When I first started writing about all of these historic buildings from the Japanese Colonial Era a few years back, I hadn’t realized that my interest in these buildings was something that was widely shared and that the central and local governments all across Taiwan were simultaneously in the process of investing a lot of time and money into their restoration.

Fast forward more than five years and it’s almost like they want to ensure that this little project of mine is never going to end.

Now that there are so many exciting things happening with regard to the restoration of historic places of interest all across the country, I’ve had to keep my ears close to the ground and have become rather adept at keeping track of all the on-going and future restoration projects. So when I plan my monthly schedule, one of the things that I make sure to keep in mind is all of the newly restored buildings that are opening to the public, so that I can get to them in a timely manner.

That being said, I’ve had this burning question in the back of my mind about these things for quite some time.

Maybe it’s just because I’m getting older and these are the things that you think about as you age.

The government has been very noticeably busy in its efforts restoring a very long list of historic structures all over the country, and I’m sure you can imagine, each of which tends to be quite expensive.

So where does all the money come from and how can the government continue to invest so much in these historic properties when they could be investing more elsewhere?

Taiwan currently enjoys a very healthy and active democratic environment where transparency and accountability have become major considerations for taxpayers wanting to ensure that their hard-earned dollars are being spent responsibly. Gone are the days of the former authoritarian-era where the government could do pretty much whatever it wanted and get away with it.

Understandably, given the controversial history of the five decades of Japan’s colonial rule, it shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that society is often divided on the subject of restoring these old buildings. Certainly, not everyone agrees that precious public funds should be spent on the restoration of all of these Japanese-era structures around the country.

This means that there is a considerable amount of bureaucracy and red-tape involved in all of these projects, and from start to finish, the public is consulted and constantly kept informed (if they are so inclined to pay attention that is).

Obviously the government doesn’t focus entirely on buildings from the Japanese-era with all of these restoration projects. There are a multitude of others that focus on Indigenous cultural preservation as well as the restoration of buildings that date back even further to the Qing Dynasty and beyond.

My focus here though is on the buildings remaining from the colonial era.

To better illustrate the point of what I’m going to try to make, allow me for a moment to use the recent completion (and re-opening) of the Zhongli Police and Teachers dormitories as an example.

Both the Zhongli Teachers Dorms and the nearby Police Dorms have been converted into culture parks (文化公園) by the Taoyuan City Government. Both of these parks consist of three former Japanese-era dormitories, which have been completely restored and re-opened to the public.

This means that within a city block there are currently six historic buildings that have been restored and reopened.

To stay accountable to the public, the government can’t just leave the buildings empty, which means that they have to serve some purpose.

The problem for the government in this case is that they’ve already spent a considerable amount of money in Zhongli (中壢區), as well as in Taoyuan (桃園區), Daxi (大溪區) and other districts restoring similar historic buildings.

With so many new culture parks, I’m sure you can understand that they have been hard-pressed to come up with sustainable ideas for what to do with all these buildings.

So, in the case of both of these parks (in addition to many others around the country), you’ll find that the government has reserved space for historic and cultural displays in some of the buildings while also making use of existing laws to allow local entrepreneurs to set up shop within the others.

Relaxing at the Zhongli Elementary Teachers Dorm

The Zhongli Police Dorm Culture Park currently features two buildings dedicated to local cultural and historic exhibitions while the other is currently occupied by a classy hot pot restaurant. The Teachers Dorms likewise feature similar exhibition space, but one of the buildings is currently home to a nice coffeeshop.

This is something that has been happening en-masse all over the country as the government has been investing heavily in buildings of cultural and historical significance.

So here’s the purpose of this case study: In order to remain accountable and transparent, as well as attempting to attract a constant flow of visitors to these newly established culture parks, local governments have started to employ ‘operational transfer’ agreements for these historic properties.

This gives entrepreneurs an opportunity to set up shop in one of these recently restored buildings and provides the government with revenue in order to recoup some of their investment over time.

Today, I’m going to focus on how these operational transfer schemes work, because they have become an integral part of the cultural and historic preservation process and are an extremely important tool which allows the government to continue contributing funds for the preservation of historic buildings.

This is something that we can all benefit from for generations to come.

To do this, I’ll be using a combination of the dorms mentioned above as well as the beautiful Taimali Coffee Shop (太麻里文創咖啡館) in Taitung as examples of how these agreements work, and how they can be successful.

