Zhongping Road Story House Introduction
The Zhongping Road Story House is hidden within the bustling Zhongping shopping district. Originally serving as a Japanese-style dormitory for civil servants, the building contains original materials from the Japanese occupation period, including roof tiles, window grilles, sliding doors, and beams, reflecting the lifestyle of local residents during that era. The building was registered as a historical structure in 2010 and has been restored by the Cultural Affairs Bureau of Taoyuan City Government. It combines artistic exhibitions, cultural experiences, and creative products while offering guided tours for groups, providing visitors a glimpse into daily life in Chungli from the Japanese occupation to the agricultural era. Constructed in 1930 (the 19th year of the Republic of China), the Zhongping Road Story House is a historic Japanese-style semi-detached building covering an area of over 30 ping. It was home to Mr. Wang Guozhi, who was once the head of the mountain affairs section, and Mr. Liao Yanquan from the education bureau, where two families spent nearly half a century, allowing the house to carry rich family emotions and historical memories. The most valuable aspect of the old house is its cultural preservation. After the original residents moved out in 2007, it was designated as a historical building in 2010. To revitalize the old house, the Cultural Affairs Bureau of Taoyuan City started space renovations in 2013, which took nearly two years, reopening in May 2015 as the "Zhongping Road Story House." With the concept of "a corner, a story," the house preserves its former elegance, including a cooking area with a large stove, coal balls in the basement, memories of common life with pigs in the pigsty, a backyard well cooling watermelons, and traditional Japanese-style tatami arrangements. All these elements rekindle warm memories of bygone eras, making the Zhongping Road Story House a home with warmth. The Zhongping Road Story House not only leads visitors to understand the cultural aspects of the old house through its story corners, but also features regular exhibitions of old photos, artifacts from the past, along with creative spaces, artistic exhibitions, city lectures, and Hakka cultural experiences, allowing visitors to explore every corner of the story house and listen to its memories. Visiting the Zhongping Road Story House in the atmosphere of a historical site inspires visitors to appreciate the significance of the past. While reminiscing about the stories of the old house, visitors are also invited to share their own stories to be cherished by the old house, making the puzzle of memories more complete.
