There's more to Taipei's streets than potholes and traffic jams--take a closer look at their names.
Taipei street names--as in London, Paris, and Berlin--provide insights into what city fathers consider to be important in their history, politics, and culture. Since the early eighteenth century, when the first substantial buildings were put up in Manka, today's Wanhua district in southwestern Taipei, street names have reflected the priorities and reference points of the city's residents. Manka's Old Street, Upper (and Lower) New Street, Behind Earth God Temple Street, and New Shop Street give a sense of Taipei's early development. These streets have long since disappeared, except for New Shop Street next to Lungshan Temple, which survives with a new name, Hsiyuan Road (literally, "west of the park road," and it is in fact a few blocks west of two city parks).
The name changes generally occurred gradually as streets were rerouted or replaced by housing or commercial developments, but occasionally changes came swiftly: during the early years of the Japanese rule of Taiwan at the turn of the twentieth century, for instance, and following the arrival of the ROC central government from the mainland in 1949. Through it all, new streets were occasionally named after prominent landmarks. Near the Presidential Office Building, for example, close to the eastern edge of New Park--recently renamed February 28th Peace Park, in memory of a tragic clash between the military and local civilians in 1947--is Kungyuan Road, or "public park road." Nearby, is Kuanchien Road, "in front of the museum road," with its southern end terminating at the entrance to the Taiwan Provincial Museum.
Taipei streets (chieh) or roads (lu) are usually differentiated by size, with roads being the larger thoroughfares, although urban sprawl, street widening, and mass transit construction has often blurred the differences. Nevertheless, chieh or lu is a constituent part of every street name, and many lu also include a cardinal direction, for example: Nanjing East Road.
Be they road or street names, many were given for political reasons. Such politically inspired street names give Taipei a special organizational coherence, one that is often missed even by long-term residents. For example, on a drive south on Chungshan North Road from the Grand Hotel (actually, the not-so-grand hotel since its burnt-out roof has remained a sham bles for two years), the first three major east-west roads are Mintsu, Minchuan, and Minsheng Roads. Translated, these are People's Nationalism, People's Democracy, and People's Livelihood Roads--their names commemorate the Three Principles of the People as defined by Sun Yat-sen, the Father of the Republic of China. As politically correct persons cross each intersection, they will be reminded of the collection of sixteen lectures under this title, given in 1924, that summarized many of Sun's basic social and political theories. The Three Principles are still taught in formal, required classes in high school and can be taken as elective courses in college.
Not coincidentally, Chungshan North and South Roads, long the backbone of Taipei's street system, are named after Sun Yat-sen, "Chungshan" being one of his given names.
The late President Chiang Kai-shek was honored with two street names. One is Chungcheng Road, which crosses Chungshan North Road in the northern suburb of Shihlin, a road that passed in front of his sprawling residence and surrounding gardens, most of which were recently opened to public view. Chungcheng is one of the former president's given names. The second example was Chiehshou Road--recently renamed--a short but broad road that is perpendicular to the main entrance of the Presidential Office Building. Here the reference was somewhat more opaque. "Chieh" uses the first character of another given name of the late President, Chieh-shih, and "shou" means "long life." Hence, "Long life to President Chiang Road."
Even after Chiang Kai-shek passed away, the road name remained as a continuing reminder of his endurance as a Chinese historical figure. The street remains a popular locale for parades and other public events, including demonstrations, but since 1996 people now walk on Kaitakelan Boulevard, the new name referring to one of the original plains-dwelling aboriginal tribes in Taiwan. The name change came not long after Taipei acquired its first opposition party mayor, Chen Shui-bian, whose renaming of this street for political reasons actually continues a long tradition.
Patriotism comes to the fore in other street names, most prominently perhaps in Chienkuo Road, meaning "build the country," and Aikuo Road, "love the country." Especially during the first tense years after the Chinese Communists took over the mainland, these phrases were used in all sorts of contexts to encourage the people of Taiwan to overcome their economically weak position and look toward the time when the central government would be able to return to the mainland and oust the communist regime. The street names still have relevance, one could argue, given the government's eagerness to strengthen the island's infrastructure with the Six-Year National Development Plan and the president's current concern with "spiritual rejuvenation." Moreover, the names are still politically on the mark: they remind everyone that reunification of Taiwan with the mainland remains official policy.
Taipei also had two roads commemorating famous Americans. Roosevelt Road ( Luo Ssu Fu Lu in Chinese), named after F.D.R., is still a major artery extending south from the Central Bank of China, but the longest portion of MacArthur Highway, between the Neihu district of Taipei and Keelung City on the island's northeast coast, has been crowded out of existence by the Chungshan Freeway--in the end, Sun Yat-sen defeats the American general.
