The Taichung City Government is looking to build upon the revitalization project of Lin Mao-yang’s (林懋陽) former residence by bringing in Michelin-starred and Taiwanese-style restaurants, the city’s Cultural Heritage Department said yesterday.
The aim is to provide more authenticity to what was the private mansion of the Lin (林) family from Taichung’s Wufeng District (霧峰) — one of the five influential families in Taiwan during the Japanese colonial period.
The residence was built in Beitun District (北屯) by Lin between 1924 and 1928, and is known for its blending of the Min region, or southern Fujian, style from China, the Japanese Imperial Crown style and the traditional style of Japanese wooden buildings.
Photo courtesy of the Taichung City Cultural Heritage Department via CNA
It was considered the most fashionable mansion at the time, because of the red-brick walls surrounding the complex, its colonnades and the two-story house, the department said.
The building was sold to the Qingdao Grains Factory after it arrived in Taiwan in 1948, and was later assigned to be the residence of the families of five high-ranking military officers, becoming part of the Yi De Veterans’ Village (一德眷村), the department said.
The Taichung City Government declared the residence a heritage site in 2007, and following the relocation of veterans living in the village in 2013, budgeted NT$45 million (US$1.62 million) to restore the building, the department said.
The Taichung City Government has commissioned Jen Wen International Co to plan the revitalization of the site, starting this year and running through 2026, the department said.
The plan is to turn the complex into a hub for exhibitions and artistic performances, and periodically host themed exhibits and shows there, the department said.
Bringing restaurants into the mix would further enhance the site’s appeal, especially if the restaurants could offer a credible semblance of Taiwanese-style cuisine as it was made in 1925, the department said.
Japanese and other Western-style food would also be welcome at the complex, it added.
Separately, the department said that it has been pursuing multiple restoration projects to conserve and revitalize cultural assets, including the restoration of the Japanese-style buildings at Tanzih Elementary School, and the old bridge spanning the Daan River (大安溪), which are expected to be completed this year.
Other projects, including the Taichung Prefectural Hall and other Japanese-styled dormitories in Central District (中區), are expected to be completed by next year, it said.
Alain Robert, known as the "French Spider-Man," praised Alex Honnold as exceptionally well-prepared after the US climber completed a free solo ascent of Taipei 101 yesterday. Robert said Honnold's ascent of the 508m-tall skyscraper in just more than one-and-a-half hours without using safety ropes or equipment was a remarkable achievement. "This is my life," he said in an interview conducted in French, adding that he liked the feeling of being "on the edge of danger." The 63-year-old Frenchman climbed Taipei 101 using ropes in December 2004, taking about four hours to reach the top. On a one-to-10 scale of difficulty, Robert said Taipei 101
Taiwanese and US defense groups are collaborating to introduce deployable, semi-autonomous manufacturing systems for drones and components in a boost to the nation’s supply chain resilience. Taiwan’s G-Tech Optroelectronics Corp subsidiary GTOC and the US’ Aerkomm Inc on Friday announced an agreement with fellow US-based Firestorm Lab to adopt the latter’s xCell, a technology featuring 3D printers fitted in 6.1m container units. The systems enable aerial platforms and parts to be produced in high volumes from dispersed nodes capable of rapid redeployment, to minimize the risk of enemy strikes and to meet field requirements, they said. Firestorm chief technology officer Ian Muceus said
MORE FALL: An investigation into one of Xi’s key cronies, part of a broader ‘anti-corruption’ drive, indicates that he might have a deep distrust in the military, an expert said China’s latest military purge underscores systemic risks in its shift from collective leadership to sole rule under Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), and could disrupt its chain of command and military capabilities, a national security official said yesterday. If decisionmaking within the Chinese Communist Party has become “irrational” under one-man rule, the Taiwan Strait and the regional situation must be approached with extreme caution, given unforeseen risks, they added. The anonymous official made the remarks as China’s Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia (張又俠) and Joint Staff Department Chief of Staff Liu Zhenli (劉振立) were reportedly being investigated for suspected “serious
American climber Alex Honnold is to attempt a free climb of Taipei 101 today at 9am, with traffic closures around the skyscraper. To accommodate the climb attempt and filming, the Taipei Department of Transportation said traffic controls would be enforced around the Taipei 101 area. If weather conditions delay the climb, the restrictions would be pushed back to tomorrow. Traffic controls would be in place today from 7am to 11am around the Taipei 101 area, the department said. Songzhi Road would be fully closed in both directions between Songlian Road and Xinyi Road Sec 5, it said, adding that bidirectional traffic controls would
RSS