Yesterday we went on a really special tour guide of the NTCH(National Theater and Concert Hall) in Taipei!
Located in front of the famed Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, these two performing art venues feature a broad range of performances: from ballets to plays to Beethoven Symphonies to anything you can imagine!
My mom and I took a special tour that gave us a deep understanding and knowledge of these two plazas. We took the English version of the tour, of course, and learned a lot from it!
Additionally, the tour guide had been in the United States since 1976, so his English is much better than the average Taiwanese adult.
We first visited the National Theater first, and then the National Concert Hall. The guide gave us a lot of information about the plazas and here are some of the facts that I can remember:
- The National Theater and Concert Hall were built in 1987.
- The roofs of the buildings are shaped almost the same (in a Chinese roof style). The National Theater’s roof is more widely shaped, and the National Concert Hall has a thinner style.
- On each of the roofs, there are several statues of guardians(animals) that serve to “protect” the two plazas from being attacked by other things. It’s based on Chinese mythology.
- In the buildings, there are countless works of art that I don’t have time to describe them all in detail. But take a look at the gallery and read the captions to see for yourself.
- The walls in both concert halls are made out of marble. They were shipped from Italy before construction and were crafted, shaped, and cut in Hualien County in Taiwan.
- The lanterns in the National Theater are more Eastern-style(Chinese), and the chandeliers in the National Concert Hall are more Western-style(European).
- Lastly, Gate 5 is reserved for the president of Taiwan if he/she were to have a concert.
Marble wall in the National Theater 
Largest piano in the world?! It has 97 keys?! Amazing!!! 
Description of the piano. 
Postcards 
A drum that was used for a single performance and placed outside since it was too large. 
A total of 8 Chinese painters painted this work of art! 
Chinese calligraphy in Gate 4 
The other big drum put on display. 
Cool fresco painting depicting musicians playing Chinese instruments. 
A place for the late arrivals to watch the show. 
A plant wall. It was designed by a French artist in 2007. 
Chandeliers 
The two statues on either side of the staircase represent Chinese musicians. 
Another plant wall, designed by the same artist. 
Thirtieth anniversary of the National Theater. 
The big 30. 
The National Concert Hall from the outside perspective. 
The bronze pillars and walls. 
Another plant wall. 
A beautiful Chinese painting designed by eight artists. 
Chandeliers in the National Theater. 
The main hall in the National Theater.