Revitalization of site will restore some of Taiwan's few remaining complexes from Japanese colonial era

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/11/17
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Nantou County Government proposal to reconstruct historic buildings in Jiji Township that were erected during the Japanese colonial period to serve as offices for the camphor industry has been approved by the Ministry of Culture (MOC), according to a news release.

The project to restore the buildings will run from 2019 through 2023, with a budget of NT$199.5 million (US$6.5 million), of which NT$159.6 million comes from a subsidy provided by the MOC. “In the future, the local character of the site will be shaped through civic participation and dialogue” in order to “drive local cultural industries and bring joint prosperity,” the statement read.

Minister of Culture Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君) said that the revitalization of the site will restore some of Taiwan's few surviving and most intact Japanese-era dormitories and office complexes.

The project will restore all 11 buildings on the site, which cover an area of over 3,300 square meters and are located in the heart of Jiji. This means that “There are a number of possibilities for reuse after the restoration is complete,” the MOC said.    [FULL  STORY]