Attention all Meteor Garden fans: Another Ying De has been discovered! The luomujie blog did it again in uncovering one of the important filming locations in season 1 of the phenomenal Taiwanese TV series. There won’t be any need to spend lots of money going to Chiayi just to see National Chung Cheng University (NCCU). Because the story of Meteor Garden didn’t just happen in one school! There is another academy near Taipei which also the setting of “Ying De University”.
I know the whole fandom will get crazy about this. There is a second Ying De and it is Tamkang University! Located in New Taipei’s Tamsui District, the school is easily accessible by the MRT Tamsui Station. Yes! You read it right. The campus is in the suburbs of Taipei. Those who have a limited budget in Taiwandering can now live their Meteor Garden dream without spending so much on expensive Taipei-Chiayi high speed rail tickets. You can now also join Klook's Meteor Garden Sightseeing tour [Reserve here]. Select the Taipei package, and you will have the chance to eat at PS Bubu restaurant, another Meteor Garden filming location.
And the one-man team luomujie blog didn’t let the opportunity go away. I went to the school to relive the memories in the drama that are very important in the Meteor Garden universe. So take a deep breath, because I will discuss important things that the F4, Sanchai and the rest of the gang made us laugh and cry.
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| Guanyinshan as seen from the field |
Upon entering the university by Bus Red 28, my attention got caught by the grandstand. The sports complex has the track and field and basketball courts. Do you remember Hua Ze Lei hanging upside down and behind him is a mountain? The background is Guanyinshan and the “sea” below is the Tamsui River. I was not expecting to find the filming location. Almost two decades had passed and many things could have changed in the school so I was having doubts if I can still find it. But oh boy! Luo-Mu Jie is so lucky. Haha!
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| The Guanyinshan mountain could not be seen anymore because of the plants and trees. |
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| The view from the monkey bars |
The three-level monkey bar was still there but the view was already blocked by the bushes and trees. Time had already turned some portions of the metal into rust. Back in the 2001 drama, the metal rods were standing on a cemented ground. In 2018, the bars are now enclosed in a sandbox making it safer to hang on. I have doubts if it is still strong enough carry a person weighing 65 kilos but I am sure that this is the place where Lei remember the words of Teng Tang Jing to do an upside-down stunt whenever he wants to hold back his tears.
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| Teng Tang Jing as she was welcomed by the F4 |
Speaking of Teng Tang Jing she first appeared in episode 2. The F4 was having a good time when Lei’s love interest arrived in the campus. The four men welcomed Jing with big smiles, much to the disappointment of Sanchai. Lei’s “girlfriend” is now in Ying De. Haha!
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| Carrie Chang Fine Arts Center (CCFAC) |
It all happened in front of the Carrie Chang Fine Arts Center (CCFAC). Opened in 2000, it was one of the newest buildings of Tamkang University. The building was named after Madame Charrie Chang, the former head of the school’s Board of Trustees. It was envisioned to become the center of arts in the university. Be it in the music, arts or even calligraphy. Anything that involves art should be in this place. Entrance is free of charge and the facility is open from Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
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| CCFAC is located beside the Sung-tao Hall (Girl's Dormitory). This must be the reason why the F4 love to hang out on this place. |
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| Sanchai as she holds a lunch box |
If our favorite drama was in its production phase in the year 2000 and broadcasted in Taiwanese televisions in 2001, the timing was right to capture some scenes in the newly opened arts building of TKU. But beyond this shooting location, Angie Chai (the executive producer of Meteor Garden) showed her brilliance in choosing the location for portraying dramatic scenes.
The floor-to-ceiling glass facade of the CCFAC is like a giant mirror that reflects the dreams, aspirations and emotions of our favorite characters. Love and hatred. The pain of seeing someone you love go with another person. The formula for a great Asian drama is here.
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| sad Dao Ming Si |
While Sanchai and Dao Ming Si have their own scenes standing in front of the building, the most emotional and intense part of Meteor Garden is when they are together. Like a cat and dog fighting for dominance, the series will never be complete them. And this is where TKU’s arts center have its own fair share of Ying De University scenes which fans can never forget. Do you remember when Dao Ming Si was about to go the to US? He was talking to the other members of the F4 and he was suddenly slapped by Sanchai? It happened here in front of the CCFAC.
