March 21, 2019
No.013
The Taipei Guest House will be open to the public on Sunday, March 24 and Sunday, March 31, from 8 am to 4 pm (last admission 3:30 pm). Events for the day include the screening of the film Architectural Splendor of a Hundred Years and the exhibition The Taipei Guest House: One Century’s Story.
Built in 1901, the Taipei Guest House served as the official residence of the Japanese governor-general of Taiwan. Following the end of World War II, the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) took charge of the building, briefly turning it into the official residence of the Taiwan provincial governor. The building was named the Taipei Guest House in 1950 and has since served as a venue for receiving guests and holding state banquets. It has borne testimony to Taiwan’s progress over more than a century. Under careful preservation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, its furnishings and decorations remain as beautiful and exquisite as ever, while its Western-style front garden and Japanese-style water garden have withstood the passage of time. Visitors are welcome to tour this example of architecture built during the Japanese rule of Taiwan.
To protect the historic site and ensure the quality of tours, visitors are advised to observe the Guidelines for Visiting the Taipei Guest House. Photography is permitted inside the building as long as order is maintained and the historic site is secure. The use of flash and tripods, as well as the touching of artifacts, is prohibited to ensure the preservation of this national historic site.
As this year marks the centennial of the Presidential Office Building, a special exhibition has been prepared for the public’s enjoyment at the building’s open house on March 24. For visitors’ information and the latest news, please visit the official website of the Taipei Guest House (https://www.mofa.gov.tw/entgh). The latest news may also be accessed on MOFA’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/mofa.gov.tw). (E)