A gathering place of fond memories for older Taipei citizens, Jiancheng Circle (建成圓環) opened again in April this year, after thorough reconstruction and transformation work repaired the damage done by two major fires and business setbacks. The Circle's two key themes are fine food and urban greenery, and it is expected this attraction in the center of a busy traffic circle will once more become a major draw.
Walk into the new traffic-circle facility and you’ll see that the walls are decorated with murals depicting street scenes from yesteryear. The two galleries are decorated with the bright-colored floral prints of Hakka fabrics. The colorful past of the nearby Dadaocheng (大稻埕) district is also on display. The open-concept central courtyard area features a circular ceiling space. Lamech (藍米克), the grand-prize winner of the 2010 Taipei International Flora Expo’s flower-design competition, has brought a clever green renaissance to the hall’s Japanese-era air-defense water reservoir, an important historical relic. He has renamed it the“Fountain of Happiness”(幸福之泉), preserving the original brick walls and introducing native Taiwan plant species such as the butterfly orchid and Taiwan sago fern. The facility now has the look and feel of an urban oasis, a calm getaway where urban denizens can come to relax.
On the periphery of the first level is Soyaway (豆之味) or“The Taste of Beans.”Organic soybean is used here in hand-crafted beancurd, and you can also enjoy the taste of natural, handmade douhua (豆花), or soybean pudding, from Hsinchu County’s Hukou Township (湖口). On the other side is Frog Cafe (蛙咖啡), a cultured leisure spot that is the perfect pit-stop for cyclists. This novel enterprise rents bikes to travelers ready to explore the Dadaocheng community's bike paths, and has become a prime coffee-time choice with riders.
The second floor features a restaurant serving state-banquet cuisine: Yuanhuan (Circle) State Banquets (圓環國宴). It is run by celebrity chef Huang Techung (黃德忠), better known as Master A-chung (阿忠師), who has handled state banquets for three Republic of China presidents and who has a passion for passing on Taiwan’s home-grown culinary traditions. Here you can eat like a president while enjoying an exhibition of exquisite culinary craftsmanship.
Taipei Circle brings together the best in food, floriculture, and cultural creativity. Theme events are periodically staged, and make sure to leave time for the beer festival fun that will go on each Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in July. One and all are invited to come check out the new-look Circle, a green urban oasis, hosting state-banquets at tourist-friendly prices.
Taipei Circle 台北圓環
Location: Intersection of Nanjing W. Rd. and Chongqing N. Rd.
(南京西路和重慶北路交叉口)
Tel: (02) 2555-9029
Hours: 09:00~21:00
Website: taipeicircle.com
