One year after restoration work began on the 100-year-old Taipei Guest House, built during the Japanese occupation, architects and restoration experts have made an unexpected discovery -- Victorian-era tiles
"These Victorian-style glazed tiles were believed to be imported by the Japanese from England more than 100 years ago," architect Hsu Yu-chien (
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
The subsequent addition of carpets and adhesive glues to the floor had disguised the tiles for decades until restoration work at the historic site, which began in September of last year, uncovered the European tiles.
Hsu, who was in charge of the restoration work at the site, has sent the uncovered tiles to INAX Corporation, a Japanese manufacturer of tiles and wares established in 1924, for further examination.
"The manufacturer said that the Victorian-style tiles are not only unique in Taiwan but also in southeast Asia," Hsu said.
Countless fireplaces decorated with the then expensive marble and various tiles imported from overseas stood out as another prominent European feature of the site.
"Theoretically speaking, people in Taiwan, because the country is sub-tropical, didn't need any fireplaces. So why were there so many fireplaces here? It definitely reflected the architects' original intention to imitate the English way of life," Hsu said.
Hsu said the countless European features found in the Japanese building reflected the ambition of Japanese rulers to shake up influences in Asia while looking to Europe for inspiration.
Despite the architectural treasures found at the site, the team will face difficulties with the rest of their restoration work, Hsu said.
Improper materials added to the building before the mansion was classified as a historic site by the Ministry of Interior in 1998 have created obstacles for the architects involved.
"When we sent the samples of the mortar and coating added to the facade of the building back in 1992 to a German specialist, he asked us `How could you [Taiwanese] add such a material to a historic treasure?'" Hsu said.
Experts from Japan, Belgium and Germany have gathered at the site recently for an international seminar on how to remove the materials without damaging the underlying structure, Hsu said.
The site was originally built as the Japanese governor's residence and was used to entertain guests. Ten years later, in 1911, the building underwent a major restoration after the structure was severely damaged by termites, Hsu said.
The venue, located on Ketagalan Avenue, was given its current title in 1950 by Chiang Kai-shek's (
The property, surrounded by gardens, ponds and dense foliage, also housed foreign ministry officials before the ministry built a new building just opposite the site.
Hsu said he plans to complete the restoration report by the end of this year.
Subsequent restoration will begin early next year after the historic site committee under the interior ministry finishes reviewing the report, said Lee Fang-cheng (
The estimated cost of the restoration work, which is expected to be completed by May 2004, is around NT$300 million, Lee said.
VIGILANCE: The military is paying close attention to actions that might damage peace and stability in the region, the deputy minister of national defense said The People’s Republic of China (PRC) might consider initiating a hack on Taiwanese networks on May 20, the day of the inauguration ceremony of president-elect William Lai (賴清德), sources familiar with cross-strait issues said. While US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s statement of the US expectation “that all sides will conduct themselves with restraint and prudence in the period ahead” would prevent military actions by China, Beijing could still try to sabotage Taiwan’s inauguration ceremony, the source said. China might gain access to the video screens outside of the Presidential Office Building and display embarrassing messages from Beijing, such as congratulating Lai
Four China Coast Guard ships briefly sailed through prohibited waters near Kinmen County, Taipei said, urging Beijing to stop actions that endanger navigation safety. The Chinese ships entered waters south of Kinmen, 5km from the Chinese city of Xiamen, at about 3:30pm on Monday, the Coast Guard Administration said in a statement later the same day. The ships “sailed out of our prohibited and restricted waters” about an hour later, the agency said, urging Beijing to immediately stop “behavior that endangers navigation safety.” Ministry of National Defense spokesman Sun Li-fang (孫立方) yesterday told reporters that Taiwan would boost support to the Coast Guard
BOOST TO SPORTS? The Executive Yuan said that the amendment was introduced to attract professionals to Taiwan, and increase the incentives for naturalization The Legislative Yuan yesterday passed on third reading an amendment to the Nationality Act (國籍法) that would reduce the minimum residency period required for highly skilled professionals to apply for naturalization from three to two continuous years, with a minimum of 183 days in Taiwan each year. The 183-day requirement does not apply if an eligible applicant has lived legally in the territory of the Republic of China for more than five continuous years. Taiwan’s professional basketball leagues are expected to benefit from the amendments, which would allow them to recruit more players from overseas. Prior to the passage of the amendment, the
REPORT: Taipei has expressed an interest in obtaining loitering munitions matching the AeroVironment Switchblade 300 or the Anduril Altius-600, ‘Foreign Policy’ said Taiwan is seeking US-made kamikaze drones in an apparent concession to pressure from Washington to focus on asymmetric capabilities to defeat or deter a Chinese attack, Foreign Policy said in a report on Wednesday. Taipei has expressed an interest in obtaining AeroVironment Switchblade loitering munitions or other devices with similar capabilities, it said, citing four sources familiar with the matter commenting on condition of anonymity. The Switchblade 300 is a tube-launched drone designed for attacking ground troops, while its larger sibling, the Switchblade 600, could be used to destroy tanks and entrenched troops. Ukraine has utilized both systems extensively in its fight against