As is the case with the things I find interesting, very little has been covered on the topic in English, or even mentioned very often in Chinese for that matter, so the information I’m going to be providing here required quite a bit of translation and research directly from government-provided resources.

I hope you’ll find it interesting, too!

Public-Private Partnerships in Taiwan

Families enjoying lunch at the newly opened Hsinchu Lakeside Ryotei

In order to better facilitate legal partnerships between the private and public sectors, the Taiwanese government makes use of the ‘Build-Operate-Transfer’ model as a method for ensuring transparency in public construction projects, and allowing for short and long-term leasing of historic properties.

Link: Build–Operate–Transfer (Wiki)

Starting in the year 2000 (民國89年), the government passed the “Law of Private Participation in Public Construction” framework (民間參與公共建設法), which was initially meant to allow the public sector to assign publicly funded construction projects to private enterprises, and ensuring that the financial resources are efficiently made available for construction projects.

The promulgation of this law was considered to be a win-win strategy for both the public and private sectors as it would ensure the vitality of private enterprises contracted by the government. It would also help to improve the quality of public infrastructure, and most importantly reduce the burden of government expenditures and bureaucratic red tape.

Link: Enforcement Rules of Act for Promotion of Private Participation in Infrastructure Projects | 促進民間參與公共建設法施行細則 (Ministry of Finance / 財政部)

In the two decades since the law has been enacted, it has been amended almost a dozen times (most recently in 2019) to reflect the evolving situation with regard to these partnerships, which don’t necessarily always have to involve large construction projects and huge sums of money.

Some of the recent success stories with these partnerships include none other than the construction of Taiwan’s High Speed Rail (臺灣高鐵路), Kaohsiung’s Mass Rapid Transit System (高雄捷運) and Taipei 101 (台北101), among others.

Unfortunately, even though these policies are considered a winning strategy for interaction between the government and the private sector, there is also a dark side that has led to rampant corruption within the public procurement sector - Most often caused by government officials showing favoritism to conglomerates that are both ready and willing to bribe them.

Restaurant space at the Hsinchu Lakeside Ryotei

In one such case, Taipei City Councillor, and high-ranking Chinese Nationalist Party member Lai Su-ju (賴素如) was convicted and sentenced to ten years imprisonment for seeking NT$15 million (US $472,798) in kickbacks. In return, Lai would ensure that a ‘certain’ company would win a contract to develop the proposed Taipei Twin Towers Project (台北雙子星大樓) next the Taipei Railway Station.

Link: Lai Su-ju guilty verdict upheld by High Court (Taipei Times)

Even though on paper the system was set up to prevent corruption from taking place, controversies continue to persist; The Taipei Dome (臺北大巨蛋) project is another recent example of how problems can arise with the government interacting with the private sector.

In this case we have city councillors all the way up to a former president becoming complicit in the scandal.

The ongoing case is one that has been widely covered by the media and has focused the collective anger of the public on the government, the FarGlory Group (遠雄集團) and the “deeply entrenched crony capitalism in Taiwan, with bribes paid by development companies to local politicians in order to secure lucrative infrastructure construction bids, and the use of organized crime by development companies to intimidate local opposition.”

Link: The Taipei Dome Controversy and Issues of Entrenched Political Corruption in Taiwan (New Bloom)

While it is important to be aware that even though mechanisms have been in place for a couple of decades, with watchdogs and amendments to the laws, corruption still rears its ugly head.

This means that “guanxi” (關係) is still a pervasive factor when awarding contracts, even in the smaller cases that are the focus of what I’m covering today.

Fortunately, what I’m focusing on here with Taiwan’s historic buildings are (considerably) smaller cases that aren’t likely to involve large corporations, bribes and kickbacks. They are however extremely competitive and are just as likely to suffer from the same issues, albeit on a much smaller scale than others.

In particular, one of the major issues when it comes to the leasing of these historic buildings is that the contracts are often awarded by local governments, which means that the mechanisms for ensuring equality and fairness may not be on par with those on the national level. This is especially the case with contracts and agreements that are more widely scrutinized when they are over a certain dollar limit.

Gift shop at the Hsinchu Lakeside Ryotei

First though, let me introduce the basic methods that the Taiwanese government has set up under the Ministry of Finance (財政部) within the framework of the “Act for Promotion of Private Participation in Infrastructure Projects” mentioned above.

