Changhua City’s former Railway Hospital could become a tourist attraction after the government spent NT$50 million (US$1.63 million) restoring the 80-year-old building, the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) said over the weekend.
Funding for the restoration was furnished by the Ministry of Culture, Changhua Cultural Affairs Bureau and the TRA, the railway operator said.
The Japanese colonial era building used to house a restaurant called Kaobinge (高賓閣), established in 1937, it said.
Photo: Chang Tsung-ciu, Taipei Times
After the Second Sino-Japanese War ended in 1945, the railways acquired the building and turned it into the Railway Hospital, it said, adding that it closed the hospital in 1984 after years of financial losses.
The railways then leased the property to a wedding studio and a cafe, it said.
In 2008, the TRA planned to tear down the building and turn the property into a parking lot, but civic groups launched an initiative to preserve it and Changhwa County in 2011 designated it a historic site.
The restoration of the building began in 2016 and is almost complete, the TRA said, adding that it would announce a winning bidder to manage the building by the end of next month.
The railways and winning contractor are to sign a contract by mid-November, it said.
“We invite hoteliers, restaurateurs, and cultural and creative industry operators to establish their businesses in the building,” the TRA said. “We also hope the restoration of a historic site will help increase traffic and help boost local business.”
Kaobinge used to be a gathering place for artists and intellectuals in the colonial era, it said.
Lai He (賴和) — known as the father of New Taiwanese Literature — and Taiwan’s first professor of medicine, Tu Tsung-ming (杜聰明), were among the guests who frequented the restaurant, the TRA said.
The building’s asymmetric design was inspired by large cruise ships, making it one of the most modern buildings of the era, the TRA said, adding that it is one of only a few modernist buildings left in Taiwan.
The former hospital is only a five-minute walk from Changhua Railway Station, making it suitable as a tourist attraction, the TRA said.
Old restaurants in the vicinity sell meatballs, noodles and shaved ice with rice gluten balls, it said.
The Changhua City Office plans to open a tourist information center in the building, it added.
Aftershocks from a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck off Yilan County at 3:45pm yesterday could reach a magnitude of 5 to 5.5, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Seismological Center technical officer Chiu Chun-ta (邱俊達) told a news conference that the epicenter of the temblor was more than 100km from Taiwan. Although predicted to measure between magnitude 5 and 5.5, the aftershocks would reach an intensity of 1 on Taiwan’s 7-tier scale, which gauges the actual effect of an earthquake, he said. The earthquake lasted longer in Taipei because the city is in a basin, he said. The quake’s epicenter was about 128.9km east-southeast
GENSLER SURVEY: ‘Economic infrastructure is not enough. A city needs to inspire pride, offer moments of joy and foster a sense of belonging,’ the company said Taipei was named the city with the “highest staying power” in the world by US-based design and architecture firm Gensler. The Taiwanese capital earned the top spot among 65 cities across six continents with 64 percent of Taipei respondents in a survey of 33,000 people saying they wanted to stay in the city. Rounding out the top five were Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (61 percent), Singapore (59 percent), Sydney (58 percent) and Berlin (51 percent). Sixth to 10th place went to Monterrey, Mexico; Munich, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Vancouver; and Seoul. Cities in the US were ranked separately, with Minneapolis first at
The New Taipei City Government today warned about the often-overlooked dangers of playing in water, and recommended safe swimming destinations to cool off from the summer heat. The following locations in the city as safe and fun for those looking to enjoy the water: Chienshuiwan (淺水灣), Baishawan (白沙灣), Jhongjiao Bay (中角灣), Fulong Beach Resort (福隆海水浴場) and Sansia District’s (三峽) Dabao River (大豹溪), New Taipei City Tourism and Travel Department Director-General Yang Tsung-min (楊宗珉) said. Outdoor bodies of water have variables outside of human control, such as changing currents, differing elevations and environmental hazards, all of which can lead to accidents, Yang said. Sudden
Tropical Storm Podul has formed over waters north-northeast of Guam and is expected to approach the seas southeast of Taiwan next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. The 11th Pacific storm of the year developed at 2am over waters about 2,660km east of Oluanpi (歐鑾鼻), Pingtung County — Taiwan's southernmost tip. It is projected to move westward and could have its most significant impact on Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday next week, the CWA said. The agency did not rule out the possibility of issuing a sea warning at that time. According to the CWA's latest update, Podul is drifting west-northwest
RSS