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.
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