“Build-Operate-Transfer” BOT (由民間機構投資新建並為營運；營運期間屆滿後，移轉該建設之所有權予政府) is when the government grants a concession to a private organization to finance, build and operate a project for a specific period of time (in order to recoup its investment) before control is transferred back to the government.
“Build-Transfer-Operate” (由民間機構投資新建完成後，政府無償取得所有權，並由該民間機構營運；營運期間屆滿後，營運權歸還政府) essentially means that after an investment by a private organization, the government takes ownership of the property, while entrusting the organization with its operational rights for a specific period of time before control is returned to the government. There are variations on this scheme with the government eventually taking ownership of a property for free (無償BTO) and another where the government is required to reimburse the private institution for construction costs (有償BTO).
“Rehabilitate-Operate-Transfer” ROT (民間機構投資增建、改建及修建政府現有設施並為營運；營運期間屆滿後，營運權歸還政府) often referred to as “rehabilitate” or “restoration” in English, this is a method by which private institutions invest in the reconstruction or restoration of an existing government-owned property and operates it for a specific period of time before it is returned to government control.
“Operate-Transfer” OT (間機構營運政府投資興建完成之建設，營運期間屆滿後，營運權歸還政府) contracts are essentially the main focus of this case study and are a scheme for which the government invests in and completes a project and then entrusts private organizations to operate it (for a set period time) until control is eventually returned to the government or the lease is renegotiated.
“Build-Operate-Owner” BOO (配合國家政策，由民間機構自行備具私有土地投資新建，擁有所有權，並自為營運或委託第三人營運) are contracts that allow private institutions to invest in the construction of a new project and upon completion owning it and operating it (or entrusting a third party with its operation) with the inclusion of government oversight, which may or may not include financial incentives or tax-exempt status.

Restaurant seating at the Zhongli Police Dorms

When it comes to the leasing of historic properties that have been restored by the government and their operational control being handed over for private operation, we need to focus on the Rehabilitate-Operate-Transfer and Operate-Transfer method.

ROT/OT schemes allow the government to have a hand in the restoration of historic and culturally significant structures, as well as providing for the opportunity to lease them out for commercial use.

The statute that governs these partnerships is outlined in Article 8, Paragraph 5 (第8條第5點) of the ‘Act for Promotion of Participation in Infrastructure Projects’ law which is as follows:

“5. The private institution operates an infrastructure built with investment from the government. Upon expiration of the operation period, the right to operate reverts to the government;” (民間機構營運政府投資興建完成之建設，營運期間屆滿後，營運權歸還政府。)

As mentioned above, in order to help you better understand these partnerships, I’m using the Zhongli Police Dormitories as an example of how the ‘Operate-Transfer’ agreements work with regard to the leasing of historic structures to the private sector.

The reason for this is two-fold: I’ve already published articles on these dorms on two occasions, prior to their restoration and most recently after the restoration was completed.

More importantly is that the ‘licensing bid’ for the dorm (that was made available to the public) was published by the Ministry of Finance, and is easily accessible through the link below.

It provides the information necessary to help illustrate my point.

Link: 桃園市中壢警察局日式宿舍群營運移轉案 (民間參與公共建設資訊)

After a period of restoration, the Zhongli Police Dorms re-opened in 2020 as a Cultural Park which seeks to promote tourism in the area by featuring exhibitions focused on local history that are attractive to the public.

As mentioned earlier, two of the dormitories in the park have been reserved as a cultural space and their operational control is taken care of by the Taoyuan City Government’s Department of Cultural Affairs (桃園市政府文化局).

The third (and the largest of the dorms) on the other hand was reserved for ‘private use’ as part of the government’s ‘Operate-Transfer’ program which helps to ensure that some of the public funds that were invested in the restoration of these three buildings is recouped.

The space is currently occupied by “Jing Ding House” (景町文煮), a Japanese-style restaurant and cafe operated by the ArtGo Cultural & Creative Company (雅鴿文創公司), which won the bid linked above for the operational rights for the building.

The bidding process that was published by the Ministry of Finance (in the link above) provides us with some some important information about how these operational contracts are formed.

However, since not everyone can read Chinese, I’ll summarize below.

What we can see is that the ‘Operate-Transfer’ Agreement is licensed for a period of six years between 2019 (民國108年) and 2025 (民國114年), with the contract winner proposing a plan that would include a total investment of NT$9,757,066 (US $350,000) over that period.