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| Meteor Garden is not Meteor Garden without a slap from San Chai and some bullying. Haha! |
Aside from that scene, other intense parts of the drama was when Dao Ming Si grabbed San Chai’s fake friend (the one working in Burger King) near the neck. We know how furious the leader of F4 can be, especially if it is about the love of his life. We should also not forget when San Chai’s last boyfriend confronted the members of the member together with our female protagonist. That scene was filmed beside the glass facade.
How about Qing He? The epitome of being friendzoned forever. Haha! Like the scene in the Tranquility Lake in NCCU, the two childhood friends still have some good time together. It was very easy to identify which place it happened. It was near the boy statue. Still, in front of the CCFAC, the two were sitting on the staircase and on the left side of the background scene shows the sculpture. Well, Lei came and Sanchai left the place together with his crush. So Qing He was left alone. Bwahaha!
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| The F4 climbed the staircase of CCFAC. |
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| The F4 at the second floor of CCFAC. They were standing on the glass tiles. |
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| Luo-Mu Jie on the same glass tiles that the F4 had stepped on. |
Not all of the action happened outside the building. Going on a weekday, I felt so lucky to find it open in the afternoon. I went inside and saw the glass staircase. A quick photo of my printed screenshot with the stairs confirmed the location of the segment of the drama.
At the time of my visit, a calligraphy exhibition was being held on both floors of the building. I knew that F4 had a scene on this spot in the building so I went upstairs and hit the jackpot again. The upper floor is another filming location! A selfie with the right angle of the scene preserved the memory of my trip. Haha!
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| Teng Tang Jing in "Ying De" after she had cut her hair. |
Perhaps the spot in TKU that can be likened to the lockers of NCCU is the place where Sanchai pleaded Teng Tang Jing to not leave Lei to pursue her dreams in another country. I tried my very best to find that filming location. Close to 20 years had passed since Meteor Garden was release and many things have changed in the campus. But I have a strong hunch that this is the place where Sanchai and Teng Tang Jing had a heart to heart talk that really annoyed Lei.
My investigation led me to the staircase leading from CCFAC down to the nearest road. My printed screentshot helped me identify the background of the picture as the Main Enginerring Building. The camera could have been zoomed to emphasize the face of Lei’s love interest as a short-haired woman.
I counted the number of instances where TKU had been part of the drama. The school had been shown in 11 episodes in 24 different scenes. This is just my conservative estimate because only the people who worked on the TV series know exactly where all the segments in TKU were shot. CCFAC was never forgotten even in the last episode. The last minutes of the drama featured and Sanchai and Dao Ming Si, but before that Ximen and Mei Zuo was seen walking along the arts center for one last moment. That’s how important Tamkang University is to the creators of “Liúxīng huāyuán”. You can never ignore it.
Time to add this to your Asian drama notes: If NCCU is the original Meteor Garden school, then TKU is the second Ying De University.
Time to add this to your Asian drama notes: If NCCU is the original Meteor Garden school, then TKU is the second Ying De University.
METEOR GARDEN (流星花園) TAIWAN FILMING LOCATIONS
THINGS TO DO IN TAIPEI
THINGS TO DO IN TAIPEI
Sakura Series - Taiwan
2024 Forecast
Taipei 101 first flowers
Tianyuan Palace backyard
Taipei Flower Test Center
Pingjing St. Lane 42
