Standing proudly on Ketagalan Boulevard near the Presidential Office Building is the Taipei Guest House, whose grandiose halls have for decades housed foreign dignitaries amongst European finery. However, it was only recently that reporters were granted a peek into the Japanese-style lodgings tucked away on its grounds.
Construction of the building was completed in 1901 as a residence for Taiwan’s governors-general during the Japanese colonial era. During that time, the mansion was used to welcome the Japanese imperial family, as well as foreign dignitaries and other top colonial officials.
With the arrival of the Chinese nationalists in 1946, it was renamed the Taipei Guest House while keeping its function as a reception space. More than a century later, not much has changed.
Photo: Lo Pei-de, Taipei Times
In 1998, the building was designated a national historical structure managed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by order of the Presidential Office.
The mansion was originally built in the Renaissance Revival style, then took on a more Baroque flair following renovations in 1913, ministry Department of General Affairs Director-General Bruce Hung (洪振榮) said on Jan. 30.
Although it has undergone numerous renovations over the years, the building has not changed aesthetically from the Japanese era, he said.
Photo: Lo Pei-de, Taipei Times
The western wing of the European-style mansion — which now serves as a reception area for foreign guests — was the office of the governor-general, while the eastern wing housed the main banquet and ceremonial halls, he said.
GREEN HIDEAWAY
The Taipei Guest House’s grounds have 720 trees of 74 different species, including 25 that are considered veteran trees. One of them, a tea tree beside the Heart Pond, was planted by Prince Chichibu during his visit to Taiwan in 1925.
Although rat traps are scattered around the grounds, Hung said that there is no infestation at the Guest House. However, the carefully maintained grounds do attract squirrels that might damage the bark, so staff use the traps to capture and move them.
Aside from the unwelcome squirrels, the pond is also home to a family of black swans that are now in their third generation.
However, the swans and Baroque halls were not the focus at a recent media open house.
Reporters instead were there for a glimpse of the Japanese-style bungalow, which is rarely open for viewing.
Appearing quaint next to its opulent neighbor, the bungalow is made entirely of Taiwan cypress, which lends its distinctive scent to its rooms, even to this day.
It used to serve as the living quarters of the governor-general, connected to the mansion by a wooden pathway. It is easy to imagine the colonial official sitting on the veranda, enjoying a panoramic view of the garden while listening to music from a nearby hall.
UNIQUE DESIGN
There are three unique design concepts used in the bungalow, Hung said.
First, the wooden doors do not have grooves or handles, but are opened automatically by gently pulling the center plank to the right, showcasing the ingenuity of Japanese craftspeople, he said.
Next, the tatami mats are arranged in a way to reflect its use as a living space, Hung said.
Finally, there is a special wooden shelf in the toilet designed to accommodate the many layers of a traditional kimono, he added.
One other design quirk can be found on the second story of the mansion. To accommodate visiting Japanese royals, every room has a fireplace.
GUIDED TOURS
The Taipei Guest House is open to the public once a month. Guided tours of the first and second floors of the mansion as well as the grounds are available.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and