Originally named Bazhilan ("thermal spring"), Shilin was once the headquarters of the aboriginal Ketagalan tribe which lived here over 200 years ago. Until the Qing Dynasty, Shilin was referred to as Zhilan Fortress. By the end of the Qing Dynasty, many literary talents from Shilin had passed the imperial examination, and the town was renamed "Shilin", which means "congregation of scholars and talents".
Shilin is often referred to as the origin of culture in Taipei. Government data show that education was the prevailing trend during the Qing Dynasty and there were plenty of private, community and free schools in the area. During the Japanese occupation, a national language learning center was set up at Zhishanyan, marking the beginning of a new era for Taiwan's educational system. Today, Shilin District has a total of three universities, two vocational colleges, four senior high schools, eight junior high schools, and twenty elementary schools. In addition, there are several special education schools for the blind and mentally retarded. Many foreign schools, such as Taipei American School, Taipei Japanese School, and Taipei European School, are also located in Shilin.
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