As to whether or not the government will continue the lease when it is up, or make the space available to another private contractor is part of the risk that is taken when it comes to these Operational Transfer agreements.

Similarly, unlike typical companies, which are generally free to decide if and when to close shop, if business isn’t going well, these agreements ensure that the space will be occupied for the period that the contract is valid, otherwise a large fine will be incurred.

This obviously makes bidding for one of these projects somewhat precarious for the average person wanting to operate a business within one of those government-owned historic buildings.

Generally speaking, for those interested in applying for one of these ‘OT’ cases that the government makes available, it is important that they pay close attention to the bids, which are published on the “Promotion of Private Participation” (民間參與公共建設資訊) website.

Enjoying tea at the Taichung Martial Arts Hall

Each of which generally includes the following information and stipulations:

Public Announcement for bids (公告招商)
Case name (案件名稱)
Case Provider (主辦機關)
Case Category (公共建設類別)
Operational Contract Period (公告時期)
Terms and Conditions for bidding (招標條件)

Most of these are pretty self-explanatory, but the frustrating part are the ‘conditions’ for bidding as they generally ensure that the majority of those who apply for the contract are automatically eliminated from contention, due to the strict stipulations that are put in place.

As I’m sure you can imagine, it is already difficult enough working with the government, but when it comes to protected historic structures, there are quite a few rules as to what you can and cannot do with the space and the liability for violating them can be quite high.

At this point you’re probably thinking that the regulations for these OT agreements for historic structures come across as far too rigid and aren’t very cost-effective.

Surprisingly though, the opportunity to actually win a bid to operate one is low as competition is fierce.

The risks may be high, but running a business in a historic building within a culture park is an excellent one.

The good news is that whether you’re running a coffeeshop, restaurant, bookstore, etc. You should have no problem attracting customers as people are generally interested in these spaces, and since they’re already part of what is sure to become a tourist attraction, its unlikely that there will ever be a shortage of business and/or that you’ll be able to recoup your investment.

There are of course exceptions to the rule, but it’s difficult to imagine that the majority of private companies that win these public contracts aren’t going to attempt to negotiate an extension on the lease when their time is up.

Private dining room at the Zhongli Police Dorms

What’s important to remember about the preservation of buildings of cultural and historic significance is that even though the government is willing to invest in their restoration, the involvement of governmental, non-governmental and private enterprises is required to ensure the success and viability of these projects.

If you’ve travelled anywhere in Taiwan over the past few years, you’ll have seen these OT agreements in action, but probably weren’t aware of what was going on.

Whether its one of the coffeeshops, restaurants or concert venues at the Huashan 1914 Creative Park (華山1914文化創意產業園區) in Taipei, Miyahara Ice Cream shop (宮原眼科冰淇淋) in Taichung, or any of the galleries and shops at the Pier2 Art Center (駁二藝術特區) in Kaohsiung, these partnerships have become integral in the preservation process.

So while it’s tremendous that the Taiwanese government on the local and national level has a renewed interest in the preservation of historical sites, without these public-private partnerships, it would be difficult to actually be able to preserve these heritage assets in a cost-effective way.

Most importantly these partnerships ensure that preservation continues to take place around the country and on a macro level gives the general public have more incentive to visit.

After all, cultural parks are likely to start getting boring after you’ve seen enough of them.

Taimali Coffee (太麻里文創咖啡館)

While I’ve had all of this in the back of my mind for quite a while, what actually cemented my interest in getting to the bottom of these Public-Private Partnership schemes was my visit to the beautiful Taimali Coffee Shop in Taitung City.

In fact, Taitung is one of the areas of Taiwan where you can see these Public-Private partnerships on display in a very noticeable way - From the shops that have set up within the Rail Art Village (鐵花村), the Taitung Sugar Factory (臺東糖廠) and the hip coffeeshops that have opened in the old dorms near the Baoting Art And Culture Center (寶町藝文中心), you’ll find that quite a few entrepreneurs are taking advantage of partnering up with the local government in promoting Taitung to the rest of the country - and the world.

This coffeeshop in particular, located within the downtown core of Taitung city (not actually in Taimali Township (太麻里鄉) to the south), is the brainchild of the famed Taiwanese Film Director Huang Chao-liang (黃朝亮), who grew up in the area and is well known for telling stories about his home.

One of his most recent films “Han Dan” (寒單), for example was set amidst Taitung’s iconic Bombing Master Han Dan (炮炸寒單爺) festival and tells an interesting story while also highlighting one of the most important religious festivals of his hometown.

