Located at the intersection of Dongmen Road and Shengli Road in Tainan, the Great East Gate (Dadongmen) was named for its location in the eastern suburb of the Taiwan Prefecture during the Qing Dynasty. It is also known as "Dong'an Gate" or "Yingchun Gate". The gate was constructed during the reign of Emperor Qianlong. Featuring a two-story gate tower with a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof and surrounding corridors, it was considered a grand and magnificent structure at the time. During the Japanese colonial period, urban development policies such as road construction and the building of parks and schools led to the demolition of many city walls and gates. Fortunately, three city gates in the Tainan area — the Great East Gate, the Great South Gate, and the Small West Gate — were preserved. Sadly, around 1954 (the 43rd year after Taiwan's retrocession), the old gate deteriorated due to typhoon damage. It was not until 1975 that it was reconstructed and renovated, forming the structure we see today.
Today, the Great East Gate and its surrounding traffic circle have been transformed into a roundabout park. While some locals come here for a stroll, the area’s heavy traffic and surrounding noise, coupled with a lack of tall trees for shade, make it less inviting for extended visits. As a result, most visitors are tourists who only take a quick glance before moving on, and the rich history of the Great East Gate is gradually being forgotten.
