Taipei Guest House

The Taipei Guest House, with its century-old architectural grandeur, has always been at the heart of Taiwan's politics. Its predecessor was the "Taiwan Governor-General's Residence" during the Japanese colonial period; after Taiwan's Retrocession, it served as the Provincial Chairman's Residence; in 1950, it was renamed the Taipei Guest House and became an important national venue for state banquets, hosting foreign dignitaries, party and government meetings, and cultural events. In 1998, it was designated a national monument by the Ministry of the Interior. The construction of the Taipei Guest House began in 1899, designed by Japanese architects Miyoo Rin and Nomura Ichiro; in 1911, the renovation project designed by Moriyama Matsunosuke gave it its current appearance; in 2002, it was closed for the most extensive renovation since Taiwan's Retrocession, completed in May 2006; with the progress of Taiwan's democratization, the Taipei Guest House was first opened to the general public on July 4, 2006, with the idea of "space liberalization" allowing the public to glimpse the century-old mysterious facade of the Taipei Guest House. The Taipei Guest House occupies a long, rectangular east-west site, with the main building facing south, a two-story structure of brick, stone, and reinforced concrete. Influenced by Western historical architectural styles introduced to Japan after the Meiji Restoration, the Taipei Guest House features a Mansard roof, Greek pediments, Roman columns, and ornate Baroque-style decorations. Wide balconies are provided on all four sides, similar to official buildings in European and American colonial cities in Southeast Asia. A belvedere is located at the southeast corner of the third floor, offering views of parades and streetscapes during festivals. Historical Development: During the Japanese colonial period, the Taipei Guest House served not only as the Governor-General's residence but also as a venue for administrative offices and diplomatic receptions. The first major event after its completion was hosting Princess Tomiko of Kitashirakawa-no-miya Yoshihisa, who visited Taiwan in October 1901. Subsequently, it hosted various imperial nobles, including Prince Kan'in-no-miya Kotohito, Prince Kuni-no-miya Kuniyoshi, Prince Chichibu-no-miya Yasuhito, Prince Takamatsu-no-miya Nobuhito, and Prince Yi Un of Changde Palace. The most significant among these was the reception for Crown Prince Hirohito (later Emperor Showa) during his visit to Taiwan in 1923. During Crown Prince Hirohito's stay at the Governor-General's Residence, his main activity space was on the second floor of the residence, where audiences with officials and gentry also took place in the grand reception room on the second floor. On the first day of the Crown Prince's visit, the Governor-General arranged for him to ascend the spiral staircase to the third-floor belvedere to receive cheers from the parade attendees. After Taiwan's Retrocession, although the Taipei Guest House was no longer the Governor-General's Residence, it remained the primary venue for government meetings and hosting foreign dignitaries. Successive presidents have received countless distinguished guests on the first floor of the Taipei Guest House, with the most representative being Japanese Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi in 1957, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew in 1981, former US President Bill Clinton in 2005, and ARATS Chairman Chen Yunlin from mainland China in 2008. Furthermore, the government of our country has signed many important international treaties and agreements in the banquet hall of the Taipei Guest House. The most significant was the "Treaty of Peace between the Republic of China and Japan" (also known as the Treaty of Taipei), signed in 1952 by Foreign Minister George K.C. Yeh and Japanese Plenipotentiary Isao Kawada, which profoundly impacted Taiwan's sovereign status. Later, more famously, President Ma Ying-jeou signed two international covenants on May 14, 2009: the "International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights" and the "International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights," symbolizing a significant step forward for our country in integrating into the international human rights system and expanding international human rights cooperation. Looking back at the years the Taipei Guest House has traversed, it is clear that its value goes beyond its century-long history; it is an architectural masterpiece that skillfully blends Eastern and Western cultures, and it has witnessed Taiwan's magnificent transformations over the past century. From every perspective, every brick, tile, plant, and tree here is worth our collective care and preservation.