Strolling along the intellectual path between red bricks and banyan trees - A recommendation from the College of Liberal Arts, National Taiwan University
#4月好去地方2025 Walking into the National Taiwan University campus on Roosevelt Road Section 4 in Taipei City, the ancient red brick buildings and lush greenery interweave into a tranquil landscape. If the entire NTU campus is a living modern history, then the College of Arts is its most gentle and elegant chapter.
The Faculty of Arts building complex is located on the west side of Coconut Grove Avenue. It consists of the old Law School (now the main campus of the Faculty of Arts) built during the Japanese colonial period, the Faculty of Arts Library, the main library next to it, and Fu Garden. The buildings are mainly in the red brick Western style of the Showa period, combining European colonnades with Japanese proportions, exuding elegance in solemnity. The years have left mottled marks on these red brick walls, and have also precipitated a depth of knowledge and thought.
Whether you are strolling along the stone path in front of the main entrance of the School of Arts in the morning, or sitting by the Fu Garden Pond in the afternoon listening to the birds singing and reading, this place is like a quiet book in the city, allowing people to naturally slow down their breathing and pace. Especially in spring, when the banyan trees are green, light and shadows interweave, and the sun shines on the corridors of the School of Arts, it feels like you are in a prose poem with knowledge as the protagonist.
There are many distinctive research institutes and exhibition spaces in the academy, such as the Institute of Linguistics, the Institute of History, and the Institute of Chinese Language and Literature. Open lectures and art exhibitions are often held. If travelers are lucky enough to come across them, they may as well stop and listen, and feel the spirit of freedom and diversity in the literary tradition of NTU. Particularly worth mentioning is the Faculty of Arts Library, which has a rich collection and a quiet space where both students and tourists can visit and read.
Before leaving, you may want to go to Coconut Grove Avenue and look out at the magnificent building of the National Library from afar, then walk into the Gongguan business district across the street to look for bookstores or old coffee shops. You can slowly transition from the academic world to the pulse of the city and experience the unique rhythm of life around NTU.
The College of Liberal Arts at National Taiwan University is not only a symbol of a higher education institution, but also a cultural landmark that can be "traveled". Here, you don’t need to be a scholar, nor do you need to come with a purpose. All you need is a heart willing to listen to the whispers of history and ideas, and you can embark on a quiet and beautiful journey of both intellect and emotion.