the main entrance of the Grand Hotel are large glass doors, rectangular and elegant. On closer inspection, one can see six hidden archaic characters on the glass stating “Long Live the Republic of China”. This design not only reflects the hotel’s historical background but also the ingenuity of the architect.
Stone Lions from the Lin family
The pair of stone lions on the garden plaza are nearly one hundred years old. The Lin Family in Banqiao were demanded to dedicate the stone lions to the Shinto shrine when it was first built on the current hotel site. Although smaller in size than the new stone lions under the Hotel’s Memorial Archway, these southern-style stone lions nonetheless appear vividly real, owing to the sculptor’s powerful and masculine carving.
Centennial Golden Dragon
Originally erected as a bronze dragon in front of the Taiwan Grand Shrine, the Centennial Golden Dragon was preserved when the Grand Hotel underwent expansion and was moved to the front of the Golden Dragon Restaurant. The Dragon was gilded with 24K gold during the 1987 refurbishment. The Dragon stands out with its three claws, as opposed to four or five claws in traditional Chinese dragons.
Secret East Passage
The Grand Hotel’s mysterious evacuation passages were built in 1973 during the reconstruction of main building. According to the historical background at that time, the Hotel was frequently visited by heads of state and important politicians, making it important to protect the lives and safety of these guests.
Mystery garden
Walking out the tunnel that winds down the mountain, the shrine established back to the Japanese domination will leap to the eyes. The 112-m-long garden has a beautiful landscape full of flowers, such as Taiwan cherry, French hydrangea and Japanese camellia.
Residence of Ms. Kung (known as the first general manager of the Grand Hotel)
Residence of Ms. Kung was built during the same period of the construction of main building. Apart from preserving the original hardware facilities, the Hotel also displays the objects that Ms. Kung ever used and important cultural relics of the Hotel at this exhibition.