Introduction

Today, the Official Reception Stone Arch (Jieguan Pavilion) is one of only four remaining stone arches in Tainan, and it is widely considered the most magnificent and ornate in all of Taiwan. Constructed with high-quality granite, the arch features an exquisitely crafted three-bay, four-pillar, two-story design. It stands proudly at the entrance of Fengshen (God of Wind) Temple.

During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, the Magistrate of Taiwan Prefecture renovated the temple and built new official residences and pavilions to serve as venues for receiving imperial edicts and hosting welcoming banquets for arriving officials. Behind the arch once stood a pair of stone drums and bells, which were used to announce the arrival of dignitaries or to mark the morning and evening hours. During the Japanese colonial period, the temple and official residences were dismantled. After World War II, the drum towers were also removed, leaving only the stone arch standing today.

During the Qing rule, an inland sea (the Taijiang Inner Sea) lay between the Prefectural City and Anping. Officials traveling to Taiwan to assume office had to take boats across these waters. Recognizing this location as the vital junction between sea and land where officials would first step ashore, Taiwan Prefecture Magistrate Jiang Yuanshu believed the entrance should be grand and imposing. Therefore, he sourced premium building materials to construct the Official Reception Stone Arch and an adjacent dock. While only high-ranking officials were permitted to pass through the arch in the past, today it is open to everyone. Standing where the bustling harbor once met the land—an area now paved with modern asphalt roads—presents a fascinating and refreshing contrast between past and present.

Attraction Information:

Address: No. 7, Lane 143, Section 3, Minquan Road, West Central District, Tainan City​

Opening Hours: Open 24 hours​

Transportation Information:

By Public Transportation:

Take the train to Tainan Railway Station, walk to the South Station, and board Bus No. 7. Disembark at the Ximen Road Entrance stop, head north, turn left onto Heping Street, and then right onto Kangle Street to reach the destination.​

By Car:

From Tainan Railway Station, proceed to the roundabout and take Zhongshan Road. Continue straight to another roundabout and take Minsheng Road. Follow Minsheng Road Section 2, turn right onto Kangle Street, and the Official Reception Stone Arch will be on the left side, near the intersection of Kangle Street and Heping Street.