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All Taiwan Taipei Grand Hotel Tunnel
AO Edited

Grand Hotel Tunnel

Air-raid tunnels hidden beneath this opulent hotel provided shelter and an escape route—and one of the world's longest slides.

Taipei, Taiwan

Added By
Clarissa Wei
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The Grand Hotel   Bdavis545/CC BY-SA 4.0
The Grand Hotel   Bdavis545/CC BY-SA 4.0
A 229-foot-long slide inside the tunnel.   The Grand Hotel
The Grand Hotel   ironypoisoning/CC BY-SA 2.0
The hotel lobby   周 明璿/Public Domain
The hotel interior.   xiquinhosilva/CC BY 2.0
The hotel interior.   xiquinhosilva/CC BY 2.0
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About

When the Republic of China general Chiang Kai-Shek retreated to Taiwan in 1949 and began plotting an eventual takeover of China, he wanted a place where he could impress his guests and host foreign dignitaries. So his wife Soong Mei-ling commissioned the Grand Hotel—a stunning 12-story building and one of the finest classical Chinese buildings in the world.

Established in 1952, the hotel became a Taiwanese landmark with its gilded tiles and red vermilion columns. Standing at 87 meters (285 feet), it was the tallest building in Taiwan for a number of years. In 1995, a fire broke out and destroyed most of the roof and the upper floors. During the repair process, workers discovered a hidden feature tucked underneath the hotel—a two-prong tunnel system complemented with a 229-foot-long escape slide for those with disablities. There were also bomb-proof light bulbs to light the way.

Built to accommodate up to 10,000 people, the tunnels are air-raid shelters that lead out to nearby parks, intended for government officials and important heads of state to escape during the event of war. Tight, claustrophobic, and meant to only accommodate one person at a time, the slide was at one point considered the longest in the world.

For years, the tunnels have been largely closed to the public—save for an occasional private tour or two—but the hotel recently opened them up for guided tours. There are four time slots per day, and the tour itinerary takes guests through the tunnel as well as to the former residence of the hotel's first general manager.

Related Tags

Hotels Tunnels Bunkers Escape Routes Architecture

Know Before You Go

Reservations have to be made ahead of time; there are four showings a day, at 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 2:30 p.m., and 4 p.m. The tour is only in Chinese, so plan for a translator if necessary.

Community Contributors

Added By

clarissawei

Edited By

Michelle Cassidy

  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

June 21, 2021

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Grand Hotel Tunnel
No. 1, Section 4, Zhongshan North Road
Zhongshan District
Taipei, 10461
Taiwan
25.078913, 121.52652
Visit Website
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Nearby Places

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miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Taipei

Taipei

Taiwan

Places 26

Nearby Places

Yuanshan Water Shrine

Taipei, Taiwan

miles away

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miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Taipei

Taipei

Taiwan

Places 26

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