Finding the Taipei Dome
Not long ago, an additional 1,000 outfield seats went on sale for the 30th Asian Baseball Championship opener on Sunday between Taiwan and South Korea at the newly opened Taipei Dome. The tickets were snapped up in 30 seconds. As a result, 17,000 people swarmed into the venue for the game.
The Taipei City Government has strongly promoted the Taipei Dome, citing the grand opening of the new stadium as a major achievement, while calling on visitors to use the MRT to access the facility. Aside from advertisements, the city launched a baseball stadium-themed MRT train that passes by the Taipei Dome, making the venue a sensation.
However, some visitors might be confused as to which MRT station they should alight at. The answer is, after all, not obvious: It is Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall Station.
According to Taipei Rapid Transit Corp’s (TRTC) station naming and renaming guidelines, key principles include “identification of places” and “notability of landmarks.”
After years of delays, the Taipei Dome was not an easy birth and it is a major attraction. The landmark is of unprecedented significance to not only the country’s global visibility, but also the capital’s international image, serving as a symbol of identification.
Opened in 1988, the Tokyo Dome has been in operation for more than 35 years and is in use for an average of 317 days per year, as the operator makes every effort to give full play to its functions.
The TRTC should change Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall Station’s name to Taipei Dome station as soon as possible to make it easier for overseas visitors and local fans to find the site.
Renaming the station would provide greater support for events at the Taipei Dome.
Apart from having a Taipei Arena Station for the smaller stadium, the TRTC should add the larger and more influential stadium on its map soon.
Hsiao Chia-hung
Taipei
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