The Grand Hotel and the World’s Longest Secret Slide
Yesterday (October 4, 2020), a group of us went to check out the infamous “World’s Longest Secret Slide” which is under The Grand Hotel here in Taipei, Taiwan. Previously, I had read an article about it and knew that we weren’t able to slide on it due to safety concerns, but since I had never been to the historical hotel in the three years that I’ve been living here, I figured it was worth a visit.
The tour is booked online here and costs 200 NT ($6.66 USD) per person for an hour long guided tour in Mandarin only (an English print-out is provided).
Here’s a little recap of the hotel’s history and the background story of the slide:
The Grand Hotel was opened in 1952 by the wife of President Chiang Kai-Shek, Soong Mei-ling. The slide was completed in 1973 as an emergency underpass. The main guests at the time were dignitaries and heads of state, as well as celebrities and high level executives. The hotel is also located in Jiantan Mountain 劍潭山 which is a distance away from the main city center, so in case of emergency it allowed guests to quickly reach the foot of the mountain.
The underpass itself is explosion-proof, sound-proof and equipped with drainage systems to prevent flooding. Although the slide was made to assist those with disabilities, our guide explained that taking it would actually CAUSE disabilities as you would reach the end in 3-4 seconds and may cause spinal injuries. (Who designed this??)
The design of the hotel itself was explained in detail as the guide took us around the lobby and through the art corridor. Each detail was chosen based on a symbolic representation or lucky number. The Plum Blossom Skylight in the lobby, for example, has five golden dragons surrounds a pearl, symbolizing “The Arrival of Five Prosperities”.
My honest review: it was a cool opportunity to finally visit the historical hotel, however there really wasn’t much to the tour that was worth paying 200 NT for. The gift card that comes with the ticket is a 100 NT ($3 USD) credit that can only be used at the gift store, not for the 200 NT bubble tea (so sad). I am a hotel nerd, so I do enjoy learning about historical hotels around the world - if you have a few hours to spare and are curious about historical buildings and traditional architecture, this might be for you!
Check out a few of the photos from the tour below.