Traditional Chinese Confucian ethics are also represented in a series of east-west streets. Chunghsiao Road is an important thoroughfare, both symbolically and logistically. Chunghsiao East and West Roads divide the city between the northern and southern sections (as Chungshan North and South Roads do for the eastern and western sections). But there is more. The choice of street name is especially significant.
Chung and hsiao are two of the most important concepts in Chinese history. The first character means "loyalty," and for thousands of years the term has defined the ethical attitudes and actions that people are supposed to extend toward their superiors, especially the ruler. As such, the term is intensely political in scope, defining the key relationship of obedience in the hierarchy between the ruler and the ruled. The ideas of sincerity and faithfulness are also expressed by the term. In modern times, chung can also be understood as "patriotic." The top part of the written character means middle or center point, while the bottom part means heart or mind. Joined together, they suggest fixity of mind or purpose, which is the core idea of loyalty, sincerity, and patriotism.
Hsiao or "filial piety" requires less introduction, because the concept is so well-known as one of the basic ethical concepts of Chinese culture. Filial piety is what holds the family together, and it is the model for viewing the emperor as a super-father figure. Of course, even the emperor was considered the "Son of Heaven," and each year performed elaborate rites to express his own filial relationship with the powers of the universe. Thus, it is highly appropriate that Chunghsiao Road be at the heart of the city.
But there is even more to the ethical picture. Not far east of the Lai Lai Sheraton Hotel, the southern end of Pateh Road terminates at Chunghsiao East Road. The pa teh are the "eight virtues" of classical Confucianism, the dominant philosophical school in China for two thousand years. These eight cardinal virtues--chung, hsiao, jen, ai, hsin, yi, ho, and ping--permeate and give normative substance to the whole web of Chinese ethical relationships that binds family, friends, and ruler together. These words of course sound very familiar to Taipei residents, for they are paired together to form the names of four major east-west roads--Chunghsiao, Jenai, Hsinyi, and Hoping Roads--in the center of the city, three north of the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, and one south. The roads add an ethical grid to the city.
To the south of "loyalty and filial piety" road (Chunghsiao), are "human-heartedness and love" road (Jenai), "honesty and righteousness" road (Hsinyi), and "harmony and peace" road (Hoping). Each of these roughly translated terms carries complex cultural and historical connotations. They appear frequently in literary works, philosophical texts, aesthetic manu als, and countless aphorisms and popular sayings. These virtues form the bedrock of Chinese ethics, and their appearance as street names in the heart of Taipei serves as a constant exhortation to the people to recall their traditional ethical standards. Where do you live? If the reply is Honesty and Righteousness Road, it certainly has a different quality from saying Maple Street or 10th Avenue.
Interestingly, this "ethical teaching" function assumed by the city fathers when they named the streets was also in line with the traditional Chinese idea that the best government, like the previous Sons of Heaven, acted paternalistically toward the people, which meant educating them in every way possible. But in Taipei, at least, the ethical significance of the city's government-provided street names seems to have had little impact thus far on the attitudes and habits of local drivers.
The most complex--and perhaps the most numerous--street names fall into one category: geography. Studied together, Taipei street names provide a massive geography lesson. Many thoroughfares are named after mainland cities and provinces, and even the location of these streets in the city has relevance. Hami Street, for example, is in the northwestern part of Taipei; the city of Hami is in Xinjiang province in northwestern China.
Famous cities like the Republican capital of Nanking (Nanjing), the ancient capital of Chang'an, and the imperial capital Peiping (Peking or Beijing) are also street names in Taipei. They intersect Chungshan North Road, not far north of Chunghsiao East Road. Well-known cities such as Hangzhou and Guilin, and somewhat less-known ones such as Tunghua and Chinan, are also represented by Taipei streets. Here is some long-range government planning. There is less chance of forgetting the mainland and reunification if people are constantly reminded of its geography.
A large percentage of Taiwan's first immigrants came from Fujian province just across the Taiwan Strait, and many street names honor this historical connection. They include the city of Fuzhou, and three major districts in southern Fujian, Chuanchou, Changchou, and Tungan. These streets can be found in the older part of the city, near the river, where the earliest settlers established themselves.
In short, if one is interested in Chinese history, language, or culture, a crash course in learning Taipei street names will be time well spent. Not only will travel around the city be easier, it will make things Chinese that much more understandable. But there are some omissions.
Curiously--perhaps revealingly--there are no streets named after China's wealth of literary and artistic figures, ancient or modern. Why? The lack of streets named after contemporary architects is understandable, but why not a Chang Ta-chien Street or Chi Pai-shi Road to honor these great painting masters? Why not a Mencius Street or a Chu Hsi Road to remind residents of China's most insightful Confucian and Neo-Confucian philosophers? And what about the beautiful flowers and trees indigenous to Taiwan?
Maybe the non-politicians will eventually receive their due as Taipei continues to expand its network of streets. Until then, there is still much to be learned from paying closer attention to the names on those green and white signposts.