Link: Bombing Lord Handan (Taiwan Gods)

Admittedly, what drew me to the coffeeshop wasn’t the coffee.

I was however quite surprised to find out when I sat down that all of their coffee is locally sourced from ranches in the mountains of nearby Taimali, and that the coffeeshop was more or less a showroom for the award winning coffee beans harvested in Taitung.

The beautiful interior of Taimali Coffee

Known as “First Rays Coffee” (日升之處咖啡) and “Taimali Ocean Coffee” (太麻里海洋咖啡), the area’s coffee beans are harvested at an altitude ranging between 600m and 1000m above sea level in Taimali’s Huayuan Village (華源村), south of Taitung City.

Apparently this is also where the ‘first rays of sun’ hit Taiwan every morning, hence the name.

Given that the climate is well-suited for growing coffee, the high-quality beans that are grown in Taimali are considered to be well-balanced in their acidity, sweetness and bitterness and deliver smooth flavors.

Over the past decade, Taiwanese-grown beans have won several international awards and Taitung’s beans are helping to ensure that Taiwan’s coffee export market will continue to grow as the nation makes more of a name for itself on the market.

Most of this wouldn’t have been possible however without the leadership of Director Huang, who has not only seized upon the opportunity to open this coffeeshop, but also to help consolidate Taitung’s various coffee beans producers and promote them to the world in a professional manner.

Link: Taimali Coffee Brewing up a Name for Itself (Taiwan Today)

Given that I spend so much time sitting in coffee shops writing all of these articles, you’d think that I’d be more aware of Taiwan’s resurgence on the international coffee market, but I actually had no idea before walking into this beautiful coffee shop. All I knew was that Taiwan has one of the best coffee-drinking cultures around and that many baristas here have achieved international acclaim.

Located within a Japanese-era Police Dormitory that dates back to 1940 (昭和15年), the Taitung City Government spent NT$12 million (US $400,000) restoring the building. A hefty figure.

Upon completion, a PPP bid was opened to the public and was initially awarded to a Japanese-style Oolong Noodle (烏龍麵) franchise, which quickly set up shop inside.

According to what we learned above, these contracts typically last for a period of five years or more, so the fact that the noodle shop closed within two years of opening says a lot.

Business may not have been very good, but given that they were willing to take the loss on their investment to close up shop years before the contract expired is pretty serious.

The early closure likewise put the local government in a difficult position as the considerable amount of public funds used to restore the space weren’t being put to good use. This and the fact that there were other restoration projects simultaneously taking place around the city meant that there was a lot of pressure to resolve the situation quickly.

With the building empty, Director Huang seized upon the opportunity and submitted a proposal to the Taitung City Government to set up the coffeeshop inside. Given the government’s investment in the restoration of the building and the recent failure of the noodle restaurant, I’m sure that the opportunity to have a well-established film director open a business that would promote locally sourced coffee to the tourists who visit Taitung was probably too good to be true.

Re-opening in 2018 as the “Taimali Creative and Cultural Coffeeshop” (太麻里文創咖啡館), it has become one of Taitung’s hippest tourist spots, especially with young people who come to enjoy the locally grown coffee in a nostalgic setting.

As mentioned above, there are strict limitations within what those who lease these historic buildings can do with the interior design. While that might seem rigid for anyone wanting to bid for the operational rights to one of these buildings, it is also to their benefit as the majority of people who want to visit are coming to enjoy the simplicity of old-fashioned Japanese design.

The interior of the coffeeshop remains true to that in that it features retro-style seating with carefully selected chairs and tables. The shelves used to showcase the coffee are made of wood, like the rest of the building and while they’re obviously an addition, they don’t take away from the rest of the interior design.

Save for the air conditioner and the kitchen area, the only modern additions to the building are some of the decorations on the walls, which for the most part include posters of Director Huang’s films.

The great thing about this dorm, similar to the nearby Baoting Art and Culture Center (寶町藝文中心) is that the interior, constructed from Taiwanese cedar (杉木) absolutely shines in the sun. The natural light that comes into the building in the afternoon is spectacular and makes the ambiance of enjoying a coffee inside well worth the price of your visit!

The exterior of the building is also quite beautiful and features a yard with ‘actual’ grass, something that is quite uncommon in cities in Taiwan.

Even though the building is located on the corner of Tiehua Road (鐵花路) and Fujian Road (復健路), the main entrance is located in a courtyard that faces away from the road.

