Marshall Zen Garden (also known as Shaoshuai Zen Garden 少帥展館) was originally a Japanese era Inn and home to Zhang Xueliang, an outcast Chinese warlord who spent more than 50 years on house arrest here. Now it has been renovated and converted into a restaurant, museum, and hot spring bath. Sitting in the hills of Beitou, it has great views of the surrounding area and Mount Guanyin. It is a great place to enjoy the scenery in Beitou.
Historical Background:
Marshall Zen Garden was originally known as Xintaka Inn 新高旅社 which was built in 1920. Later, during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan, served as a comfort station for Kamikaze pilots before their suicide missions. In the 1960s, Zhang Xueliang 張學良, the “Young Marshal” (Shaoshuai 少帥 in Chinese) who was placed under house arrest by Chiang Kai-shek, and also lived here in seclusion with his wife, Zhao Yidi 趙一荻.
Zhang Xueliang, who lived through significant moments in Chinese modern history, was born in 1901 and was the son of a Chinese Warlord. After his father’s assassination by the Japanese in 1928, Zhang Xueliang took over leadership and played a critical role in the unification of China.
Zhang initiated the Xi’an Incident. The Xi’an Incident occurred in December 1936, when Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng detained Chiang Kai-shek to force him to stop the civil war against the Chinese Communist Party. They demanded that Chiang focus on uniting with the communists to resist the growing threat of Japanese invasion. As a result, Chiang harbored deep hatred for Zhang especially because of losses during the Chinese Civil War, and kept him under house arrest for more than 50 years.
Following the suggestion of Soong Mei-ling and with the approval of Chiang Ching-kuo, Zhang purchased the land with his own money and built a residence. He remained there until 1995, when he moved to Hawaii and sold the property. Xueliang passed away in Honolulu in 2001, at the age of 101, concluding a life that spanned a century and mirrored China’s turbulent history.
Marshal Zen Garden is now a popular spot for tourists and can get crowded on the weekends.
Hours:
11 AM to 9 PM
Price:
Free entrance
Public Footbath: About 6 USD
Xiao Liu Tea Shop 小六茶鋪: 1500-3000 NT per meal set, 300 NT – 1000 NT for individual dishes
Hanqing Delicacies 漢卿美饌: 1500-3000 NT per meal set, 300 NT – 1000 NT for individual dishes
Private bath rooms and 2 meals: 100 – 300 USD
You can book on Klook here or KKday here.
How to get there:
By MRT:
Take the MRT to Xinbeitou MRT station. From there you can also take the 230 or S25 bus further up the mountain to the Beitou Museum stop. You can book tickets to travel to Taipei via inter-city bus on Klook here.
By Car/Scooter:
From downtown Taipei, take Provincial Highway 2 north to New Beitou MRT Station, then turn east up the mountain on Quanyuan Road. There is limited parking on the side of the road.
Looking for scooter rental in Taipei? Check out Klook here, or KKday here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here.
If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here.
By Bicycle:
Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan’s landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can use Taiwan’s many Youbike sharing stations, or search for rentals on KKday here, and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here.
Where to stay in Beitou:
Wondering where to stay in the Beitou Hot Spring Area? There are so many hot spring hotels in this area, that it may be hard to choose from.
Best Value for the money:
Spa Spring Resort 水都溫泉會館: (Agoda here or Booking.com here). Price: USD 40-130
Chyuan Du Spring Resort 泉都溫泉會館: (Agoda here or Booking.com here) Price: USD 50 – 150
Middle Tier:
Spring City Resort 春天酒店: (Agoda here or Booking.com here) Price: USD 100 – 300
Asia Pacific Hotel Beitou 亞太飯店: (Agoda here or Trip.com here) Price: USD 200 – 500
High End:
Radium Kagaya International日勝生加賀屋國際溫泉飯店: (Agoda here or Booking.com here) Price: USD 300 – 800
Wellsping Silks Beitou 北投晶泉丰旅: (Trip.com or Booking.com here) Price: USD 300 – 1000
There are many more hotels to choose from in Beitou. You can check out our full Beitou Hotel Guide here or search on Agoda here or Booking.com here.
Map:
Our Journey:
We have been to Marshall Zen Garden once and had an awesome time. It seems that it has the best views in all of Beitou, and it is worth it to walk all the way up the hill to get there. I did not stay long, but after learning more about the history of this place. Also, you can get great deals on their meals through Klook here or KKday here. I will definitely be coming back. Would recommend.
From the entrance of the facility on the side of the road, you get some amazing views of Beitou, the Guandu Plain, and Mount Guanyin. There is also a funny-looking cylindrical-shaped apartment building in the middle of the view.
Further up the road, you can continue on to Sulfur Valley 硫磺谷 and Longfeng Valley Hot Spring 龍鳳谷溫泉.
A signpost with nearby attractions. The Beitou Museum is only 50 meters away.
View down the road. There is not a lot of space for pedestrians to walk.
The area opens from 11 AM.
View looking down at the Marshall Restaurant. I will be honest, their restaurant is not cheap. It is high-end dining in Taipei.
Another view of Beitou through the trees.
Closeup on the cylindrical-shaped apartment building.
Another view of downtown Beitou and Mount Guanyin in the background.
There is also a small temple across the street.
Be sure to check out our full guide to Beitou here.
You can also check out our Beitou Food Guide here.
You can also see our full guide to Taiwan here.