Broadwood Park
Sunshine Sports Park kawazu sakura
Wuling Farm (武陵農場)
SYS kawazu sakura
Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village
CKS Memorial Hall
Shibafen Yoshino Sakura
Hope River
Dongfang Temple
Tianyuan Palace
Neicou Stream Trail
Orange Garden Cafe
Yangming Park Visitor Information Center
Yangming Park Service Center Bus Stop
Huashan Road
Qianshan Park
Zhongshan Hall Entrance
Tenglong Sakura Farm
Flower Test Center Shōwa Sakura
Neihu Creek Trail
Shulin Land Office
Xióng Kōng Cherry Blossom Forest
Lung Yen Sakura Forest
Yangming Park cherry stream
Yangming Park fountain
CKS Memorial Hall Tairyō sakura
Wugu District Tianyi Road
CKS Memorial Hall yaesakura
Loving Farm
Yong Long Farm
Zhongbaling Sakura Road
Sun Link Sea
Tai'an Police Station
Cherry Hill Slope
Hsinchu Park
Taipei 101
Kāng Gào Kēng Creek
New Garden City
Broadwood Park
Tianyuan Palace backyard
Pingjing St. Lane 42
Alishan Ranger Station
Alishan House
Alishan Police Station
Alishan Forest Railway
Alishan Station
Alishan Entrance
Alishan Gou Hotel
Alishan Magnolia Garden
Wulai tour
Wun Chang Elementary School
Bishanyan
Sanzhi Sansei Trail
Sakura Series - Taiwan
Nei Cuo Stream
Orange Garden Cafe
Sansei Trail
Tenglong Sakura Farm
Yangming Park Cherry Stream
Yangming Park Fountain
Flower Test Center
Broadwood Park
New Garden City
Yinghua Park
Pingjing St. Lane 42
Yangmingshan Visitor Center
Taipei 101
Tianyuan Palace backyard
Sakura Series - Japan
Kamonyama Park
Near the Nippon Maru Memorial Park
Shinko Park
Minato-mirai 21 area
Tokyo Tech Suzukakedai Campus
Onda River
Tenryuji
Byodoin
Kiyomizudera
Himuro shrine and Yakushi-ji Temple
Hōryū-ji Temple
Nara Park attractions
Tokyo Tech Ookayama Campus
Sumida River
Tsuruma Park
Gion
Maple Series
Taipei Aowanda
Shimen Dam
Alishan
Aowanda
Shanlinxi
Taoyuan Valley Garden
Fushoushan Farm
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| Yehliu to Jiufen? Yehliu to Shifen? Cheaper than yellow taxis |
The "Taipei kong mahal" (My beloved Taipei)
Always in my heart
MRT birdman
Valentine's Day
Tulips Festival
2018 Taipei Lantern Festival
City of Azaleas
Linji Huguo Temple
Nanjichang Night Market
Gudetama Chef restaurant
Dalongdong Bao'an Temple
Shilin hollyhocks
Ningxia Night Market
Ximending graffiti
Discovery Center of Taipei
Chunghwa Postal Museum
Double-Decker Bus
Shilin Cold Balls
Jingimoo
GomanMango
mud volcanic ice
Fire and Ice Dumpling
Opium Fen-Yuan
Ichiran Ramen
Liu Shandong Beef Noodles
hydrangea flowers
National Palace Museum
Other attractions in Taipei
Taipei on a budget
Japanese buildings
Dāoxiāomiàn beef noodles
Presidential Office Building
Yongkang St. and Elephant Mountain
CKS and SYS Hall
City tour
Beitou ramen
MRT Monopoly Game
Winter city tour
Zhicheng Park
Shilin Plum Blossom
Art museums
Shopping in Taipei
Summer desserts
Qingtiangang
Qixingshan hiking
2015 Calla lily
2016 Calla lily
Beitou tour
Beitou-Zhuzihu tour
NTU
Confucius Temple
2015 Dadaocheng Festival
Puppet Museum
Fantasy Ice World
2016 Bread Show
Strawberry picking
2015 Rose Garden
Modern Toilet
Shilin Night Market
NASA Exhibit
Raohe Night Market
Longshan Temple
2013 Taipei Zoo
Maokong Gondola
Lupin flowers
Taipei 101 day visit
Taipei 101 night visit
Tiger Mountain
Din Tai Fung
Taipei Story House
2014 Flower Show
Chrysanthemum Show
Miramar Ferris wheel
Miniatures Museum
Archery
1600 Pandas
Wulaoguo hot pot
Upside Down House
2016 101 Fireworks
New Taipei
Tamsui Pumpkin Tunnel
Shifen Waterfall
2017 Sand Sculpture
Dragon Caves
New Taipei tour
2016 Kite Festival
Pingxi Crags
Bitou Cape
2016 Sand Sculpture
2015 Christmasland
Juming - Jinshan
Houtong - Pingxi
Sandiaoling Waterfall
Jiufen foodtrip
Guanyinshan hike
Yehliu Ocean World
2014 Kite Festival
Pingxi Rail tour
Jinguashi tour
Vigor Kobo Pineapple
British Consulate
Yehliu Geopark
2014 Sand Sculpture
Paragliding
2014 Christmasland
2014 Pingxi Lantern
firefly watching
Yingge Ceramics Street
Jiufen tour
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