The entrance features a beautiful Japanese-style covered porch and the walls are covered in beautiful sliding glass windows.

The courtyard is large enough to allow for some outdoor seating and a covered pavilion where customers can wait for seating. It is also tree-covered with trees that were planted when the building was originally constructed in the 1930s. The tall trees offer quite a bit of shade, making the wait for a seat a lot more comfortable on hot days. One of them even has a swing hanging from it, which is pretty much Instagram gold, if you’re into that kind of thing.

On the opposite side facing the street, you’ll find a washroom where the original outhouse used to be located. These days however, the building has been upgraded with modern bathrooms.

Still though, to access the washroom you have to walk outside to the back entrance of the building.

If you’ve read this far, you’re probably wondering why I’m not including photos of the coffee or food thats available at the coffeeshop.

I won’t be including any of that. Simply put, I’m not a food blogger and my purpose here isn’t really to introduce or promote the products you’ll get at the coffeeshop.

What I will say however is that the coffee was tasty and the ambiance of sitting inside this historic building was worth the price of admission!

If you’re in Taitung, I highly recommend stopping by this beautiful coffeeshop to learn a little about Taitung’s coffee bean production, enjoy some coffee and more importantly, the former police dormitory which has been completely transformed - and a great example of how these public-private partnerships can be successful!

Getting There

Address: #307 Fujian Road, Taitung City (台東市福建路307號)
GPS: 22.75353240966797 121.15357208251953

Located within the downtown core of Taitung City, getting to Taimali Coffee shouldn’t pose any trouble for the average traveller.

The cafe is within walking distance from some of the city’s other popular tourist attractions including the Railway Art Village (鐵花村), Taitung Martyrs Shrine (臺東忠烈祠), Liyu Mountain (鯉魚山), Taitung Bus Station (臺東轉運站), the Taitung Night Market (台東夜市), the famed White House (台東阿伯小白屋) and even the Baoting Art and Culture Centre (寶町藝文中心).

If you’re staying within the downtown core of the city during your visit, I highly recommend just walking over to the cafe.

If you’ve got a car or scooter, you should be able to find street-side parking nearby, but if you’re visiting during a national holiday, you may be a little trouble parking a car.

That being said, if you’re staying outside of the city and want to visit, the best way to get there is to take any of the buses that terminate at the Taitung Bus Station, of which there are about 36 and far too many to list here.

Unfortunately the website for the Taitung Bus Station is only available in Chinese, but you can still check it out to help plan your trip. Your best bet though is to simply click on the bus station on Google Maps to get the full list of buses that stop there and the one that is most suitable for you!

Link: Taitung Bus Station (臺東轉運站)

You won’t actually find any bus stops along Fujian Road (復健路) where the cafe is located, but this is because the walk from there to the bus station only takes a couple of minutes.

One thing that is important to note is that the coffee shop tends to be pretty busy, so if you are planning to stop by, I highly recommend heading to their Facebook page that I’ve linked below where you can easily make a reservation.

It would be pretty disappointing if you showed up and the place was so busy that you don’t have the opportunity to enjoy some coffee and a dessert in such a beautifully restored Japanese-era home!

Hours

From 10:00 to 18:00 on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

From 10:00 to 21:00 on Saturdays and Sundays.

Contact: 089-330398 | Website | Facebook | Instagram

Some of Director Huang’s past work on display

If you are as interested in the preservation of Taiwan’s cultural heritage as I am, this is a topic that should be of particular interest as it is the method by which the government has used to successfully fund restoration projects all over the country.

With hundreds of these projects completed over the past decade, heritage preservation in Taiwan has become a focal point for the rejuvenation of a cultural identity that was once on the decline.

While I’m sure that you’ll excuse me for painting a rosy picture here with regard to the preservation of historic buildings in Taiwan, the sad fact is that we have already lost countless buildings of cultural and historic value. As time passes, the number of historic structures remaining in Taiwan continues to decrease, so if we want to see all of this preservation continue, we should also do our best to support the businesses that set up shop within these places of cultural interest. By doing so, we ensure that these public-private partnerships remain healthy, and also contribute to the local economy.

The photos I’ve used for this blog are a combination of these historic buildings that have been opened for private usage and include the Zhongli Police and Teachers dorms, Hsinchu’s Lakeside Ryotei and of course, the Taimali Coffee Shop in Taitung.