TAIPEI AIR STATION

 

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Here’s that street.  I envisioned the gate area to be just before where that red circular sign, it’s actually a mirror I believe,  is hanging on the fence down on the left side of this street.  We asked a small Mom and Pop store just across the street from that mirror if they remembered the American Military base gate being there.  They did and pointed to the general direction of the silver gate directly across this street in photo below.  Here we are today, with the Taipei Minzu Junior High School occupying the land on which a portion of Taipei Air Station once sat.  

I believe this is the old main gate street (prior to the rebuild in the 1970s).  It is in the approximate position.

I couldn’t pass up this picture.  Was there any history to this address?  Being #13, it reminded me of Club 13.

This sign was a rock throw away from the old club building.  No significance probably, but interesting in any regard. 

This plaque appears to be the address of the Minzu Jr. High. 

I’m leaving this commentary in the web site for historical purposes—We found the old Taipei Air Station and much of the commentary is outdated effective 1 December 2007..  But interesting reading anyway so continue on.. Kent 3 Dec 2007

Most of you will remember the drive to Taipei Air Station from points north, the MAAG Compound, the clubs on Chung Shan North Road, the Navy Exchange and other points. 

My first attempt to visit the old base was in the late afternoon a few days after arriving in Taipei in May 2006.  We took a taxi and asked the driver to take us to Taipei Air Station in Kung Kwan.  Of course we gave our directions in Chinese and sat back while the driver called his dispatcher trying to find out where “this Taipei Air Station was located.”  The taxi dispatcher apparently put out a “all points taxi request”  for information and help in finding Taipei Air Station. .  Shortly, someone remembered our beloved base, and came on the radio with directions.  When we arrived in the general area, it was traffic rush hour and  beginning to get dark.  I got out of the car and walked up to the gate at the mountain tunnel entrance asking questions, but was quickly turned away with a stern warning to leave!  So, we packed it in and left for our hotel to return another day.

With other things to do, we didn’t get back to Kung Kwan for a week or so. 

My next visit was on a warm clear afternoon, just after lunch.   We took the subway and got off at Gongguan Station.  Kung Kwan, Kung Kuan, Gongguan, it just depends on who is spelling the word, but it was our old Taipei Air Station area.  Since I’d been in the general area the previous week, I just looked for the antenna and green mountain for general directions and we walked toward the hill, a couple of blocks away.  The roads have changed at the circle we all knew, and the that old circle does not exist any longer, but, we did locate the side street I remembered as the main gate street during my sojourn at the air station.  We walked down the street and stopped at the approximate place I believed the old gate to be.   Take note of the street in these next 3 photos.  It looks like the street was just put in.  The cement tiles appear clean.  They have to be new, you remember Taipei’s smoke, smog, etc., it still exists.

 

 

 

Taipei Air Station