臺北市政府文化局

Many people take the metro to Songshan to visit the nearby Ciyou Temple, dedicated to the sea goddess Mazu, or explore the bustling Raohe Street Night Market, known for its delicious food. But have you ever considered that Songshan Metro Station is itself a special attraction?

A hundred years ago, before the advent of rail transportation, the Songshan area was known as Malysyakkaw (“the bend in the river”) in the language of the Basay people, a Pingpu Indigenous People who lived here. Malysyakkaw served as an important crossing point between Keelung and Taipei, and many traders and local residents traveled up and down the Keelung River, which over time led to the development of thriving business community. This settlement was called Xikou by the Basay people. 

During the Japanese colonial period, Xikou was renamed Songshan. When the midsection of the Keelung River silted up, rail replaced the river as the primary mode of transportation. However, the presence of a tobacco factory and a railway workshop nearby ensured that the area around Songshan Station remained a key development area for the Government-General of Taiwan. After the Second World War, the construction of the MacArthur Thruway meant Songshan was no longer on the main route into the city, and the area gradually 

faded into obscurity.

The opening of the Songshan–Xindian line in 2014 integrated train and metro services in Songshan, turning it once again into a major transportation hub. That same year, the artwork Winding River, Flourishing Flowers, Dome of Light was installed on the ceiling of the atrium on the B1 level of Songshan Metro Station. 

Artist Chiang Yang-huei used over 50,000 LED lights to portray Songshan’s rich cultural landscape. The lights are arranged vertically to mimic the topographical highs and lows and the bends of the old river. The giant light sculpture built out of crystal glass conveys imagery of blooming flowers and symbolizes vitality.

Even though merchant ships no longer dock along Keelung River, as we look upon the magnificent blossoming dome of light, we can imagine the bustling scenes of days gone by.