Folk Music Museum (General Sun Li-ren's Mansion) Introduction
The Ethnic Music Hall was formerly an Air Force guesthouse and the residence of General Sun Li-ren, covering an area of 1,017 ping (approximately 3,388 square meters) and built around 1937. Its architectural style and spatial structure reflect the characteristics of buildings from the Japanese colonial period, blending both Japanese and Western styles, making it one of the important cultural heritage sites in Pingtung City. After being taken over by the Pingtung County Government, it was transformed into the Ethnic Music Hall with a vision to promote ethnic music. The space has been planned to include an outdoor performance area, garden café, exhibition hall for cultural artifacts, a small performance theater, and a collection room, where visitors can enjoy coffee and listen to soothing music. The Ethnic Music Hall is spacious and verdant, and its buildings are distinctive historical structures made of wood materials such as cedar, cypress, and Chinese parasol wood. During its time as an Air Force guesthouse and the residence of General Sun Li-ren, the front building served as a two-story Western-style villa for hosting guests, while the rear building was a Japanese-style residence used for living. It is well-preserved to this day. Given the limited number of characteristic historical buildings in Pingtung City, efforts were made to renovate the former residence of General Sun Li-ren into the Ethnic Music Hall to prevent it from facing demolition due to urban development, with a mission to promote local music culture. The types of music explored at the hall include Hengchun folk songs, Manchu folk songs, Hakka mountain songs, and indigenous ballads. The hall also enhances collaboration and exchange with music associations, local cultural history groups, music departments, and cultural workers, while continuously encouraging music creation to develop diverse musical forms.
