Chiayi City Historical Relics Museum

Step into Chiayi's time tunnel. The Historical Relics Museum is located within Chiayi Park, which is rich in humanities, historical materials, and precious history, resembling a microcosm of Taiwan's modern history. The Saikan (abstinence hall) covers an area of 267 square meters, and the Shamusho (shrine office) covers 208 square meters. The two buildings are connected by a corridor, forming a considerably scaled overall space if the central corridor is used as the connecting axis. Overall, the layout of this Japanese 'Shoin-zukuri' style structure, its architectural elements, and service functions are extremely rare domestically, possessing uniqueness, elegant artistic expression, and high craft reference value. The two buildings of the Historical Relics Museum are in the Japanese 'Shoin-zukuri' architectural style, utilizing architectural elements such as ceilings, paper sliding doors, and outer corridors. The roof is of the 'Irimoya-zukuri' (hip-and-gable roof) style, similar to traditional Chinese xieshan-style roofs, with its eaves, ridges, gable boards (hafu), hip rafters, and main ridge all using Japanese architectural elements. The upper part of the outer wall features boat-shaped elbow brackets (dougong), while the lower part adopts the 'shin-kabe' (true wall) style. The base is a low-level pile-dwelling (ganlan) construction. As for doors and windows, most doors are sliding, with only a few being push-pull; there are four types of windows: glass sliding windows, fixed grille windows, fixed grille windows with added sliding glass windows, and paper sliding windows. The Saikan, Shamusho, Temizuya (water purification pavilion), and Mikuragoya (repository for sacred objects) are representatives of Japanese living culture left behind, with the Mikuragoya notably featuring concrete exterior walls imitating wooden architecture, making it quite unique. Later, commissioned by the city government, professional units meticulously completed the restoration of the buildings, adhering to principles such as 'no alteration to the main structure,' 'preservation of the original exterior style,' 'restoration according to original architectural elements,' and 'consideration for integration with the park environment'. History Snippet: The two buildings of the Chiayi City Historical Relics Museum were originally the Saikan (abstinence hall) and Shamusho (shrine office) affiliated with the Chiayi Shrine during the Japanese colonial period. The Chiayi City Historical Relics Museum is designated as a municipal historic monument, established in Showa 18 (1943 AD). The Saikan was a place for purification and preparation before going to the shrine for worship, while the Shamusho served as the administrative office for the shrine. In October 1998 (Republic of China year 87), the two buildings were designated as municipal historic monuments by the Chiayi City Government and named 'Chiayi City Historical Relics Museum'. On September 15, 2001 (Republic of China year 90), the Historical Relics Museum officially opened, showcasing the people and events of Chiayi. It presents the past and present interwoven, revealing their respective splendor, aiming to inspire public affection for their hometown and family. The Historical Relics Museum is the best place to understand Chiayi's history. To get to know Chiayi, start by visiting the Historical Relics Museum.