August 2, 2018
No.071
The Presidential Office Building and the Taipei Guest House will be open to the public on Saturday, August 4, from 8 am to 4 pm (last admission 3:30 pm).
Events at the Presidential Office include live entertainment by singers Lee Jin-ying and Yeh Yu-ting in the auditorium, and stalls showcasing agricultural products in the open spaces to the north and south of the building. Activities at the Taipei Guest House 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 and features beautiful and exquisite furnishings and decorations. 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 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.
Visitors are welcome to visit the Presidential Office Building and the Taipei Guest House on this day. For visitors’ information and the latest news, please visit the official website of the Taipei Guest House (https://www.mofa.gov.tw/tgh). The latest news may also be accessed on MOFA’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/mofa.gov.tw). (E)