Former Shinchiku Prefecture Library, Historic building in East District, Taiwan.
The Former Shinchiku Prefecture Library is a stone building in East District featuring large arched windows and mixed architectural design elements from the early colonial period. The structure blends Japanese and Western styles throughout its facade, window arrangements, and carefully crafted interior woodwork.
The building was completed in 1925 to prepare for a royal visit by Japan's Crown Prince, and architect Takeo Ujiki designed it with careful attention to detail. Its creation reflects how colonial administrators built public structures with specific official purposes in mind.
The former library still shows signs of its role as a place where people gathered to learn and share ideas during the colonial period. You can sense in the rooms how this building once served as a hub for intellectual exchange in the community.
The building sits on Cultural Street and is easily accessible on foot with parking available nearby. Visitors should wear sturdy shoes since the interior has stairs and varying floor levels that require some climbing.
The windows feature wood patterns that are distinctly characteristic of Japanese construction methods from that era and remain visible today. These details allow visitors to spot authentic building techniques from the early 1900s that shaped the structure.
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